Goals for 2014

I can't believe we are almost to the end of 2013.  This year has flown by and I still don't know where all the time went.  It has been a great year for me.  As the year is coming to a close I want to start setting goals for 2014.

Goals
I am still not at the point where I want to be physically, not sure if I will ever be there.   Am I better than I was a year ago? Yes, I am way stronger than I was at this time last year.  Hell, I am one pound away from deadlifting 1.75 times my weight.  I can't wait to hit that goal.  Do I totally look the way I want to look?  No, but that is my fault and no one else's. Getting to the gym and doing the workouts is not my problem.  I am at the gym 5 days a week, plus I run on my own.  My issue is that I wasn't on point with my food as much as I should of been or as often as I should of been.  I just got a little too comfortable.  I am trying not to beat myself up over it and just look at what I need to do and move on. 

My food will be goal #1 for 2014.  I want to be really good and hit all my numbers for the first 10 weeks of the year and see what changes I see.  (I was told it takes 10 weeks)  This means I will have to be good through my birthday and everything.  This is going to be a challenge, I love celebrating my birthday, but I really want this and I don't want to make anymore excuses.  I have seen the ladies who competed in a bikini competition this month (so inspirational) do it and I know that  I am no different than they are.  If I really want it, the reward is better than anything I would eat or drink.  I have a great support system at my gym, with my friends and my number one supporter Lido (my husband).  I need to hold myself accountable and not make excuses.  I want to make sure I am consistent and prep all my food and not feel so odd when I carry around my own food to events.  This is my body and my goal so I need to be in control.

Even though I am stronger than I was last year, that doesn't mean I don't have thing to work on in the gym too.  I want to continue getting stronger and one thing that is preventing me is my form when I lift.  Geoff (my coach) has done a great job of helping me focus on my form, kind of hard to ignore when he is make me do the lift over and over and correcting me the entire time.  I never realized how hard lifting is until my form prevented me from getting some new PRs.  There is so much to think about and do correctly.  It has become impossible to be lazy and hit the numbers that I want. So goal #2 is to correct my form and hit some new PRs. 

Goal #3 is to stop being so negative and hard on myself.  I need to learn to stay positive and flip my mental perspective on things.  I often go into things thinking about how hard it is going to be and how I won't  be able to do it.  I am learning that if I push those thoughts out of my head and think positively or just focus on what is before me, that I can do it.  Just because it is hard doesn't mean I can't do it and that I should speak negatively about it.  The more negative I am the higher chance that I won't be able to do it. I have so many people in my life who believe in me, I need to start believing in myself.  No more negative talk from me (or at least that is what I am working towards).

I am sure there are more goals I can come up with, but this is a good starting point for me, I don't want to get overwhelmed (I tend to do that).  What are you goals for the 2014?

It's been a while...

I know I have been MIA for a few weeks, we have been pretty busy and coming up with something to write has been a little difficult.  Many of you who read my blog also follow me on Facebook, so you know what I have been up to.  I am pretty much an open book when it comes to Facebook and my friends. So what have I been up to?

I went to NYC for Thanksgiving to celebrate my BFF's birthday:


Survivor Tree at 9/11 Memorial

View from our hotel room

Horse drawn carriage Ride through Central Park

 We went to a Christmas Party:

 

Went for a 12 mile run and did some relaxing:

Now you are all caught on what I have been up to.

 

 

Here are some confessions and thoughts:

1. I am way behind on my running training, with it getting darker earlier and me not really wanting to run, I am behind on my mileage.  I have been running to the gym on Saturdays, working out and then running home.  This gives me about 5 miles once a week.  That's about all I have been doing. 

 

2. My coach told me today that I need to stop with all the running, that I can either be good at running or good at lifting, I can't do both.  Well, since I am not a good runner, I guess I will stick to the lifting, although I am not that great at that either.

 

3. I have realized that it is easier for me to be super supportive of other's accomplishments but I don't do the same for myself.  I am going to try hard this month to celebrate my own successes just as much as I celebrate other's.

 

4. I am a natural stressor and I think all this stress causes things to happen to my body.  I never realized how much stress affects the way our bodies operate.  This is another thing I need to work on, but I don't know how to work on this. In the past I have ran to let go of my stress, but I think I might need to come up with another way (refer back to number 2).

 

5. Life is pretty damn good.  There is not much in my life that I should be complaining about.  Yes there are things I have to deal with that maybe your average person doesn't, but those things make me who I am and make me dedicated to being healthy and motivated to keep going.  I need to stop complaining and bitching all the time.  I need to use those around me to motivate me and keep me positive.  I have a gym buddy who is one of the most positive people I know, I need his point of view on life to rub off on me.

 

Well, that is all I have for now.  I will think of some more topics to write about, just wanted to catch you all up since I have been MIA for a little while.  Happy Monday!!