A New Year

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love the new year.  I love making "resolutions" and I love the new start.  Some people hate them, some think they are a waste of time, but they work for me.  I guess part of it is because I don't make "resolutions" once a year. I have several reaffirmation dates throughout the year, mostly coinciding with school or seasonal breaks ie March Break, July 1st, and September 1st.

Notice how I put "resolutions" in quotation marks?

The other day I tweeted that "I don't call them resolutions, I call them my training plan" and that is pretty much how I view the new year. November/December is my 'off-season' (although truth be told, it's really more like Sept-Dec ;) and training always begins in January. I don't really make resolutions so much as I make decisions on what my goal races will be, and I renew my focus on healthy eating and as usual, a plan to get back to race weight.

So what are my plans?

My first race this year will be the Okanagan College Campus to Campus Half Marathon on April 8.  I hope to PR the course, but if not, I just want to have fun and have an early race as a goal.

However, the rest of my year is still a little up in the air - I have been wavering back and forth between doing the Abbotsford Marathon again this spring (May), or doing Oliver Half Iron (June) - they are a week apart so I can't do both.

So right now - I have two plans - A and B - and I really am still undecided about what to do.

Here are the Pros and Cons for each plan

Plan A - Campus2Campus half marathon in April, May marathon, Apple sprint tri in August, and half marathon in October

Pros
* I really like running and would love a chance to improve my time on that course
* The timing is good (end of May) so there aren't likely many impediments to my training

Cons
* I won't be able to do a Half Iron in 2013
* I will only be able to do one triathlon in 2013 - the Apple


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Plan B - Campus2Campus half marathon in April, June Half Iron, Apple sprint tri, and a full (or half) marathon in October

Pros

* It gives me a chance to get back to triathlon training and racing
* Oliver is a good race for me - the time of year, and the course
* I would have time (theoretically) to train for a fall marathon after Oliver

Cons

* I am going to Europe for a few weeks in July so any fall marathon training will be minimal, and long runs will be disrupted

* I have a REALLY hard time keeping up with long runs between June - September. I'm not even sure if I have enough weeks to train for a marathon (2nd week of October).  I know in theory I would have a good base built up after Oliver, but in reality, it'll be June and if history repeats itself, it will be a struggle to maintain the half iron fitness with the disruption of school in June and travel in July.

* Therefore, I will likely have to revert to a fall half marathon.

So really, the big question - am I willing to give up doing a full marathon in 2013?  That's a distinct possibility with Plan B, although not a guarantee.

I guess I need to decide fairly soon....

Healthy Eating

Post coming in the next day or two  :)