Making SMART Goals for the New Year

I wrote this for the gym's January newsletter (I do a small article each month as the Fitness Director). Since it's all about being SMART, I'm working smarter and sharing it here too! Go set some SMART goals!

I love the gym in the New Year. Really, really LOVE it! As someone who has worked in fitness for 20 years, this is the most exciting time for me. People are motivated. They are willing to try something new. They will make resolutions, promises and goals. Health and fitness are on everyone’s mind! 

I’m sure you’ve heard of SMART goals. This acronym has been around forever in hopes of helping people make solid goals that can be followed. I challenge you, whether you are new to the gym or have been coming for years, to make at least one SMART goal for your health and fitness this year. 

Follow these guidelines:

1. S-Specific: Be clear about your goal. “Getting healthy” is a pretty broad goal; but saying you want to lose weight, exercise more, drink more water, or keep current on well visits with your doctor are all more specific tasks.

2. M-Measurable: To add more clarity, make your specific goal measurable. What is “more”? How about adding a numeric value to know when you hit that goal. Lose 10 pounds. Exercise 5 days a week. Drink 50 ounces of water a day. 

3. A-Attainable: Being realistic is key. Don’t set yourself up for failure or disappointment. Losing 30 pounds in January won’t happen (at least not in any sort of healthy way). 

4. R-Relevant: A goal is only good if it’s important to you. This time of year, many people focus on improving their health, and if 2020 taught me anything, it’s that our health is really the most important thing.

5. T-Time-Bound: Add that time stamp. Give yourself a deadline. Write it in your planner or put it on your digital calendar (I’m a paper planner girl; don’t try and change my mind!).

If your goal is BIG, like for the whole year big, make smaller benchmarks along the way. I’m always in this with you, so here’s my big goal for the year: I will run 2021 miles in 2021. It’s specific (just about running) and relevant (I love to run). It’s time bound (I have 365 days to do it) and measurable (I’m tracking miles on my watch). Attainable? Well, that’s still unknown, and to be more realistic, I’ve actually set 2 goals: 1021 miles & 2021, because I wanted an A-goal and a B-goal. 

Share with me! What’s your goal for 2021? Make it BIG! Make it a little scary. But most importantly, make it SMART!

Progress Post: 4/25/16

I'm channeling my inner turtle lately--slow and steady wins the race, right? I was I had more "progress" to talk about, but really the only progress has been that I'm set to start Euflexxa injections in my knee. I saw the surgeon who did my surgery two years ago, and he's hoping that the extra lubrication that these injections will add will "get me over the hump" so I can workout more, lose the baby weight, and finally feel better.

This past week, I have to admit I didn't do much at all to make progress. I taught my 3 classes at the gym and did one walk with Robby. Food wasn't the best either. SO, why the heck even write a post about it? Well, I told myself I needed to stay accountable so here I am, being accountable.

I took some progress pictures, or rather, lack of progress pictures, and I plan to take my after shots in 6 weeks. Stay tuned for a (hopefully) noticeable transformation! For this week, I'm sticking strictly to the 21 Day Fix meal plan + Shakeology. I'm home alone with the baby pretty much the entire week, so my workouts will consist of walking with him and modified Beachbody workouts. Since my knee isn't up to any kind of heavy workouts, I'm going to take it slow and really work on my core and upper body. I also plan to incorporate some of the PT exercises I was doing after surgery. Can't hurt, right?

There you have it! Minimal progress, but a few steps in the right direction, nonetheless. How was your week?

Even Robby's less than impressed with my progress!

2016 Race Calendar

Yep, I'm still waiting on the arrival of the newest member of Disney Runs in the Family. Seeing that baby Robby isn't here yet, I've had plenty of time to think about the year ahead and goals I want to accomplish, specifically in running. Of course, I'm being realistic and know that I'm about to take on a whole new life with our baby, so my goals are short and sweet.

My "comeback" race: Las Vegas Hot Chocolate 15k--February 28th
This local race will be my first run postpartum. I'm honestly a little nervous, especially since it looks like I'll be going right up to or even past my due date of January 4th. I've stayed somewhat active, but may end up pulling back to the walker corral depending on when I can get back on the road.

