This post was sitting way too long in the drafts folder, but by now you all should have well recovered from the various start-of-the-year resolutions postings and therefor can enjoy this again. And I definitely want to get this out before January is over
Note that I specifically didn’t name this “Goals for 2014”, because it’s really more about what I’ve planned to do this year. Of course, I have one or the other goal in mind, especially for the running races, but those will be told when they are due. So, let’s get started in the order of this blog’s name.
Running
First and foremost, this year’s A race will be the Vienna City Half-Marathon. It’ll be my fourth start over that distance and the second time that I run in Vienna. After my spectacular PR in Baltimore I’m curious and at the same time nervous to see what I’m capable of. This will be the first time that I know a course and venue beforehand, which is an advantage in my eyes. More on the VCM half-marathon in April!After Vienna I want to concentrate on shorter distance races, ranging from 3000m track to 10km. There is a small “running cup” event consisting of two 3000m races, two 5000m races and one 10km, where one has to finish each distance at least once to be listed in the overall result. As I haven’t run anything shorter than 10km last year (race-wise, that is), I definitely want to test my speed and get some experience at racing on a track. Those will take place in May and June. That’s basically it for this running season. Yep, that’s right, as it stands right now I want to take July/August more or less off of running and enjoy the summer on the bike. That’s because I want to properly prepare for my first ever marathon start in Spring 2015. While it’s not set in stone yet, I think starting September or October should give me enough preparation time for a solid marathon premiere. I’m not signed up for anything yet, so time and place is still to be determined, but by autumn this year things should be pretty clear, I assume. One last thing about running in 2014: I’ve read many blogs stating the goal of running 2014 miles in 2014. For me, that distance sounds kind of crazy, having run about 1000 miles in 2013. I’m certainly not capable of doubling my mileage within the course of one year. On the other hand, running 2014 kilometers sounds surprisingly doable. On average, I’d have to run 38.6km per week. I’m confident I can hit this average for January to June (currently doing solid 40 kilometers/week) and then I’d have to make up for July and August in my marathon preparation from September to December. I’ll keep the 2014(km) in 2014 in mind and it would be fun to reach that number, but I certainly won’t stress myself out over it.
Cycling
Last year, I had a couple of good, long rides, but due to a late start into the season (weather didn’t cooperate and running was a priority) didn’t get to ride a lot of kilometers. This year, with my planned summer break from running, I definitely want to spend more time on the bike again. For one, I need to get going with the after-work group rides again. In 2013 I haven’t managed to attend a single one, which really kind of embarrassed me. While I enjoy riding on my own, those groups rides are always lots of fun. They also tend to be a bit faster and more intense than my usual solo rides. Another thing I want to do is explore other routes more. I tend to ride the usual known and tried 55/60/70km courses. While those are definitely fun, I know there are tons of other possibilities out there. After all, Bavaria is one of the best regions for bike rides! Don’t believe me? Well, come on over and I’ll show you around. As for mileage, it’d be cool to hit the 2000km mark this year.
Coding
Last, but not least, I want to continue to learn and improve on my coding skills. With my management role at work there is always a certain danger to get disconnected from the technology. That is something I want to avoid. After all, I love writing software and get things working on the computer. I plan to attend RubyConf again (especially since it will be held in San Diego) in order to meet new people and learn new trends. Hopefully I’ll be able to share more of what I do coding-wise here on the blog!