A Goal to Set Goals

After this past weekend, I can honestly say that I have achieved a long time goal set back when I was 16 years old.  I completed the triathlon that I lifeguarded back in 1986.  For some reason, back then, they required you be 18 years old before you could participate.


As I watched two 15 year old boys complete this Olympic Distance Race, it is obvious that things have changed since then. 


Now, life is not over, so I set my next Long Term Goal:  To Finish the Half Ironman in New Orleans, home of my daughter's Godmother, a place we have visited a few times both before and after Katrina left her mark.  I must say, after finishing the Race on Sunday, my husband commented that my goal should be a full Ironman.  But then I reminded him that the one in New Orleans is only a half.  Let's start there.


My Short Term Goal is to tweak my training and prepare for the Esprit-de-She Sprint Triathlon in 3 weeks.  This includes not taking a week to get back into training.  Being sore from the hilly "chip and tar" back roads of Carlyle, I forced myself out the door this morning to go run.  I must say, I feel better.  Tomorrow, the pool and spinning.  This weekend, all three.


And my Medium Term Goal is to get my weight back under control. Since the 3 weeks I lacked training in February, and shuffling of schedules to train, I have gained 10 pounds.  I have determined this held me back in Sunday's race.  (A Weight Issue - Un-monitored Consequences) It has been calculated that my idea race weight is 25 pounds less than I am currently.  And a year ago, I was only 10 pounds away from it.  (Yes, there's the 5 gained over a long winter in there too.)  So, as part of my Short Term Goal, I am watching how I fuel my body and looking at my training to help reach this goal by the end of Summer.  This doesn't mean I will drop 25 pounds by August.  This is why it is my Medium Term Goal.  It just means I will not add to the load, and will work my way back into the right direction and aim to reach it by next race season.