List of Things to Do

I went for a decent run yesterday. Nine nice miles, although it was cold and windy and not the most enjoyable experience. In any case, I am trying to get my head straight about running and I want to refocus on my running goals. So, here they are:

1. I currently weigh about 172 pounds. I had been down to 170, but I've gained a bit the past few weeks. It is time to stop messing around. I need to cut out the midnight PB & Cookies nonsense. I want to get to 165 in an effort to get faster and I must hit that number before my next marathon training cycle. That means, I have until the end of May to lose 7 pounds. I can do this.

2. I need to get faster. My goals require more speed, plain and simple. So, I need to incorporate some degree of speedwork. I think the best way to do that is to focus on training for a 5K and attempting to run one at 7:00/mi pace.

3. I need more speed because my goal is to qualify for the Boston marathon. I need to be able to run a marathon in 3:10 to qualify and I need to do that before I turn 34. That is going to be rather hard, frankly, so I may end up getting to qualify in the next age group, which requires a 3:20. I still want that 3:10, though. I would like to qualify for and run in the 2009 Boston Marathon.

4. To get to Boston, my goal for this year is to run a 3:25 in a marathon. It will likely be MCM again, if I get to run any marathon at all. I could try Richmond, too, which is likely to be a faster course. In any case, a 3:25 would be a major step forward and a drop of 18 minutes from my previous marathon performance. If I put in the effort, I can definitely do this.

So, to recap, I want to get to 165 pounds, run a 7:00/mi pace for a 5K and be able to do a marathon in 3:25 by year end. This will put me in position to train for a marathon in late 2008 in which I can score my Boston qualifying time. Along the way, getting personal records in a 10K and a few other races would be nice.