My "speedy" race: Disneyland Half (as part of the Dumbo Double Dare)
I plan to take back my speed this year at the Disneyland Half Marathon. Since knee surgery and pregnancy, I haven't come close to my half PR of 2:04. This year, I'm planning on focusing my energy on getting my speed up so I can work toward that number again. I doubt I'll PR, but it will feel great to run fast and get close. I'm tired of running slow. I've learned a lot as a runner myself and as a coach to others, and I'm ready to put that in place and conquer some goals. I'm not setting a time YET, but once I can get back to running regularly, I'll have a better idea of specific goals.

My "just for fun" race: Disneyland Paris Half
We are so excited to be going to Paris, and there's no way I'm rushing through this race! We even got a Go Pro for Christmas so we can document every step, and we plan to take a million pictures on the course. No need for speed here! I'm ready to relish every magical mile, then spend a week putting in tons of miles of walking around the most romantic city on earth!

It's not a long list, but again, life around the Stater household is about to change BIG TIME. I can't wait to take Robby out for walks and runs (my BOB stroller was one of the first things I bought when I found out we were expecting). I really can't wait for his first race--the Diaper Dash during the Disneyland Half weekend. It'll be a fun, challenging year! Now, back to waiting for our Disney baby to arrive!

Review of the 3-Day Refresh

This past Monday, after a very full January of racing and traveling, I finally got started on the 3-Day Refresh.  I have heard great things about this program, and heck, it was only 3 days so why not use it to kick of my February resolution of working on portion control?!?!?!  Admittedly, I should have probably prepared a bit better, but a quick morning and evening grocery store trip and I was able to stick to it.

Refresh & Portion Fix Kits

In the kit, you get the guide and 3 drinks per day (4 if you don't use your regular Shakeology).  This is the basic gist of the day: shake & fruit, fiber sweep, shake-veggie-fruit-fat lunch, veggie-fat snack, and shake with a meal for dinner.  I was really surprised at how much I actually ate!  Let's be honest, you hear "refresh", you think "cleanse" and you translate that to "starving".  Don't get me wrong, I wasn't walking around stuffed like Thanksgiving or anything, but I was definitely not starving!  There's no dairy, meat, or processed anything over the 3 days.

Refresh Dinner

So let's get on with the results.  First, I'm sharing these pics because I saw great results, so no shaming me...deal?  In 3 days, I lost 5 pounds and feel amazing!  BUT--that's actually not where it stops.  Believe it or not, I am now on 6 days without touching a Diet Coke.  If there is anything that is my #1 weakness it's my Diet Coke.  I'd actually drink up to 6 cans a day!  I know it's terrible for me, but it's just my thing!  I don't want to say that I'm giving it up completely, however I'm super proud of myself for not going right back to my 6-can-a-day habit.  I am definitely going to limit my consumption, and this was the perfect kick-off.

I'm continuing on, trying to work on portion control and eating more vegetables and fruits (definitely need more veggies).  It was the perfect way to get started on my February resolution!  Let's see how the rest of the month goes!

Disclaimer: I am an Independent Team Beachbody Coach. I help people stick to programs (like this one) and coach them to get their best results.  I do this because it's a way to reach and help more people on their health and fitness journeys.  However, I also do this because I LOVE the products and use them myself (and get great results).  All opinions are my own from my experiment of one!  I'd love to help you too, so reach out if this is something you need in your life!

Friday Five: 5 goals for 2015

I'm so happy that the girls from http://eatprayrundc.com/ http://www.marontherun.com/ & http://www.yousignedupforwhat.com/ decided for this Friday's post to be about goals.  I love New Year's Resolutions.  I don't always stick to them, but I love the idea of a fresh start.  So, without further adieu, here are my 5 goals for 15!  (Be sure to check out these ladies' sites too for tons of great bloggers who link up weekly.  I've found AWESOME blogs to follow from the Friday Five Linkup!).

1.  Get my knee back to as close to normal as possible.  I have not seen a doctor since 10 days post surgery.  (BTW, I was discharged at that time, this was not my choice).  I need to get a new doctor, perhaps one that will offer solutions, and get my knee taken care of.  I also need to do things, like strength training, to help it along.

