June 24, 2006

Setting Goals

Goals are an important part of any runner's itinerary. Goals can be quite simple. For example, when I'm feeling worn out while running I make a quick goal in my head. "Make it to the next mile marker and I can take a break." I follow that by positive encouragement. After all, if you're running alone, you are the only one who can encourage you!

How do you make a goal? Here are a few suggestions on how to create a goal.

• What do you want to accomplish? Is it making to the next mile marker or finishing a marathon? Goals come in all shapes and sizes. Goals can also be completed in one day, a week, or even a year. Look at what you want to achieve. This will be a great start in creating your goal.
• How many goals do you want to accomplish? Create multiple goals. Maybe you could have a daily running goal: run at least 3 miles during each run. If you only have one goal for a month, you will not feel as accomplished when working towards that goal. Goals that you can achieve over a period of a few days will make you feel more successful. (Note: you are not creating goals that you know you can accomplish within five minutes. The following section explains how to make sure your goals are actually pushing you to reach them.)
• How long will it take you to accomplish a goal? Giving yourself enough time to reach your goals is important. If you give yourself a week to run a marathon, you are not likely to succeed. Give yourself plenty of time. If you need to revise your goal, it is easy to do and not looked down upon.

Once you have created your goal, you can use the SMARTER goal writing system to help you fine tune your goal.

• S - Is it specific? Is your goal really general: I want to run everyday, or is it specific: I want to run at least 2 miles 5 days a week? The more specific your goals are the more you will focus on achieving them. You can easily incorporate your goals into your training schedule! If your schedule says that you need to cross train twice a week, make a goal on that.
• M - Measurable? If you can measure how well you are progressing toward your goal, it is another step to creating a great goal. It is hard to measure how well you are doing if your goal is "to feel better about running." It is easy to measure a goal that has numerical values or values that can be physically measured or recorded in some way.
• A - Attainable? Your goals need to be attainable. For example, you cannot expect to run 5 miles without stopping the first day you start running. Your goals should be something that you can accomplish and then some. If you know you can run one mile non-stop, make your goal running one and one tenth miles non-stop.
• R - Realistic? Just like attainable, your goals need to be realistic. Expect certain results from yourself, not from this years Boston Marathon winner. In other words, if you know you will not be able to run 7 days a week, do not make that part of your goal. Be real!
• T - Time Specific? Put a deadline or time requirement on your goal. If your goal is to run 2 miles, what time period must you accomplish it in? One run? One day? One week? Put a time limit on it and your goal will be more challenging to you.
• E - Evaluate. Evaluate your goals. If your goals are too easy, make them harder. If your goals are too hard, make them easier. Things change in our lives and we are not able to make running our lives. Maybe you missed a day of running because you had to stay in late for work. You can evaluate your goals to see how you are doing. If you need to revise them, then do it.
• R - Revise. After evaluating your goals and you find you need a change, you can revise the goal. Say that you did miss a run because of a work deadline. Because of this missed run, you will not meet your 10 mile goal for the week. Modify it. Change your goal so that you expect to run 9 miles this week. Goals are never set in stone.

SMARTER is just one way to write goals. However, I find it to be helpful in creating goals that are well written and easy to work with. Other individuals have different definitions for SMARTER. They may say that the A is for accomplishment or that T is for Tangible. You can use this method or you find another method to use.

The bottom line: Writing goals will help you stay on top of your running. Goals are not set in stone, they can be modified based on the events in our lives. To make a goal find something that you want to accomplish, write it up, and go for it!

What goals have you made for yourself? Did you accomplish it? Did you have to change it? Post them in the comments below!

RP

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Comments

Question: many experts believe you must write your goals down to make them real. I haven't written any running goals down. Do you?

Sorta, sorta not! Is that a good answer?

Mary

I never even thought about wrting down. So much for the experts, huh?

I dunno. I am wondering about everyone else.

Nope. I'm not likely to forget them, and if I don't write them down, I won't beat myself up as much if I don't achieve them. That's my take on it. But I can see how writing them down and sticking it on your wall would help - you'd have to look at it every day!

I have them, but not written down.

Personally, I think that if you write them down and do not attain them, then you have a visual reminder of your failure. I don't need that type of hard evidence. More comfortable for me to keep them in my head.

You all have an interesting conversation going on about writing down your goals. I never did mention writing goals so I like reading what you all have to say.

I disagree that if you write your goals and you fail to meet them it will put you down. Personally, I think it gives you an opportunity to reflect on why you did on reach that goal and what you can do to change it. Remember SMARTER: evaluate and revise. If you do not meet your goal check why you did not meet it and revise it so that it reflects what you found!

ruburrelli,

I've been there and it is a bit reminder of your failure when you don't mee them!

I'm a member of Weight Watchers. When you first join, they don't want you to set a weight goal. Just concentrate on losing 10% of your starting weight. After I'd done that, I'd set the "mini" goal another 10 lbs or so lower. No problems there.

Once I actually set my ultimate goal weight (and got it approved by them) I began to have a hard time with the program. It was like some black magic took over once I was within sight of the goal! I still haven't reached it; and have backed off the program a bit (I still go, but am trying just to not gain too much weight and/or maintain until my head gets back into it).

I think I would weigh less now had I not set the goal; I'd probably be below it by now (this has been going on for over three months).

As for running goals, I don't write down time or pace goals (I'm way too slow for that) but I do write down mileage goals, a few weeks down the pike. Sometimes I meet them, sometimes miss them, sometimes exceed them, but I need an outline to follow.

