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"Bid me run, and I will strive with things impossible." - Shakespeare
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| Well..the time has come to start thinking and training for 2008 races! Whether it is your 1st 5K, Triathlon, or your 10th marathon that your looking to PR in, now is the time to put into place the pieces that will help you achieve your goals. |
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| For those of you that have been around me for awhile, you know that I "preach" that December thru March is when you put in the majority of your base training for the "ENTIRE" year! While it may be difficult to focus on a race that isn't going to happen until, May...June...or even Oct. but, by laying the foundation of solid base building programs, then when the weather finally starts to break in the spring and we can transition to some speed work, the base will help eliminate injuries, provide you with a great springboard towards achieving your goals. |
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| So, for those of you that would like my services, please feel free to contact me so that we can develop a personalized plan to help you achieve these goals. |
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| I'll see you on the roads |
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| MN Red Founder and Coach |
| Ron Byland |
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| Set Reasonable Goals for Success |
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| If you want the satisfaction and self-esteem of getting the best out of your training, soak in these recognized principles for setting goals and working to achieve them. Then get out and put ‘em to the test. |
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- Get Specific: If you follow the well-worn advice to "do your best," are you sure you really did? If you decide to go for a 10K PR, bench press half your bodyweight, or cut 20 points off your cholesterol count, there's no doubt when you hit the mark. Doing your best is all right, but getting specific is better.
- Choose Difficult but Realistic Goals: If you set an easy goal, such as trying a new sport that doesn't take much effort, you'll achieve a limited sense of achievement. But if you've been fitness walking around town and decide it's time to go and climb a mountain trail, that's a whole different ballgame. There is nothing quite like the sense of well-being that goes with reaching the summit, seeing nothing higher around you than a vast expanse below. And later, your hamstrings will let you know you earned that feeling by paying a price.
- Have Long Term And Short Term Goals: And link them together for maximum effectiveness. Going from 10Ks to a marathon is a worthy goal, but if you tackle the training program in one go, it'll be very tough and you'll greatly increase the risk of injury. But if you spread it out over two or three seasons, and progress through 15K, 10 mile, 20K, half-marathon, and 20-mile races, you'll greatly increase your chances of achieving your marathon goal in a healthy way. And will have set five new standards along the way.
- Set Performance Goals: To play on a soccer team aimed on winning a local league championship is a fine goal. Success will be more likely if each player trains and practices to improve running endurance by 10%, improve 40-yard dash by a whisker, improve agility and balance with dribbling drills, head the ball toward a fixed target to improve accuracy in passing and shooting. You get the gist.
- Write Down Goals: You wouldn't build a house without a blueprint. You shouldn't work toward a goal without a written plan. A long-term goal and the short-term steps written down are like a map and compass to make sure you don't get lost on the way to your goal.
- Develop Goal Achievement Strategies: If you'd like to chip a couple of minutes off your 10K time, you're less likely to achieve it if you just go out and blast six mile runs, as compared to a balanced strategy. Take a slow long run every couple of weeks until you can handle 12 miles, when endurance is not an issue in your 10Ks. Build leg strength by hill running, going hard or bounding uphill and recovering downhill. Or begin resistance intervals on a bike, standing on the pedals. Tempo runs for a couple of miles will get you used to the feel of goal race pace. Then go to the track and run 400- and 200-meter intervals for speed.
- Consider Your Personality: The key is matching your goal with your personality. If you are a low achiever trying to move up a notch, avoid trying to match the goal of a friend who is already a high achiever, or you'll set yourself up for failure. If you're a social animal, you'll achieve more in a team environment.
- Commit: You won't achieve your goal without commitment. This means you have to work conscientiously over a sustained period, and not become sidetracked every now and then. You must track progress at regular intervals. Seeing consistent improvement will increase commitment 110%.
- Develop Goal Support: Going it alone is the rockiest route to your goal. If you are on a team, provide mutual support. Friends can support each other in pursuit of goals, and while this is easier for common goals, it also works for separate goals. Family support is also vital. The people you live with may not be a part of your goal, but you need them to be enthusiastic about your goal and provide positive feedback as you progress.
- Develop Evaluation: You need continuous feedback and evaluation of how you're doing. You may not always progress steadily toward your goal. You may get sick or injured from time to time, or go on a business trip that upsets your program. You must evaluate and make adjustments. You need not change the goal, you may just need to alter the route.
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