Goal Setting It’s that time of year again, the holidays are over and we had way too much fun! We now feel like we are jumping out of our skin ready to get fit again, lose those extra pounds we put on, and get out there and tear it up. So, why is it so hard to get back into it again? Well, it’s easy to want to get back into it, but you can’t deny the body’s secret pleasure of having been able to just relax and not have any specific training goals or daily training responsibilities to live up to. The body has kind of forgotten what it feels like to work, no matter how much your mind loves the way it feels to work. So, your first few training sessions back may be a bit hard just because your body has to learn how to push again. One thing that makes the whole process easier is have specific goals in mind that keep you motivated, focused, and well aware of why it is important to stick to the program and get moving! Throughout my career the look of the goals I set for myself changed dramatically. At first, when I first began triathlon, my goal was just to become proficient in the sport. I thought triathlon was the coolest sport I had ever seen so I was determined to get over my fear of the water, and learn how to swim, determined to buy a bike and learn how to ride, and determined to learn how to run longer than a 100m stretch. So, in order to do all these things, I set small goals for myself such as joining a swim program and learning proper technique, finding a friend to ride and build up endurance on the bike, and slowly but surely building up the amount of time I could run without stopping. Then, as I got better, my goals got higher... and the rest is history. The one thing I know helped me achieve the success I did, and most importantly, enjoy the journey getting there, was goal setting. The most common mistake I think a lot of athletes make is that they set only long term goals, for instance, a beginner runner whose goal is to run the Boston Marathon, or the local sprint triathlon champion whose goal is to become world Champion. I would call those goals dreams, which are so important, but, more important at the start, is setting goals that are challenging, yet achieveable in the short term. For goal setting to work, it is more effective to set short term goals and also to concentrate on performance oriented goals like improving upon your personal best times from the past, or improving your technique. Outcome goals, like placing in a race, qualifying for a team or winning a championship race are too dependent on factors outside of your control... weather, circumstances, the competitors etc., my goals, were totally focused on what I could do. I always knew that the only person I had control over in any race was myself, so why focus my energy on anyone else but me? Basically, my goal setting consisted of this: Setting daily training goals which were based on the job to be done that day. If I was meant to do a hard track session, my goal was to do it to the very best of my ability, no slacking off, no giving in to pain, just lay it all out there and get everything I could possibly get out my performance on that day. If I did that, I knew I had succeeded. If I went into the session relatively rested, and gave it 100% effort, I usually walked away having done some great times as far as my past times in that session go. If I showed up exhausted, but still gave it 100%, I still walked away maybe having done some slower times, but knowing I got absolutely everything I could out of the session. In both instances, my main goal of giving it 100% effort was achieved and I left feeling confident and fulfilled. On race day, my main goal was to do the very best that I could every step of the way. If I had done all the work in preparation for this race, and had achieved all my daily training goals, then I knew that if I gave it my absolute best effort, I would have a great race. Do the work, do your best and you will race well and leave happy. So, to sum it all up, I would recommend a few things as far as goal setting goes. Set realistic goals, especially early on in your training or career, set goals which you know you can achieve with hard work and determination. Avoid setting goals which are out of your control, I would call these outcome related goals. Focus only on goals which are related your own performance. It is important to have dreams and long term goals but make sure that lining that path are short term goals that keep you motivated day after day. By achieving your daily training goals, basically your long term goal will be likely to be achieved without even having to focus on it! Goals need to be flexible to allow for unexpected bumps in the road like injuries, sickness or work commitments. If something like that comes up, your first goal becomes coming up with an alternate plan, a plan of damage management. Like in a race, you make a mistake, rather than dwelling on it and having it hamper your performance, just accept it and decide your next best move to put you back in great position. Act offensively, not defensively. Mental imagery is great as far as having a vision of what it is you want to achieve and how you will do it, but, you must be realistic in the images you create in your head. Be prepared for races that are not run perfectly, where mistakes can happen but you can still finish having had a great day! Mental imagery I think, should be based more on getting yourself prepared to feel confident, calm and ready to strike with power, speed and determination……visualizing the perfect race, is great, as long as you don’t freak out, if in the race, something happens that you didn’t see happening in your imagery practice and leads you to choke or freeze. Expect the unexpected and prepare for it. At some point I will speak more about this, as there obviously is a big story related to this mistake! So, everyone, get out there and enjoy this great weather and get psyched for the great things ahead in 2004. My advice to you, Go out and strive to be the very best that you can be as an athlete. In striving for excellence within yourself, many great things will happen along the way! Back to Articles Page

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