Race Goals ~ Catch Me If You Can Trail 10 miler

Day # 352 ~ Monday's unexpected p.m. run ~ 6.5 sweaty miles

3.5 a.m miles also sweaty

I have another race this coming Saturday.

I will be defending my Master's title at the Catch Me If You Can trail 10 miler.  Last year this race was difficult to fit in with a soccer game scheduled later in the morning and again this year it will be a logistics nightmare.  Thankfully Army Son will be home to make sure the kiddos get to the game on time but I will have to run fast to make it there myself!

In setting my goals for this race I'd love to say that I am going to play it safe BUT I'd rather have attempted to reach my goals and fallen short than to used excuses to not have tried.  So I will set aside the fact that my legs are almost 2900 miles tired.  And I'll over look that my hamstrings are still remembering those wonderfully challenging trails during that 50 miler.  And I'll also pretend that I haven't gained about 10 pounds that I was looking for. 

I will instead set it all out there and go for a repeat win!

My I FINISHED goal: To arrive on time. To start. To finish.

aka: Finish Feeling Fine having Fun

This race is close enough that I can drive there the morning of so this goals should be in the bag!

My I CAN goal: Finish in 1:34 ~ last year's time.

 

My I LOVE IT goal: To finish and retain my Master's Winner Title.

regardless of finishing time.

My I DREAM IT goal: Under 1:30.

So there they are.  Goals.  Things to reach for but not to be defined by.  I am the total of all my experiences not just the latest experience.  So "win" or "lose" I will have another opportunity to enjoy the trails and the challenge they bring.  I look forward to seeing what I am capable of doing on day # 356. 

Will 356 days of running have made me stronger? 

No matter the time on that clock, 356 days will have made me stronger.  Stronger in my physical attempts to challenge myself and stronger emotionally to handle when my attempts fall short.

On any given day you just don't know what you are capable of until you amaze yourself doing it.