Setting Goals is a Great Way to Achieve Them!
Okay, so that statement may be the most obvious statement I have made in a long time. Let me expand for a minute. From a philosophical standpoint, you can't really achieve a goal that isn't there. So if you don't set a goal, you can never achieve a goal, and therefore you have no way to meet a goal. If you set a goal though, you can certainly fail to achieve that goal, so setting a goal does not equal success, it merely allows you to have that chance. What I am talking about here is more of a measurable goal to train with.
Setting a goal means saying "I want to run under 43:24 minutes for my 10k on Thanksgiving Day." That is now a specific goal as far as distance and time, measurable goal, I believe it's achievable and realistic, and there is a time deadline involved. It's "SMART" if you will, but more than that, I now have a pace I can aim for. That goal happens to be exactly a 7 minute mile pace. I came up with that based on my current training paces and distances.
Goal Setting Example for a runner:
It would not be smart of me to set a goal at a pace faster than I can sustain one mile, or even 400 meters. For example, with my athletes, I ask them to set goals. One of my female athletes is aiming to run 56.8 for the 400, 2:10 for the 800, and 4:30 for the 1500 (sub 4:55 for the mile - 1609 meters). When we set her goals, there are some key things that have to happen. First, she has to be able to run a 100 faster than 14 seconds (14x4 = 56) and a 200 faster than 28 seconds (She can). Next she has to have the capacity to run a 400 in under 61 seconds (my rule). Achieving goal one means she can, but since that's a goal, we have to know she can do the other (she can). Finally, she should be able to run at least 1 mile without having to stop. Once we know she is capable of running that distance, and the speed required, we can adjust our training to meet the demands of the race and help her achieve her goals.
For me, I can run under a 7 minute mile, and I can run for over an hour and further than the distance of a 10k. My goal meets those demands. Now the easy part comes - I must train in a way that allows my body to learn that speed, recover when I'm not running at that speed, and work harder so that I am capable of running even faster than that speed during my run.
Goal Training
Running at goal pace is a demanding, challenging thing. Being realistic with your goals is important because as my prior example shows, if you can't run 1/4 or 1/2 of the distance of the race at the pace you intend to race, you will likely find it difficult to train at that pace. On the contrary, if you find it extremely easy to run at your goal pace, perhaps for as long as the race itself and you are more than a month away from your competition, that may be a sign that you have chosen a goal time that was too easy for you to achieve.
I have given other workout examples in previous posts, and I will give more in the future, but here is what I would say to anyone looking to be at pace for their event.
Start out Small
Do repeats of 30 seconds at goal pace with equal (30 second) recover when you're training for a 5k, shoot for 1 minute for a 10k or 5 minutes for a marathon. You can do 20 x 30 seconds at that 5k pace to start, but if you have hit pace the whole time you have spent 10 minutes running at your eventual goal pace. If you start out too long in the repeats, you may fail more quickly and feel as though the workout is too difficult.
Be steady
I can run more than 200 meters in 30 seconds, but it would be foolish of me to think my 5k goal is 12:30. On goal pace day, you need to be steady on that first repetition so that you are able to maintain your workout on the 20th or 40th repeat. This will actually teach your body the action you want to teach it.
Increase Steadily
Once you reach the time you would want to be racing (i.e. You spend the goal time at goal pace) it may be time to increase your duration or decrease your rest. I usually figure if you are doing repeats lasting more than 30% of the total time, it's probably better to shorten the rest. For example, if you're goal is a 17 minute 5k, and you have built up to 5 minute repeats with 5 minute rests, the next step may be to go on 4 minutes rest instead of 5, however if you are at 1 minute repeats for the 5k, your body will probably learn more by sustaining a longer repeat. Some studies on VO2 max show a similarity in workout between 1 minute and 5 minute repeats, but the evidence for neurological brain function indicates that longer repeat may be more beneficial. Feel free to message me if you want more details, that is above the scope of this post.
Listen to your body
Last week doing 20 minutes worth of 5k training might have been great, but this week your body says to stop after 15 so you don't get injured. Listen to your body. We do need to overload in order to get better, but cutting your workout short so you can do another workout tomorrow is always a good trade.
Good luck, and I hope you hit your goals! I am ready to hit mine.
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