February Goals

I wrote down my goals for January, and while I didn't meet all of them it still really helped to have something to strive towards. I am so new to the sports of running and triathlon that it is hard for me to set goals regarding specific times. So instead I am setting monthly goals in multiple aspects of my life to keep me on track.

1. Foam roll, stretch, and ice after running. I never used to do any of these things after running and it eventually caught up with me. Now I need to do all three to keep my knees and IT bands happy.


2. Figure out nutrition plan for half marathon & long runs. I haven't done many long runs since I started running and I still have no idea how much I should be drinking and eating before and during. I want to experiment with some different products and see what works best so I stop bonking midway through runs.


3. Strength train twice a week. I love strength training when I am at my parents house because the gym I go to there is so nice. UMBC's gym is pretty sucky though and makes me have no desire to go. I have read over & over though about how important strength training is for staying injury free so I need to just go do it.


4. Do yoga once a week. Yoga really helps keep my body and mind happy. I noticed I was in more pain after running once I stopped going to yoga. February is all about staying healthy & injury free before the big March half marathon.


5. Drink 60 oz. water daily. I know this doesn't sound like anything crazy but I have a really hard time drinking enough water. With the longer runs I am doing I am going to need to be upping my water intake. 60 oz. is right around the amount that someone of my age and size should be drinking regularly so it shouldn't be too difficult with some planning.


6. Don't skip long runs. I have a really hard time making myself do the long runs I have scheduled during training because of where I live. I don't like doing hilly long runs but I am just going to have to get over that. I probably will end up driving to a trail about 30 minutes away a few times to make sure I get in my long runs too though.


7. Keep food log & eat as dairy free as possible. I didn't like being tracking my food online in January because it was difficult to enter home cooked foods. Instead I am going to just record what I eat & when, and how I feel after eating it. I am also going to be using the log to see how dairy is affecting my stomach. I am not going to cut out dairy entirely but hopefully I can eliminate most.


8. Do something active every day. I loved this goal so much in January that I want to keep at it in February too. Trying to meet this goal in January made me do a lot of workouts that I otherwise would have skipped. Plus being more active has been making me feel much better physically & mentally.


9. Meditate for 15 minutes once a week. I really want to start meditating and 15 minutes is a lot more realistic than an hour. I love how beneficial meditation is and I really hope I can make it a integral part of my life.


10. Limit time spent watching TV and on the internet. It is so easy to just sit on the couch and watch TV yet there are so many more productive things I could be doing instead. I will be using the time I normally spend watching TV cooking, reading, or studying for school. Since there are a lot of TV shows that I am pretty much addicted to I am going to let myself watch them only if I am on the trainer or stretching or listening while cooking or cleaning. No more TV during homework or studying.