Jason Gootman, MS, CSCS & Will Kirousis, BS, CSCS

Tri-Hard Endurance Sports Coaching

USA Triathlon & USA Cycling Certified Coaches

Certified Strength & Conditioning Coaches

For More Information: http://www.tri-hard.com/

This article was originally published in the May 2002 Issue of Triathlete.

There is much more to training for your best performances than the physical aspects of conditioning.  Training your mind is just as important and doing so, begins with goal setting.

When a new athlete approaches us about coaching, the first thing we ask them is to tell us in detail about their goals.  It might seem like we are asking this because knowing their goals is an important part of being able to structure their training. But this is only part of the reason.   When they write down their goals, they are forced to look at them and see their own dreams.  This is important because ultimately, why they hope to achieve their goals, not simply knowing what their goals are, is what motivates them to live well as they chase their athletic (or life) ambitions!

Amazingly, during this communication process, we have found that probably 75% plus athletes have only set very broad, general goals.  Additionally, they have very little idea why these goals are important to them.  Through discussion and various activities, they are able to clarify for themselves what and why they hope to achieve in sport or life, dramatically enhancing their odds of attaining it.

Having both a clear sense of WHERE you would like to go and WHY you would like to go there are critical to providing direction to your successful participation in triathlon.  This knowledge does two things.  First, it will allow your day-to-day living and training to take on more direction and meaning.  Secondly, even the most fantastic achievements are of little meaning if they are not of tremendous importance to you in the moment of achievement and during the journey to their attainment.  Having a very strong understanding of what your goals are and why you are pursuing them can lead you to your greatest achievements, both worldly and personal.  Additionally, the knowledge of where and why you have set your goals can keep you going when the obstacles in your path become large and scary.

So let’s take a more detailed look at the components of effective goal setting and provide some activities to help you more clearly identify your goals.

Step 1.  The Athlete Essay

This is a good starting place for setting goals.  Take 7+ sheets of paper and a pen and go hang out in a quiet place where you will be free of distractions.  It is best if you are well rested and in a positive mood.  Write each of the following sets of questions on the top of each sheet of paper:

What is an athlete?

Why do I like to be an athlete?

What do I like most about being an athlete?

What is the most important thing that I gain from my participation in sport and physical activity?

Is there one thing I would really like to accomplish in sport?

Is there anything else that I would like to accomplish in sport?

WHY would I like to work towards and accomplish these goals?

Then simply ponder one question at a time and let your thoughts flow out onto the paper.  Use as many sheets as you need.  It’s best not to really worry about neatness or grammar; just let your thoughts flow.  Take your time; write down all that is on your mind.  If there’s a lot going on up there, it may be best not to try to tackle all this in one sitting.  You can tackle one question or set of questions a night.  This process may get you thinking about things you have never thought about so feel free to go back and add to parts you already started as new thoughts arise.

When you are all done with this, set the papers aside and leave them alone for 2-3 days.  Then, you are ready for steps 2-5.

Steps 2-5:

Now you are ready to go back and read what you wrote.  Again, make sure to find a quiet place free of distractions (I.e. don’t try to do this while watching a captivating episode of Survivor).  Take your time and read through everything you wrote.  After that, you should be ready to start defining your goals for yourself.

A few notes on defining goals before we move on…

Your goals should be very specific and measurable.  That is, they should be clear, direct, and objective.  I.e. My goal is to complete this years Blackwater Eagleman ½ Ironman in 4:55 and come in the top 5 in my age group.”  A vague, unspecific, and subjective goal would be “I want to kick butt this summer.”  Specific, measurable, objective goals are much better at propelling you forward.

Your goals should have a time frame.  I.e. My goal is to be able to swim 1500 meters in 22 minutes by this July.  Without a time frame, there is really nothing to challenge you to attain your goal.

Your goals should be stated in the positive.  I.e. My goal is to finish in the top 100 at the Ironman.  This goal stated in the negative would be, “I don’t want to finish out of the top 100 at the Ironman.”  Positive goals create a positive state of mind!

