Goals for 2026

The last couple of years I haven't done new year goals and instead did goals for my age. This year, though, I got behind on my blog posts, so I'll go back to new year goals. 

The ideal way to set up goals is to use the SMART method, the model I've used in the past. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time. 

I have so appreciated all your support with my running and with my mental health. It's been so nice to hear from you, both online and in person — sometimes from total strangers.

Here's how my goals this year shake out:

1. Run under 3:20 in the marathon

I've got a new work schedule that will give me more time to train in the morning, and I'm going to do some weightlifting too, so I'm optimistic that I'll hit this goal.

2. Eat three sweets or less per week. 

3. Do 40 minutes of strength training per week.

4. Break twenty minutes in a 5K.

If I stick to getting some good cardio work on my bike trainer, run a ton in the spring and summer, and put in some solid strength training, I think I can do this one.

5. Twenty blog posts.

More than I've written in years, but I'm hoping to write around two a month, so this should be doable.

6. Drink two or fewer alcoholic beverages per week.

So there they are. Challenging goals, but I'm optimistic that this could be one of my best years yet.

Goal Results from my 43rd Year

So I got a little lazy at the end of my 43rd year, but I started a post about my goals, so here it is:

I said in my post about my goals for my 43rd year that this was going to be my healthiest year yet. Unfortunately, I didn't have the greatest year, both mental and physical health-wise.

1.  Eat/drink one sweet a week or fewer.

I gave up even tracking this one after six months. Laura said I should have made a more reasonable goal of something like one sweet a day. If I'd have made that goal I would have reached it. But, aiming for one sweet a week I scored around 10%.

2. Drink one alcoholic beverage per week or fewer.

Check!

3. Run a marathon.

I ran the Twin Cities Marathon and raised some money for Team World Vision. I didn't run faster than last year and my motivation and execution of training didn't go so hot, but in the marathon itself I ran way better than I thought I would. A score of 100% here.

4. Break 20 minutes in the 5K.

I ran a 20:42 in an Eagan parkrun, so I made it 97% on this one.

5. Run over 1,111 miles.

I've been run/walking for a couple years now, so it's hard to say how much I've "run." I've also been doing a lot of walking to prevent injury, so I decided to modify this goal (it's my blog, I can do whatever I want) and take my total number of miles counted by steps this year and divide by two. That came to 2,311.4 miles which, divided by two is is 1,155.5. I'm only going to give myself 100% instead of 1.04% due to my "cheating."

6. Hit race weight by May and stay there.

We were moving and our scale got put away, but I didn't hit my goal by May and I've been eating a lot, so I'm going to have to give myself a zero on this one.

7. Write 14 blog posts.

Not quite. 86%

8. Average one hour of strength and mobility per week.

Sixty-seven percent on this one.

So my total for my 43rd year comes to 67%. Not a great year, but my goals were lofty, so I'm OK with my results.

Be well.