New Year, New Goals

I meant to recap my 2011 annual goals and how I fared about a week ago.  But time got away from me.  So better late than never right?

So in 2011 I vowed to run 475 miles... I actually ran 524.75!  I could've done better but I really slacked through the month of December.  So I decided to challenge myself this year.  I am going to run 600 miles!!  I'm off to a slow start thanks to some sinus drama, but I have my first race of the year at the end of the month.  And it's a 1/2 marathon at that (13.1 miles)... through Disneyland. :)

I needed to get some new tools to help me get across the finish line and before the New Year I picked up a newer model of the shoes I bought last year.  I got them 1 full size bigger than I normally wear because the dreaded black toe never went away.  Runners understand this common ailment.

In addition to my mileage goal, I started doing a 20-30 minute walk every workday.  I actually leave my desk and take a quick stroll through the area.  It's a nice mental break and a good reason to get an extra work out in.

Another goal I set for myself, to read 40 books through the year since I received my Nook last Christmas.  Not only did I read 40, but another 10 for extra credit.  Yep 50 books!

Here's the list and my personal rating system for what I thought... maybe you can find something interesting to read.

1.) My Antonia (+)
2.) Cutting for Stone (-)
3.) The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (-)
4.) Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet (++)
5.) The Missing by Tim Gautreaux (+)
6.) Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (+) Slow start, good ending
7.) 9th Judgment (+)
8.) Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest (++)
9.) Water for Elephants (+++)
10.) Dark Places - Gilllian Flynn (+, dark.. slow start)
11.) Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter (-)
12.) The Book Thief (+)
13.) The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (-)
14.) A Reliable Wife (+)
15.) The charlamagne Pursuit (+)
16.) The Lacuna (+/-)
17.) The Big Bad Wolf (+)
18.) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (++)
19.) Hell at the Breech (-)
20.) Blood of the Prodigal (+)
21.) The Art of Racing in the Rain (++)
22.) Room (+++)
23.) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (+)
24.) The Shadow in the  Wind (++)
25.) Broken English (+)
26.) The Wednesday Sisters (+)
27.) The Paris Vendetta (+)
28.) A Stolen Life (++)
29.) London Bridges (+)
30.) Still Alice (++)
31.) The Wednesday Letters (+++)
32.) Girl in Translation (+)
33.) Unbroken (++)
34.) Molokai (+)
35.) The Tiger's Wife (-)
36.) The Paris Wife (+)
37.) Eat Pray Love (+)
38.) Heaven is For Real (+++)
39.) Before I Go to Sleep (++)
40.) In the Garden of Beasts (+)
41.) What Alice Forgot (++)
42.) Emperors Tomb (+)
43.) Sister (+)
44.) The Language of Flowers (++)
45.) When Darkness Falls (+)
46.) The Memory Keepers Daughter (+)
47.) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (+/-)
48.) Caleb's Crossing (+)
49.) The Kitchen House (+++)
50.) 10th Anniversary (+)

This year's goal?  Another 50 books.  I don't plan to do as much traveling for business or pleasure this year, so I'm not planning on finding as much time.  I'm still working on my first book of the year....

It's kind of fun to set some interesting goals and track them throughout the year.  I hope you stick to your own resolutions!