For my NYCM training, I've written down the planned Saturday (occasionally, Sunday) long run mileage, and some weekly "targets" (hill work, striders, etc) but left the daily mileage out. I'm going to try to go more by feel.

Mary

I guess they are. I've got a training schedule and races picked out....but I haven't outlined any time goals or anything

My main goal is to improve my overall fitness and health. Not a tangible kind of goal that can be written down and check off when it is achieved.

I do have a desire to run a sub 30 minute 5k. I have a training plan that I made, but I'm very flexible about follwing the plan.

I think that reading and posting here keeps me focused on my goals

WSD:

mine too
Sub 30 5k....eventually...
this Sunday's five k I intend to take it easy, not push, run casually, and take what I can get. I think up till now I run GREAT on practice runs, but CRAPPY during races.

So Sunday I hope to run very very casually, enjoy myself, and take whatever time I get.

Maybe that will help.

I don't write them down in the traditional way. I put them in my PDA. I also have the add for the ING Georgia Marathon posted up next to my moniter here at work. I alos have a now picture of me next to a picture of me at the weight I want to be. Does that answer the question?

If at first you don't succeed....then skydiving is not for you...:')

Ummmm, nope, don't have any of my running goals written down.

I am like miniscraper. I have a written training plan with races I have picked out included in the plan. I haven't written down any time goals. Since I am working on getting over an injury before the half-marathon I have scheduled, having a time goal too would probably put me over the edge on the frustration I already feel not being able to train.

I have my goals that I set at the beginning of the year written down, and also at the beginning of each month I right down my monthly goals too.

I generally keep my goals in my head but I revise them according to current training results and how I feel.

Goals: NYC 1/2 marathon 08/06 - 2:15 (1st annual)
Grete's 1/2 marathon 10/06 - 1:59
Queen's 1/2 marathon 04/07 - 1:45
Twin Cities Marathon 10/07 - 3:30

I definatly have goals, but I haven't really written them down. My goal is to be able to run a mile without taking a walk break, and without hurting myself (or passing out) in the process. I'm working on it. I am walk/running in 1 and 1/2 minute increments for 2 miles. I can't wait!
I'd also like to lose about 30 more pounds.

But I do write down what I do as far as fitness goes every day. I write what I eat and how far/fast I run, or what other type of excercise I do.
sj

I dont write my goles down mainly because I only have one and that is to finish the marathon in december. i can see if you hav e been running for a while you might want to write down your pace goals.

There are others here who are mentioning goals such as hsday's running a mile without walking. In cases like that the process of moving from a walk plan to a run plan is often at a predetermined rate. You know, x weeks of walking, y weeks of walk/running. So I think writing down goals would be part of the whole planning process.

In a similar way, those who have been running for a while might take a similar approach for an upcoming race.

Of course these are short term goals, almost like a schedule.

But I think Falco's original post was getting at longer term goals. Like, in a year I want to run such-and-such time. I'm not sure if that's necessary to write down.

I do not write my goals down. Although I remember them each time I'm out there.

Goals I have though:

1) Keep running forever and ever!!!
2) Indy 1/2 Marathon May 7, 2006 (I know its quite a ways away, but between now and then I'm 100% sure I'll finish it! My 1st mini.)
3) Finish Steve's Run 10K with my sister (I'll know I'll come in near last place considering my milage times and all the finishing times from the past 3 years. However, thats not imporant to me. What's important is THAT I FINISH!!!)

The reason I ask is that there are motivational speakers like Tony Robbins and Zig Ziglar who believe there is power in writing down goals.

In August of 2005 I decided to run a 5K on my 45 birthday in March of 2006. That may not seem like much to you, but to me it was equivalent to saying I hope to be President in 2008. It was a massive undertaking.

Many times I could have quit. It was too cold. I didn't feel well. My girlfriend stopped running with me.

But because it was a written goal I kept at it.

Finally as the goal date approached several things happened:

1.) I got the flu and couldn't practice,
2.) My GF decided she had to work and would not be running with me, and
3.) I traveled to Boston to see my daughter and run and it was 23 degrees and snowing when I got there!!! (I am from Florida and anything under 50 is terrifying)

Without my written goal I would have caved.
I was not ready. It was too cold. It didn't matter anyway.

But the little wad of paper in my wallet screamed at me.

and I ran anyway.

and now I look at a half next birthday? Maybe? I don't know. But I know that if I write it down I will not be able to ignore it. I will have to do it.

Just a thought. Peace.

I write down what I want my mileage to be week to week, but not more than a couple of weeks ahead. I gauge it from how busy my week is going to be, how I'm feeling, etc. They are pretty minimalist maintenance goals for the moment.

I also write down what I would like my times to be for races, but haven't done one in quite awhile.

Yep, I write everything down. Goal's training plans. I usually never have to refer to them but I guess it's a physlogical thing. When I write then down in my journal I feel like i have direction to follow. I have done this with everything in life and I almost always complete my goals. I use spread sheets using excel and running log software. I keep track of dates, workouts, body fat, calorie intake, goal pace, goal weight, goal mileage,etc... I know, Kinda "type A" if you ask me but it works.

You will hold yourself accountable (I think) for goals that you have written down.

I want a 32 inch waist.
I want to complete a half marathon by or on my next birthday.
I want to run AT LEAST three days a week EVERY week no matter what.

Write them down and they are real. Think about them and you haven't really commited to them.

For some people the goal may be simple like to walk or run 30 minutes a day for the rest of the year.

For others the goal may be huge.

You write it down
you list what might get in the way of that
you write down what you are going to do different than you've done in the past.
you list how you will feel once you've done it.
you write out the benefits.
you write a visualization of the success.

it works every time

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