Happy New Year! I can’t believe it’s January already and the start of a new year. The past few months have flown by and I am hoping that things start to slow down soon. If you have been on social media over the past few weeks, you have probably seen everyone talking about their goals for the new year and what they achieved this past year. While I love setting goals, I am in a weird place right now as I don’t have full control over my own life now that I have a 5 year old and a 6 month old. However, I want to focus on some things that I would like to eventually accomplish, even if they don’t happen right away. By setting some postpartum running intentions I hope to keep my long term goals in mind and focus on the little things that are within my control each day.
Postpartum Running Intentions for the New Year as a Mom of Two
I am not going to share every single one of my goals/intentions, because there are quite a few and many are not even relevant to running. This year I decided to make a lot very small goals. Things that are specific and measurable and that will help to set me up for success long term. I also have a combination of process goals and outcome goals. I find that setting my intentions this way will help me to accomplish more over the course of the year.
Postpartum Running Intention # 1: Run a sub 22:30 5k
This would not be a PR, but if I could get back to running around a 22:30 5k I would feel like I am back to my pre-pregnancy fitness. I don’t even care if this is a real race or a time trial. It’s more about finding a way to track my fitness using a distance that I could run with less training time and not as much recovery.
As I have gotten back into running postpartum I have been doing strides, hills, and fartleks. I recently started doing short threshold runs too. I’ve been enjoying these shorter workouts with modertate efforts and have found that they are slowly but steadily helping me to build my fitness back up. I think I can continue with these workouts and maybe some shorter/faster intervals and aim to try the 5k sometime in the spring.
Postpartum Running Intention # 2: Run a Half-Marathon
I am not setting a time goal for the half-marathon, I just want to run the distance. To be honest, I physically could probably go out and run 13 miles today if I really wanted to. Long distances come very easily to me even though I haven’t run more than 8 miles since June. The hardest part for me right now is finding the time, and balancing running with sleep. Lately it has not been worth it to sacrifice sleep for a long run since I am not training for anything.
So in order to achieve this goal I will need to find a routine that allows me to run more. Again, this doesn’t need to be an actual race. I just want to get back to being able to do the distance. While I would love to train for a half this year I need to see how were are doing with sleep and a routine a few months from now. Races are expensive and require alot of of logistical planning and relying on others for help, so if I decide to do it I really want it to be worth all of that.
Postpartum Running Intention #3: Start doing drills 1x/week
Funny enough, this is the hardest goal for me to put out there and the one I will probably be the least likely to achieve. I have made this goal before and never stuck to it. While I am not sure that I “need” to do drills, I do think there are little things about my running form that may improve with drills. I have never done them consistently enough to see if they help. So I want to actually give them a try for at least a couple of months.
Postpartum Running Intention #4: Strength train 2x/week
This is probably my easiest goal because I am already doing it. However, as I run more it gets harder to fit everything in. For me, strength training is SO important. As soon as I let is slip I notice that my body does not respond well. So I need to continue making it a priority, even if that means running less miles.
Postpartum Running Intention #5: Enjoy running!
Another one that shouldn’t be hard! I am setting intentions, not huge goals, for a reason. I want to keep the enjoyment in the process. Years ago I used to make monthly goals and check in on them with blog posts each month. While I accomplished many of my goals, I became fixated on what was not going well. It made it harder to see the big picture of what I was achieving. I don’t want to nitpick about every little thing I need to do, but instead keep my focus on a few things that will help my running without letting it get too serious.
For me, I enjoy running JUST for the joy of putting one foot in front of another. I don’t need races or medals or group runs or anything like that. And I think that pregnancy, postpartum running, and COVID has helped me to see that over the last 5 years. So as I continue along this postpartum journey I don’t want to lose the enjoyment in it, even as I eventually start working towards some goals again.
Are you setting any running intentions for the new year?
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Now it’s time for the Runners’ Roundup! Link up your running and fitness posts below! Join myself, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner and Runs with Pugs to post your favorite running tips, experiences, race and training recaps, workouts, gear, and coaching ideas.
These are great goals! The 5k and half-marathon goals work nicely together.
In fact, I think you’d enjoy it even more if you registered for a race for these two distances. Yes, it’s complicated with two little ones, but if the half is sometime in autumn it would give you enough time to plan for. Way to go, Lisa!!
These are great goals. And I bet you achieve them all.
Good luck.
I’ll be following along
It’s good to set small goals and goals that are very achievable. When my kids were that age I wasn’t even running and I was always exhausted. I can only imagine the challenges but I know that you will overcome them.
Managing run training (and everything else) with 2 young kids is definitely difficult! I can’t wait to see how you crush your goals this year
These are all solid intentions for you. I can’t even imagine how tough it is to balance everything, but you are doing so well so far and it’s only going to get better from here! I can’t wait to see where the year takes you!