Accomplishments in 2008

I need goals. While I suppose I could just do things just because they're a good idea, I know my own mind, and I know that I do more when I set goals for myself. It's been that way forever, and in all aspects of my life. Naturally, I'm a big fan of New Year's Resolutions, even while I know they aren't for everybody. They help me.

Since my running started partway through 2008, I hadn't set any New Year's Resolutions for running. Nonetheless, I can look back on the year for some accomplishments, even without the formality of a January 1st commitment.

1. Started (and have kept) running. Although #2 was actually my primary goal, along the way I learned that this was more important.
2. Ran the Santa Clarita Half-Marathon, which was the one written goal I set out for myself regarding fitness (I set plenty of other goals for work, being a dad & husband, and even for my other hobbies).
3. Ate better. Though I still have much improvement to make here, I can take credit for eating smarter (and sometimes less) than I was doing a year ago. The improvement showed in my blood test (annual physical) already, and I'm looking forward to my next results.
   
4. Learned a lot about running. Even with something as physical as running, I find a way to make it a little research project, too. I read running blogs and other info on the web, copied my training program from Hal Higdon (learned who that is!), subscribed to Runner's World, am reading The Courage to Start (with another John Bingham book on the way), and "geared up" with shoes/shorts/tech-tee/etc.
5. Lost 18 lbs! I was up to 237 when I started all of this, close to my heaviest ever, and by the end of the year I just squeezed down to 219. Yeah, I gained a couple back during our New Year's vacation to Hawaii, but I'm still happy about this. Also happy that I keep having to buy pants with a smaller waist. :-)
   

The main thing I didn't do was stretching & cross-training. My doctor discovered some issue with my right kneecap (patella tracking) during an exam prior to starting my training, and gave me some exercises to help with it. I read more online about that, too. I never really did those, however, and the cross-training I began during the half-marathon training fell by the wayside as the mileage increased. Candy was after me to do more stretching, and even demonstrated some good ones for me, but I gave those short shrift, too.

Next I'll post my 2009 running/fitness goals.