Goals Update: July

Happy July! I can't believe half of the year has gone by already. I'm going to try to not complain about the hot weather anymore because before we know it, summer will be over.

June didn't go as I'd planned, but it was still a good month. I planned to get back into training mode and ramp up mileage to prepare for the start of training for my fall races. But when both my body and mind wanted a break from running in the very hot and humid weather we had for much of the month, I respected that since I'm not training for a race yet and don't need to run. I don't regret that at all.

June Goals


1. Start training again and increasing mileage.
No. I got two weeks into the month before I decided to take a break. I did start doing faster speedwork, though, and liked the change of pace (pun intended!)

2. Run the Man Up Father's Day 10K on June 21.
No. I switched from the 10K down to the 5K when I realized I wasn't in shape to race the 10K.

3. Run a 5K simulation race.
Sort of. I ran the Father's Day 5K instead of 10K. I didn't try to PR this race--and was actually 2 minutes slower than my PR--but I'm not unhappy with how I did, and the race gave me a pretty good picture of the pace that I can run a 5K on a hot and humid day.

4. Continue focusing on strength training.
Yes! I increased strength training to 3-4 sessions a week.

5. Lose weight.
Yes!!! I'm most excited about this. I did really well on Weight Watchers and lost 4.4 pounds in June. I've said this a lot before, but I'm such a huge fan of Watch Watchers, which is about making smart choices and not starving yourself. I don't deprive myself. If I want a treat, I have it; I just have to plan for it. I have some kind of treat every day (cookies, chocolate, popcorn, crackers, etc.), which is why I think it makes it much easier to maintain weight loss. I could never give up foods I love for very long, and life is too short to not eat what I love. (Yes, I realize that it might sound crazy that I'm vegan and say this, but I truly do eat what I love and don't deprive myself.) But, the bigger reason I've been successful with losing weight this month is that I actually followed the plan. That's the thing about Weight Watchers--it only works if you follow it. It sounds so simple, but I have heard so many sad stories of people losing weight and then gaining it all back by not staying on the plan or doing anything to maintain the loss. I know that my weight went up this year because I stopped tracking and just ate willy nilly. Not a good maintenance strategy! This month I've fallen back in love with the plan and have been enjoying the process.

I didn't set a mileage goal, but I ran 74.8 miles for the month and 623.66 miles for the year. That's pretty crazy to me! If my next training cycle goes as planned, I should come in very close to or above 1,200 miles for the year!


July Goals


1. Start training for fall half marathons.
I have two half marathons on my calendar for October and November. Next week I'll be starting a new 20-week training plan to prepare for both. I'm so excited about my new training plan! I'm finalizing it and can't wait to share it here (likely early next week).

2. Continue focusing on strength training.
I know that increasing my strength training has helped me lose and maintain weight in the past and helped me again this month. I also know that I will likely have to decrease my strength training as my mileage ramps up, but I want to commit to continuing the 3-4 sessions in July while my mileage is relative low.

3. Continue losing weight.
I'm just 5 pounds over my goal weight. I would love to get near my goal weight by the end of July because once my mileage ramps up I'll need to eat much more, and it will be very difficult to lose weight. In August, I will likely need to switch to maintaining instead of losing, so I want to focus on losing in July.

How are you doing on your goals?

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