Goals for my 29th Year

Today is my 29th birthday. The last year of my 20s! I can hardly believe it. I feel like it was just yesterday I was 18 and starting college.

Its a big year for me! I have a lot going on this summer and fall and wanted to make a list of my current goals that I want to complete before I turn 3-0 next year.

Finish the Northface Endurance Challenge. That’s it, just finish without getting pulled from the course or breaking my neck. I am very well aware that this race is going to be a difficult one. My first priory is to have fun and enjoy the time out there in woods. I love trail running, and this is just going to be a way for me to test my limits and see what I can actually do out there. I know I can do the distance. I know I’ll be slow, I just don’t want to go beyond the four hour time limit for the race.

Hike at least 10 more high peaks. I have a total of seven right now. I have a few trips planned this summer to hike in the high peaks, and I cannot wait to get up there again. Right now my next trip up is in June. I hope the snow melts up there ASAP.

Finish the Runner’s World Hat Trick. In the beginning of June, I’m running the 5K & 10K on a Saturday, and the Heartbreak Half Marathon on Sunday in Boston. They call running all three events the hat trick.  I’m really excited to take part in this Runner’s World event. They’re going to be having awesome seminars and I’m sure the expo will be great. Although. Just note, unlike most blogs I read who gain free entry to this event, it isn’t sponsored. I don’t get any of this stuff for free.

source: http://rw.runnersworld.com/hhhalf/register.html

Go backpacking for a weekend this summer on the Northville Placid Trail. I’d really like to thru-hike the entire NPT some day, but that’s a lot for someone who has never backpacked, ever. I feel a weekend trip would be a great start, to determine if I even like backpacking…

Have fun at the ARE’s Trail Running Camp. This summer I signed up with  my friend Loretta for the Albany Running Exchange’s trail running camp! Every year a bunch of runners stay in cabins at Dippikill for the weekend where they trail run in the Adirondacks to their hearts content. Sounds like a great weekend, if you ask me! They finish the weekend with a five mile trail race called the Froggy Five, a race that’s been on my to-do list for years. Bring it on!

Run my third marathon under 4 hours, 45 minutes. I start marathon training in July, right after trail running camp. I plan on incorporating speed-workouts into this training cycle. For my two previous marathons I didn’t. For Marathon 1 I just focused on distance because it was my first marathon. For Marathon 2 I got injured, so speed was definitely not one of my priorities. This time I plan on staying injury free and running the Marine Corps Marathon in 4:45, at least. There is also still time to DONATE to my charity, Run for Wounded Warriors. 😀