Turning Dreams Into Goals

I’m a firm believer in setting goals. I’ve done some research lately on how much more effective you become in achieving your goals if you physically write them down. Until you write them down, your goals are just a dream.

So let me take this opportunity to write down a very personal goal to me. It has been a dream of mine for as long as I've been running, although I felt it has always been somewhat unachievable. That is why today I am putting my my dream to paper and am setting my mind up to achieve this goal.



Qualifying to run the Boston Marathon is one of those bucket list items that most distance runners have.  Not just anyone can sign up to run Boston. That is the prestige and history behind the event. You must qualify by running under a certain time in another marathon. Your qualifying time is based on sex and age. The best part is that the older you get, the slower your qualifying time. Yet, another perk of getting older!

I turned 35 this past year, so I was granted an additional five minutes. Thank you marathons gods and goddesses! In other words, I have to run it in 3:45 or less. Or to all you running junkies, that’s an average 8:34 pace spread out over 26.2 miles. Writing it down is the easy part, implementing it is the challenge!

In the past, I guess you could say I had the goal to finish my marathons. Qualifying was not on the top on my list of goals. Even though I had that magical qualifying time looming in my head, I NEVER wrote it down and though I was successful in finishing all three times, I didn’t come close to qualifying.

I’ve given this some long, hard thought and I have envisioned every possible scenario of crossing the finish line in December.  Each vision has me finishing, arms in the air, with the magical time in bright lights blinking above my head. 

This is my year! If I’m good at one thing, it is working really hard on a physical level. I know my limits and love to go beyond them. I love to see what I can achieve when I set my mind to something.  The gratification of checking another item off ‘my list” is a moment I always cherish.

I just took a brief look at my closet and the very obvious fact remains that I run. And I’ve run a lot.

This is just the shoes I currently wear and those with sentimental value I simply cannot let go. 
It doesn't factor in the numerous pairs that have made their way to Goodwill.

I was going through some old running things and came across this checklist that I probably got at some race expo along the way. I didn't even know I had it.

 

But I would say I'm pretty good at following the rules.

Why would I invest so much time and money into something that I love so much and not ever give myself the opportunity to do the one thing that most runners dream to do?  I'm going to make my dream a reality.

What are your goals? Do you write them down?