HOW TO SET GOALS YOU'LL ACTUALLY ACHIEVE

It’s been a busy end to the year, we’re wrapping up our holidays and maybe even seriously thinking about getting ‘back into routine’.
New year’s resolutions are great, but if we’re talking about fitness resolutions, how often have you stuck to the commitments made earlier in the year.

Here’s the way that I like to look at running goals so that they’re actually achievable;

Performance Goals -
Linked to a measurable result like running further or faster. You may want to complete your first marathon this year or you may want to run 5km in under 30 minutes. As runners, it’s very easy to measure our success against performance goals, as it’s all about time and distance.

Training Goals -
These will help you to achieve your performance goals. How about doing a faster run once a week, jogging at least 10km three times a month or make running easier.
Maybe you want to work with a coach for the first time (www.runrabbit.com.au/programs ...hit me up) or get your technique checked out (www.thebalancedrunner.com.au …Paul McKinnon can help you). 

Long Term -
It’s always great to set a long term goal, an ultimate achievement to get excited by and tick off before the end of the year.
This is usually performance based but can be training based. I believe one of the best long term goals to set (but sometimes the hardest to achieve) is to run consistently for a year without getting injured. Alternatively, running a half or full marathon is a pretty impressive measure.

Short Term -
Now this is the way to actually achieve your long term goal. Set smaller goals to keep yourself motivated along the way. A couple of years ago a mate of mine told me he wanted to run the Melbourne Marathon in 10 months but he could only run 5km at that point. For most of the 10 months we didn’t think about the marathon too much, instead he did a 5km event, then 10km, then a faster 10km and finishing with a couple of half marathon events to give him confidence for the full marathon. And the year of training absolutely flew by!

1. Set a variety of goals for yourself.
2. It doesn’t all have the be about performance.
3. Celebrate the small wins along the way.

Enjoy a big 2021 of running!