The 2014 Plan

Saturday I reflected on 2013 and some of my accomplishments. My New Year’s

Resolutions post from December 2012 didn’t spell out my resolutions, but encouraged readers to make realistic and healthy resolutions before the New Year’s Eve party started.

Today it is time to lay out The 2014 Plan. The Plan is not a resolution, but consists of the following goals:

2014 Running Goals

2014 Dietary Goals

2014 Professional Goals

2014 Running Goals

I always get excited making race plans, setting goals and creating training plans to achieve them. I love running and races so whenever I get to spend time focusing on them I’m a happy man. In 2013 ran 954 miles and 27 races. In 2012 I ran 883 miles and 20 races; in 2011 I ran 449 miles and 15 races. I am improving even as I approach 50!

I’m still planning my races for 2014 and the total number of races will probably be between 25 and 30 races. My big race for the year is locked in and paid for: The 2014 Boston Marathon. Until I cross the finish line on Boylston Street on April 21^st, all training runs, races and gym workouts will be focused on this race.

My 2013 PR at Baystate was 3:47:35 at an average pace of 8:41. I ran Boston in 2012 when it was 80 something degrees and finished at 4:30:47 at an average pace of 10:20. That was a Boston PR for me. My goal for the 2014 Boston Marathon is 3:45. I know Boston is a more challenging course than Baystate, but I learned a lot from my training for Baystate. I keep telling myself, I only need to shave 2 and ½ minutes off of my previous PR.

All of my mathematically sophisticated friends tell me that statistically we are just as likely to have 80+ temps in 2014, again. I know the odds, but I also know those are just statistical probabilities. In real life randomness is more probable.

The mathematically learned will also remind me of diminishing returns and age.

So, 3:45 it is for Boston this year. Just like last year, I will use the times from my shorter distance races along the way to gauge my fitness. Using last year’s races I have come up with the following time goals:

Hangover Classic 10K, January 1^st 50 minutes, 8:03 pace

Derry 16 Miler 2:24, 9:00 pace

All 5Ks before Boston 23 minutes or less

April Fool’s 4-Miler 29 minutes

New Bedford Half 1:40, 8:00 pace

Eastern States 20 Miler 2:50, 8:30 pace

Great Bay Half 1:40, 8:00 pace

Ideally I would like to be running a 1:35 half marathon pace before Boston. I may be able to hit 1:35 in New Bedford, but The Great Bay half is famous for its hills. 23 minute 5Ks are much slower than my 5K PR, but this early in the year conditions will not be ideal and my training always suffers through the holidays.

To run 3:45 at Boston my average pace will need to be 8:34 which is 7 seconds faster than Baystate. I know this can be achieved. I also know it will not be easy.

If I can achieve 3:45 at Boston and hit my other goals along the way, 2014 is going to be one hell of a year. The reason I nailed so many PR’s in 2013 was that I spent most of the year training for Baystate. If I can finish Boston uninjured I’ll be in great shape to achieve additional PR’s throughout 2014.

2014 Professional Goals

In 2013 I launched my business, MedalFramz. I’m in the business of creating display frames for race finisher’s medals. We all have a bunch of them and most of them are in boxes and drawers. It’s expensive to display medals so I developed a new design that is more affordable and looks great.

Starting a business is a major undertaking. My business is almost entirely on-line so I am in the process of learning about web sites, social media and SEO. There is a lot to learn! Occasionally I will set up shop at a local race.

I often tell people that there are 100 things I need to do and they all need to be done right now! And, I often have no idea how to do these things! There are challenges at every turn. It has been fun, discouraging, exciting and draining at times.

Since I have VC resources, (as in Very Constrained), I am a one man show. In 2013 I developed my product, built a web site, did some marketing and made my first sale. Not a bad start.

My goals for 2014 are to re-launch my web site, continue to develop my frames and do a lot more marketing. As my product and manufacturing process develop I’ll be able to be more aggressive with my marketing. Right now everything is hand crafted and I need to develop a batch process. Until I can make hundreds of frames in a few days, it doesn’t make any sense to spend a lot of money and time on marketing.

2014 Dietary Goals

I’ve done a lot of reading over the past few years and I plan to do more studying and research in 2014. I think that the changes I have made so far have helped my running. I’m trying to focus on eating better carbohydrates and less junk. I believe that gradual and incremental changes are the easiest way to make change, maintain those changes and continue to build on them.

I want to learn more about nutrition and physiology this year. There are all kinds of theories on what you should eat and how you should eat. It seems like there is something new every year. I think if I have a better understanding of chemistry and biology I’ll be able to make more sense out of all of these concepts.

My primary dietary goal for 2014 is education. My other goals are to maintain the changes that I have made, further develop them and add one or two more changes.

I firmly believe that small changes add up to big results. You just have to do something.

What are your goals for 2014? Do you make resolutions, or do you make plans?

Live well my friends

Andy

© 2013 anagelin