2016 Resolutions/Goals

It's difficult to write about running when I'm not running. The knee sprain due to my fall on December 24th is still holding me back. I have been biking indoors quite a bit and still lift weights. Swimming should start soon.

I did create some New Year's Resolutions for 2016 which include a few running goals.

1. I will use experts to fix things around my house more than I ever have in the past. Just this week I had an electrician come over and add an outlet and fix a plug in our powder room. I decided to call on a professional after the second hole I made in the wall still didn't identify an easy way for me to do the wiring. The Youtube videos instructing me on doing electrical work didn't help with our 1956 house wiring.

2. A treadmill repair man came over today and had it working in less than an hour. About a month ago Jan and I had installed a new belt over the course of several hours. The treadmill hadn't worked since that failed attempt at a repair. Instead of repeatedly getting frustrated and wasting time as I would have done in the past I took the major step of having a "guy" come over.

These may seem like two small jobs and no big deal to some readers. For me it's a major shift in philosophy. First, I feel like less of a man. Real men should be able to fix anything. Watch the miners in Alaska on Goldrush Friday nights. They regularly repair all their equipment that keeps breaking down in the Alaska weather. I would be fired in a couple of days. Of course it helps to have the right tools, but, again, a real man would own all the tools possible or figure out how to finagle the job and get it done. Then there is my thrifty side which hates paying for something that I think I should be able to do.

3. I may concentrate on racing 5k's, hopefully racing them faster than I have in several years. I should not be as slow as I am. So the general plan is to build up to 12x400 at a fast pace, running this workout once a week. I will also be going back to biking and swimming quite a bit. A few years ago when Jan was training for Ironman races and I was trying to stay up with her is the last time I had any speed. Why not use the same formula again?

4. I'm going to lose the 2 inches of blob around my middle. My abs are reasonably strong, but buried under a mass of fat cells. This can't continue.