I am working on a new webinar for an international network of women. I basically have free hands, I can talk about adventure, show photos of magical places far away, tell stories of races, trips, stuff. How to plan, how to train, how to… But does anyone really want to hear about that? Expectations, adventure, magic, and pain. And type 2 fun. I am not sure.

I did a solo run last week. A very cold morning, freezing temps, cold fingers, cold ears, slow steps. As always one of the best parts of running is the clarity, thinking straight, oxygen flowing. In times like this it is refreshing to run and breathe. I had hundreds of geese flying over my head, an eagle gliding around me. The trail was crunchy and the grass white. It was a slower run than usual. Not all runs are about falling over the finish line. In times like this it is a gift with sunshine on your shoulders and new thoughts and ideas in your brain. The birds over me all have one thing in common. A goal, working together but also solo. Gut feeling, goal setting, knowing where to go, what step to take next… When I look back on old posts goalsetting has been one of the recurrent subjects. Not only when it is about training but also in life. I wrote a post around 5 years ago when I decided to ditch my big Ironman goal after thousands of hours of training. A real low point in my life. I set a goal that basically ate me up inside. I followed the plan and worked 100% for it but it felt so wrong. I woke up having nightmares about swimming and hated every single mile on the road bike. I woke up one day and decided to quit. That decision ended up being the best since I found myself in Alaska a few months later. Goalsetting for life, for training, for racing, for adventure… I still have a few goals to figure out. And I need to buy a new sleeping bag.

I also found a few more not so serious goals I set for myself way back that are worth repeating.

If you cannot carry it, you probably do not need it.

Try to learn the rules of football. And cricket.

Get oil changes on time, check tire pressure.

Give lots of hugs to everyone you care for. (Easier said than done right now.)

Choose your battles.