While ringing in the New Year a few months ago, I thought it would be a grand idea to run a 5K. Not just participate, but to finish in under 30 minutes.
I created a training schedule based on what I knew of my athletic abilities and what I was able to Google. Last night I found that training schedule, tucked in the back of my calendar.
As of now, I should be able to run over 3.5 miles in 45 minutes.
As of now, I have yet to run over 3 miles.
As of now, I have 4 weeks and 3 days until my first 5K.
My goal for that race? To run 3.1 miles without stopping.
Since I'm not really running over 3 miles yet, I decided to scrap that training schedule and create a new one for the next 4 weeks. Basically my goal is to increase my mileage first, then focus on my pace/speed.
When I run during the week, it's usually a little over 2 miles in about 32 minutes. I use the approximate values because when I run, I use this tracker GPS thing on my phone that maps out where I've been and how long it took me. It's not completely scientific because I waste a few precious seconds trying to get to the application on my phone, but it's good enough for now.
My goals for this week are pretty simple: Run at least 3 times, at least 2 miles each time, with a day off in between. This comes out to a 2 mile run on Tuesday (today), Thursday, and Saturday.
How did I come up with my goals? I make sure that they are S.M.A.R.T.
S- Specific. Running 2 miles at least 3 times a week is pretty specific.
M-Measurable. I can measure my success by asking myself how many times did I run this week? How far did I go?
A- Achievable. I can definitely run 2 miles. I may have to push myself to run 3 times this week but hey, that's what training goals are all about!
R- Realistic. Will I have the time to do this? Is 3 times a week too much? Nah, I don't have any appointments scheduled on Tuesday or Thursday so my time after work is wide open. And I usually work out on Saturday anyway.
T- Timely. My deadline? Saturday. I will need to achieve my specific benchmarks by Saturday in order to achieve my goals.
I was taught this acronym when I was in college earning my accounting degree. Yes, this was actually on a test. We had to apply this concept to numerous business strategies. I also learned it when working for a public accounting firm. We had to set annual performance goals for ourselves using this concept. So it's been ingrained into my brain for quite a few years now. And whaddya know? It still comes in handy!
How to you set your goals? Do you prefer to set smaller goals or just big goals or both?
It's definitely smart to focus on mileage/building a base as opposed to speed. If you work on consistent miles, the speed will come.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kimberly about focus on mielage and not speed. Once you get the milage you can get the speed but I think it's harder the other way around. Don't worry about it... you'll totally be able to dominate that 5k!
ReplyDeleteI like that SMART stuff! I could use that with my students!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely going to be utilizing SMART when I get my training cert and start working with clients on setting goals. You have plenty of time to reach your 5k goal, you are going to rock it!!
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