2.  Run a 2:15 half marathon.  I've been chasing 2:00 for so long, but I've got to be realistic.  Since surgery, I haven't been able to run fast...not at all...so I need to set my sights on a realistic goal.  I'm thinking Tink in May will be my goal race.

Okay...whining about my knee is over :)

3.  Get certified as an RRCA running coach!  This is probably the most exciting thing I currently have planned :)  In March, I will be traveling to Denver to complete the 2-day training, then plan to quickly finish the rest of the requirements so I will be fully certified by the end of spring.  I cannot wait to add this to my growing list of fitness-related skills.

4.  On that note, my next goal is to build my home-based fitness business as a Beachbody Coach and an online running coach.  Don't worry, this blog is not turning into a sales pitch 24/7!  I'm finally willing, though, to take a leap of faith and make a career out of helping others get fit and healthy.  It will undoubtedly be hard and I will have to work long, hard hours (while still at my day job), but I know that if I follow my heart and passion, things will work out.

5.  Adopt one healthy habit a month.  I thought this would be a good goal to get healthier all around.  Each month I'm going to focus on adding one thing to my routine and then build as the year goes on.  Hold me to this!  So far, I've come up with my January habit: I'm going to improve my oral care routine by flossing daily, using my Sonicare (my Christmas gift to myself) twice a day and using Pro-Health mouthwash twice a day.  I hate teeth, but I've been trying to get better.  I've been really good the past 2 years about the dentist, and my 6-month check up is this month, so I thought this would be a good place to start.

I probably could come up with 5 more, but I'll leave it at that for now.  Don't forget to check out the Friday Five for some inspiration for your own goals :)  If one of your goals is to lose weight, be sure to check out the Diet Bet I'm hosting for extra "inspiration" (money as an incentive)!  http://www.dietbetter.com/games/56749

My Goals for the 2014 Wine & Dine Half

We barely just came back from a Halloween trip to Disneyland, and we are getting ready to head to Walt Disney World for the 5th annual Wine & Dine Half Marathon.  I am definitely NOT ready--I don't have a costume, haven't started packing, still have tons to do!!!  One thing I've been thinking about, though, is my goals.  I'm still not really running fast since surgery, so it's time to focus on other things.  Here you go--my goals for this race:

1.  Finish strong--okay, this one is a little running related.  I always set a goal to finish strong. 

2.  Shut down the after party!  We missed the party last year  because I was feeling terrible after running.  This year--no way!  We are shutting it down!  I will be dragging myself around the park until 4 am.

3.  Meet up with social media friends.  I always get caught up in the race and spending time in the parks.  This year, though, I'm going to all the meet-ups and being sure to put faces with Facebook names.  (If you see me, come say hi too).

4.  Enjoy the expo.  I usually fly through the expo with a specific list and get back to the parks as soon as possible.  This time, I want to really see the booths and enjoy the speakers.  I plan to spend at least half a day at the expo.

5.  Have more fun!  This is my goal for the whole weekend.  I just want to really enjoy running again.  It's been such a trying few months, and I need to restore my love of running. 

What are your goals for your next race?  Who am I seeing at Wine & Dine?

Recommit to Rehab

I plan a lot of my blogging when I'm out running.  Makes sense, right?  This IS, after all, a blog grounded in running.  Sunday, I headed out for a 9 mile run, and thought I should try to push my run intervals a little and run for 1:30 and walk for 1 minute.  It did not quite go as planned.  I have a race in two weeks and I'm feeling a little beat down.

 

 

What I'm realizing quickly is I have not done my part in rehabbing my knee after surgery.  Especially since I've been back to teaching classes at the gym, I have slacked on my knee exercises.  It's tough, because since my doctor refused to give me therapy, I'm doing it all on my own.  I have great advice from medial professionals I really trust.  So this week, my plan is to recommit to getting this knee stronger.  (Didn't I promise this before???).

 

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Here's my plan:

 

Leg Press--both legs & right leg only

Lateral step up & over the BOSU

Squats on the BOSU

Single leg step ups on a platform

Balance with resistance--4 ways

Clockwork lunges (5 ways)

Lots of stretching!!!

 

What am I missing?  I know some of you out there have had knee problems.  What exercise got you back the strongest?

