It’s been 7 months since I ran a serious race.
It feels like a lifetime ago and at the same time, feels like just yesterday that I ran the Atlanta Marathon. Time flies when you plug yourself into work, coaching, and growing a family.

But now that baby # 2 is soon to arrive, I want to get my goals and plans out in the open to hold me accountable, prove to dads out there that you can be a dad and still be healthy and train, and stay involved in the running community.
All hands will be on deck on the home front – the holiday season, a 3-year-old, and a newborn will not be easy. At all. I’m aware that my time spent trekking through the winter months won’t be leisurely or extensive, but I’ll still maintain a base level of fitness for when the spring and summer roll through and I can take the little man on runs with me.

With that being said, here are some goals that I have for the remainder of 2019 and all of 2020.
2019 Goals
One goal that remains a priority for me is remaining relevant over the mile distance. Ever since I was a freshman in high school, I’ve been able to break 5 minutes in the mile. I’ve been under 5 minutes in 17 different calendar years.

After a two year absence (mostly due to injury), I feel good and I think I can take a few cracks at the race distance over the last 10 weeks of the year.
Recent Running
Most recently, in a Healthy Kids Running Series event, there was a parent mile. I was urged by Carly to run and came away with a very promising 5:43 mile over a cross country course with lots of turns. I felt really good during the run and finished with little discomfort or issues. I think this is the main reason why I think I’m in the hunt for a sub-5 showing.
Coach Marc has some really big running goals for 2020. In his blog this week, he talks about his quest to break five minutes in the mile again.
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Healthy Running
One goal I still have this year is running 1,000 miles. I was on pace early on – training for a marathon really helps with that. But since then, I took a break and then had some other priorities that I put above running. Now I’m back in the swing of things and hoping that I can get close to 1,000 miles. In the last two years, my running was severely hampered by injury!

2020 Goals
Early in the year, I’d like to regain fitness and aim for a shorter, faster race before spring track starts. Since I’m a coach for the school I teach at, coaching AND running are very time consuming, so I’m resigned to training during the winter and summer months when coaching is not in season. I’ll look for a half marathon, but more realistically, a 10k to fit into this time period.
Later in 2020, as my wife regains her fitness, I’d like to also test the waters in a longer race. I’m hoping for a half marathon, but if the stars align, maybe another full marathon.
Support Crew
My other goal for this year is to be on the support crew for my wife and her come back into running. She took a quasi-break while she ramped up her personal training, spin, and group fitness schedule; then paused for even longer while she has been pregnant with our son.
So it’ll be her mission to get back to running and getting fit again.
Did you find this article helpful? Let me know by leaving a comment below or join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
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Gear I Love

My Favorite RUNNING gear from Amazon ⬇️
Feetures socks: https://amzn.to/36gNRjU
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Current Running Shoes ⬇️
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Running Recovery Gear I use daily from Amazon ⬇️
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wow congrats on your 2nd child arriving! That will keep you running 🙂
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I hope you meed your goal, Marc. You are speedy! And how great that another goal is to help support your wife as she gets back to fitness. Good luck to both of you!
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You will have a busy few upcoming months! I think it’s great that you’re starting to think about goals for next year. I need to sit down and do that as well!
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Very busy coupla months, for sure. Yep, already thinking and planning… If it doesn’t go in our calendar, it doesn’t happen!
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Thanks! I appreciate your kind words. Yes, our big goal is to get her back into running/racing shape, so that’ll be really cool to see.
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Sure will. He’ll be a great addition!
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