Fitness Goals for 2012

I'm not big on doing New Year's resolutions anymore, but I do like to make goals for myself. Goals in my mind are more defined than a resolution. Some people are better at making their resolutions more detailed than most, so I suppose these could be called one or the other. It's just a personal preference of mine to refer to them as goals.


1. Complete at least two half marathons. I'm already signed up for one (Orange Blossom Half), and I already am eyeing the Asheville Half Marathon. I may end up doing three or four, but will at least complete two halfs. 


2. Run at least 3 times a week. Presently, my schedule is to run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The last being the day that I do my long runs. 


3. Bike at least once a week. I'm shooting for twice a week, but my goal is to cycle at least one day each week. I've got Sundays and Wednesdays open for cross-training/strength training, so biking will be one of those days.


4. Strength training once a week. I have been too lax on this as of late. This has been part of the reason that my legs aren't as strong as they should be. Cardio alone isn't going to make my legs strong. I just bought some ankle weights, so those along with dumbbells once a week, probably doing a workout DVD a la Jillian Michaels.


5. Bike to do errands twice a month. I bought a nice bike last year and while I've used it for cross-training workouts, I have not utilized it for running to the store or other nearby errands. This will be a lot easier once I move near downtown in the early months of the year. I want to do this more than twice a month, but don't want to give myself a goal that I can't meet. 


6. Cook more often. I consider this a fitness type goal because it goes hand in hand with working out and being healthy. It's time that I eat less processed food and more meals that I've made in advance. This is the only goal I'm leaving a bit more open-ended. In my current living situation, this has been difficult, but once I move out, I will be doing this each week. 


7. Run a 5k in 38 minutes. I just ran my first race, the Jingle Bell 5k last month in 42 minutes. I want to better that time this year a good deal. I'm already hoping to do my first race of the year, Lady Track Shack 5k in 40 minutes or less. 


8. Run a mile in 12 minutes. Since I just got back into running, I'm between 13:30-14:40 per mile on average. My first magic mile was 12:58, so I see this as an achievable goal this year. 

I've only signed up for one race thus far, but here are some of the races I hope to do/are considering for the year:
2/4 - Lady Track Shack 5k
2/18 - Run Around the Pines 5k
2/25 - Eye of the Dragon 10k
3/4 - Orange Blossom Half Marathon (signed up)
3/24 - Winter Park Road Race 10k
4/7 - Run for God 5k
4/22 - Iron Girl Half Marathon
4/28 - Run for the Trees 5k
8/27 - Get Up & Go 10k
9/15 - Asheville Half Marathon