We all started 2018 with our own goals. Halfway through the year some of us are on track and some of us are having to re-adjust. Athlinks’ own database professional, Denise Brendle has had to reconsider her goals, but for very positive reasons. We checked in to see how everything has been going:
The year 2018 brought about a lot of changes, and challenges, for me. First and foremost was a mission to improve myself both emotionally and physically. And it all started late in 2017 after leaving my job at Reed Group. I had already started working on my attitude by walking and doing some light jogging by the time I had hired on at Athlinks, so it was a natural progression to take to it another level.
Not long after I started I began switching over to more jog-walks as opposed to straight walking. I had built up to about a mile and a half as we closed out the year and was looking for something to motivate me in 2018. About that time, I got wind of a challenge sponsored by Under Armor ™ called “You vs. the Year” or “1018 in 2018”. The goal: to complete 1018 kilometers running or walking in the year 2018. I sat down and did the math. First off, 1018 kilometers is about 632.5 miles. To complete that distance in one year I’d need to cover 2.8 K or 1.75 miles every day. That goal was an achievable one for me. That, combined with the rules that stated participants can use up to 2 workouts today, made it almost a slam dunk goal.
“To complete that distance in one year I’d need to cover 2.8 K or 1.75 miles every day.”
Since I was already jog-walking in the morning and walking at lunch I made this my primary goal, with a stretch goal of 2018K in 2018. And, with 30 days in the month I made my goal 100 K per month. That would pad enough in case I got sick, injured, or vacation, etc. I also created a secondary goal for the year: Compete in one event each month. That was to keep myself motivated and have some mid-month goal, and to have something to look forward to in the coming month.
I hit the ground running, literally and figuratively, on Jan 1st and easily hit my monthly goal finishing at 110K. I also competed in the Resolve 5K as well as several Jerika’s for testing new functionality related to the Miami Marathon. Since then, my daily and monthly miles have slowly increased.
February was the Snowman Stampede 5K and another 100+K for the month. March included the Lucky Laces 10K and 150K. I fell off my pace a bit in April due to my move and was sad to have to miss the Donut Dash 10K that I had registered for. Even then, I was already over 400K when I started the month, so I didn’t lose much in the way of what I needed in order to meet my goal.
“At this point, I’m well on my way to crushing my goals.”
Then May arrived: I had completed my move and had a brand-new area to explore. I hit the streets with renewed vigor and quickly regained my form after my April break. I registered and completed the Bolder Boulder 10K, had reached a daily training regimen of either running or walking 5K every morning, and walking another 4 to 5K at lunch to the point I started June at 600K and 60% of my goal for the year. And, I’ve already completed my June event. I crushed the Big Gay 5K by turning in a PR by over 2 minutes!
At this point, I’m well on my way to crushing my goals. I have events lined up for July (the 10K course at the Sandcreek half marathon), Aug (the 10K course at The Dog Days of Summer race), Sep (FORTitude 10K), and Oct with the Rock-n-Roll Half in Denver.
Looking forward to the rest of this year.
About the Author:
Denise is a database professional that wears many hats at Athlinks. She’s DBA, developer, and BI guru. Or as she calls herself, Queen of Databases and SQL Goddess. She grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area before realizing her true calling was in the Denver metro area and relocated here 12 years ago. She’s a semi-pro poker player, musician, and coined the term “the reluctant runner”.
Athlinks Profile: Check it out
I just turned 58 and still overweight, but am relatively active going to a hole in the wall of a cross fit type gym, doing hot yoga, some walking and running, a little cycling and even mud run obstacle courses.
My wife, on the other hand, a slightly older 58, is obese, claims to be 5′-0″ tall and is near, at, or over 200 lbs. and is highly resistant to walking, much less running due to knee pain and is uncomfortable with cycling, especially on main roads, due to vehicle traffic, although she does go a little to a chain gym. To her credit, however, she did become a third degree black belt in Okinawan karate and was to test of fourth degree when the national head of it wouldn’t let her test because she was too heavy.
She’s a teacher, one day part time regular Kindergarten Music and substitutes the other days as needed in our and the adjacent town. Not that this is or should be your area of expertise, your story just hit me at the right time, but as it’s the start of summer any idea what we can do to facilitate her moving a bit more.
Thanks
Hi Burt, I’m glad I could inspire you and her and that my story helped.
Check out the follow-up for the end of year review
https://blog.athlinks.com/2019/01/22/athlinks-ignited-resetting-for-2019/