This time of the year is traditionally the time to think about how to proceed in the new year. What would I change, what do I want to achieve?
Runners often do this throughout the year as well. After a successful event, look ahead: what will I be training for next?
In order to achieve the set goal, it is good to think about it, how does it actually work? How do I set my goals so that I can achieve them? We will look at that in this blog.
To achieve a goal you need different things:
A target
The focus
A means
The technique
"Alice: Which way do I have to take? Cat: Where do you want to go? Alice: I have no idea. Cat: Then it doesn't matter." Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carol
This quote from Lewis Carol shows exactly that. If we don't even know what we want to achieve, it doesn't matter how we do it. And will we get where we want? Perhaps…
The Goal
The first step is defining what I want: a race, a distance, a place. If I have the global idea, I can specify further. Make it as specific as possible. So not: I want to run an ultramarathon, but: I want to run the 51km of the Eiger Ultra Trail in Grindelwald (Switzerland) in the summer of 2024. I don't have to be specific right away. I can sleep on it for a couple of nights. First dream, then plan
"A goal without a plan is just a dream”
The Fokus
In the second step I ask myself: why do I want that? What does it mean for me when I reach the goal? And what am I willing to do and leave for it? How much time do I allow myself to reach the goal? What happens to me when I fail? Your focus will help you actually reach your goal, it will remind you how important the goal is to you.
The following applies: the more important the goal, the harder I try to achieve it. For something that is close to my heart, I get out of my warm bed in the morning, I find time to train, that's what I want to spend my money on. The importance is the solution against excuses.
The Tool
The third step is the question of what I use to achieve this. What resources are already available to me and what do I still need? Is 1 pair of running shoes and a good mood enough? Do I need a training scheme, or maybe even a coach to support me on this path? (Of course the answer is always «yes» haha)
The Technique
In the last step I think about how to reach the goal. Which skills and qualities do I already have and which do I need to develop further? So what are my strengths and weaknesses? Do I have enough basic stamina or do I have to start with my first steps into running? Do I need more strength, physically or maybe even more mentally?
To do this, I need to know: why do I want to achieve this? What does this race bring me that another event doesn't bring me?
Once I've gone through these steps in my mind, it's time to make it more concrete.
Different Goals
What is my main goal. The main goal is my personal end goal. Ideally, this is described using the SMART method:
Specific: What exactly do I want to achieve (see example of ultramarathon above)
Measurable: how do I see that I have achieved my goal? Is that a certain amount of time I set a goal, is that crossing the finish line since my goal was to finish, is that the amount of pictures I've had since my goal was "enjoy"?
Attractive: That's where the motivation comes in. For a goal that doesn't appeal to me, I can't get out of bed at 6am on a rainy day to go run.
Reasonable: set your goal in such a way that it is also achievable. If I haven't even started running yet, finishing a half marathon next year is realistic, but a half marathon in 3 months with a top 5 placing is not. Doesn't mean you can't set a hard-to-reach goal, you're welcome to, as long as it's possible within the time and resources you have available.
Timed: when do I want to have it done? A goal without a date is just a dream. Attach a time to your goal. From: I want to run a marathon, to: I want to run a marathon in 2023, to: I want to run a marathon 30 October 2023. That gives me the opportunity to plan the time left.
Example: I want to run the Gornergrat half marathon in Zermatt on July 1, 2023 in 3:45 hours. It's specific, measurable, very attractive to me, realistic because I have 7 months to train for it and I already have a base, and the time limit I'm setting is realistic for me when I look at my results from last year.
“There are no unrealistic goals. Just unrealistic deadlines."
Different types of Goals
In addition to the main goal, I can also set myself sub-goals and secondary goals.
Sub-goals are all the steps it takes to reach my main goal: To run a half marathon, I can set myself the goals of being able to run 10 kilometers and 15 kilometers first, or to be able to run 10 kilometers in 50 minutes, I can set myself the goals set the goal to first cover 10 kilometers in 55 minutes, then 53 minutes and then 50 minutes. These goals are mostly performance-based. It's the criteria I set myself to take steps towards the main goal.
Secondary goals are important goals for me personally, but have no direct relation to the main goal. It is based on actions and tasks: drinking something every 15 minutes during my ultra run, doing 9 out of 10 training sessions as planned, lying in bed at 10 p.m. 5 out of 7 nights. These are the so-called process goals.
Short- and longterm goals
Short-term goals are goals that can be achieved in days or weeks. Long-term goals stretch over several weeks, months or even several years.
There are running events where I can only participate if I have met other requirements, usually another race or distance before I can register. This is the case, for example, with the Boston Marathon, but also with the UTMB- Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. You need a certain time for a qualifying run, or a certain number of points. These big goals often extend over several years, with the points or the qualifying runs being the intermediate goals.
Setting daily and weekly goals can help you achieve long-term goals. Think: What can I do today that will help me take the next step?
«A journey of a thousand miles, starts with a single step» Chinese saying, Mao The Tung
Plan-Do-Check-Act, the steps to succeed
Plan
Reconsider what, why, how and with what
Formulate my main goal SMART
Determining sub-goals and secondary goals
Define measures how see the progress
Do
Take a test, where am I at this moment? That way I know how far away I am from my goal
Set my training and re-test moments
Check
Re-test regularly - where do I stand now compared to my first measurement?
Act
Determine whether the sub-goals are fully, partially or not at all met
Make new planning how to reach the goal next time, or adjust the goal
Make new planning how to reach the next goal
Repeat as often as necessary 😉
How to fail
If I plan on failing to achieve my goals, here are a few points on how to achieve that:
I have to make sure to blame everyone else for my problems: the weather, my running shoes, my coach, my diet, etc. instead of working productively on a solution to MY problem
I have to complain about everything because whining won't change anything, which is exactly what I need to not reach my goal. Thinking positively brings me closer to my goal.
I have to close my eyes for the small advances, if I don't see them, they aren't there either. When I look closely and notice that I've made progress anyway, maybe I'll still reach my goal.
Now you know how you can reach your running goals and how you certainly don't reach them. Have you noticed in the process that there are things standing in your way that make it difficult for you to achieve your goals? Let me know, we can work together on how you can still implement and fulfill your dream!
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