Setting Goals, having a plan and reaching for it

As I sat down to Finally Delve into my LAVA magazine, I stumbled upon a great article. Well, a few actally. But this one stands out to me and I thought I'd Post.

The article starts out talking about a Amateur athlete, Meredith Kessler, who completed 17 Ironman races with respectable times in the 11 hour range. She did this over 7 years while working full time and maintaining a social calendar. (Dont ask me how she did this)

She was asked what she hoped to achieve in the sport and her answer was "to be good". The article went on to say this lacked a clearly defined vision or dream, something for her to latch onto and to use when her training got hard, fatigue set in, when things didn't seem to be going the right way.

Less than 3 years later she was Ironman Champion with a time of 9:13. They say it wasn't by accident it was by creating a concrete goal and developing a plan to reach it. She did this by training smarter. Not Longer.

Set your own goals with these 4 steps:

Establish your North Star- Your meaningful goal.It doesn't have to be a time goal. just a goal to serve as a constant reminder why you are putting in the hours of training. This will act as the stimulus on the days you are struggling. Believe me, I have used this already a few times. Be focused and remain Patient.

One of my goals this year is the Ironman. But I am also focusing on running smoother and acing my nutrition. 2 things that hinder my performance at times.

Assess your life and Training- Look back on how you have approached things up until now. You should look beyond sport and consider all the stressors including work, relationships, family , finances, etc. You need to have a plan that will work and also maintain a balance in every aspect of your life. Its going to take some sacrifice. I get up at 4-5AM to workout, I get in another workout at 8PM when my daugher goes to bed. I make it happen. Don't obsess though, you miss a workout you miss it. Move on. It will only drive you mental.

Create your plan- There are some components that are necessary for every training program; Progression and RECOVERY!!! Cycling should be a central focus as it is the longer of the 3 sports. It is impossible to improve in all 3 sports at the same time so focus on one at a time.

Follow your plan and maintain your training values- Follow it but be flexible at the same time and be willing to adjust when needed. The plan should be integrated into your life not piled on to stress you out.

So in ending, What is your long term plan?? Do you plan ahead and build your season with progression, recovery and consistency??

I love that my coach does this for me. I can call her, email, text whenever and tell her how Im feeling and we adjust accordingly. Don't be afraid to say you are fatigued. You know your body and what it can take.

Happy Training!!