2020 Running Goals…and Beyond

I haven’t ironed out my 2020 running goals, but there are some things on the calendar and some other things brewing. I want to share what could be in the future of running for me.

1. I have scheduled out training to get ready for a February 50k. I am not registered just yet, but I am hoping to do the Hagg Lake Mud Run to kick off the year.
2. After that I don’t have anything until Bigfoot. Which means there is time for something. I am interested in making the leap to a 50 miler between February and August. Maybe around May. Any favorite 50 milers in the West or Northwest around that time? I have been looking and there is a short list, but I am not sure right now what that will end up being.
3. Bigfoot. I have been there the last two years and will be back again this year. I am not sure yet what that will look like. My daughter has talked about training for the 20 miler and my brother has talked about me helping pace for the 100k. Whatever happens, I will be there doing some running.
4. Timberline Trail. A couple of friends and I will be running around Mt. Hood, likely unsupported. Maybe we will set it up to get some support somewhere along the way. It will be a single day adventure that we have been talking about for a while.
5. After August is generally a good time for some chill, unscheduled, run for the love of it time. It’s when I make time to volunteer and recover. I will also start thinking about what’s next.

After my first marathon in 2018, I made the leap to 50k and then a 40 miler in 2019 I ran new distances. It was a big and exciting year. While I couldn’t figure out how to get the miles in that I felt like was needed, I finished each event well and in good spirits.

I will continue in 2020 to try and get my weekly miles up so I can get faster and recover faster. Of course, as I type this I skipped a scheduled 8 mile run because we have an icy first snow of the year. But, I digress. I really want to get faster so I don’t have to look at cut off times when I am looking at an event.

So, the beyond is that I am using 2020 to build and work towards bigger things in 2021. 100k? 100 mile? 200 mile? Bigfoot 200? I don’t want to get ahead of myself. But sometimes these things call out to a person.