Deciding new race goals

I’ve always been a driven person; always wanting to be better, do better, and do more. This mindset has allowed me to do some pretty incredible things, but also has allowed me to get occasionally burnt out when I wasn’t quite sure how to balance everything. It’s easy for me to remember how physically tiring training for big events, aspirations, and goals can be. You have tired quads, glutes, and back muscles to constantly remind you of that. On the other hand, I seem to forget about how much training can take a toll on you mentally, especially when I don’t take into account that it stacks on top of stresses that occur in my life. As interested as I am in mental health and believe in it fully, I tend to neglect myself and fall behind in staying on top of mental health (a goal of mine). 

This year has become an unintended rest year for me. A buildup of stress (all kinds of it!) over the last couple of years broke me down by the end of 2024. Although initially I had big goals for 2025, I slowly realized that my mind and body needed a break. That didn’t mean full stop, do nothing. It just meant doing things slower, listening to my mind and body a little better, and not feeling obligated to sign up for and train for big events. This is the first year since 2021 that I haven’t run an ultra. Until recently, I felt very anxious about breaking that streak and was trying to fit in an ultra before the end of December. Eventually, I came to the realization that I can be proud of myself for other things I have accomplished this year like: finishing my first year of ski patrol, getting my Advanced EMT license, recertifying my running coach certification, and working in the ER. All of which I was terrified of doing at first and has taken a fair amount of time to get more confident in myself and what I know I am capable of. 

Despite all of these realizations, I LOVE training, running races, trying new endurance events, etc. So, I want to go into 2026 with goals along with an intention to take care of myself physically and mentally. This intention goes into the goals I am going to choose. I want to make sure I am able to accomplish these goals without wrecking myself. Some of these goals are new to me, but excite me and that is the most important part for me mentally. I want to talk about the goals I am leaning towards for 2026 and WHY I am choosing them. Explaining why I am choosing these goals helps me understand that they are good goals for me. 

Goal #1: Cal Tri Lake Havasu Olympic Triathlon

I completed 2 triathlons in 2025 and have loved them! It’s really fun for me to practice 3 different disciplines and improve in swimming. I was terrified of doing my first open-water swim, but in the end, it ended up being my favorite part of the day! It was really cool for me to experience that shift from fear → genuine enjoyment. I have summer running goals, so I chose this triathlon because it allows me to do an open water swim before the summer starts (which is the part I want to continue to feel more confident in!).

Goal #2: Bay Shore Marathon 

My sister wants to do this marathon and wondered if I would be interested in doing it with her. That sounds like a heck yes from me! I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to go back home and hangout with my family for a fun-filled weekend. 

Noel and I’s first trail race finish line together! Making races a family affair is always the way to go!

Goal #3: Tushars 70K

I ran the Tushars Marathon back in 2022. I found out about it later in the year and added myself to the waitlist. About a month before the race I got an email saying I was in if I wanted the entry. At first, I was worried I didn’t have enough time to train, but I said screw it and went for it. It was the most fun I have had in a race and have been wanting to go back ever since! 2026 is THE year. I want to up the distance to the 70K, and with upping the distance in the Tushars you also up the elevation gain to 12,000 ft of elevation gain. It will be a bruiser to say the least. 

Goal #4: 100 Miles 

I have been waiting for the perfect time. I finally realized there is no perfect time. All of my goals throughout the year should help set myself up for success for this day. A day I have been itching for since I started endurance running. I have a few ideas for what race I will choose, but for now I am not quite sure. 

Meeting all of these goals will definitely require me to consistently take care of myself. No slacking. That idea is a little intimidating to me because I am not the greatest at it. For now, I know I need to make sure I eat enough calories, drink enough water, sleep enough, manage my life stress through therapy, journaling, and yoga. I now know well that my body has a hard time understanding the difference between different stressors and I can’t let them all stack up on each other. I feel more confident than ever to take on these new goals in a smart way and I am absolutely stoked about it. 

If you need help finding and reaching your goals, you can find more about me (Coach Syd) here!