January 8, 2010

2010 – The Road Ahead



Wow, it’s here, the new year.  Just like that, I lift my head again and look forward to new opportunities.  What does the new year hold for me?  Better yet, what will I grasp from the new year?  Will there be goals for me?  Will I lift the bar higher for myself?

I’ve been a big believer in committing to specific events as way to draw a hard line for myself -- to set daily, weekly even monthly training goals.  With Western States 100 on the calendar now, I’m in the process of  formulating my plan, and I expect there will be a few changes in store for my training and racing compared to the last couple of years.

I’ll lay some of those out here in this blog over the next few weeks.  In the mean time, I'm learning that being   motivated to run 365 days of the year is not realistic, nor necessary.  Running takes a lot of work, especially in the winter, at night, alone, in a hurry, when I’m beat down, from work or other things in life. To plan, train and then run through the season, including 50 and 100 mile events, I've learned I have to pick my battles, and carefully focus my energies toward specific events and periods.  I believe now, more than ever, that the more focused and tactical I am about directing my energies, the better I do as a runner.  Running 80 to 90 weeks is doable, but should be done for the right reasons, at the right time, with the event in mind.  Hill training, speed work, long runs, weight training, heat training, stretching, diet, good sleep and rest are all factors that will play a part on my path in 2010.

Capturing all these factors in my plan will be a balancing act, but it is my desire.  Whether I succeed on this path I cannot guarantee.  What I can guarantee, though, is that my success will come down really to one thing, the same thing that binds all of us to our goals and ambitions: Motivation.

4 comments:

EricG said...

Hey Will, I look forward to hearing more about your year. Last year was the first year I ran multiple events with 3 ultras and 1 marathon. This year I plan on more with one stretch of 3 ultras in 3 months (100 & 2 50m). Any advice for that stretch. Don't forget to reach out on your next trip to NYC. Peace Eric

Will Cooper said...

thanks Eric, and we will indeed run when I'm in NY next. Keep it real!

Asha said...

Will- I did a quick search for other long distance runners and found your blog. I'm running the Napa Valley Marathon in March and have been blogging about balancing that training and being a teacher. I wanted to see what other local runners are doing and how they balance life. Ultra-marathons is not what I expected to find!...I hope I don't catch that bug too. But, good luck to you! I look forward to seeing what you do!

Michelle said...

Will- you are a terrific writer. Glad to have found your blog. Very inspiring!