Goal Check-in

I find it hard to believe that it's already time to say goodbye to January.  It has been a crazy weather month meaning we have used five of our built-in snow days so far.  Missing the extra days has given me great opportunities to work on my 2013 goals.  The end of the month presents a perfect time to check in on my progress on my 2013 goals.  

The original post about my 2013 goals can be found here .

Dallas' 2013 Personal Goals

Goal 1: Complete Covenant Health Marathon.
The race isn't until March so I obviously haven't completed this one, but I am on track with my training plan.  Last Sunday was a 15 mile run which matches my longest ever run.  The long run for the upcoming weekend will take me to 16 miles which will be a new personal best.  So far (knock on wood) my body feels good and I don't feel mentally tired from the miles.

Goal 2: Hike 150 new Smokies trail miles.
The crazy weather and marathon training have kept me from working on this goal at all.  Unfortunately, Hwy 441 across Newfound Gap is washed out and likely won't be repaired until late May.  That will have a bit of an effect on some of the hikes I had planned to this year.

Goal 3: Post a 5k time under 20 minutes.
Marathon training has trumped this goal as well.  After the marathon, I will start doing speed work to knock this one out.

Goal 4: Maintain weight under 200 lbs.
So far, pretty good.  I've been hovering at 202 and honestly haven't been putting much effort into watching my weight outside of the runs in the training plan and lifting weights.  In the back of my mind I do wonder if the weight lifting and this goal are counter productive towards each other.  Even though the number on the scale is consistent, I can tell a difference in my body since the beginning of the year.  I am gaining definition and loosing some of the stubborn midsection flab.

Goal 5: Run 1300 miles.
I ran 121 miles in January.  I will need to average 108 miles for each of the remaining months to meet this goal.  I am on track to meet the goal assuming I can stay healthy and uninjured.

Goal 6: Lift weights 3 times per week.
I dread it every day, but I have managed to lift three times each week so far.

Goal 7: Blog 2 times per week.
So far, so good.  The blogs have covered several different topics, but I have managed to post at least two blogs each week so far.  I hope people enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy the process.  It would be nice to get more comments/feedback.

Goal 8: Read ten books.
I finished The Life of Pi and Nature Travel in January.  I have a stack of McKay's purchases on the desk to carry me through the rest of the year.

Mutual goals

Goal 1: Keep credit cards paid off monthly.
January was a success!

Goal 2: Have 2X in savings.
We are on track to drastically exceed this goal.

Goal 3: Try 5 new fruits.
This month we both tried starfruit and lychee for the first time.  Both were ok, but not a new favorite.  The texture of the lychee especially turned me off from it.

Goal 4: Visit one new place each month.
On January 21st we paid a cold, snow covered visit to Roan Mountain and Roan Mountain State Park.  The blog about the trip, including pictures can be found here.


All in all, I feel like I am on track with my 2013 goals.  I have to stay mentally focused and keep myself healthy and uninjured to finish the year as successfully as I finished January.  I hope you are having similar success with your goals.

Choose your own path

When looking for directions on Google or most any map service, the option is given for several different routes to your destination.  As I look over the different options I can evaluate which way I want to go based on different factors.  Do I want to get to my destination as quickly as possible?  Do I need to go somewhere else along the way?  Do I want to avoid a certain road or area?  Do I want to see the sights along the way?  

The same is true for our destinations in life as well as our physical destinations.  There are multiple routes to arrive at the same destination.  The route one chooses to arrive at the desired destination is a personal decision.  A route that might lead to success for one person might lead to disaster for another.  

This idea can be applied to many aspects of our lives.  I've been on a weight loss/fitness journey for the past two years or so.  I seem to be on a path that works for me.  For another, it might be a recipe for disaster.  Its a matter of personality as much as anything else.  

Realizing that there are multiple paths to the same destination is a powerful epiphany.  Realizing that each person is traveling their own path is equally as important.  We cannot judge others for not following the same path we are on even if we are heading towards the same destination.  It is up to the individual to choose their own path.

Somewhere New

In keeping with our 2013 goal to visit a new place each month, today we visited Roan Mountain and Roan Mountain State Park.  Roan Mountain State Park sits at the base of Roan Mountain near the city of Elizabethton, TN.  After visiting the area, I am a bit disappointed that it took us so long to make the trip.  It is a beautiful area.  We took some time to check out the campground and scope out sites that we liked.  I think we will making a camping trip there this summer.  We also checked out the cabins that are available for rent. A cabin rental timed to coincide with the full moon would be great.  I would very much like to see a moonrise from Round Bald on Roan Mountain.