Your goals should be challenging.  That means that they should not be easy.  They should stretch you.  They should also be realistic and not too far out of your reach that they are impossible.  Only you know what are challenging, realistic goals for you.  That being said, the help of an objective, experienced coach or even friend can be helpful if they know you very well.

Step 2.  Define Attitude/Outlook Goals

The first thing you want to clearly identify for yourself is the attitude you want to take to your participation in triathlon.  This is the attitude you want to have about the sport, about training, and about racing.  This is a very personal and individual view that is unique to you.  Using all that you thought about, wrote about, and then read, you should be able to see what is most important to you and what attitude will allow you to foster the kind of experience you would like to have.  It is very important to have a goal of this nature.  Although less tangible and measurable, it assures that you can have “success” through having the kind of experience you desire regardless of performance outcomes.

Title a new piece of paper: GOALS, then list your Attitude/Outlook Goals just under the title.

Examples of Attitude/Outlook Goals:

My goal is to use my participation in triathlons to help me to create and continually foster friendships with other active, health conscious people.

My goal is to work with determination and perseverance toward my very challenging performance goals while maintaining an attitude of fun and play throughout the journey.

Step 3.  Define Life Performance Goal

Next, you should be ready to identify what is the biggest, grandest thing you would like to accomplish in sport.  Don’t hold back.  All great things start with a vision.  If there is something you would really like to do, something you have a burning desire to do, it can be your Life Performance Goal.

Now, not all athletes will feel like they have such a goal and that’s fine.  If that’s the case, then simply move on.  But for athletes who have this kind of desire it is imperative that they identify it for themselves, since this goal is what drives all yearly and short-term goals.

Examples of Life Performance Goals:

My goal is to qualify for and run the Boston Marathon before my 55^th birthday.

My goal is to complete the Hawaii Ironman in less than 11 hours.

My goal is to run under 17 minutes in my town’s 5K race.

My goal is to complete at least one triathlon every year of my life.

Step 4.  Define Annual Performance Goals

Next you should define your goals for the upcoming year or similar period of time.  These are your Annual Performance Goals.  These goals should challenge you to grow in the direction of your Life Performance Goals and reflect your Attitude/Outlook goals.

Examples of Annual Performance Goals:

My goal is to race under 5:30 at the FIRM Half-Ironman on September 12^th.

My goal is to complete the New York Marathon on November 3^rd.

Step 5.  Define Short-Term Goals

From your longer-range goals, it is important to set short-term goals which will challenge you to grow on a daily basis.  For many athletes, it works well to identify new short-term goals each time they create or their coach creates their new short term training plan (i.e. Every Month, 2-Weeks, Week or similar period of time).  Although your Life Performance Goal and Annual Performance goals set the stage for your participation in sport, it is the short-term goals that form the foundation of your success.  These goals ask you to take small steps each day that prepare you to attain your Annual Performance and Life Performance Goals.  These should be based not only on your performance goals but on your Attitude/Outlook goals as well.

Examples of short-term goals:

My goal is to get to bed by 9:30 each night this week.

My goal is to run an aerobic time trial at 7:30 pace by the end of April.

My goal is to maintain a positive attitude when my race gets really tough this weekend.

My goal is to eat one fresh salad and at least 4 fresh fruits each day this week.

My goal is to spend lots of time playing with my kids after this weekends race so that we can spend some time together and so they can experience the joys of play and nature and physical activity.

Step 6.  Continual Evaluation and Re-Setting of Goals

The last and final step in effective goal setting is continual evaluation of your progress and the setting of new goals.  At the end of each day, each training period, after races, and at the end of a year or season are all good times to evaluate your progress towards your goals.  At this time you should also consider your personal feelings.  This is because the learning that comes with life and time is likely to change you.  With all this in mind you can continually re-set your goals both long and short-term to guide you in the direction you would like to go.

Goal setting is a helpful way to get the most out of your self as a person.  We hope that the method of goal setting we’ve laid out in this article can help you to reach your best!