I love to make goals. I think I love to make goals nearly as much as I enjoy accomplishing them. Planning is definitely a passion of mine (and a career). Yet for some reason, when Mike and I had our annual goal conversation, he was doing all the talking. Being a mom is uncharted territory and I was having a hard time setting goals because I wasn’t sure exactly how I’d be able to accomplish them. And even more importantly, I wasn’t sure that I cared if I accomplished them!
Of course we’re talking about fitness goals since this is a fitness blog. I could set some lofty goals this year like PR at the half marathon or even BQ. But, I’m just not sure that those types of goals are things that I want to put in the hours of training to accomplish. And it’s not because I think that I don’t have it in me to do it because of the time I took off of running to have a baby (which is certainly a possibility!). Things are a bit different right now and my main focus is helping Siena achieve HER goals – things like sitting up, walking, saying her first word. I want to be there for those things and the big goals that I sought after in the past might take me away from that, especially since I am going back to work in March.
Those were my initial thoughts. Then one day, during a particularly sweaty hot yoga class, I decided that I did want goals of my own this year. I’m a mother but I’m also a woman and an athlete and I deserve my own goals. Goals that make me happy and also allow me to spend time with my daughter. While it’s probably normal for first time moms to forget about their own goals and put baby first, it’s also healthy to have some “me” time outside of baby. Given my epiphany happened in a yoga class, my first goal was yoga inspired and I went from there.
2016 Fitness Goals:
- Do an unassisted headstand during yoga class. I don’t want to just be able to do a headstand on my own in the living room with a wall next to me. I want to be confident enough in that headstand that I risk knocking a fellow yogi over when I potentially fall.
- Do a yoga challenge. There are a lot of yoga challenges floating around the internet and Instagram, and I want to participate! I want to explore new poses and make new yoga friends. I want to expand my practice in 2016.
- Run a strong half marathon that I’m proud of. In the past, I’ve run two types of half marathons: ones that I trained hard for and achieve a PR and ones that I ran “for fun” and struggled through without having any fun. This year I want to train for a half marathon and feel good about the training and effort I put out, whether or not that gets me a PR (sub 1:40:03). A PR would be fantastic, but I want to train with more than that in mind. So far, the only half marathon I’m signed up for is the San Diego Craft Classic (join me for this new race which ends at a brewery and includes a commemorative pint glass and a craft beer! Use code FitnessFatale for $10 off!).
- Finish P90X. This is an early year goal since we’re already nearly halfway done, but it’s got to be on the list!
- Fit into my skinny jeans again. Lose the baby weight. I have ’til the end of the year. I think I can do it! It will take meal planning, coordinating workouts and probably plenty of early morning wake-up calls to get them in, and a bit of willpower, but I miss a big chunk of my wardrobe!
I am still considering a Fall/early Winter marathon but I am going to play it by ear. I’d love to go back to CIM this year and face that finish line again. It could be this year, but it might not be.
In the non-fitness related arena, I’ve got a career related goal, a few Siena related goals, and a breastfeeding goal (yes, breastfeeding is hard enough to require goals!). This year is going to be a pretty great one, I can tell already!
What is one of your goals this year? Do you write down your goals, tell others or keep them to yourself?
I love these goals! I love the realistic “year to fit into the jeans” goal. That’s about how long it took for me, I think 10 or 11 months. At times it felt a little slow but looking back I can tell it was a perfect, sustainable rate of loss.
I have two goals I think: 1) keep running through pregnancy, as long as I can (not give up just because I’m tired or lazy. Uncomfortable is a different story I think!) 2) really prioritize breastfeeding once baby arrives in july. I think with my last one I was sooooo Gung ho about getting back to a high level of running, it may have been too much too fast. I can’t say for sure. But the goal is to go a little slower this time.
I think that’s it!
Those are great goals! I’m so excited for you. Agreed that pregnant running is a bit uncomfortable at times but still safe! I really hope it doesn’t take a year to fit in the jeans but if it does then that’s totally ok!’
I almost didn’t set goals too! My first goal was to just survive the year & enjoy my baby, but I decided I deserved goals too. I actually didn’t set any running goals because I’m a perfectionist in that area, but I should change it to run a strong half and maybe the Chicago marathon if it works out.
Yes! It’s an interesting year for us – we can’t really say where our running will go but we both want to run!
Would love to know your breastfeeding goal?! because it’s a job inside of itself, especially working!
My goals were pretty simple fitness wise. 31 days of fitness to jumpstart my routine and day 10, still going strong. 5k, 10k, and half by June, and plan for baby #2 . All realistic…right?
I have a good feeling you’ll be in those skinny jeans sooner than later! Good luck!
Yes very realistic!!! I bet you’ll do it. We need to get together soon, then we can talk breastfeeding! Haha.
I want to start my own business this year which is scary and exciting. Working on small goals to get to the big one is important!
That is SO exciting! I’d love to hear about it! And good luck!!!
I’m so glad that you are setting some great, realistic goals for yourself. And a great variety too! I have shared similar feelings about whether I wanted to set goals (would they be possible as a new mom) and whether I cared to accomplish anything this year aside from being a better mom. I have also experienced extreme joy and peace when I am out running or on my bike, because that time is for me. Time away reminds me that when I come back to my family, I am refreshed and ready to jump all in. Without it, I don’t think I would be as happy.
I hope P90X is going well. You should be around 2/3 way through by now, right?
I am contemplating CIM in 2016 too! It will all depend on how the year goes, but it’s definitely in the back of my mind. Who knows, maybe we’ll both be there!
Would love to hear about your other goals too!
Yes we are almost finished with phase 2 of p90x – just about 1.5 weeks left! I agree that getting away to workout makes a huge difference- my hot yoga classes have been pretty therapeutic in particular! I’m happy that you’re still planning to do ironman – you deserve to chase that interrupted goal! I hope we’re both at CIM !!!