The Appalachian Trail crosses the Balds of Roan Mountain.  I always get a little shiver of wanderlust when I set foot on the AT.  It is a combination of feeling the spirits of all the people who have walked there before and the knowledge that I could walk for days, if not months in either direction on the trail.  I only have to make the decision to take that first step.

You really have a feeling that you are on the top of the world as you look into Tennessee and North Carolina depending on the direction that you look.  It was a bit blustery today so we made today a short visit.  I definitely want to return when the temps are more cooperative to explore further.

As we explored the first peak of the bald, I found myself comparing it to a combination of Gregory Bald and Max Patch.  I can only imagine how beautiful it must be when the rhododendrons are in bloom.  One of the neat things about this trip was how accessible it was.  The pic of the fence was taken from the roadway.  This section of the AT is wide, smooth, and not very steep.  I highly recommend this trip to anyone looking for a day trip.

Wonderland

I spent some time this morning sorting through pictures from our last trip to Yellowstone.  Now I am even more ready for our next trip.  I really can't explain the love I have for Yellowstone.  It's the only place I have ever visited that I check on when I am not there.  I'm especially excited to share this trip with family who have never been before.  I can't wait to see my Mom's reaction when she sees Old Faithful erupt.  The countdown is on!

Images of the Mind

Last May as everyone looked skyward towards the Super Moon, we packed some snacks, far too few clothes and headed to Max Patch to take it all in.  We arrived well before sunset and staked out a spot along the Appalachian Trail near the highest point of the bald.  As we shivered and waited for the show to begin, other hikers and outdoor enthusiasts arrived to claim their little piece of Heaven from which to watch.  Several AT through hikers arrived just as the sun began to set.  They shed heavy packs and took in the sunset followed by the moon rise   As the moon began to climb, they quickly put their packs back on and headed North to the next shelter for the night.  As they passed near us, I snapped the photo at the top of this blog.  I don't know who the hikers were or if they stuck it out to see Katahdin in the fall.  To me, they exist only as a single image in a single moment in time.

As I have traveled through time and space, I'm sure I exist in the backgrounds of many pictures.  Computers, photo albums and hard drives all over the country likely feature my blurred image in the background of a group photo or perhaps my image mars the foreground of some grand vista.  I exist in these photos only as a bit of furnishings filling out the scene.  I will likely never be aware of these images, much less see them.  The same is true for most all of us.  

These physical photographs are not the only way that we exist as images outside our possession and awareness.  We leave a similar image in the minds of those we encounter.  As I have made my way through life I have left my memory everywhere I have been.  In most cases I exist as no more than a bit of scenery that the person either didn't notice in the first place or that has been blurred by the passage of time.  But in a few cases I may exist as more.  Some phrase I spoke, some action I took, some feeling I caused likely exists that I am completely unaware of.

As we pass through this world, we have an effect on people that we will likely never be aware of.  Sometimes this is a positive influence, sometimes it is not.  Sometimes we can control this influence, other times we have no control over how someone perceives our actions or words.  In the end, we have no idea how far our actions may travel.  We only have the responsibility to leave the best images that we can in the mind's of those we encounter.

What images did you leave behind today?

Fog

Today as I was leaving for my evening run, I was greeted by this view.  Fog was moving in across the top of Clinch Mountain while a different fog bank filled the valley.

Carl Sandburg described fog in this way:

Fog

THE fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

To me, the fog looks more like an invading army crashing across the mountain and into the valley.  It engulfs all in its path as it obliterates sight and sound.  It silently stalks as it invades the valley below.

Perhaps its all a matter of perspective.  If you are the field mouse is there a difference between the cat and the invading army?

Running with dogs

Several months ago I started taking our dogs with me when I run.  Both dogs are rescues of questionable heritage.  We think Beau is half Australian Shepherd and half Sheltie.  Aja is anyone’s guess.  She has a caramel colored coat, but if you brush it in the opposite direction of its growth it is cream colored.  She has never barked but talks extensively which leads me to believe there might be some shibu inu in her family tree.  I choose our run route based on where other dogs live and am able to let them run off leash.  I started taking them to let them get some extra exercise, but as I run with them I find that I learn from them. 

