Today I finally started. That's right I started setting goals.

I realized that the easiest way to figure out my goals for my upcoming 12 week challenge was to figure out what my goals for this year were… then figure out what I would need to accomplish this first quarter to make those happen.

So far I've come up with the following 2006 Fitness goals:

1. Weigh 130 lbs
2. Reach 18% Body Fat
3. Run the Bay to Breakers in May
4. Do 10 Unassisted Pull ups
5. Bench 100 lbs (plus the bar) for 10 reps
6. (Just in case I come up with more)

As and end to these means, I created the following 12 week goals:
1. Lose 20 lbs of fat
2. Drop 6% off my Body Fat
3. Create and start using a Running training schedule
4. Do 10 Pull ups with 130 lbs of assistance
5. Bench 80 lbs for 10 reps

In addition I created some other goals that I think I can achieve in the next 12 weeks:
1. Do 10 military push-ups
2. Bench 50 lb dumbbells for 10 reps

THEN I went through and set the goals I would need to reach the first week to get to my 12 week goals
1. lose 1.7 lbs of fat
2. Drop .5% Body Fat
3. Run three times (per schedule)
4. Do one pull up with 160lbs of assistance and 9 more with 170 on back day
5. Bench 75 lbs for 10 reps on chest day
6. Do 10 Negative pushups and then 'modified' pushups to failure
7. Bench 45 lb dumbbell for 10 reps on chest day

Do I think these goals are aggressive? Hell yeah I do! Do I think they are attainable – you better believe it!

Then I started thinking about nutrition. My goal here is to find something that works. That means I don't want to have my plan set in stone. But, I need a starting place so, here it is. 2000 calories a day six days a week. On the seventh day God rested and so will I. That's my free day. BUT it's not a free for all. I want to keep my calories under 2600 that day.

I will eat six meals a day – six days a week. Again the seventh will be less structured, but I should be eating at least three meals. Because I'm eating six times each meal will be about 330 calories.

Now, meals. If you've been here any amount of time you know that I complain about my lack of time for meal planning/preparing. So, I've come up with a solution. I'm going to plan 15 meals a week. I'm going to break that down this way:

2 Snacks
2 Breakfasts
3 Lunches
6 Dinners
2 Deserts

And the rules for these are…

Snacks: Must keep well (all day). Must be able to eat on the go and be assembled in less then five minutes and prep time should be less then 5 minutes.
Breakfast: Must be able to be eaten on the go (in the car). Must assemble in five minutes and prep time should be less then 5 minutes.
Lunch: Must keep well (half the day). Must be able to eat on the go and assemble in five minutes. Prep time should be less then five minutes (unless able to make ahead on the weekend)
Dinner: May be simple or complex…
Deserts: Must be able to make a week ahead OR have a prep time of less then 10 minutes

Now – 2 snacks, breakfast and lunch have to come with me to work. If I plan my meals right that means I'll be spending less then 20 minutes packing my lunch! Perfect!

Now at the end of January it'll be time to evaluate. Is this working? If not the first 'tweek' will be to drop calories, the next taper calories at the end of the day and the next carb cycling… I think that should get us through the end of twelve weeks.

As for my workout… I think I'll keep on with 'stage two' of Max-OT (with the exceptions noted above). Cardio will be a running program gearing up for my 12K – which will mean I'll be running for miles three days a week. 2 at the gym and one on the weekend. However – If come my mid-week weigh-in (on Friday) my weight hasn't dropped 1 lb. I will add an extra session of HIIT. (How's that for motivation to stay on track with the nutrition.

Well – I think that's about it for now! Next week's running plan will be posted as soon as I get it put together.

Let's rock this town!