Back in January I posted a bit about goals and explained my goals for the year. (Original post here: http://www.runjunkees.com/matthew-rutldge/setting-and-meeting-goals)
Part of goal setting is to take a step back now and then and evaluate progress and see if things need to be adjusted. So my goal for this year is to run a 100 mile race at Run Rabbit Run in September of 2015. As part of that goal I have hired a coach. The coach provides me with a training plan, advice, feedback, and this coach has even provided an online community of like-minded folks to provide even more feedback and suggestions. (Reach out to the folks at Human Potential Running for more details about coaching for crazy long distances.) How are things going? Pretty dang good. I am following my training plan as best I can. I won't say I'm nailing it 100%, but it's pretty close and I'm feeling pretty healthy. Honestly, a runner can't ask for much more than that. I've hit more than 95% of my planned miles for the year so far. Considering I have a full time job, kids, a house that needs work, and other grown-up style obligations, I'm pretty proud of that. The race is coming up. I have about three more weeks of hard core training, including one really big weekend of miles, then some tapering. I feel about as ready as I'll ever be. The physical aspect will be an interesting adventure. The mental aspect will be a game I don't think I've ever had to play before. The 36 hour event will be one giant adventure. I will continue my "experiment of one" and see if I can put together a favorable result. So the summary of the goals check in - all systems are go. I can't predict what will happen during the 100 miler. But that's the nature of the beast. Anyone at the starting line who claims to know exactly how that race will go is probably lying. But I can commit to this: I will show up. I will run. I will give it all I have. I may even give it more than I have. My only goal is to continue moving forward until I either hit the finish line, or a race official tells me I cannot continue. As my training has progressed, my safety orange RunJunkEes shirt has become one of my favorites. First, the color will help people find me if I happen to fall off a trail and need help. Second, the saying on the back has come to summarize my summer. The journey is the reward. We've all heard that the race is simply the victory lap marking the end of a training cycle. This is the first time I really believe that. My wife and I were talking about this earlier in the week. While I want to finish my 100 miler, and I want it to go well, for the first time in my running career I am under no pressure. And the joy I have found, the adventures I have had, and the friends I have met through this crazy year have been worth every step. This journey has simply been incredible. How are your goals going? Are you on track? There are still a few months left to get things rebooted and rolling again.
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