Goal Setting

ecoli

This is following up on an old thread but given that people are starting to get a bit of taper madness at the moment and the questions of what shape they are in seems to be cropping up alot so I thought be a good idea to revive the topic

So how do you set your Goals? Do you base it on your current fitness and predicted improvement between current time and goal race or do you pick a time and match training and intensity to fit with goal (ie paces in sessions etc)

Also would you be a person who sets very doable goals which do not require 100% commitment or do you set very lofty goals and even if they are not met you are most likely still to make enough improvement that warrants all the training and deems the attempt not to be a failure despite not hitting target?

RayCun

Round numbers

BeepBeep67

I set a combination of time and competitive goals.
Time is based on improvement with a stretch built in, example I set myself a sub 5 min mile and a sub 17:30 5k as my primary goals this year, I didn't train optimally for these and subsequently missed both (5:01 and 17:40) which were 9 sec and 13 sec improvements, but I've learnt from that.
I'll also target category medals in county championships, but this can be influenced by outside factors, example I ran an M40 pb for 5k in the road race championships in a time that would have placed me 2nd M40 the previous year but finished 4th M40

Woddle

I've always been crap at setting goals. One of my biggest faults is lacking follow through. It's definitely sth I need help with.
This year I wanted a sub 2:30 for the 800m and sub 20 for 5k and have failed at both but I've moved on.
My next goal is to complete a P&D schedule for the next 24 weeks without taking any detours

RayCun

Woddle wrote: »

My next goal is to complete a P&D schedule for the next 24 weeks without taking any detours

Would you not be better off trying to structure a plan around your club sessions? If you're going to be there twice a week anyway, bringing the Woddette training...

Woddle

RayCun wrote: »

Would you not be better off trying to structure a plan around your club sessions? If you're going to be there twice a week anyway, bringing the Woddette training...

They don't have any. A few of them meet at 6:30 for tempos but that's too early for me.

rainbow kirby

I set goals, then I get injured or sick. The moral of the story - don't set goals. :pac:

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

I set lofty goals and adjust the training to get the desired outcome. Next years goals have me bricking it as they are a huge leap from where i am currently at.

theboyblunder

I have a magic formula: I take Krusty the Clown's marathon PB and add 4 minutes. I prayed for that heat in Chicago

kingQuez

When I pick real goals they have no timeline; the intermediate steps are what ecoli might call "doable" goals, they're the things that are achievable based on your current fitness and appropriate training that get you closer to where you want to be. Without the "real" goal I wouldn't have any motivation to work hard, without the "doable" goal I wouldn't have anything I know that I can do to work towards.

--amadeus--

This is something I have been thinking about a bit recently. I think setting goals in like spinning a WEB. There is what you Want, what you Expect and what you Better get. This applies to long term and short term goals.

So for example your long term goals may be:

Want - To one day break 3 hours for a marathon
Expect - In my next race to run sub 3:15
Better get - A pb

You can then have the same strategy in a race itself with your A, B and C goals. That way if you get to half way and you are clearly not going to hit your A goal you have a fall back position to aim for rather than just giving up.

A really good piece of advice I picked up recently as well is to have goals that you have control over. So rather than setting out to (for example) run a sub 40 10km you should have goals like running a negative split, running each 1km split within x seconds of each other or each 1 km within x targets of goal pace or whatever. The idea being that you should control what you can control and focus on process not times. If you hit each of your process and subsidiary goals then the bigger goals will take care of themselves. The example used in the book was of a golfer - he can't control if he wins or loses but by setting goals of making each swing with perfect form, using visualisation before each putt and so on then the golfers score will be as good as it can be. The advantage is that if something goes horribly wrong midway it doesn't leave you with negative thoughts for the rest of the event (ohhh no I missed my target, wasted race!) instead you just go back to concentrating on smaller process goals and salvage as much as you can.

Pherekydes

rainbow kirby wrote: »

I set goals, then I get injured or sick. The moral of the story - don't set goals. :pac:

Any time recently I've targeted a race I've gotten injured. :mad:

Now I don't set goals.

RacoonQueen

rainbow kirby wrote: »

I set goals, then I get injured or sick. The moral of the story - don't set goals. :pac:

I decided that after I got sick on week 2 of my Dun Laoghaire training plan. Long term goals still stand, it's the short term goals - even soft ones that can get whipped away from you.

