Set Your Fitness Goals for 2010 -- A Call to Action

One of the keys to accomplishing anything in life is to set goals and hold yourself accountable to them. The goals could involve career, relationships, travel, education and, yes, fitness. Exercising more and losing weight are a close second and third to spending more time with family as the top New Years resolutions for Americans. Recent surveys have found that more than half of all Americans made resolutions involving exercise and weight loss.

Setting a specific goal and communicating it to family, friends, co-workers and peers will help hold you accountable to achieveing the goal. It will also inspire many of them to see you accomplish what you set out to do.

I've been telling my clients this for years. This time I am the one that needs to be held accountable. And I am asking you to join me. Below are my fitness goals for 2010. Several of the items are brand new territory for me (rowing competitions and marathons), they are agressive and the times will all be personal bests for me. But I will do them. If you hold me accountable.

And I want to hold you accountable to yours. Post your fitness goals in comments and update us throughout the year as you achieve them. Don't worry if you think they are not challenging goals. If they are a challenge for you then they are the right goals. Remember, I am a trainer, it's my job to be able to do this stuff.

Center City Sprints (Indoor Rowing) - Saturday, January 30 -- Drexel University (Philly)
Goal time: 7:00 for 2000m Previous Best: 6:47

The Main Line Slide (Indoor Rowing) - Saturday, February 6 -- Villanova University (Philly)
Goal time: 6:45 for 2000m Previous Best : 6:47

Tour of the Battenkill Bike Race Pro/Am - Saturday, April 10 -- Salem, NY
Goal time: Just finish respectably Previous Best: First attempt at this race
http://www.tourofthebattenkill.com/

Bucks County 5K Series - 7 race series March through June -- Bucks County, PA
Goal: Finish in top 10 in my age group (40-44) for the series as a whole. Best four out of seven races count toward overall standings. Previous Best: 17th

Broad Street Run (10 miles) -- Sunday, May 2nd -- Philadelphia, PA
Goal time: 1:11:00 Previous Best: 1:15:18
www.broadstreetrun.com

Univest Cyclosportif Pro/Am Bike Race (60 miles) - Saturday, Sept 10 -- Doylestown, PA
Goal time: TBD Previous Best: First Attempt

-or-

Patriot Games (run/canoe/bike/run two-person team triathlon) - Saturday, Sept 10 -- Chalfont, PA
Goal: Top 5 overall team, Win either Master Division or Coed Division Championship

Philadelphia Distance Run (13.1 miles) --Sunday, Sept 19 -- Philadelphia, PA
Goal time: 1:35:00 Previous Best: 1:40:41

Philadelphia Marathon (26.2 miles) -- November 2010 -- Philadelphia, PA
Goal time: 3:45:00 (8:30/mile pace) Previous Best: This will be my first marathon

Buffalo-Niagara Turkey Trot 8K (4.97 miles) -- Thanksgiving Day -- Buffalo, NY
Goal time: 35 minutes Previous Best: 35:42

CrossFit Goals (This will only make sense to my CrossFit friends)
Complete an uninterupted "Fran"
21 full pullups
21 95# thrusters
15 full pullups
15 95# thrusters
9 full pullups
9 95# thrusters

CrossFit Total (Back Squat + Shoulder Press + Deadlift)
Goal: 750 lbs (Don't laugh Steve)

Filthy Fifty
Goal: 23 minutes (the pullups will kill me) Previous Best: roughly 35 minutes
50 Box jump
24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings (35 lbs)
Walking Lunge
50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press (45lbs)
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots (20 lbs med ball)
50 Burpees
50 Double under jump ropes

"Cindy"
Goal: 18 rounds
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Body Weight squats

Max rep pushups (full range of motion)
Goal: 65

That's it. I better get my butt to the gym.

Paul