How do you know if you’ve succeeded if you never had a goal? Working out and staying fit is great for your health’s sake, but I feel like I need an alternate purpose to work towards as well. I love being healthy, but that ultimately came as a result from my training for competition in cross country and track. Had I not been so involved in athletics, I don’t know if I would have had the same strict outlook on exercise and nutrition.

Fitness goals are important to keep you constantly motivated. Whether its weight loss, a race, being able to do a pull-up!

My short-term goal: to get into competition shape by outdoor track season. For us, that begins in mid-March. That will be approximately 3 months after my next surgery, and I have my heart and head set on a 10k PR by May. That’s a big goal, which makes every little effort count. From fueling up right, to getting enough sleep, to building muscle strength, coordination, flexibility and endurance. The rush of setting a personal record will be totally worth it. :)

Long-term goal: to become a marathoner. I’ve always known I was going to run marathons post-college. That’s the next step for a distance runner! I’ve done half-marathons, and I’ve done 16-mile runs. But never have I attempted the 26.2 mile challenge. I see myself training for at least one marathon a year…how I plan on doing that with a full-time job, I don’t know. But where there’s a will there’s a way!

Working towards something, knowing that every work out is getting you closer towards your ultimate goal, gives those early morning gym sessions or plank workouts a purpose!

So what are you working towards?