Short and Long-Term Goals

Now that I've had time to be home for a couple of days (by the way, marathoners should never have homes with stairs during post-race recovery), I have started to think a bit about what I want to do in the short and long term as far as my running goals. I never have had a magic number of marathons I've wanted to complete (16 so far), so there's no number out there like that lurking in the distance for me. As far as running accomplishments, I have 3 Boston Marathon medals, and that's 3 more than I ever thought I would have, so there is nothing left to prove to myself as far as that goes (ok, another Boston medal would be nice, I won't lie). In reflecting where I've come from and what I still want to achieve, here is the basic list as I see it right now as I sit at 47 years old through my 50th year in 2010:

1. At some point in the next 3 years, I want to run the Pikes Peak Marathon (August) and Death Valley Marathon (December), sort of a celebration of the highs and lows if you will.

2. December of 2009 - Jacksonville Marathon in Florida where I was born, and it will be run just a few days after my 50th birthday.

3. Qualify for and run Boston again, hopefully when I'm 50 in 2010. Coincidentally, that year my son's 18th birthday is on the day of the Boston Marathon, and he can run in it. It would be almost impossible for him to qualify (sub-3:00), but there are a limited number of charity spots available and I'm going to start lobbying for one of those the year before. How cool would that be to run the Boston Marathon on your 18th birthday with your 50 year old father? ok, maybe not cool to most 18 year olds, but my son and I are best buddies and I've already planted the bug in his ear and he seems fired up about it.

4. I want to do my first ultra this December at Sunmart in Huntsville, Texas. I can choose between the 50K (31.0 miles) or the 50 miler. Knowing my personality, I'm sure I'll end up doing the 50 miler. Besides, when I slow down and am not racing a marathon distance, I can run forever.

5. 2008 and 2009 - A half-Ironman and an Ironman (at least one Ironman, perhaps 2 or 3).

6. These are all probably not feasible in the next 3 years, but at some point I want to do the New York, Chicago, Paris and London Marathons (these are 4 of the 5 world majors with Boston being the 5th).

7. Ultimate for me I think would be to do a 100 miler and eventually the Badwater Ultra-Marathon. I was built mentally and physically to go forever, not fast mind you, but forever.