So it has happened, the Jiggly Marathon Squad have had their first run together.......how did it go? Bloody brilliantly, so of course I had the normal panic attack, you know everything I tell you lot never to feel, yip I feel every bit of it. They are faster than me, I will be chasing them, oh man I feel sick 🤢!
Were they faster than me? They could have been.......did they choose to be.....naw because Jiggly's run together.
Was I chasing them? Well maybe a wee bit, but what I learned from that was, I can use them to improve, win win!!
Was I sick? No of course I wasn't because I was running with the most amazing girls, girls who would not for one second make you feel anything other that a part of it. Girls who make the Jiggly Joggers what it is. A squad!
I loved my run with them and loved getting a cheeky wee PR on the Strava segment The Mount Vernon Monster, because that's what it is, a monster, bloody thing goes on forever!
So this got me to thinking, what is a measure of success? What goals are important?
Let's start with measures of success:
This will be different for everyone, some people measure success in time or distance, I have decided to measure my success on achievement. For me the heat is a killer, I for all my years of running (all 4 of them) always walk in the heat, I give up as soon as I feel that flush in my cheeks so for me to complete the run without walking when I can feel the heat is getting to me is success. Pushing myself through that mental barrier of 'I'll get the end if I walk', and realising I will still get to the end if I keep running. Setting yourself these little targets that mean nothing to anyone else but you, the targets that no one can compete with because they are your personal demons that need to be battled.
Goals
Why are goals important? I think goal are important to me because it makes me accountable, it drives me forward to improve and without improvements we don't go any further.
I am still working on my weight loss goals, lets be honest this is a long term gig, rest of my life if you will, but so far I have lost 1 stone 7.5lbs so I am taking that and owning every ounce of it!
I am continuing to smash my step goal every day, set for now at 11000 soon to be increased to 12000. For me this is a game changer, before I would have at least 2 or 3 days where I would only be around 5000 steps but because I have put it out there to do the 11000 I will not and cannot fail!
Water drinking, hands up this bit I am rubbish at, coffee I can do, diluting juice I can do but I am still trying to reach that 3 bottle of water goal, if it was 3 bottles of prosecco you know I would nail that but I haven't touched any alcohol apart from 1 glass of wine in 11 weeks, that is some squad goals right there............I digress back to my water issues.....help, is there a magic trick? How do I make this habit a thing!!
(Note to self when writing that you aren't drinking enough water you then took a big drink of water lol)
We picked a 32 week training plan, this for us is the best choice, it's a recovery programme which will help us avoid injury but it also will build us up gradually and allow our success. It also gets us in to good habits quickly. I am so surprised at how confident I feel about running a marathon bearing in mind I have pretty much hated every Half I have ever done so yeah good luck with this!!
Maybe when you are sitting tonight have a think, what are your goals? How do you want to achieve them? How do you measure your success?
Have a great week and stay safe,
Elaine xx