My 2019 Running Goal

Photo by Lucie Wicker Photography

I am registered for LA marathon this month but I’m not running. After Chicago Marathon I was pretty busy at work and wasn’t running much during the week yet I would still try to get long runs in with Dave (8-12ish miles). My body doesn’t do well without the base mileage during the week and I knew that I was setting myself up for failure. My left foot started to have pain whenever I got around 2.5ish miles. I ended up seeing someone who specializes in active release and they came to the conclusion that it is related to my tight hips and potentially my previous hip injury. I immediately decided to back off the running and focus more on fitness classes. Being out of the running game for 3 years for my last injury made me realize how important it is to listen to your body.

My big goal for 2019 is to have a post-injury PR at CIM 2019, beating 3:34:24. Ideally I’d like to run a 3:30. My foot (knock on wood) feels back to normal but there is still a tremendous amount of work to do. In order for me to accomplish my goal, here is what I plan on focusing on:

Building base mileage and consistency

I’ve been running 3-4 miles about 3 times a week and plan on slowly increasing mileage. Although I feel good sometimes and want to do more, I’m trying to build up some good base so that I don’t ramp up too fast. My foot feels good and I want to keep it that way.

Strength and core workouts

My gym has classes that really work stability muscles, the core and also overall strength. I plan on being consistent in taking 2 strength classes a week (at minimum) while in the building phase. Once I get into peak training, I may adjust the frequency.

Stretching and mobility

I am always on the go and often will skimp on stretching and mobility exercises. I was doing them daily when I first joined my gym but have slacked off lately. I plan on ramping back up to a daily routine. Foam rolling, stretching and mobility were a daily routine for me when I got my last marathon PR. I hope to also include at least a few yoga classes a month.

Fueling properly

I fully believe in eat anything but in moderation. I will continue that during training but may be more conscious of timing and the types of foods as I get into the nitty gritty of training. It’s not that I don’t want to eat, I actually want to make sure I’m eating enough and enough of the right stuff so I’m energized and my muscles can rebuild to he stronger.

Someday I’d like to get back to my pre-injury PR (3:23:42) but that will be a while until I can get to that point! And ultimately, my goal is to just run injury-free and for a lifetime. I really hope I can be 100 years old and still running!

Questions for you

What is your 2019 running goal?

What has worked well for you to get to your PRs?

What are your favorite mobility exercises and stretches?

Do you have any favorite fueling strategies?