July Goal Update

This is the first year that I have done monthly updates on my goals. So far, seven months in, I have noticed two things:

1. knowing I have to be open and honest about how I'm doing keeps me focused and helps me make good choices...most of the time.

2. the year feels like it's flying by and it is always a bit of a shock when I discover that it is already that time again.

I'll assume that none of you have memorized my goals so here's the quick recap of the goal list (including updates that I've made along the way): 

- complete the Tel Aviv half marathon (done!)

- stay injury free (no longer a goal as I managed to develop a stress fracture in my foot)

- complete three triathlons, including an Olympic distance
- pay down debt
- log 1000k of running this year
- complete two events in the Aktiv Swim Series this summer
- play 10 round of golf
- play the baby steps golf course until I can do it in 50 rather than 61.

And here is where things stand: 

Complete three triathlons, including an Olympic distance

Done! I completed the Welland sprint triathlon in June and then I did the Gravenhurst Olympic triathlon followed by the Belwood sprint triathlon in July. (psst! I also signed up for the Toronto Island sprint triathlon in August so I'm actually going to surpass my goal. This is particularly exciting considering I didn't even know if I'd be able to do any races this summer due to my stress fracture) 

Pay down debt

I have to be honest. Debt reduction didn't go well in July. We went away to Gravenhurst for five days. I signed up for two triathlons. We hosted friends for a weekend. All fun things to do. All pretty challenging on the pocketbook. So instead of paying down debt, I actually increased it by a rather horrifying $700.10. Not good. 

Log 1000km of running this year

This goal had a pretty major setback after my foot injury but I'm still holding out the hope that I'll at least get close. I logged 73 kilometres this month bringing my annual total to 409km. Considering I missed all of April and most of May, that's not awful. If I can log between 90-100km a month for the next five months I can do it. That sounds kinda crazy at this point but I'm taking it one day at a time and this goal is not worth my getting injured again for. (It does, however, encourage me to add that extra kilometre or two in the mornings when I want to pack it in early.) 

Complete two events in the Aktiv Openwater Swim series. 

I completed one 1.9k swim race in July and I have every intention of competing again on August 9th. So hopefully this goal is in the bag. 

Play ten rounds of golf this year.

Well, I managed to squeeze in three rounds of golf in July bringing my total for the summer to five. It seems that a friend and I may be meeting for a weekly game (we both play pretty miserably so we're actually pretty good company). Add a couple of games with Doug and I may yet reach ten before the snow flies. 

Play the baby steps golf course until I can do it in 50 instead of 63. 

This goal is kinda up in the air at the moment. See, I had set it when I thought Doug and I would be playing the same 9-hole, par 3 course for most of the summer. Turns out that we play at different courses and my friend and I play at yet another course. So perhaps at the end of the summer I'll head back to the original course I set this goal for and see if I am up to the challenge. At this point I have nothing to report. 

And that, my friends, is the July goal update.