I need to have something to work towards to keep training interesting, otherwise it becomes stale and your sessions seem pointless even if you are seeing results from them.

I tend to pick a race and have an idea what I want from that race, as training progresses (or blows up which is usually the case with me these days) I'll alter my goal accordingly. Next years goals for me, are pretty big - I still use the old SMART when I'm thinking of what I want to do. Though again, it hasn't been very valid recently - all change in 2012 for me.

thirtyfoot

Set a long-term target or goal, ie, 12months ahead. So win a race, run a certain time.

Then determine what you need to meet that goal. Do you need to be running a certain amount of mileage or improve speed or get stronger or improve race execution to get that PB.

If its mileage, then what do you need to be able to do that, maybe train twice a day once a week or improve strength to keep injury at bay. If its improve strength to keep injury at bay then determine what goals you need within your strength work.

Once the strength goals are determined, continually ensure you meet those goals throughout the season. This could enable you to keep that mileage up. Keep the mileage up will be another goal. Once you have followed all the mini goals then the main goal should be achieved. If it is, then set a higher goal the following year and improve/add/change the mini goals if you learned along the way to achieving the goal but felt things could be improved. If not then try and evaluate what other mini goals who can set to meet that main goal.

I would say the one main goal may have 4-7 mini goals beneath it.

Tom Joad

I only started setting myself goals in the last two years to keep me motivated year before that I started with no goals, fairly loose training programme and entered a few races on a whim -but made all mistakes that year.

For last year I set myself a target at the start of the year for 10k, 5 mile, 10 mile and HM - based purely on 7.30 min miles and managed to make them the 10k, 5 mile - missed the 10 mile race and 6 weeks of training due to injury but in my stubborness/stupidity still set myself a 1.40 goal for the HM after only three weeks training. My mate who was going for a sub 1.30 convinced me that it was ridiculous to try for a sub 1.40. So off he went to his area for the race and I headed for the back of the sub 1.40 wave when I seen the sub 1.40 pacesetters with helium ballons. Needless to say I tried to keep them in sight for the race and managed a sub 1.40 (in other words they dragged me around to a sub 1.40 ) - never managed to catch up with them to say thanks either. Turned out afterwards that I had done my ITB and was out injured for 4 months.

This year, some bit of common sense took over and I set 3 goals - sub 45 10k, sub 35 5 mile (got them) and a sub 20 5k - (that may be beyond me though).

God knows what random set of numbers I will come up with for next year to torture myself

Clearlier

Well my initial goal when starting running again was to break 2 mins for 800m. Having ready from start to finish a 100+ page megathread on letsrun about Lydiard I decided to target a marathon to get a base in. 18 months later and I find myself building my plans around marathons.

For marathons though - I have my dream goals which is where I think I might be able to get to eventually but is utterly unrealistic to be specific for the moment and my short term goals (<6 months). I break them down further to training goals and sometimes intermediate race goals. When I don't set a goal I drift (as I did this summer).

For the goal race I'll set A, B and C targets before specific training starts but these will have a wide range and I'll get more specific coming up to the race using my training (beats per minute is a good indicator for me) and any races that I have done to help choose those times.

Round numbers are great but can be a bit of a square peg in a round hole in that they're not a reflection of your training and the shape you're in but of your desires. Fine at the beginning of a training cycle but not when you're setting your actual targets for a goal race.

TheRoadRunner

I set goals in 2 ways. Firstly, determine my current fitness and set a realistic time target. When I hit that continue to revise goal and get faster.

Second way I set goals and the one which brings most success is to find an arch nemesis who is faster than me. I will hate that bastard until I can beat him (or her) consistently in races. I have one nemesis at the moment and I'm getting closer and closer to him. Haven't beaten him in a long while but I'm determined to hand him his ass on a plate in the new year. When I've achieved this I'll find a new faster bastard.

shels4ever

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

Second way I set goals and the one which brings most success is to find an arch nemesis who is faster than me. I will hate that bastard until I can beat him (or her) consistently in races. I have one nemesis at the moment and I'm getting closer and closer to him. Haven't beaten him in a long while but I'm determined to hand him his ass on a plate in the new year. When I've achieved this I'll find a new faster bastard.

Following your Mr. Motivator speach the other night i've added a few to that list myself....

dna_leri

I set goals that are about the process and the result.
e.g. Process goal - #1 Stay injury free - this reminds be to pull back when I feel something niggling. Result goal: sub xx 5K etc.

