Forget resolutions. Set goals.

I love these last few weeks of the year. Like a lot of distance runners, I'm somewhat Type A so I savor this time to look back at the year and set goals for the coming year. Forget resolutions that never see the light of day. I like to set measurable goals that I can mentally check off the list throughout the year.

Running and goal-setting are as much about psychology as they are about physiology. Our minds can be our greatest asset (mind over matter) or biggest liability (self-doubt). Goal-setting helps us channel our mental and physical energy for a common purpose. Clear, measurable goals empower us to track our performance and adjust our training, so it's important that they be motivating and achievable.

Here are few things to think about as you prepare for 2010:

• Set goals that are specific and measurable.
• Be reasonable (and realistic). Make your goals challenging, but achievable.
• Focus on performance v. outcomes. Performance is something you can control. Outcomes tend to be affected by other people or conditions.
• Share your list with another runner. "Saying it out loud" makes it real and we all need someone to keep us accountable from time to time.
• Create or revise a training plan based on your goals.

I'm still working on my goals for next year, but I'll post them here in the next few weeks.

Man down: What's the etiquette when a runner falls out?

For the last few years I've done an jingle jog in a tiny country town about an hour away. It usually attracts a small but competitive crowd.

The race was last weekend and I spent the first couple of miles running just ahead of a man who was probably old enough to be my dad. About two miles into the five-miler, I heard him howl and I looked over my shoulder in time to see him drop to ground. He had a charlie horse, so I helped him massage it and get back on his feet. When it was clear he could walk the rest of the course on his own, I jumped back into the race. Here's the rub: I finished the race and managed to place in my age group despite the delay. (Truthfully, that probably says more about the lack of competitors in my age group than it does about my performance.) But I couldn't help being disappointed that no one else seemed to notice or care when this guy went down.

With no prize money at stake, is meeting a time goal so important that you can't stop and help someone who is obviously in trouble? What's the proper race etiquette in this situation? What do you do when you see someone in trouble on the course?

What's your motivational mantra?

When I read Chris Freytag's post about creating a motivational mantra, I realized I've had the same mantra for more than a year. It's a powerful one for me and I use it nearly every time I work out.

I'm a runner. This is what I do.

My mantra was born out of a post-marathon slump last fall that was followed by several months of illness. Running was a struggle at best. My motivation was low and I was bored because I didn't have another big race on the calendar. I think I was afraid to schedule a race for fear I'd get sick again and wouldn't be able to compete (which would have been a *huge* disappointment).

Still, I knew I had to run for my sanity, my fitness and my eventual return to racing. I dragged myself out the door and when I felt like turning back early I thought, "I'm a runner. This is what I do." When I didn't feel like doing strength training or yoga, that mantra provided motivation.

My mantra is validation that I'm strong, capable and seasoned. I can accomplish anything I want as a runner. I've worked hard and put in the time and miles over the years. I'm mentally and physically tough. Hills, bad weather, sleep deprivation, and stress aren't bigger than me. I'm a runner and hard work is what I do (whether I feel like it or not).

What's your mantra? Do you use a mantra in daily workouts or just in races? How has a mantra helped your motivation and performance?

An honest look at my food

I used to be religious about keeping a food journal. I kept detailed notes about everything I ate and drank in a given day -- calories; fat, fiber, protein and carb grams; how many glasses of water I drank. Call me OCD, but I was new to running and I had a lot of goals for my mileage, my weight and nutrition. Immersing myself in those details helped me focus and meet those goals.

Fast foward. I'm a relatively seasoned runner now. I know my goal pace for any given run and I can pace myself with or without a watch. With one look, I can size up the nutrional value of a meal, and I drink 8-10 glasses of water as a habit. Although I'm proud of my progress, I've been thinking lately that all that progress has allowed me to become lazy. I think less about what my body needs and more about what I *want* to eat. By dinnertime, I've forgotten what I had for breakfast.

I read a story in the Chicago Tribune this morning that reminded me how valuable food journaling is and how it helped me focus on my overall fitness goals in the past. Food journaling helps you avoid mindless eating and make every meal count. It helps you identify patterns in your behavior. There's no judgement in a food journal. It's not about slapping yourself on the wrist. It's about taking an objective look at your food intake and making adjustments based on the facts.

Yes, it can be time consuming. But the information you get can be the difference between meeting a goal or not. Do what works for you. If you like details, track every bite. If you prefer the 30,000-foot view, keep it simple. There are dozens of paper and online journals that have fixed columns and rows, but you can also keep it simple in a spiral notebook.

Check out these journals:
WEbMD -- online, printable

What I Ate -- mini, unstructured, printed

DietMinder -- printed

Diet & Fitness Journal -- spiral bound

FitSuger Fitness & Food Journal -- online, downloadable

Meb is the man

Meb Keflezighi is my favorite runner and I'm thrilled he won the 2009 New York City Marathon. I think I've read every story written about his win. I can't get enough of the race day play-by-play, fan comments, and the way the running community has lauded his performance. Meb.Is.The.Man.

He's been called "the gentleman runner" and "one of the class acts in all of sports." All true, but what I love about Meb is the emotion he puts into running. Meb is known to drop to his knees and kiss the ground after a particularly sweet win. He seems to approach every run with gratitude. I get that and maybe that's why Meb is my favorite runner.

I will NEVER be as fast as Meb. I will NEVER log the hours and miles he does every week. But I am like Meb in one way -- running is an emotional journey. It's about self-discovery and self-reliance. I've never kissed the ground, but I do shed a few tears at the end of every race. Like Meb, I'm just grateful for the gift of good health.

Thanksgiving salad? No thanks.

I've been a big fan of Tara Parker-Pope for a long time, but she made a lifer out of me this week. Her post Going Vegetarian for Thanksgiving makes me want to weep tears of joy. Finally! Someone gets it... we vegetarians don't just eat salads!

I wish I had a dime for every time someone said, "We'll make a salad so you have something to eat." It's a nice offer, but do meat eaters really think vegetarians exist on salad alone? Don't you realize we need a variety of choices and nutrients just like you do? Our palates aren't unrefined and we don't lack creativity in the kitchen. We just don't eat meat. For vegetarian athletes it's especially important to have options. Nutrition fuels our performance, and a steady diet of salads (or filling up on mashed potatoes) doesn't cut it.

Take a look at the side dishes on your Thanksgiving table. You probably have all the good stuff fall offers -- butternut squash, apples, pumpkin, mushrooms, pecans. They include carbs, protein and fat, and they can be prepared in flavorful ways without sacrificing nutrition. This Thanksgiving I'm declaring a moratorium on the infamous green salad. (Now here's hoping my well-intentioned family gets on board.)