My Running and Fitness Goals for 2012

It's that time again...setting fitness goals for the new year!  I've realized that I have to set achievable fitness goals for myself or I end up floundering in a no man's land of exercise that keeps me more active than the man on the couch but does little else.  Last year my ultimate goal was to get back into regular running and increase my mileage to a half marathon distance by the end of the year.  I met and exceeded that goal.  Since I reached that goal mid-way through the year I had to set new goals.  I decided on the ambitious yet doable goal of running a full marathon, which I also accomplished. The full marathon was a far reach though, I'll admit.  I didn't finish it within a time that I'm particularly proud of (4:40) and I know that I have it in me to do better than that.  I realize that I probably pushed too hard too soon but I was really intent on running that first marathon.  Now that I have running experience with a variety of distances I have a better idea of what to expect and aim for. 

So, what goal(s) should I aim for as New Year's Resolutions for 2012? First I'll start by looking at the weaknesses I've identified after a year's worth of running.

Weaknesses

• Slow speed - I've sacrificed speed for endurance by competing in progressively longer race distances.
• Lack of upper body strength - Focusing on running has left my upper body strength training wanting.
• Weak on Hills - The Atlanta Marathon and Half Marathon taught me that hills are killer for me and that I need to work on leg strengthening.  

There are many more weak areas I could mention but these are the main problems I identified throughout 2011.  I don't want to spend the majority of my training focusing just on weaknesses because that wouldn't make running and exercising particularly enjoyable and I'd tire of the grueling pace of things quickly.  In order to develop a useful but reasonable and hopefully enjoyable training regime I need to take my strengths into account too.

Strengths

• Endurance - I know I can handle progressively longer runs and increased mileage if it's done slowly.
• Few Injuries - I have had few problems with injuries (knock on wood) that a short recovery period and some minor adjustments haven't handled.
• Training Plans Work - With a reasonable training plan in hand I usually follow it and benefit from it much better than when I allow myself to improvise.

With all this in mind I've developed a few goals for 2012 that I think are challenging yet achievable and will make me a better runner.

Fitness Goals for 2012

• Run a sub 4:30 Marathon - My ultimate goal for 2012 is to run a marathon before the end of the year in less than four hours and thirty minutes.  This would be a ten minute improvement on my first attempt but very doable as my first attempt was slower than even my training runs predicted.  If I find myself on track to do even better than 4:30 then great, but I'm not going to be overzealous.
• Tackle the Hills - I would love to run the Atlanta Half Marathon again next year but I need to be able to handle those hills a lot better.  At least once a week I will incorporate hill work or intense lower body strength training into my training plan.
• Get Faster - Before I start focusing on longer distances for the marathon I need to work on my speed.  For this reason I'd like my first race of 2012 to be a 5k.  My initial training plan for 2012 will be a 5k plan focusing on a 22 minute finish time. I'll also make sure to incorporate speedwork into my subsequent training plans once I transition to a half marathon or marathon distance goal.
• Don't Neglect the Upper Body - I realize that focusing on running won't allow me a lot of time to focus on the upper body (also depending upon how busy my schedule for 2012 ends up being).  So, I don't want to set an overly ambitious goal of doing upper body strength training three times a week but I need to do a minimum of one upper body strength training session a week and two sessions during my lower mileage weeks.

So, those are my fitness goals for 2012! It doesn't cover every aspect of my training plan because I know that'll change throughout the year depending on my progress and how much time I have available.  It's a good starting point though and includes things I need to keep in mind throughout the year. I have one larger, ultimate goal to work towards that can and may take the entire year to work up to (sub 4:30 marathon).  I also have a few smaller goals that I can start on right away and will help ensure I'm a well-rounded runner and increase my physical fitness level. What do you think? What are your fitness goals for 2012?