Get your ass in shape (and mine as well)

This is what you need to do to get your ass in the shape you want it to be...(and what I plan on doing)

Choose a goal for yourself.

Picture all the steps you need to take to achieve that goal- backwards!  Follow those steps from where you want to be to where you are now.  Take a close look at all those mini goals you need to reach as you progress.  Picture what you need to do to be able to achieve those mini goals along the way.

What do you need to do to get there?  Write down your goal and then write down all the things you need to do to reach that goal from the goal to where you are now.  Then, start.  Simple?  No freaking way!  But, that's where the dedication comes in.  That's where other people who are going through the same things come in.  Because, quite frankly, sometimes we need someone to kick us in the ass since we can't always do it ourselves.  This is where we need someone who understands what we are doing to say "Why the hell are you just sitting there?" or "Why did you just eat all that crap?" or "Get off the couch and do your core work!".

Here's my goal, and it may take a couple years to get to:


Finish an ultramarathon (50k) at an under 10 minutes per mile pace.

• Run a few ultramarathons a year with each one used to build up to the next.
• Run a 25 mile training trail run at 11:00 minutes per mile or less a few weeks before the goal 50k.
• Build up my ultrapace trail runs from 10 to 22 miles (help? for pace runs, would 22 be too much or too little for a 50k?)
• Add in speedwork every week to 10 days either fast paced medium runs (10 miles@ 8 minutes per mile for example- that pace will take some time as well to build up to {insert steps here}.
• Build up to 60 miles per week for a couple weeks before tapering for the goal race.
• Build up to running 35+ miles on consecutive weekends during peak training (11-24 Sat and Sun, for example)
• Core work each week, 2-4 times per week
• Running form work, 1-2 times per week
• Eat right- the right kinds of food and the right times of day
• Get plenty of sleep- sleeping well is very, very important when training

So, what's your goal?  What do you need to do to get there?

That's just a basic outline for me.  I've done just one 50k and completed it in 6:19, so I have some work to do.  I need to get to about 5:10:11 (I need to cut off 1 hour, 9 minutes and a few seconds).  Sounds daunting if I look at it from where I am right now, which is why I need to break it down from the goal and look at each step I need to take along the way, going backwards.  That way I see all the steps I need to take to get there, and so will you.

Then, all we need to do is take the first step...