My Goals for 2012 - A Recap

Time to evaluate the goals I set for 2012

I did not formulate them, or write them down, they formed as the year went along:

Improve my running form - success!
Rope skipping, a few drills here and there, mobility exercises, strengthening legs, working on weaknesses AND more but shorter (fun) runs helped me here as well, as finding the right shoes.
I currently see running not as a struggle, to achieve as much as possible, but to relax, enjoy the outdoors and have fun. Currently it’s more like “shaking out” the legs.

That leads me to my next goal:

Run 783.12 k in 2012 total - fail!
As of today (12-22) 575.19 k
With my somewhat softer approach I took around mid 2012 as I were drifting around without any specific direction, still quite a decent number imho.
No way I can or will go up to almost 800 k in the last few remaining days. Actually I simply wanted to up my status from green to blue on nike+ this year. Funny thing is, I don’t like nike and I don’t have any of their products, but my iPod syncs to them, so I use it.
It won’t take very long, until I reach the full 1.000 k in 2013. I predict March will be the month.

Go up to 75 kg on the scale - fail!
On 2012-01-01 I was on 67.4 kg (at 1.83 m) on the scale and I only took a more serious approach to gain muscle mass in mid 2012. I did not make it 75 kg at first, but this was my distant goal for somewhere in the future and I had to adjust my mindset to focus on bulking during quite a long period of time. As of today (12-22) the scale is on 73.6 kg. That’s a solid 6 k gain! Not too bad in my book.
I achieved it with setting my mind on eating (healthy) fats - nuts, avocados, fish, etc., 200 g Protein/ day or more and carbs from fruit and veggies - mostly. I eat an occasional slice of toast, few pasta, some oats and rice from time to time. I’m not on the standard chicken and rice diet. It’s more like Quark, almonds, avocados and cottage cheese. Some whole milk here and there, meat, bone marrow, coconuts, etc.
I stopped munching at 74.5 k and am now on a moderate bulking/ cutting phase, alternating every two weeks - an approach, I quite enjoy. Bulking can be a chore as can be cutting. It blends in nicely with my three weeks load, one week deload routine.
I cut down cardio as well.

Improve Mobility - success!
It took me some time to figure out the spots, I need to address the most. Especially the last months have been very fruitful in finding and improving on them. Will continue in 2013.

Stronger legs - partially a success!
This one goes hand in hand with the one above. You have to work on ROM, to get the most out of the strength exercises. Especially lately I had quite some positive results with my training.

Find a suitable and modular training system - success!
Along with the minor goals below, I tried various things, to keep training enjoyable and, well, handy in lack of a better word.
I tried quite a few things, learned new exercises, dismissed some and have now a regimen, I’m quite happy with:

Push/ Pull, Abs - more Push
Loaded carries
Legs and Kettlebells
Push/ Pull, Abs - more Pull
Shoulders, Triceps
off
off

It’s a mix of BW and resistance exercises. I came up with the two times Push/ Pull routine, because Push without Pull feels incomplete for me. This routine is done three weeks. Week four is for deload and addressing weaknesses in particular and/ or trying out new things. As I a byproduct, I have some quick and fast conditioning tools for traveling, or when time is short.

A few minor goals along the way were:

Master the Crow Handstand (Bakasana) - success!
Not so pretty yet, but I definitely am able to do it.

Try new things and get familiar with Kettlebell and Sledge Hammer workouts - success!
Still much to learn and to do here, to tap into the full potential of these tools, but I don’t consider myself as a bloody rookie anymore either.

Master the L-Sit - success!
No biggie!

Achieve one Muscle Up - fail!
I thought, I was this close, but wasn’t. Will incorporate more work on the bar in 2013.
At last, I achieved a jumped one. Pause and try again later. Rinse and repeat, repeat.

Rope skipping - success!
Oh, I was so bad, when I begun. Now, I’m still far from skilled, but much better than the average Joe.

Other (spiritual) Goals:

Read 12 books - close call!
As of today (22-12) I’ve read 11 pieces (Books, long articles and entire Weblogs). So volume based I succeeded. Since I consume quite a bit of technology, fitness-oriented, environmental AND cooking information that didn’t went into the equation, I don’t sweat it.
Update: Just finished a small book of tales from wales - make it twelve.

Declutter my digital life - a work in progress!
I yet only have to back up one single HD - all secure, all in one place and redundant backups - success! Sorting the digital Media is quite finished, but will probably never be finished, I’m afraid.

Learn Italian - on track!
I wanted to improve my very basic italian skills for years now. But only until recently, I have found a way to achieve this.
However, I listened to some podcasts and collected verbs this year.
Now I discovered some tools, to help me come closer to that goal. I had to form a strong intention for learning and a proper usage for that language in the first place.

Cool post. Good work!

[quote]Avocadoshake wrote:

Learn Italian - on track!
I wanted to improve my very basic italian skills for years now. But only until recently, I have found a way to achieve this.
However, I listened to some podcasts and collected verbs this year.
Now I discovered some tools, to help me come closer to that goal. I had to form a strong intention for learning and a proper usage for that language in the first place.[/quote]

That’s a lot of goals reached. Nice work Avocadoshake.

BTW I’m currently learning Portuguese using the Michel Thomas method and it’s brilliant, I can’t recommend it enough. They do an Italian version.

Thank you sen say and FarmerBrett, thank you very much.
I actually have very, very basic Portugese skills myself. I’ll definitely look up the Michel Thomas method.

Just finished a small book of tales from wales - make it twelve. Updated!

Nice work man, must be a real good feeling looking back on a solid year of work. My training has been going okay but this has inspired me to put some goals down on paper for 2013.

Rob

This thread is absolutely great. First of all amazing job on your goals and congratulations on reaching another one so close to the end of the year!

Wouldn’t have known about this but for the 2013 one. Thanks for inspiring me not only to set some training goals but also some personal ones.

Thank you jt91 and rob, glad having inspired you.