Running Goals for 2012 and a Revised Race Schedule

Chicago Marathon 10.10.10
Jumped in for a few blocks with my cousin.
Next time I run in the marathon it will be for real.
Also I should get her a hat as a late Christmas gift.

I'm not one for New Years Resolutions, because it's hard to stick to stuff like "eat better" and "exercise more" without any concrete end-game.

(Except during Lent. I'm not a practicing Catholic anymore, but Lent still has this hold over me. It's the only time when I say I'll give up sweets or meat and actually stick to it for 40 days.)

Personally, I find it much more effective to set a goal like "run your first half marathon" and use that as the carrot to stick to anything resolution-like (and get me back in a bikini).

So, that being said, these are my running goals for 2012:

• Finish the Chicago Marathon! This is the biggie. If I only do this (in my running-life), I will be pretty happy. 
• Run 100 miles in one month and 30 miles in one week. 
• Run over 1,000 miles during the entire year (average of 19.2 miles per week).
• Set at least one PR (for a distance I've raced before).
• Place in the top three in my age group in a race with over 300 finishers.
• Not running related: Make a significant dent in our debt. 

For a point of reference, in my brief history of running:

Highest monthly mileage = 88 miles

Highest weekly mileage = 25 miles

Highest yearly mileage = 710 miles (and counting, but there are four days left in the year)

My 2012 goals list was originally a lot longer. But, I realized I have two major goals in my life right now - the marathon, and paying off our debt. As I was putting together my wish-list race schedule (which is below), I realized I was including some races not because I really wanted to do them, but to reach certain goals (race a certain distance, race in another state, qualify for the Half Fanatics). All worthy goals, but I don't want to pick so many goals that it starts to detract from my two major goals right now. So I edited the list to keep me focused on the marathon, and also to keep me from spending money on races I'm not excited about.

Sidenote: I might start blogging about our progress toward paying down debt if only to keep me more accountable. I do actually want to move out of my parents' house sooner rather than later, and I need to start acting like it by reigning in the spending as much as I can without going crazy. 

That being said, I've already re-evaluated my 2012 race schedule since my last post about it. These are all of the races I'd love to do. But I know I should save a little money and not do them all. 

1/15: Midwinter Cruise 5K [registered]
2/4: Frost Bite 5K
2/11: Cupid's Chase 5K [registered]
3/10: Oak Forest Fledh 5K
3/11: Running O' The Green 8K
3/25: Shamrock Shuffle 8K
4/1: Chi-Town Half Marathon
4/14: Rockdale Rambin Run 10K

May TBD: Chicago Spring Half Marathon [if it doesn't conflict with a wedding]

5/12: Quarryman 10mi

6/9: 13.1 Chicago
7/4: Stars and Stripes 5K
9/9: Chicago Half Marathon
10/7: Chicago Marathon [already started fundraising]

Are you doing any of these races? Let me know! That will help me narrow down this list :)