Half #3 and goals revisited

Tomorrow's half: Gulf Coast Half
Marathon at Pensacola Beach

I'm resting.
I'd rather be running.
I think I have a shot at a sub-2 half tomorrow, but I don't want to get my hopes up too high. I know my training is solid, but for some reason having a firm goal time in my head just makes me anxious and cranky. I'd rather talk myself into an "I'm not worried" state, sleep well tonight, and be pleasantly surprised tomorrow.

Plus, it's supposed to be warm.*

Even if tomorrow's Gulf Coast Half isn't my best race of the year, I've got at least 2 more 13.1s in the works, which brings me around to revisiting the year's goals...

(I'm good at setting and achieving goals, I just don't want to think about goal times the night before a race...)

In January, I set a few key goals for 2012. Here's the brief version:

Goal - Run Faster:
5k in less than 24 minutes

Hamming it up at the NOLA race expo

Progress: I've only run one 5k so far, and it was a fun run, not a "race." Result: 25:48. But I've been very consistent with weekly speedwork, so I feel confident that if I truly race a 5k, I'll be ready to break my 24 minute barrier.

Goal - Run Longer:
Complete 5 half marathons
Progress: (1) Gulf Shores, (2) New Orleans, and tomorrow should make 3. I've signed up for one more already, and I'm targeting an autumn race (or two) to round out the year.

Goal - Learn New Things:
Read 15 non-fiction books
Progress: While I'm ahead on the half marathon goal, I'm a bit behind on the books. I'm almost through Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking and I finished Two Old Fools - Olé! In my defense, working two jobs has taken a big bite out of my leisure reading time... I'll pick up the pace once school is out for the summer.

Goal - Travel/Explore:
Visit one new-to-me place every month

Exhibit from the Indian Temple Mound Museum

Progress:

• January: The Gulf Shores half counted both in the race and new-place categories.
• February: Hubby and I drove to Fort Walton Beach to visit the Indian Temple Mound Museum, had lunch, and walked along the waterfront. The museum is small, but the exhibits are fascinating.
• March: March was a travel-heavy month (to places we've been more than once). On the few days that we were home, Hubby and I mostly just wanted to rest. Day trips and hiking were out of the question, so March's adventure was trying a new-to-us jazz club while we were in New Orleans.

And it turns out that I've got a new goal to add to the list... The new-to-me cross training challenge.

So - I'm making good progress on my 2012 goals!
But I still don't want to talk about pacing for tomorrow...

How are you doing on your goals for the year?
Do you get anxious the day before a race? If so, what do you do to calm pre-race jitters?

*Sorry Boston runners, I have some sympathy for you, but seriously it's always 85 and humid here in Florida... Move here - We'll train together! Hot and humid race-day weather will never ruin your race dreams again!