2012 Running Goals (NOT resolutions)

Perhaps it's just semantics, but setting a "goal" is more meaningful to me than making a "resolution". Everyone (or nearly everyone) makes "resolutions" this time each year and I'd be willing to bet most fall by the wayside after February or March if they even last that long. Making "resolutions" is simply paying lip service to doing things that we know we should be doing; they're a way to make us feel like we're doing something positive or proactive until life comes along and makes us forget how we wanted to stop smoking, eat better, travel more, or [insert typical, unfulfilled resolution here]. They're bullshit (more or less).

Goals imply (to me, anyway) that there is some accompanying plan to actually achieve them. So I'm setting goals for 2012:

1. Get my weight under 180 and keep it there. I'm not overweight by any means (any more) but I'm carrying a little extra that's completely due to some recent over indulgence in candy and cookies. I will attain this goal by replacing my candy snacks at work with healthy alternatives (like rice cakes).
2. Qualify for the Boston marathon. I'm on track for that now, I just need to continue to be consistent with my training.
3. Drop my 5k time closer to 19:00. That's a little aggressive but I believe that on the way to accomplishing goal #2 I will make the progress necessary to hit this one.
4. Maintain my NYC qualifying time in the half-marathon. This will be the most difficult since NY has raised the standard but I qualified this year so I don't have that far to go to maintain.

That's it. The goals I set are attainable with a solid work effort but won't require super human commitment,i.e. I can still have a life outside of running.