2015 Goals, The Year of the New Mamma

Hello, 2015! It's been a few years since I wrote down actual GOALS.

Kind of weird about this year. I feel like a different person. I spent some time this morning reading old blog posts. Wow, who WAS that girl? It's so true that motherhood changes everything. Absolutely everything. I read a post from about a year ago about being a teacher first and a runner second. And now, I'm a MOM first. Life is crazy, isn't it?

Running Goals
* The Return to Racing
I have two goal races in the upcoming future. The first is the Sea Turtle Half Marathon in Feb. And the next is BOSTON. And yes, I will have time goals for both of those races. It won't be the "see where I am" business that I've been doing the past 2 races. I'll wait until a little bit closer to race day(s) to share those time goals, considering each week I get stronger and stronger. After Boston, I'm not quite sure what the future will hold. I do use the period of after Boston until school is track is over as a recovery period. That will give me some time to decide on some fall goals, as summer is always a great time for me to train.

*Core, Hip, Pelvic Strength
After having a baby your core is pretty much shot. When I was first cleared for exercise, I was very diligent about these exercises, but now that i am back working and running I need to be more deliberate about fitting in these workouts. My lower back still flares up occasionally, and the chiro attributes it to my hips being out of line, thanks to pregnancy/childbirth.

*Stroller Runs
Squishy and I are now up to 6 miles in the stroller. I think she would go longer, but honestly stroller running is HARD WORK. I want to continue building this mileage. She really loves it so far.

*Treadmill Runs
I am LOVING my treadmill. It makes it super easy to run while Squishy is napping or often she will sit in her bear seat and watch me run. It is way better on hubby; so he doesn't have to wake up at crazy hour for baby duty. Squishy is doing better with sleeping during the night, but often wakes up early, like at 5:00 and is ready to go for the day. One challenge with the treadmill is that I am always tempted to cut the mileage short. It's easy to bore quickly. It helps me to do the pre-programmed Boston course videos; that way I actually have to "quit" the route to end the run early. But for workouts, it's all too easy to cut a mile from the warm up, etc.

Coaching Goals
*Coaching Relationships
So. Looks like I am back coaching track. Coach C was fired for good right around the time Savannah was born, and I was offered back the job at the end of XC… with a RAISE. They have hired a new coach to team with me. He is also a JV basketball coach and PE teacher. I haven't met him, but have exchanged emails. He seems eager and easy to work with. The situation couldn't be any worse than with Coach C, but I'm hoping to have a positive and professional coaching relationship with this man.

*Being Assertive
This year I took a backseat in the XC scene, and was very blessed to remain my position but also spend time with my baby. For some reason, the turnover in coaching XC and track right now is REALLY high in our county. Very few schools have returning coaches. We don't have consistency with meets or schedules, and it's hard to communicate with all the coaches b/c the contact person is constantly changing. Therefore… I want to become more of a leader among the coaches in the county. This will be my 4th year as a head XC coach, at the same school, in the same county. Sadly, only one coach has been in the county coaching XC longer than me. He and I plan to do the County-wide XC camp again, and this year… wait for it… I'm going to put in to host the COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS. See, for years, it has been held in our "territory", but another school has been the host. This means, they organize and plan, but also get all the entry fees and spectator fees. At our meeting this spring, I'm going to say that if everyone wants to use that course, WE will be hosting the meet. BOOM! Why should another school get to use our territory to host a meet on? Anyway, I guess I will either host the county meet or they will move it. We shall see. True, I've never hosted a XC meet before, and true that the county meet is a BIG one, but… go big or go home, right? LOL. No more being the meek and mild "girl coach" in the county XC scene. Mother Runner/Coach is taking the bull by the horns!

*Recruiting
We need runners. Period. I'm not sure how I'm going to do this, but I'm going to find us some runners!

*Mental Toughness
I really hate to say this in such a negative way, but there is no way to sugar coat it. My XC guys are mentally weak. Seriously, they whine and cry more than any athletes I've ever worked with. Kenny and I tried talking to them last year, sharing experiences, building confidence, but I'm not sure how effective it was. I think this year, it will be time for tough love. My younger guys will now be juniors. I've been with them two years; so surely they know I care about them, but something has to give. The #1 reason we can't excel (the guys team) is because they are mentally weak. They are mentally weak in workouts and mentally weak in races. They will "quit" or get defeated the moment the going gets tough. And my girls will run circles around them and call them cry babies behind their backs. LOL.

*WINGS
I have resigned as WINGS coach (youth summer running club) for this upcoming summer. I'm about to come off like a major ass, but my decision is based on money. Two years in a row, they delayed paying me by THREE MONTHS. And once I calculate the pay, considering all the travel and work, it's just not worth it, especially with a sweet baby at home. Also, I coached it alone this past year, and it was really challenging. I felt like it stressed me out more than I enjoyed it. This will also give me the entire summer to spend with my baby girl and focus on XC.

Personal Goals
*Focus on Family
When you have a baby, it's so easy to focus on just her. For months now, my mind has been occupied and consumer with HER. It's been easy to neglect mine and hubby's relationship. I want to work to spend time together as a family and build our relationship as a threesome. :)

*Faith
We decided to return to church today. It should be interesting, first time with baby in tow. They do have a nursery, quite a large one, too. They also have a "cry room", a soundproof room for mammas with crying babies where the sermon/service is on a tv. God has given me so much the past few years, and I really haven't spent time worshipping and studying His word like I should.

*Body Image
Same song and same dance. When you have a kid, your body turns to total crap. I need to change my attitude about myself and be gentle and patient with the journey of "coming back." And for Savannah's sake, I need to ban negative self talk.

Brooks Inspire Daily
I'm blessed to be a part of the Brooks ID program for the 6th year in a row. Their generous sponsorship is something I am very thankful for. I will continue to try to spread the Run Happy (Coach Happy) spirit!

(Run) Happy New Year, friends!