[W///]

Originally Posted by cotmfk

I wanted to update this from a couple of years ago:

2020 was really tough for everyone. Obviously panda happened. It actually gave me more time to run, though - because for a few months (maybe 3 -4), work was really slow, so I worked on trying to get a bit ahead for the year. I used running as a distraction from what was going on in the world and personally. I peaked just under 130 miles in a month in May 2020. Unfortunately, I herniated a disc in my neck in mid-July 2020. It was a weird experience. I was just running on the treadmill, normal pace, not doing anything different or weird. Somewhere in the run, felt a SUPER SHARP pain in my neck. I almost fell off the treadmill. So, I obviously had to take some time off from running. I ended up coming back a bit too fast because I really wanted to hit my goal for 2020 - I took 3 weeks off from running. I started getting back into it, and ended up having fits/stops/starts for the rest of the year because I didn't let myself heal properly. But, I ended up hitting the 1200 for the year goal. I finished with about a week left in 2020.

Since I wasn't fully healed (and I knew it), I took that week off and didn't add to 2020 totals at all. I also took all of January off. I think I ran maybe once in Feb. I started trying to come back in March. My neck was actually better at that point. I was doing strength work - both for running and my neck - during the time away from running. Long story short, I ended up hitting 700 miles in 2021. I had no goal for the year as far as distance. My only goal was to be able to run pain free again. I am happy to say that I hit that goal.

For 2022, I'm working on running 1000 miles. For me, I think 1000 miles per year minimum goal is good. I'm on pace to hit that (a little behind, but not too far to catch up). If I do, I think my goal going forward will be to hit the minimum 1000 per year and supplement that with some speed goals. For example, I ran a 21:20 5k earlier this year. So, maybe in 2023, my goal will be to hit under 21:00 in the 5k or something like that. This is the time of year that I start trying to think of goals for the following year - and use that as motivation to help me hit the current year goals.

2013: Goal 100 miles (FAIL)
2014: Goal 100 miles (HIT)
2015: Goal 250 miles (HIT)
2016: Goal 365 miles (HIT)
2017: Goal 500 miles (HIT)
2018: Goal 750 miles (HIT)
2019: Goal 1000 miles (HIT)
2020: Goal 1200 miles (HIT)
2021: No Goal - Ran 700 miles
2022: Goal 1000 miles - We'll see...

I was super happy to hit my goal in 2020 - 100 miles per month average! That's something I thought was totally unobtanium before. Especially since I was such a FF and wasn't even able to do 100 miles for the year in 2013. Crazy change for me. I'm so much healthier now - both physically and mentally. Running has done a lot for me and my life.

Thanks for your feedback. I guess I'll need to do what I already know.

On top of trying to reach 1k miles for the year, I'm committing to run my first marathon in January, so it's imperative that I take care of myself as much as possible. I've been talking to my nutritionist and trying to take care of that part as well. In 2021 I just ran to train for my first races (5k, 6k, 10k...) and managed to run 780 total. I have to say, my goal to run 1k miles came from this thread, and probably more specifically from your post.

Needless to say, I've jumped into hobby head first and it's been one of the best things I've done in my life. I've never been healthier at 37 years old and much mentally tougher. We'll see what happens next year, while I absolutely love running and it's not more or less an automatic thing for me, I do want to venture into maybe becoming more of a triathlete, so increasing the mileage might not be possible just from a time perspective.