At the start of 2014, I set out a few goals for myself for the year. This is a quick update to keep me on track and to keep me motivated for the remaining months left in 2014.
So here were my plans, accompanied by their excuses… errr… I mean, progress! 
Want to drop 10 pounds and see 140 lbs. on the scale by the end of year
I have to laugh because everyone has a goal like this for a new year! Unfortunately, I’ve had very little downward mobility in this department. I’ve fluctuated up and down 5 pounds over the last few months but am currently sitting bang on 150 at the moment. I have, however, set myself up with some incredibly strict dietary restrictions until I go on vacation in September so my first mini-goal is to get down to 145 pounds before September 10th. From there it’ll be another 5 pounds down before the end of the year. I find my self-control with food comes in spats and then gets obliterated by a particularly bad eating weekend. Frustrating, to say the least.
Want to run a half marathon
I actually have a half marathon scheduled for September! I’m going on vacation with a good friend to Prague and I decided to sign up for the Usti nad Labem half-marathon, which is in a city roughly an hour north of Prague. I’m not sure how jet lag will factor into this whole equation since the race is two days after I land in the Czech Republic, but I suppose I’ll just muscle through it if it’s really that bad.
The training to get up to being able to run a half marathon has been slightly extensive and I’m still ramping up my kilometers every week in anticipation of the race. I have no real time goal for this other than just to complete it. I believe the cutoff for completion is three hours which, barring something happening to my body DURING the race, I should be able to clear that time with ease.
I have to say I am *really* excited about this half marathon. Not only to be doing it for the achievement, but also for the experience to be doing it in a different country, in a city I don’t know at all. This should be absolutely exhilarating!
Want to do an unassisted pull up
Progress isn’t good in this department. Having suffered a shoulder injury for five months out of this year, I’m only just now getting back to where I was in the weightlifting department. I still have a lot of work to do – I’m about halfway there, but it’s the remaining half that’s the hardest! (Currently doing 70 pound assisted pullups, which means I’m actually only pulling up 80 pounds of my own weight.)
Want to run multiple races
Mission accomplished! I’ve run six races so far this year and have another two or three scheduled before the end of the year. I’ve really enjoyed the whole routine of racing – from wearing a bib, to training, to the actual atmosphere on race day. It’s been a culture I’ve really liked getting involved in and I think I’ll be keeping it up over the coming years.
Want to bench press 100 pounds
I’m getting there! I’m sooooo close now! Just this past week I managed to get back up to my previous bench press personal best (75 lbs.) and surpassed it by doing several sets of 80 pound reps. I have to say that benchpressing that much weight is actually kind of scary: Every time I go up an increment of 5 pounds I feel like I’m going to suddenly drop the weight on me. It gets better every time, but dang, I wasn’t expecting to feel like my life could flash before my eyes at any second!
I’m only 20 pounds away from my target now, and I feel confident that I’ll be able to do 100 pounds by the end of the year. (This one is super exciting to me!)
Want to be able to squat 160 pounds
I’m starting to wonder if this is unobtainable this year. I’m up to 115 pound squats (10 pounds lower than where I was before), so it’s “only” forty-five more to go, but I’m going incredibly slowly because of my strained piriformis. (It does seem to be getting better though – I think going back to squatting has helped strengthen the muscles around it.)
So that’s my update. I’ll have an end of year update when we get there to see if I actually managed to accomplish everything! Did you have any fitness goals set out for yourself this year? How’re you progressing on them?