Lessons learned:

Appreciate every run.  No matter the weather, the time of day, the day of the week or the number of times we have ran already in a particular week, Aja and Beau are always excited to go for a run.  They eagerly wait at the gate to the backyard and jump in excitement.  They approach each run with an excitement that I aspire to.  Sometimes I approach runs as chores to be completed, when I should take the time to appreciate each run.  There are many people who are unable or unwilling to do what I enjoy but sometimes take for granted.

Be aware of change.  Beau notices any change to anything on our runs.  If someone throws out a beer can, Beau sees it the next day.  If a car is parked in a different spot, Beau notices it.  If it has rained and the creek is higher, Beau notices.  He may be afraid of his own shadow, but he will never be caught unawares by change.  Any major change in our lives is often foreshadowed by smaller changes if only we take the time to notice and be aware.

Be friendly to the neighbors.  Aja has never met a stranger.  Her take on life is that everyone is there to see her and she shall greet them with gusto.  Any person who happens to be outside while we are running is promptly greeted.  Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the day to day that I forget or least don’t take the time to exchange hellos.

Pay no mind to your haters. Along our route we pass one house in particular where another dog lives.  It rarely leaves the yard, but barks everytime we pass.  Aja and Beau pay absolutely no mind to it.  They know he is of no danger to them and treat him accordingly.  Many of us (myself included) would do well to ignore those who bark negatives while we continue to move forward.

Enjoy the wildlife.  On any given day we may see deer, coyote, fox, owl, hawk, heron, kingfisher, groundhog, possum, squirrel, raccoon, or any number of smaller birds or mammals.  I sometimes take it for granted.  The dogs never do.  Ever.  Nothing is more exciting than a squirrel sighting.  Beau transforms from a slightly paranoid bundle of nerves into a squirrel hunting machine.  He fox hops his way through the trees chasing his quarry.  I’m not sure what he will do if he ever catches one, but he certainly enjoys the chase.

There is always an energy reserve.  Ten miles into any run the dogs have slowed their pace.  They stay on the road and stay by my side.  Until they see a squirrel.  Then any tiredness is forgotten.  They bolt like it is their first step of the day.  I need to remember that no matter how tired I may think I am, it is only my mind telling my body lies.  My legs aren’t going to fall off, my lungs aren’t going to explode and I’m not going to pass out.  Keep pushing!

The more I run with the dogs the more lessons I learn, if only I take the time.

Past, Present, Future

In Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol”, Ebeneezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits.  He is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future.  In the same way we all exist in three forms at any given moment.  There is the me that WAS, the me that IS and the me that WILL BE.  

The me that WAS may seem like a dead, static and unchanging entity but that is not an entirely true perception.  As time moves forward the lenses through which we view our past selves are constantly changing.  What were once intense emotions become much more muted feelings.  Seemingly unconnected events become clearer as interconnected, interwoven webs.  Actions by others (and ourselves) that we once could not fathom, much less understand, become clearer as we can see the circumstances surrounding them.  Time and distance provide a clarity that proximity clouds.

The me that IS is the only person that I have control over.  While I can’t always control the circumstances that surround me, I do always have control over how I choose to react to them.  The me that IS can also effect the me that WAS.  I can’t change actions that I have taken or events that occurred, but I can choose how I view those occurrences.  I can choose to view them as things that happened to me or as things that happened because of me.  I can choose to take responsibility or I can choose to point a finger of blame and excuse.  It is the choice that the me that IS makes that determines the perception.  The me that IS also influences the me that WILL BE.  

Every choice that I make today affects the me that WILL BE.  I can’t always see how the influence will play out, I can only make the best choices that I can with the information that I have.  It can be a paralyzing thought to ponder how much we don’t have control over in our lives.  On the other side of the coin, it is cowardly to not take responsibility for the person that we will be in the future.  The best we can do is to plan for the future that we hope to see while remaining flexible to the ebb and flow of life.  

These three entities, the me that WAS, the me that IS and the me that WILL BE combine to create this person known as Dallas.  The same applies to you.  Be the best trio that you can be.  It’s the least that any of us can do for all of us.

Sand Cave and White Rocks Revisted

To end 2012 we took another hike to Sand Cave and White Rocks.  This was my third trip and J's second trip.  It was a cool 26 degrees when we parked the car and headed up the trail.  When we made it about one mile we started seeing snow along the trail.  By the time we were two miles into the hike the trail was completely covered in snow.  Luckily there was only 2-3 inches of snow.

