My New Year’s Eve post last year was titled “Sprinting into 2021,” but our long-anticipated return to normalcy, with all of its ups and downs, has faded over the past month as we enter 2022. Nevertheless, the last year saw a return to competition and crowds from local races to world majors and the Olympics. Athletes around the world showed both resilience and vulnerability as they faced new emotional, mental, and physical health challenges.
Despite struggling to achieve a similar level of motivation and performance as in years past, I learned to appreciate small wins and celebrate bright spots:
Coached several athletes to Boston Qualifying times, PRs, and first-time marathon finishes at the Baystate, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, NYC, and Philadelphia marathons
Completed 5 marathons in a post-Delta, pre-Omicron time window from 9/25 - 12/4
Ran for the first time in Delaware (Rehoboth Beach), Michigan (Ann Arbor), and Wyoming (Jackson Hole) - where my spouse also finished her first quarter marathon!
Guided Achilles athletes Nick at the 650-mile Resilience Relay, Riley at the Hope & Possibility 4-mile run, and Mauricio at the NYC Marathon
Expanded my service across the running community by joining
the coaching team at Runner’s World with 4 short workouts you can try at home and my next one being published on New Year’s Day
the Running to Protest community at 8 different events covering Asian & Pacific Islander, Black, and Indigenous communities, cash bail reform, domestic and gun violence prevention, and local elections
PowerBar Team Elite, whose energy gels I have used for over 10 years
If you are thinking about goals for 2022, consider the following guidelines I use - not always successfully - for setting and achieving goals:
Setting goals
Consider setting goals about behavior: aspects of well-being such as fitness, mental health, nutrition, recovery, and sleep are good areas where you can bring about change
Ask yourself “What would make me happier?” since the more your life reflects your values, the happier you’ll be
Make your goals SMART - specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based
Achieving goals
Chart a path to success for each goal, including how you can accomplish it, by when, and who will keep you accountable
Anticipate roadblocks that may arise and how you would respond, remembering to adjust your goals for factors outside your control and have self-compassion
Consider implementing a habit loop to be consistent and make a goal part of your daily routine
I hope you take time to reflect on your bright spots of 2021 and strive for a stronger and better 2022. In the words of Amanda Gorman, from her poem “The Hill We Climb”:
“When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid,
the new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.”