I’m usually pretty good with this, but I’ve been struggling lately, so I think it’s worth adding to my list, at least until I feel fairly secure with a routine again.

I was training for a half-marathon at the end of September (another goal), but I have been very ill for the last month, so I am no longer sure that I will be prepared to participate in the race. I’m concerned that pushing myself to achieve that goal will detract from the other benefits that running produces in my life. Rather than letting that disappointment bring me down, I want to get back into a rhythm of running regularly, whether it’s training for a specific race, or just for the joy and peace it brings me (and for the satisfaction of feeling I’ve earned this pain and exhaustion!).

So, here are my goals. They are as concrete as I can make them without feeling like I might cheat if my schedule doesn’t accommodate a run easily. In general, I want to run 3 times a week. I would like to use Saturday or Sunday for a “long run,” whatever that means at my current level of fitness, with two shorter runs during the week. That said, I also try to walk to my office (about an hour and a half) one or two times a week, so I would be ok if I miss a run on occasion due to a conflict in my schedule. (I know committing to weekday runs means getting up earlier, and I don’t want to lose too much sleep if I had a late night! Priorities, right…?)