Why won't my Nikon 50mm lens focus on me when I use a remote?

I recently bought a 50mm, f1.8 lens. I am very impressed with it. There's just one thing I'm not sure about. With my old 18-133mm lens, I'd put my Nikon D80 on a tripod and take a few pictures of myself, using a camera remote instead of running to the camera and back to the spot I was previously standing after every individual shot to set the timer up again. However, the photos never focus on me. They focus on the background and so I'm not sure how to change this. I know that if I'm wanting to take a photo of me and a group of friends, I can focus on one of my friends, however if I am taking a photo of just myself, I don't have anything to really focus on. Help? can do? I know of several people who have the same lens as me and who use a remote, yet their photos of themselves come out clear and lovely. Can anything be done?