Improve Your Running with Goal Setting
Photo by Marques Jackson Photography.
Learn How Goal Setting Can Help Your Running
By Marissa Del Mistro
Effective goal setting will keep you going and help you stick to your running routine. Learning to set SMART goals is one of the best ways you can accomplish the achievements you set out to do. Motivation is elusive and often fleeting, especially when it's pitch black and freezing outside like it is in the colder months. But having goals and milestones along the way will keep you motivated in your fitness journey. This guide will offer tips and resources to help you set SMART running goals and will also work for any other type of goal. The goal-setting process can help you reach higher levels of fitness and enjoy your running more.
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What is Goal Setting?
Goal setting is the process of establishing realistic, tangible ways to challenge yourself and improve your running. When you set a running goal, you create a blueprint for the direction you want to go with your running. Having a specific goal with a deadline will help you turn inspiration into desired outcomes. Whether you want to crush your next 5K race or run your first marathon, setting time-bound goals will help you reach the finish line happy.
Using some goal setting best practices can help you run a marathon, achieve your fastest race time, or run farther than you’ve ever run before. When we have running goals, it keeps us motivated and on track. These goals can be short-term or long-term and are based on a variety of aspects that come with being an athlete.
Setting goals is helpful for all levels of runners, from people wanting to try running for the first time to experienced runners. Having a timeline and rewards system for meeting yoru milestones will have a huge impact on your training and accomplishments.
What are the Benefits of Goal Setting?
There are many benefits of goal setting, including:
Provides direction (no pun intended!). Goal setting allows runners to feel present and driven with a clear roadmap on how to get there. An important goal should include a time frame for accomplishing what you set out to do.
Boosts self-confidence. Is there a better feeling than crossing off long-term goals?! Attaining a fitness goal achievement helps us believe in ourselves and demonstrates the power of our bodies. With more confidence comes improved athletic performance.
Provides accountability and motivation. With a defined goal, we are responsible for actually achieving it (to the best of our ability). When we don’t want to let number one down, it helps runners stick to our challenges.
Clarifies your Why. Do you want to do a full marathon? Or, maybe you’re running to feel healthier, more alive, or to explore a new neighborhood. Your “why” should be what makes you beam with joy and motivates you. The goal setting process helps you assess your motivations and priorities and create short-term goals leading up to your big one.
Try something new. Goal setting can help you try new running challenges. When you do something different, you learn about yourself and grow as a runner and person. New challenges boost your problem-solving and critical thinking skills, improving your self-efficacy.
How to Set Running Goals
Goal setting for runners should be specific and measurable. Break down your running goal into specific smaller steps. If you want to run a half marathon, for instance, where do you need to be in 6 months? Don’t overlook weekly and monthly goals – perhaps you could have a goal of running 25 miles every week or doing 3 hill runs within a specific time. Short-term running goals build the blocks for the ‘main’ goal and make it feel achievable. Below are some goal setting tips for runners:
The acronym “SMART” is useful for determining your running goals:
S: Specific
M: Measurable
A: Attainable
R: Realistic
T: Timely
Write your goals down. Take a moment to sit with a calendar and make the effort to consider your running and fitness goals over the next few months. You can set reminders on your phone or leave little motivators around your home. Make a collage or vision board about your goal and post it somewhere you will see every day for a motivating perspective.
Tell someone about your goals. When we tell supportive peers about a goal, suddenly it becomes a lot more real. This is not to make you feel pressured, it's to help you feel supported and heard throughout reaching your goals. It's great to have someone to talk to about any challenges you may face as you pursue your goals.
Track and measure your goals. Runners are not new to using tracking equipment like GPS running watches or running apps. It can be useful to track your time, heart rate, stride length, and routes to understand what's going on with your body. Use a running app or watch to track your run distances and pace, and you’ll have a record of your running progress.
Be gentle with yourself. Like everything in life, things do not always go as planned. We may miss runs or training due to other responsibilities, we may get an injury, or despite our best efforts, we don’t reach the targets every time. Learn to forgive yourself and move on. Powering your goals with kindness will help motivate you to be kind to yourself in other challenges that crop up, in your running, professional life, and personal life.
It’s not all about running. Remember with goal setting for running, there are a lot of other factors to consider that keep us feeling energized. You should be focused on eating well, sleeping enough, and ensuring there is time in your life for rest and relaxation with friends and family.
You may experience setbacks and arrival fallacy. If you haven’t heard of arrival fallacy, it’s a very interesting psychology term associated with goal setting. It has to do with the belief that when we reach our goal, we will reach total happiness. The truth is, sometimes, when we focus so much time and energy on a specific running event or target, when it's accomplished, we can experience a real, deep sadness afterward. We may even feel lost or confused. It’s important to know about this, so you can prepare for the wave of emotions following a big goal being crossed off your individual goals list. (Hint: Practice lots of self-care and rest!)
Examples of Running Goals
SMART goals are specific and have a timeframe.
Goal setting will look different for everyone, but it's important to remember the fun behind it. Here are some great suggestions of what goal setting for runners can look like:
Improve on your pace
Get a running coach for help with a personalized running program and to improve your form
Go for your longest run yet
Run in a new neighborhood or new park once a week
Run 3 times a week
Stop avoiding that big hill - run up it
Try running without music
Register for a 10K race
Run a certain amount of miles (or km) every month
Do speed workouts once a week to get faster and improve your race times
Add two 2 Saturdays runs/month into your routine
Let’s Go!
When it comes to goal setting for running, it's best to get started without procrastinating. It's too easy to push our goals into far-off dreams and wishes. Motivation is a hard thing to conquer every day, so every time that you put on your running shoes, allow yourself to feel proud - you are one step closer to conquering your goals – whatever they might be!
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Marissa Del Mistro is a writer, editor, and always on the hunt for the perfect workout. Marissa absolutely loves trail running, dancing, and cycling. When she’s not writing, Marissa loves cooking, podcasts, travelling and exploring her home in the beautiful unceded Coast Salish Territory of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ nations.
