2024 Goals
No mileage target for the year, as the main goal for me is to complete my first marathon at the Belfast Marathon on 5th May. I felt it was time to step up from doing halves and finally go for it. The plan is to stay injury-free for training and see what I can achieve on the day. I reckon that I'll be just over the 5 hours for the race and hopefully won't be too disappointed if I'm significantly slower.
Beyond the marathon, I've no other goals. No triathlons, no swimming or cycling, as I don't want to get distracted. I'll revisit my goals following the marathon and see what other targets/goals to aim for.
Mid-year review
I have completed my marathon (5:00:22) and therefore my goal for the year. I don't think I'll run another marathon this year but have turned my sights to improving my half marathon time.
My current half marathon is 2:11 set in London, so a nice flat course. However, the Belfast Half Marathon is a little hiller and hopefully, I can get close to the current PB or beat it.
Other than running, I aim to attend more pilates classes, as I felt my core was sore post-marathon. Maybe try and get on the bike more in the summer months as well.
**End-of-Year Review**
This year has had its ups and downs. My primary goal was to complete my first marathon, which I achieved, although I didn't finish in under 5:00 hours. After the marathon, I felt physically and mentally exhausted, running nearly 500 miles in the first quarter of the year. Most of my training was done alone, which was quite challenging since I work from home while my partner is in the office and often out in the evenings. This made my training feel rather lonely.
I took about a month off from running but didn't replace that time with any other form of exercise, which further diminished my motivation. In July, I developed pericarditis, which set me back even more and meant I couldn't start running again until August. Unfortunately, this also derailed my plan to participate in the Belfast Half Marathon.
Since then, my heart has been okay. I returned to the running club, and last month, we increased our Saturday mileage, culminating in a 10-mile run. We have an annual challenge to complete 1,000 miles, and while I was on track to achieve this earlier in the year, health issues and a lack of running will prevent me from reaching that goal. However, I still aim for 800 miles and am currently on track!
This Saturday, we will run around Whitehead, our local town known for its lack of streets. The route is 13.6 miles long and has an elevation of 1,000 feet. I'm not particularly looking forward to this, but the big fry-up afterwards will help motivate me!
Another goal I set for myself was to attend more Pilates classes. Unfortunately, I haven't participated in any, but I have been going to the gym at least once a week and have done the occasional swim. Sadly, I haven't been on the bike at all this year.
2024 Goals
Looking ahead, I'm excited about the challenges that await me. I had hoped to compete in the Belfast Marathon, but life had other plans. I proposed to my girlfriend, and we have scheduled our wedding for the day before the marathon! As a compromise, I've decided to enter the Omagh Half Marathon a few weeks before the wedding. This race, known for its significant elevation, is a thrilling challenge.
My running club is also considering starting the Super Six Half Marathon series. However, since many races in 2025 are already sold out, we may have to wait until 2026 to participate.
If anyone has any suggestions for my 2024 goals, I'd be interested to hear them.
