Goal Setting

Some people have asked me what my goal time is for this race. I actually haven't thought too much about it because I want to see how my speed training goes over the next 4-6 weeks as this will give me a better idea of what I'm capable of. I typically will enter a race having 3 goals:
1. This will happen goal
2. Most realistic goal
3. Pie in the sky goal

The first goal is to finish the race. There has been only 1 race where I haven't finished and that was a 100 mile race when an injury forced me to retire after 78 miles. There have been a few races where I had to limp to the finish line but I still managed to finish.

My most realistic goal is the goal that should be accomplished barring an injury. It's usually a range that I set for myself. I know my body and what I can achieve so this goal is very much in reach. I will be disappointed if I don't reach this goal.

The "pie in the sky" goal is a little more difficult to set. This goal will only be accomplished if everything comes together perfectly on that day. There are so many things that go into having a perfect race including my health, the weather, sleep etc. This goal is within reach and I have accomplished it several times but each time I was fortunate to have everything working in my favor on that day.

During my long run on Saturday I actually started thinking about goals and how important they are. For some reason, the letter "V" kept creeping into my head. The more I kept thinking about it the more it started to make sense.
V stands for Visualization, Verbalize, Validate and Victory!

I must visualize what my goal is and be able to describe it in detail. This will include the steps I need to take to reach this goal or goals in my case. I need to be able to tell people exactly what that goal looks like as if I'm describing a great movie or book in detail. If I can't visualize my goals then how will I know if I have reached them?

Verbalizing my goal is something that I've always done. This makes it more "real." Some people are afraid of telling people their goals because they may feel embarrased if they can't reach them. To me, there is no room for negative thougts when it comes to goals. Be proud of your goals and let people know them. This will not only keep you on track but it may motivate others at the same time.

Validation comes in accepting and appreciating all the steps that are needed to take in order to reach that goal. With each training session I complete, I know that I am taking one step closer to achieving my goal. If all I do is focus on the the end of the Marathon I will lose sight of all the great things that are happening during my journey.

Victory will be achieved because I will make it happen! Regardless of what happens at the Marathon, the training that I have put myself through has improved my mental, physical and emotional well being. I feel stronger now than I was when I started and that's something that cannot be taken away from me.