Goals for 2013

As the new year starts I want to look over the goals I set for myself when I started this journey and see what kind of progress I have made. I set forth 3 goals in my very first blog post. These were as follows:

1. To run two times a week, for 1 month. (At the time I set this I was two weeks in to this goal)
2. To exercise, for at least 30 minutes, on the days I do not run. (One rest day a week)
3. To lose 5-10 pounds by the end of the year.

Goal 1-I have not been consistent in my running the whole time. I did run 2 times a week for most of the last 2 months but I did miss an entire week around Thanksgiving so this goal is not completed. Goal 2- I also have not exercised for 30 minutes on the days I did not run. Another failed goal. Goal 3-As it stands now I have only lost 1.2 pounds since I started on October 22. So basically none of the goals I set have been accomplished. However, I do not feel like I failure in ANY way!

Here's the reason why. I'm doing something about my health instead of just talking about it. I may not have accomplished a single goal, but I have accomplished a lot of others that I didn't put in writing. For instance, I have run 3 5k distances since I started running in October. This means I went from 0 miles to 3.1 in about two months. I also may not have lost weight but I am gaining muscle and my clothes feel more lose so I know I am losing inches. And my self-esteem and energy is outstanding now! I feel like I have succeeded in a lot of ways!

With that being said, now that I am over the initial hump of learning to run I want to progress at living more healthy. I have made great strides at being more active and trying to eat better but I still have a lot I want to accomplish so here are the next set of goals I want to set, and actually accomplish this time.

1. Complete my first 5k race. I have signed up for the Hot Chocolate 5k. It will be held on January 13 and I am pumped!
2. Incorporate weight training in to my weekly routine. I want to start doing this 2 times a week for 10 minutes each time and build up to 30 minutes. I want this goal to be accomplished by the end of February.
3. Lose 3 inches overall by January 31. I did my initial measurements on December 27 so this will give me 5 weeks to accomplish this.

There you have it! I will check in with how these are going in my subsequent posts. And just to give you an update on how the running has been going, it has been awesome! I went on vacation around Christmas and exercised every day I was gone which was a first for me. I have been running consistently and picking up the pace a little. My endurance is increasing and I'm feeling more prepared for my first 5k! I want to shout out to my awesome trainers, Dany and Freddy, for encouraging me and helping me feel confident about my ability to do this!  Happy New Year everyone!