Why I DietBet

Last month I hosted my first DietBet.  I needed it to help motivate myself to get back on track with my fitness and nutrition goals.  It was 100% motivated by my own needs, but it was pretty awesome that my friends and family joined in too.  Our current pot is $2000 and there is a little over a week to go.  The group has already lost 244 pounds.  I'm right on track and can't wait to see how much I win! 

I'm in no way done, so I've already set up my next DietBet!  I'm no dummy... this one ends right before Halloween, which will be the start of my next Disneyland trip.  I can't wait to be able to celebrate (and indulge, just a little...).  Figured the other people in the bet would also want a little indulgence on that day.  I'm sure people are curious, so here's why I'm using DietBet:

• I am highly motivated by challenges and MONEY!
• I wanted to help other people, but I don't want to worry about keeping track of money and weight and fairness and etc... (the people at DietBet take care of all of that).
• As long as you lose the 4%, you get at least your money back (DietBet forfeits their cut of the pot is everyone wins).
• It a social way to diet--I log in daily to help motivate others and get some motivation myself.
• I, as the host, get to set the bet.  I keep it low ($25) so the price doesn't deter anyone who wants to join in.

I'd love for some of my blogger friends to join in too, so consider this your official invite!  You have a little over a week to get in on the fun and invite all your friends and family to join in too.  It really is more fun with friends.  I hope you join us!  Here's the link:  https://www.dietbetter.com/games/50550

Long Run & Race Update

Sunday is my long run day.  I wanted to be sure to get back to some serious running.  My race calendar is full and it's not going to get easier without putting in the work.  To be honest, I haven't been feeling that great since the Disneyland Half.  That race was a huge pick-me-up, but the runner's high didn't follow me home.  It's still pretty painful to run and the speed is non-existent.  Last weekend, I was so busy and gave up after just 4 miles. 

 

I committed to getting back out there for an 8 miler this past Sunday, and I did it!  It was hard, it hurt, and my mind was not loving it, but I did it!  You know those race shirts from runDisney?  They should make those for training.  "I Did It--running in my boring neighborhood all alone". My average speed was about 13:45/mile, and I did a 1/1 run/walk ratio.  I'm not sure I could do more than that, but I guess it's an improvement from the race.  There you have it!  8 miles. Done.

I deserved a good recovery!

One of the reasons I finally got back on the road is I caved and signed up for another race: The National Nurse's Half Marathon on October 11th.  It's a local race, beautiful course, and my friends are teaching a special Zumba class at the finish line.  Of course, I could have just done the Zumba class, but hey, when I'm presented with a coupon code, I just can't resist!  Silly me thought I'd be faster, but it will be a great training run for Wine & Dine. 

 

 

Anyone out there ever hear of this race? Anyone gonna be there?  What's next on your race calendar?

Friday Five: Free Friday!

I'm linking up again with the ladies from Eat Pray Run DC, You Signed Up For What, & Mar On The Run.  This weeks topic--free!  Anything we want :). Don't forget to check out their blogs and the other blogs linking up this week!

So... I was thinking about goals.  I've really fallen off the health and fitness wagon with this injury.  I've allowed myself to overindulge and I've gained a lot of weight!  EEK!  So, what better time than now to re-focus on some goals to get me through the end of 2014.  So for my free Friday, here are my new goals:

1.  Lose weight.  To be more exact, to lose 17 pounds by the New Year. 


2.  Train to PR my half marathon--and go for a sub-2:00 half!  I've been chasing this goal for a long time, but with my recent injury I'm not sure how long this will take.

3.  Register and plan for all the races to qualify for Half Fanatics (I'll still be running some of the races in 2015, but I want to at least know what I'm doing to qualify).

4.  Work on building my fitness business.  Some of this is just in my head by really nailing down a business plan, some includes actually starting to coach people in running, hosting diet bets (yep... the first bet is coming soon--stay tuned), and explore other business opportunities. 

5.  Blog at least 4-5 days per week.  Okay, okay, at least 5 days. 

Do you set goals?  Are you needing to lose some weight?  What about reach some PRs?  Tell me about it!  Also, check back for info on my first time hosting a Diet Bet!