March 2018 Goals
My little leprechaun and a recap of February 2018 goals
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I'm going to make a dangerously bold statement and say SPRING HAS SPRUNG! Everything around me is starting to pop out its emerald green, including Ryder! But before we jump ahead to the lucky little leprechaun, let's recap February goals!
February 2018 Goals:
Precious angel poopsie!
Writing
Post at least three times a week. Y'all, I completely tanked on all my writing goals. I had committed to a "post three times a week" schedule which is great and all, but when things got tough at work and I got behind on photo editing then the blog posts were the first things to get cut from the priority list. Sure, I want to create fun, quality content on the regular, but not at the expense of what actually pays the bills. When jobs #1 and #2 come knocking I respond, and this month they just about battered down my door.
(Pssst I just recently found this cool calendar feature and thought I'd pop it into this post - isn't it cool?! Hint: click the back arrow to see February if you're currently seeing a blank calendar.)
Type up 20 pages of fiction writing. You know the above about work coming before blogging? Yeah, same applies to work coming before fiction writing.
Finish my first draft of an e-book. I guess you could call this done? I don't know about you but a first draft of anything substantial is never satisfactory, but at least it's a draft.
Photography
Catch up on some photo editing. I did this! Well, most of it. I'm mostly caught up which hey! That's progress!
Running
Run 50 miles in February. I crushed this goal! I ran 83.65 miles in February, according to MapMyRun (although Strava claims it's just 82 miles. I haven't figured out where the missing 1.65 miles went). Either way, I definitely surpassed my goal of 50 miles in February.
All hail the Monday rest day! "Indoor" = indoor soccer. "Rock" = indoor rock climbing. "Weight" = weightlifting, though I usually do that as part of rock climbing and so I don't always split those out.
Do some trail runs. Trails. Yeah I did this! Kelly and I made a list of local bucket list trails and we tackled Battle Park and Carolina North at UNC already. I can't wait to get back out there this weekend!
Hiking/Backpacking
Go on at least two "Sunday Stroll" hikes. Check! I explored Battle Park in Chapel Hill and Adams Tract in Carrboro with my dad this month.
Do another Mountains-to-Sea Trail hike. Callie's dog is still recovering from a torn-up nail, but Lisa and I met up early in February to do a hike in Umstead, so that was our little microadventure instead of doing a Mountains-to-Sea Trail hike. The Umstead hike is pretty comparable in terms of terrain and distance, and the real point of the goal was to get out on the trail with Callie and/or Lisa, so I'm going to count this is a success. Hopefully Dawson's injuries are healed up enough we can tackle some more hikes in March.
Climbing
Climb at least twice a week. I almost did this, but the one week I was overwhelmed with work I failed at coordinating with my belay partners and we didn't climb. Otherwise I was climbing frequently and strong this month.
Work some V0+/V1 problems. I started some V1 problems! And they were kinda fun. I know it sounds stupid to be excited about working easy boulder problems, but everything is relative, and this is huge progress from where I first started.
Other Fitness
Try out a new yoga studio. Nope. Fail. This will stay on the list though until I get it done!
Travel
Finalize April plans. I mostly have the details worked out. I know the days I'm going, what I'm doing, and how I'm doing it. I just have to finish booking a couple more places to stay. But hey! At least I have a plan!
Personal
Read two books! I did this! I listened to/read Eat and Run* by Scott Jurek and Into Thin Air* by Jon Krakauer. They were both great reads: Eat and Run is Jurek's memoir of racing ultramarathons and his path to veganism and Into Thin Air is Krakauer's account of the disastrous 1996 spring season on Mount Everest. (The 2015 film Everest* is based on this account.)
Alright, so my writing goals were disastrous, the yoga goal is in its usual holding pattern, and all the other goals were met or exceeded. Overall not terrible. But I'm feeling a little green and springy, so without further ado:
March 2018 Goals:
Lucky leprechaun Ryder! "Does this red beard make my fur look red?"
Of course the monthly streak of dressing up poor Ryder continues with a lucky leprechaun outfit! Poor pup. (He secretly doesn't hate it. He got so many treats afterward one session he was fine when I decided the first round of photos weren't up to par because I waited too late in the evening and so I did a second round of March photos the next day!)
