Goals for 2013

[Bonus material – Goals for 2012 and did I succeed? Check in the comments]

I am not typically a new years resolution type of person as I mentioned yesterday in my Friend Making Monday post.  However this seems like as good a time as any to set some goals, especially long reaching ones.

I spent the last few days mulling over a few things and wondering how and if some things were actually possible before I went around stating them as things I was going to do in the new year.

My Goals for 2013

Some of these goals may get modified in a upward fashion once the year gets on it’s way, in which case the goal stated here may become the Silver mark or something while I move on to achieve Gold or Platinum (most games these days have Platinum or Diamond as the actual mark of ‘Best’ while Gold is just ‘Really Good’).

- 50,000 pushups 

Just under 1000 a week, totally doable.  When I was conjuring this one up I was like, what if I did a million!  Then I realized that idea was insane and thought about 100,000 – doable, but at an average of almost 300 a day setting up for failure.  So I have set my sights on 50,000 pushups.

Can it be done: Very Plausible.

Run/Bike 2000km

It turns out that in 2012 I ran a total of 703.64km and biked 890.84 for a total of 1594.48km.  Not too shabby at all!  My stated goal at the start of the year was 1200, which then got changed to 1500.  This year I figure I can do more, especially if I am going to train for and do a 1/2 marathon.  That should really turn up the running distance early on and set a higher ‘I’m just going for a run’ distance mark than 5km. 

Can it be done: Ambitious, but doable.

Bench Press at least 230lbs.

This one has been building for a while.  Once Jodi put me on this new strength program almost two months ago I said I wanted to bench press my current weight.  Once I was able to do that I wanted to do my old weight.  On Sunday I benched 205 as my six rep max (I failed at #5 though, so it’ll be the same weight again next time I’m at the gym).  I’ve discovered that the squat rack works really well at these weights since I can have the hooks at a good height for getting the bar started and ending while I can put the safety bars just above myself so I don’t get crushed if I can’t lift the thing.  I hate asking for a spotter. 

Can it be done: This one is not as ambitious as the others since it’s only 25 more pounds, but it’s a goal I can reach earlier on in the year.

Complete a 1/2 marathon.

This is one that I have been planning for a couple months so far, but I have not actually begun training for it.  I set up the idea of the Race at Your Own Place, because I wanted to do a 1/2 marathon race on my own terms, at my own start time and all that.  Who says you have to pay money to run in a race?

Can it be done: It’s more than doable the distance I have ever run at once, but I think it’s plausible, even if it might be boring after over and hour of running.

Complete a Try-a-tri.

I say try-a-tri basically because I think I would drown doing the whole swimming distance of a local full triathlon.  So a try-a-tri it is.  This goal is easy to meet, just pay the entry fee and show up.  We all know it won’t be that simple for me though.  I want to compete!  Barriers for that include my bike though.  A mountain bike will not allow me to compete with road bike folks, so I might have to fork out some cash, or try to borrow one.  If there are any rich folks out there looking to sponsor a racer, I’m your man! (For Serious).

Can it be done: Entering is easy, competing is hard!

I think that’s about it.  Five goals seems like a good number for the moment.  I may come up with some new ones along the way, or monthly goals or something.  I think that it’s important to note a couple of things about these goals.  I have control over every outcome.  the push ups and the running/biking goal is simply about putting in the time.  The bench press goal I have to consistently put in the effort.  and the race goals say nothing about how I finish, just weather I do them or not.

It’s important to set goals that you have control over the outcome.  If I was to set a goal of ‘maintain my current weight’ that might be a foolish thing to do since I’ll be adding muscle in the process of weightlifting.  When I was a big fella I never set a goal of lose x pounds, or lose so many pounds in a month or year or anything, I just worked until I felt I had lost enough.

What are your goals for 2013?  Are you making goals that you have control over?  Are you setting a variety of types?  Some that will be easy, some that will take time?  Set yourself up for success and link you with your goals in the comments!