“Success is steady progress toward one’s personal goals.”
~Jim Rohn

Remember the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of this year? The ones you were so excited about? The ones you were ready to tackle head on and conquer during 2013? That’s what we’re talking about today. How are we doing with the goals we set for ourselves? How are YOU doing with your goals?

Sadly, by July, more than half of people have given up on the goals they set for themselves in January. *Cue depressing music* (Source: John Tierney and Roy F. Baumeister in their book “Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength)

This does not have to be you. This will not be you.

The mid-year mark is an excellent time to revisit our goals to determine if we’re on track, identify where we may need to step up our game and make any adjustments that may be necessary.

I set 8 goals for myself at the beginning of this year. Below I’m sharing with you how I’m doing with each goal. I encourage you to do a similar assessment, whether just at home in your personal journal or on your blog if you have one. If you have a blog and do a goal-check in, I encourage you to link up to it in the comments below and link back to this post so we can all keep each other motivated.

Goal #1: Run a half marathon in 1:45 or faster. Making Progress
I have not yet achieved this goal, but I am making some forward progress. At the beginning of this year, my half marathon PR was 1:48:05. I hadn’t really focused on the half marathon distance and decided to run at least 2 half marathons this year (my focus was always on marathons). Although not a 1:45, I did manage to squeeze out a PR at the Divas Half Marathon in Myrtle Beach in April with a 1:47:38. As I continue to train for the Beach2Battleship Half Ironman in October, the half marathon distance is my target, and I’m currently considering running a half marathon in late November and mid-December to chase this goal. I’ve laid off intense speed work the last few months to ensure I don’t exacerbate issues in my feet, but in the next month or so I should be ready to pick up the pace again.

Goal #2: Finish my next Ironman 70.3 race in 5:45 or faster. In Progress: Race Scheduled for October 26, 2013
I signed up for the Beach2Battleship Half Ironman in March and I’ve created a really solid training plan that consists of 9 workouts a week. Every Monday, I post about the previous week’s training plan to help keep me accountable and to document my progress. I want to improve my bike time significantly this year, so I’ve been spending more time on the bike. I had also mentioned wanting to start training with a heart rate monitor, and during the next month, I’ll be doing some initial tests to determine my Lactate Threshold.

Goal #3: Run a 10K in 48 minutes or faster. In Progress but Not Primary Focus
I must admit, as I’ve dialed back my speed work paces in recent months, my 10K training has not been a major focus. My next 10K race is scheduled for October 12 in Brooklyn, New York. It will be several weeks before my half Ironman, which is my primary focus. If I can stay injury-free, I think this is doable.

Goal #4: Finish my first trail race. Complete
I finished my first trail race at the Mississippi 20K Trail Run in March. It was such a fun adventure and produced some moments I will never forget *ahem.*

Goal #5: Participate in my first relay race. Happening August 23-24
I am SO excited to be participating in my first relay race at Hood to Coast with Nuun next month. I have so much to learn about preparing for a relay, so all your thoughts and advice are welcome.

Goal #6: Get my coaching certification. Hitting a Road Block
This year, I want to become a Road Runners Club of America (RRCA)-certified running coach (or even USATF). Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a training course that is anywhere close to where I live. I have emailed RRCA and USATF requesting courses near Atlanta but have not been successful yet. I will continue trying to find something that will work with my location and schedule. If you have any connections or strings you can help me pull, don’t be shy!

Goal #7: Continue strength-training/cross-training at least 2 days per week. Check!
I have been strength training with my FitWit boot camp crew since November 2012, and I’m continuing to do so 2 days a week. This is getting harder and harder now that triathlon season is in full swing. It requires adding 2 additional workouts to my week, bringing the grand total to 11 workouts. As a reminder, there are only 7 days in the week. Help!

Goal #8: Do more weekday workouts in the morning. Check!
This was a goal I had on my 2012 list as well and I failed miserably. I’m extremely pleased to report that I’m doing great at getting more workouts in during the morning hours before work. I finally came to realize that life is SO much easier when I get my workouts done before the day begins to free up extra time in the evenings. It’s like I’m given extra hours in the day! I also find that I’m so much more focused on and passionate about my workouts in the morning rather than at the end of the day after long hours in the office. Right now, I’m averaging 3 to 4 weekday workouts per week in the morning.

Here’s where to find me on a daily basis as I work toward these goals:

• Twitter: @rUnladylike
• Facebook: facebook.com/runladylike
• Instagram: instagram.com/runladylike
• Pinterest: pinterest.com/JesicaD
• Daily Mile: dailymile.com/people/Jesica
• Email: runladylike@gmail.com

Now it’s your turn.

How are you doing on your 2013 goals? I want to hear about your progress and what you’ll be focused on during the next 6 months.