The Relay: Goal Setting - The What, Why and How of Running

by Claire Green, Relay Squad Contributor

As much as you may love to run, there will always be days when the last thing you feel like doing is lacing up and heading out the door. Yes, running can be an escape, an energizer, a boost to your self-esteem, but it’s also hard work. Overcoming these tough days makes us better athletes, so having the tools to deal with mental roadblocks is essential.

I’ve used goal setting for years to push myself through training rough patches. Having a goal in mind can help get us moving on the days when our motivation is lacking, but it can also serve as a healthy reminder for why we run in the first place.

To set useful goals, you need to identify three things: what you are running to accomplish, how you will work to accomplish it and why you are working towards this accomplishment. I like to call these your Ultimate, Process, and Lifestyle goals. As you begin to establish your goals, try to reflect on why you began to run, and how you feel it enriches your life.

The outcome of having established goals is to not only continually challenge yourself but to make sure you do so in a healthy manner. Write each goal down so you can refer back to them as you continue with your running journey.

1. Ultimate Goal - Your ‘What’

Your Ultimate Goal is the results-based goal you are working towards. It is the easiest to identify and is the goal that initially gets us out the door. It can be anything from finishing your first 5K, to making running a part of your weekly schedule, but it should be distinctly measurable. A good way to identify your Ultimate Goal is to think about how you would answer the question, “What are you training for?”. That answer to this is your Ultimate Goal. For example, ‘I will sign-up for and finish a 5K race’, ‘I will run 3 days a week’, or ‘I will break 40 minutes in a 10K’.

2. Process Goals - Your ‘How’

Process Goals are the steps you’ll take to achieve your Ultimate Goal. These are the goals that can help you finish the runs where you feel like quitting. Often, I find that even after I’ve started a run, I need another mental boost to make myself commit to finishing what I’ve started. Process Goals serve as reminders for why we are running, and the ways in which each individual run will benefit us.

Start by answering the question, “What do I need to do to work towards my Ultimate Goal?”. The bigger your Ultimate Goal, the more Process Goals you will need to set. These goals will likely change throughout your training, so it is crucial to have them written down. For example, ‘I will build towards running for 30 minutes without stopping’, ‘I will designate time for a run or walk every Monday, Wednesday and Friday’, or ‘I will get a speed session in at least once every week’. Remember that you can and likely should have more than one.

3. Lifestyle Goals - Your ‘Why’

Ultimately, your Lifestyle Goal is the most important part of goal setting. This is the goal that helps foster a love of running over a longer period of time. Running should be adding value and creating joy in our lives. You don’t need to love it every single day. In fact, it may feel like a daily battle. But the ultimate outcome of running should be to add positivity to your life. When you are faced with days where each step feels like a battle, try to focus on why you began your running journey in the first place.

For example, ‘I run because I want to challenge myself to try new things’, ‘I run because I want to lead a more active life’, or ‘I run because it gives me joy to learn the amazing things my body can accomplish’.

Think of it like this: your Ultimate Goal is what gets you out the door, your Process Goal is what pushes you to finish the run, and your Lifestyle Goal is what makes you do it all again tomorrow. Purposeful running is happy running, so use your goals to help bring the focus back to each run. Get after those goals and run with joy.

Ready to set your goals? Share them with us in the comments below and get started on your goal-oriented new path!

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