The greatest treat of hiking in the snow is the multitude of animal tracks that you see.  We saw coyote, fox, and deer tracks.  We also saw what we are both convinced were bear tracks.

 Standing inside the cave and looking out at the waterfall is a great treat.

Even after three hikes to the cave, I'm still amazed by the scale.

Looking out from the back of the cave is always a beautiful sight.  This trip it was made all the better by the ice and snow covering all the trees.

When we made it to White Rocks we quickly discovered that the trail between the rocks was impassable or at least very unsafe because of ice.  It was like trying to climb a frozen waterfall.

Luckily I remembered seeing hikers taking a different route to the top on a previous trip.  After a minor scramble through a rhododendron thicket we were greeted by a beautiful view.  There was fog visible between the mountains off in the distance.

I love hiking new trails, but sometimes hiking a trail I have hiked before in a different season can be just as exciting.

Happy New Year: 2013 Goals

Happy New Year!

With the success of last year's goal setting process, I decided to continue the process and build on it for 2013.  In order to keep my goals in front of me, I did a goal board for 2012.  I wrote each goal on a piece of paper and posted it on a bulletin board in the hallway where I would see it everyday.  For the monthly goals I wrote each month on the paper and then updated my progress on the last day of each month.  I also added a calendar to the board where I recorded all of my runs and workouts for an additional check-in.

For 2013 I made a new goal board with one small change.  This year J set goals as well so we have a color coded board.  Blue goals are mine, green goals are J's and orange goals are mutual goals.  I put the goals on the board this morning to kick off 2013.  Once again I wanted all of the goals to be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-sensitive).  General statements of goals just do not work for me.

Dallas' 2013 Personal Goals

Goal 1: Complete Covenant Health Marathon.
The Marathon is April 7th.  I am following Hal Higdon's Novice 2 plan.  I did two half marathons last year so a full marathon just seems like the next logical step.

Goal 2: Hike 150 new Smokies trail miles.
My eventual goal is to hike all the trails in the Smokies.  As I complete miles, it gets harder to complete new miles without repeating segments and without long drives.  With that in mind I scaled back this year's goal from the 200 miles I attempted last year.  I'll post my new miles on the goal board to help keep me motivated and accountable.

Goal 3: Post a 5k time under 20 minutes.
My best 5k time so far is 21:44.  I won't start seriously working on this goal until after the marathon.  I don't want to risk an injury doing speedwork until after the marathon is past.

Goal 4: Maintain weight under 200 lbs.
Training for the marathon should help me with this one.  I will weigh myself each week and record the results on the goal board to keep track on my progress.

Goal 5: Run 1300 miles.
Last year I ran 1169 miles.  In order to run 1300 miles I will have to average 25 miles per week.  I will record my mileage at the end of each month on the goal board to stay on track and stay motivated.

Goal 6: Lift weights 3 times per week.
I'll mark each workout on the goal board to stay on track.  I forsee this being the hardest goal for me to stick to.  I HATE to lift weights.

Goal 7: Blog 2 times per week.
In order to improve my writing skills and my creativity I am going to blog more often.  Topics will vary from my marathon training, hiking reports, travel notes, and whatever happens to be on my mind.  I'll mark the blogs each week on the goal board to be sure I am staying on track.

Goal 8: Read ten books.
I tend to spend way too much of my downtime mindlessly surfing the internet when I could be reading something of substance.  I'll record each book read on the goal board and may post book reviews on this blog.

Mutual goals

Goal 1: Keep credit cards paid off monthly.
We'll check off each month on the goal board.

Goal 2: Have 2X in savings.
Continuing to direct deposit money into the savings account should allow us to double the amount we have in savings by the end of the year.  We'll write the savings balance on the goal board at the end of each month.

Goal 3: Try 5 new fruits.
Last year we tried 5 new vegetables, this year we will try 5 new fruits.

Goal 4: Visit one new place each month.
We tend to get stuck in a rut.  We go the same restaurants, we go to the same events, we take the same drives.  To blast out of the rut we are going to do one thing each month that we have never done before.  This should be an interesting goal.

365 days to meet 12 goals.  Time to get to work!  Best of luck on your goals for 2013.