For a race, I will set maybe 3 levels of goal, like beat my PB, beat some of my fellow competitors or hit a stretch goal. That way if its not all going to plan I will not give up completely.

I set longer term goals about 1 year in advance and start thinking about the next one maybe 18 months out, probably only publicise it when I have a chance of achieving it (6-9 mth out).

Pisco Sour

I suppose many have an ultimate goal, but for me, not knowing what my limits are I have decided not to set any ultimate goals. Obviously at an elite level, athletes will have ultimate goals to win the Olympics, medal at the Olympics, qualify for the Olympics etc etc. But I think at our level, ultimate goals are a bit pointless. Why bother restricting ourselves.

I have no idea what I am capable of over 400m for example. Perhaps it could be 56:xx, or maybe just 59:xx. I have no way of knowing yet.

However short and medium term goals are a must. Without some sort of goal, I simply do not train. I'm not one of those people who go out for runs for the craic, or to clear the head and be at one with ones soul and all that wishy washy stuff. There needs to be something in the short term and medium term for me, to get me out the door.

A goal has to be challenging but realistic. If the goal is too difficult then it can be very easy to lose heart and give up.

I've set a preliminary goal of sub 60 seconds for 400m. I believe this is within my capabilities but is also not something I can do without training hard. Perhaps it may come easier than I think, or maybe more difficult. Only time will tell. But no further goals are in my head until the short term goal is out of the way. If and when I go sub 60 then it will be time to reassess my goals, but not a minute sooner.

So to sum up: Short term goals are good, ultimate goals are a bit unnecessary for people at our level IMO.

ThePiedPiper

I have set myself some long term goals, some of which are pretty lofty. The sub 3 marathon was a big one that I achieved, so once it's done, the long term goal has become 2.4x.xx. To this end, I have medium term goals, i.e. I hope to run a 2.55 in my next marathon. The other long term goals still there are a sub 60 minute 10 mile, and a sub 5 mile, if and when I ever actually race a mile!!

In terms of goal setting in a race, I will generally have the same approach as Amadeus. For DCM, 2.55 is the goal. But I'll be delighted with anything under 2.58, very happy with anything under 3 and if it's over 3, I hope to be able to blame the conditions or something and still enjoy the experience.

To me, the long term goals are based on a time, something that I feel my body should be able to do and something that is definitely out of range at this moment in time. The medium term goals (under 6 months) are for targets that are out of range at this moment in time but are relevant enough that current training has an effect.

Goals are very important to me. When you reach a landmark goal that you've had in mind for 5-6 years, it is one of the best feelings in the world.

Mr Slow

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

I set goals in 2 ways. Firstly, determine my current fitness and set a realistic time target. When I hit that continue to revise goal and get faster.

Second way I set goals and the one which brings most success is to find an arch nemesis who is faster than me. I will hate that bastard until I can beat him (or her) consistently in races. I have one nemesis at the moment and I'm getting closer and closer to him. Haven't beaten him in a long while but I'm determined to hand him his ass on a plate in the new year. When I've achieved this I'll find a new faster bastard.

I could have written the above!

Brianderunner

Mr Slow wrote: »

I could have written the above!

Yeah but in your case we all know who that "bastard" is

Mr Slow

Brianderunner wrote: »

Yeah but in your case we all know who that "bastard" is

I don't know what you mean....:rolleyes:

TFBubendorfer

I think it is important to set both short term goals and long term goals. The short term goal takes immediate focus. The long term goal ensures you don't lose focus after achieving the shirt term goal.

The following might sound like something from all those touchy-feely management training courses they insist on sending me on at work, but anyway:

- goals should be challenging but realistic. Remember the lad who announced last year that he would break 2:30 in this year's Dublin marathon, when his present PB was 3:38 or so? Haven't heard from him in months (not meant as a personal attack).

- goals should be something you can control. Breaking 3:00 hours in the marathon is something you can control. Winning a certain race is not.

- Obviously, elite athletes will disagree on the above rule.

- Make sure you always have soemthing new to focus on. When I reached my long term goal after 7 years of trying, half a year ago, I did scratch my head asking myself "now what?".


Saying something like "I always get injured, so I don't get goals" is utterly self defeating. Talk about limiting yourself (again, not meant as a personal attack. But do give yourself a good kick up your arse).