New goals (TBD)

My running started when I made a commitment to myself to run the Santa Clarita Half-Marathon. I made that commitment about seven months before the race, on my 42nd birthday. I didn't really know what I was jumping off into, but I knew I wanted to take better care of my body, mostly so I didn't abandon my family suddenly. You know what I mean. And although any of us could go at any time, I didn't want to be negligent in the part relating to my own health. Not quite knowing what else to do, I opted for the half-marathon.

That was great. In fact, it's been one of the most personally satisfying experiences of my life! Not only that I made my goal, but that I made it through a (mostly) slow & sure training program, I stuck with it, and I saw myself improve. It is now a metaphor for many other things in my life, things that seem too difficult or distant, now I can imagine making slow & steady progress toward them.

Ok, now what?

Apparently some people can keep running just for its own sake. I'm not that way. At least, not now. I need a goal to focus on. It could be running the half-marathon again next year. It could be doing that with a better time, or even a target time. Heck, it could even be running the full marathon in Santa Clarita next November. But I don't think any of those are the right goals. I'm not sure what is, and that's not doing my any favors. Because without that goal my running is slipping. Fewer days, fewer miles. I haven't stopped, but I've slowed way down.

I've decided on a weight loss goal, that's something. I was just over 235 lbs back on that birthday, and now I'm around 222. Still no lightweight--still overweight--but an improvement. (And Candy points out that I've both gained muscle and lost weight, which is doubly good.) At one point I dipped under 220 near the peak of my training, but now I'm back around 222. I've kept very irregular records of my weight since 2002, and I've never been lower than this. Most of the time I was up around 230. My goal is to get back to 220 by the end of the year (this month), then get down to 200 by the end of the following year. That's averaging about 2 lbs to lose each month (plus a little margin for setbacks). Can I do it? Of course I can. Will I? We'll see.

However, weight loss goals are very indirect. You lose weight by eating better and exercising more. Those are the actions you take. Weight loss is what happens. You can't do much with a "what happens" goal. You need a goal that relates to actions. That's what's still missing for me. I'm not going to figure it out today, either, but writing this all down helps.