Goal Setting for Endurance Athletes

Goals to help you motivate yourself

Setting realistic goals for yourself is very important when it comes to being an endurance athlete.  Without proper planning and preparation, it’s not likely that you’ll reach whatever it is you’re after.  Knowing where you’re heading and how you’re going to get there is key. 

Goals are the road maps to where you want to get to.  Want to break 20 minutes for a 5k?  Plot out the steps you think are necessary to achieve that goal.

 While everyone would like to set a big PR every time they raced, chances are, that’s not going to happen.  Setting goals and working on the steps to achieve those goals will prepare you for success – in running and in your non-running life.

Not sure what steps to take to reach your next goal? Follow the guide below and check back often to see what kind of progress you are making. Make sure your goals are tangible and measurable. For strategy, you should include the specific steps you’ll take to achieve your goal. The date should be the date you expect to reach your goal. Include dates of checkpoints too. You’ll want to make sure you are on track and this will help you with that.

Creating Goals

Want to set goals of your own?  Here are the 3 pieces of the pie for you to get started.  You need to have a goal, a strategy, and a target date.

• Goal (outcome we want to happen)
• Strategy (how will I achieve this goal?)
• Target Date (when and where will this happen?)

For your own goal setting fill out the form below. Remember, make them obtainable, measurable, and specific.  You’ll be added to my Friday newsletter as well.

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Searching for a running coach? TrainwithMarc has flexible schedules, dynamic plans, and access to a coach who’s worked with every type of runner.

TrainwithMarc will design a training plan based on your needs, running history, and your goals.

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Marc is a middle school Special Education teacher and the distance track and cross country coach who also works with distance runners seeking personal bests. He blogs at TrainwithMarc.com and writes a Friday newsletter. You can find everything Marc is working on here.