Writing
Post at least two times a week. Okay, here's my dilemma: I want to be consistent and post every Monday-Wednesday-Friday, but I don't want to put up a post just for the sake of putting up a post. I am a firm believer in quality over quantity so I don't want to put up some throwaway list or outtake photos or something silly. I figured trying to be consistent with the blogging schedule would require some give-and-take and experimentation, which is exactly what we're doing! So for March I'm aiming for posts on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6am, and if I'm feeling prolific then I might throw up a bonus post on Fridays.
Another major hesitation of mine with the three-times-a-week posting schedule is because the third day is Friday and you all don't want to read boring ol' blog posts on Friday, do you?? I know I'd much rather be out hiking or running or planting flowers or getting a head start on a nice spring weekend, but apparently I'm weird and think going non-stop with running and hiking all weekend without looking at my phone or a computer or a TV is a fun weekend. So, dear readers, I defer to you. Do you want to read new posts on Fridays, or do you want to run off and do fun weekend things on Fridays?? Let me know in the comments!
“Tell me: do you want to read new posts on Fridays, or do you want to run off and do fun weekend things on Fridays?? Let me know in the comments!”
Type up 25 pages of fiction writing. Time to GET. TO. WORK!
Revise the e-book and start putting together design/images/formatting. If the goal is to get something useful together for spring and summer travel then I need to snap to it!
Photography
Have some awesome March sessions and finalize my spring schedule! Spring is springing, which means it's the start of portrait season!
Running
Run 85 miles in March. After totally crushing my goal of 50 miles in February and doing 83 miles in the month I guess I need to up the ante a bit. But I'm hesitant to commit to 100 miles because that's just an overwhelming number to look at, plus I'm going to do a lot of hiking this month so some long hikes might replace long runs and cut down on my running mileage. We'll see how this goes.
Do two more trail runs. Starting strong and looking to stay strong!
Hiking/Backpacking
Go on at least two "Sunday Stroll" hikes. I feel like two a month is a good goal.
Go to another Girls Who Hike NC meetup. Technically I'm aiming to go to two: one is just a social meet-up at the Raleigh REI and another is a meet-up hike in the mountains (ha I totally plan on playing hooky for this. It's a mental health day - no air quotes needed because it's the real deal!)
Go on a backpacking trip with Sherry! Last year Sherry and I went on a truly memorable trip on the Appalachian Trail full of balds and beautiful magenta sunsets and wildflowers and good ol' trail dogs. This year she's moving to Colorado for good, but not before we have one last hurrah on the Appalachian Trail together!
Organize, plan, and execute a hiking trip with co-workers. Haha apparently if you talk non-stop about hiking adventures and you have an iota of project management skills you're apt to find yourself organizing hiking trips for friends and co-workers. Hence, a hiking social club at my office has been born, and I'm helping to organize our first trip at the end of March!
Climbing
Climb at least twice a week. So close! I can so definitely do this!
Send a V1 problem. I started some V1 problems, yay! Now I have to send one (aka get to the top of the boulder route).
Send a 5.9 route on top-rope. Earlier this week I completed a 5.8 route and for the first time...it felt easy. It felt enjoyable! It was the first time I flashed a 5.8 and so it's just proof that I should be working more 5.9 routes. I've tried some 5.9 routes and sent a few, but it still feels like a big jump for me.
Other Fitness
Try out a new yoga studio. This will stay on the list though until I get it done!
Travel
Book campsites and final hotel room for April roadtrip. I'm almost done prepping for this trip, but I just have to book the final accomodations!
Plan July trip! Gahhhh y'all I'm so so so so so excited about this trip! Mum's the word right now, but you'll hear more about it later!
Personal
Read two books! Hooray books!
Do taxes. Ugh. Taxes. But I guess it's better than not feeding the needy or not educating the next generation. So yay taxes I guess?
Bleargh, thinking about all that paperwork is a bummer though, so let's end on a happy note with pics of Ryder looking pathetic in a leprechaun outfit! Which pic below is your favorite? And ha - he's fluffier and whiter than in his February pics because I actually remembered to bathe him this month! (Wait, nope, I didn't. McCrae just knew these pics were coming and took it upon himself to make sure the dog was clean. Thanks McCrae love!)