As I sat down to write this blog post and prepare for the FREE Goal Setting Workshop I do every December, I went back and read some of the blog posts and newsletters from the last couple years about goal setting.

The last time I wrote a blog about New Year’s Run goals was in 2020, which I cannot believe! And there is so much good stuff there.

There is also a lot that has changed. So I thought I would share the blog again and then reflect on the big changes at the end.

So here it is:

As we hit that time of year when everyone is writing their New Year’s resolutions or goals, let’s talk a bit about running goals. As with any goal outside of running, a running goal or resolution can be SO many different things.

A good running goal:

• Makes you feel excited and motivated and maybe even a *little* nervous

• It also shouldn’t be something you can head out and crush right now or tomorrow

• Is meaningful for you--when it’s March you want to remember why you set that goal in the first place!

A running goal does NOT:

• Need to be focused on a certain distance, time, pace, or finish

• Need to feel near impossible

Maybe your goal for this year is to find consistency, add in more strength training, find JOY in running again, work on grit, or discover more balance. Or maybe your goal is about crushing a distance or hitting a mile pace or finally getting that PR. That’s great if it is! Just a reminder that it’s not the ONLY type of running goal out there.

What are your 2021 running goals? (If you’re not sure, me or another running coach can help you figure it out, let me know if you want to hop on the phone for a no pressure call!)

For me, I’m still chasing the half PR and of course my postponed CIM (really hoping it happens December 2021!)

That was it.

And boy did I chase that half PR I mentioned. 5 months after writing that blog, I PR’d the half by 6 minutes. 18 months later, I took another 10 minutes off that time.

I did not end up running CIM in 2021. But I did run Rock N’ Roll San Diego in 2022 and Chicago in 2023. And start training for my first ultramarathon, which is how I’m kicking off 2024.

I love having these to look back on and reflect.

It also helps me to have it documented so I can see my growth in black and white. It helps me dream a little bit bigger as I set goals for 2024.

So what are your 2024 running goals?

Me? I’m still chasing that unicorn marathon. No, not Boston, just that marathon that goes as well as I know the training dictates it should.

Not sure what your goals are? Or even how to set them? Or what races to do to achieve those goals?

Don’t worry! That workshop I mentioned is open! We start today! Fill out this form and you’ll get an email with a link to join our private Facebook group plus I’ll email you all the resources at the end so if life gets hectic (as if often does this time of year) you can still access everything!