Setting a big fitness goal is a great way to join new communities, have something to brag about, and provide motivation and consistency. Maybe you want to run your first 5k without stopping, run a half marathon PR, do a hybrid event, or run 3x/week for X amount of weeks. Any fitness goal is a big fitness goal.
There are many ways to set a goal, but the best goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Specific
You need to decide what you want your goal to be. If you want your goal to be “run without stopping,” that is a good start, but for how long? Some people can run without stopping for hours, so they will be running for a long time. Others can’t yet run a quarter of a mile without stopping. Your goal needs to be specific for you.
Measurable
How will you know when you have achieved the goal? How will you know if you are progressing toward the goal? It is good to develop a training program, benchmarks, and a goal distance. For example, if your goal is to run your first half marathon, maybe you will have check in goals along the way, like running a 10K. Each long run in pursuit of the half marathon can also serve as a check in goal, and will allow you to see if your endurance is building at the right pace or how training should be adapted to help you reach the target goal.
Attainable
Fitness goals need to be respected. According to research by Kleka et al. (2017), many individuals have a cognitive bias around goal setting that has them set lofty goals that they think are easy to achieve. While setting really ambitious goals in fitness is great, you’ll need to ensure the time horizon is appropriate given your starting position. This is mainly to lower the risk of injury and ensure you are physically prepared and capable of succeeding.
You’ll also need to clarify that this is the right season of your life to go after this goal. Maybe you are really involved in other areas right now, and just don’t have the time to do this goal too without burning yourself out. That is completely okay, and it is better to wait to set the goal until you have time to actually take the steps necessary to achieve it.
Relevant
Why do you want to achieve this goal? Ask yourself why five times. Knowing the deeper reason helps provide more motivation for staying persistent in the goal pursuit. If you can connect it to your values, then it’s even better. You could even ask yourself what kind of person you are trying to become, and how this goal aligns with the person with these values who does this goal.
Connecting your why to your core values is incredibly powerful. Core values are our deeply held beliefs that influence our behavior. For example, if one of your core values is consistency, then to embody consistency you show up and follow your training plan every day (barring injury/illness/life happening). A YouTube video by Dr. Russ Harris called The Choice Point: A Map for a Meaningful Life explains this concept very well. It’s all about taking actions that help you move towards a meaningful goal (or life) and enjoying the journey.
Time-bound
It’s good to set a deadline. Things come up, and sometimes deadlines have to be pushed, but if we don’t set any deadline then there is not a reason to work toward a goal we can achieve some day. Some day becomes this far off place that we don’t know when will happen and have no urgency to reach. Set a realistic time frame that creates some urgency, but also has some wiggle room because life happens.
Let’s talk!
If you’ve set a running/racing goal, or want help setting one, I’d love to work with you to help you achieve it. I am an RRCA-Certified Adult Distance Running Coach at Anchor Endurance, LLC. I have worked with many athletes, all with different needs and goals. Please reach out today for a complimentary 20-minute phone consultation to see if we are a good fit and get more information on run coaching services provided by Anchor Endurance, LLC. You can also email me at [email protected].
