My New Year begins on February 1st. Reason being I always ring in the New Year with my family in Wisconsin downing Fireball, eating fried cheese, and staying up to the wee hours of the morning playing cribbage and Giant Spoons. Although super fun, not an ideal time for goal setting or resolutions.
2015 was fantastic – trips to Oregon, Lander, WY, the San Juan Mountains, the Dolomites in Italy, and even South Dakota plus forays into the world of ski mountaineering and plenty of fun microadventures wandering around Utah. I aim to make each year greater than one before, which is going to be a difficult task with 2015’s overwhelming awesomeness, but I will try. Here’s what I aim to accomplish running-wise in 2016:
2016 Running Goals
#1 – Stay Healthy!
I am still amazed and so thankful for everything I can now do. After three years of FAI hip surgeries, I still can’t/won’t take my ability to run for granted. This means putting my desire to stay healthy above everything else. This means lots of stretching, rolling, yoga-ing, eating well, sleeping lots, and listening to my body when I start to feel some funk.
#2 – Sub-6 Hour in Moab Red Hot 55K
My running training has been lackluster this winter, thanks to non-stop Utah snow, but I’m counting on the hours and hours of time I’ve spent skiing uphill (87,266 vertical feet of climbing to be exact) to do something for my running fitness. Last February I had a very good race at the Antelope Canyon 55K off very little running and considering I have tripled my ski vert and put in more miles on the trails I really think I can do this. I just need to average 11-minute pace for 32-33 miles and the course is gorgeous and I love the desert so hopefully all the beauty will be enough distraction for the pain this will inevitably cause 🙂
Update: Failed by 9 minutes, but had a blast! Moab Red Hot 55K Race Report
#3 – Finish a 50-miler
Complete a 50 mile race in early spring, ’nuff said.
#4 – Sub-3 Hour Wahsatch Steeplechase
This 17-mile trail run through my home turf is my true nemesis. These trails are my second home and I run them several times a week. I had wanted to run the Wahsatch Steeplechase for years, but because of several years of hip surgeries and crap I hadn’t been able to run it until last summer. I set a pretty difficult goal for myself to run under 3 hours and I came in at 3 HOURS ONE MINUTE so of a grrrrr bahhhh rarrrrrrr! This year 2:xx:xx is mine!
#5 – Get to the Cortina Trail!
I absolutely fell in love with the Dolomites last summer and I want to go back in early summer when the flowers are in bloom. I threw my name in the lottery for The North Face Cortina Trail in December and wound up with a spot. I’m flying into Nice the week before and going to tour around Provence (blooming lavender fields and wine hello!) before heading to Cortina to run the 47K circuitous route through some of the most incredible places in the Dolomites. Just finding the starting line in a foreign country will be an accomplishment!
#6 – Top Secret Trail Race That I am Currently #3 on the Waitlist For
But will only discuss if I accomplish above 1-5…
Cheers to one helluva 2016!!!