Goals 2017

What's Up!?

This week: Goals for 2017 

"Think little goals, achieve little success. Think big goals, achieve big success."

As the end of the first month of the year has come to a close and the new race season is upon us, I thought I would share my goals for the year.

I believe that you are more likely to achieve your goals and aspirations if you write them down and set timelines for achievement. If you speak them out loud and visualize, you will be responsible for their success. 

The last four years I have written down what I wanted to achieve, no matter how silly, or far out of this world they were, I mean the Olympics is kind of high up there, right?! I write down specifically what I need to do, what it will take to get there, when this will happen, and how I will measure if I'm on the right track. Now, I didn't meet my Olympic goal, but I didn't count it as a failure, I learned a lot, and will consider that in creating my next goal.

You may not accomplish your goals in a day, or a year, but maybe over a lifetime, and if you find yourself changing your lifestyle or something doesn't pan out the way you thought it would, change your goals and find a new focus.

"You are never to old to create a new goal or dream a new dream" - C.S. Lewis

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My fitness goals

Short Term - 2017

- Achieve USA National Team status

- Become USA National Champion

-Represent the World Championship Team

-Top 5 USA women

- Win the Major League Triathlon Series

 - Run PR in my 10k

- Maintain race weight

- Race another 70.3

Long Term - 2020

- Represent the United States Olympic Triathlon Team in Tokyo 2020

My Lifestyle goals -2017

- Earn a bike sponsorship

- Buy a new car

-Be the most supportive wife to Logan and his dreams

- Create new, healthy, fun eating habits

- Travel somewhere new

- Call family once a week

-Continue to write weekly blogs

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These are my goals, big and small. They may be hard and out of reach, but I compete as a professional triathlete in the hopes of accomplishing the biggest things I can.

It's tough to write goals because we feel vulnerable. We feel that someone might judge us and tell us it's not possible. In the words of my dad referring to himself, "Don't throw rocks at things that shine." When I was younger I found it a lot easier to make goals because I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
 Let's all dream like kids again.

As for my goals this year, they are a little more vague. After relentlessly training the last four year, can you believe that I'm lacking the motivation to start training again?! I have the big goal in mind, Tokyo 2020, but as for my short term, I want to give my mind and body a break this year.

I do have one specific goal in mind, and that is creating healthier eating habits. I want to be able to set a plan into place for the next couple years of racing and for the rest of my life. It's easy for me to go out and train every day and recover, but ultimately for me, my diet is a limiting factor. 

A healthy diet and accomplishing my goals

Fueling my body correctly will set me up for success on race day. It's not something that is created over night and these habits are made daily, every meal is a new choice.

For some people it's easier than for other, for me, extremely hard. I have always had a sweet tooth and I have a hard time saying no. I love pies, cakes, brownies, ice cream, but I know they are a detriment to the hours of training I do a day. 

This is why one of my goals is to 'create new eating habits. Specifically, I want to turn the 3 meals a day I regularly eat, into 5; breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. I want to spread my calories out, eat a bigger breakfast and smaller dinner, and I want to eat small portions.

Stick to the basics

• Carbs are your body’s primary source of energy and should comprise 60 to 70% of your total calories. 

• Protein is essential to the growth and repair of tissue and muscle building.

• Healthy fats provide energy and are good for moderate intensity exercise. Athletes need 30 percent of calories from fat.

• Vitamins are crucial for turning food into energy. There is no evidence that vitamins will enhance your performance, but a shortage could cause problems.

• Hydrate with water and electrolytes 

• Colorful foods with fruits and vegetables, eat the rainbow

• Recovery foods are essential post-workout to rebuild muscle and quicken recovery
  

You're probably thinking, triathletes train so much in a day, why do you need to worry about what you are eating. 

Well, honey, at my age, a moment on the lips is forever on the hips

Take the triathlete part out of it. Everyone needs to practice a healthy lifestyle to live a longer, happier, life. 

When you put clean, real food in your body, your body will give you clean, real energy. 

Not all foods are created equal. 

What you put into your body is what you get out of your body, quite literally. If you are putting in unhealthy sugars and fats, your body is going to be slow and sluggish, if you are putting in healthy fruits and vegetables, your body can turn those nutrients into fast fuel. 

So in conclusion, I can't be the best triathlete without having the best diet. Make sure you have the freshest ingredients, no preservatives, no GMOs, organic if you can. simple. Now, everything in moderation. I don't give up my sweets, but limit them.

Some of my favorite foods:

almond butter, coffee, beets, grapefruit, hard boiled eggs, sweet potatoes, honey, avocados, homemade bread

 

Favorite snack:

Wild Friends Almond Butter, banana, honey;

 it is so easy to eat on the go AND it keeps me satisfied

My ultimate goals of the year:

Live a healthy lifestyle

Kill it in triathlon 

Be happy

What are yours?!

:)