I wrote my goals down in late December on the white board, see picture below.
I have been keeping my goals on a white board for a number of years. I hope if I see the goals everyday, or at least a few times a week, it can help remind me what I am working toward, and embed it in my head.
The white board is now in our new "training room.", so I see it almost everyday, either when I go in there to get stuff or ride my bike.
Also, I write down why I have the goals. I give reasons. I heard\read once that if you have goals, you should have reasons, so I have reasons. I think they are good reasons.
Here are my goals:
Some of my goals are similar to previous years. I think the goals are set are doable for me. I think I have missed my goals in previous years because I have not been able to put in the training time.
I think if I went back to being coached, and really focused, I could hit my goals. Since I am not a pro, and I have other things going on in my life, I will probably not get a coach again, and I probably will not be able to put in the time. This is fine, I don't want triathlon to be my life. It is my hobby, I like doing it, and it helps keep me healthy and it fun, most of the time.
I don't think these goals are physically impossible for me to reach. I think they are possible if I train properly. I have confidence that this year, I might get close to my bike goal. I have gone over 23MPH (23.2 or 23.3 MPH), so I should be able to get to 23.5MPH+. I have started off this year with a lot of biking and biking hard.
My run goal, I am not so sure about. I think I can hit the 5K/3mi goal. The 10K goal is going to be more difficult. I was close to both in 2008, but have not been close since. Basically, I am trying to get back to my 2008 10K time. On the treadmill recently, I did a 5K and I was a bit over 23 minutes, with tired legs, and I have been running 4+mile treadmill workouts with intervals that should help me hit my goal. My early year test, the 8K (~5 miles) Irish for a Day race in St. Paul is my early season test. I have a goal for this race of going under 38 minutes. I don't write this goal down because it is so early in the year and mainly I do the race to see where I am at.
I really, really want to get under 2.5 hours for an Olympic distance triathlon. I have gone 2:31 I in the St. Croix Valley Oly, so I just need to drop that minute. I think it going to hinge on me going close to or under 48 minutes for a 10K.
I have registered for two triathlons in a weekend. Two sprints in one weekend. See how that goes....I would like to do better than just to do the two triathlons. I want to be able to do them both at about the same time. They are both similar distance races, so it will be a good test.
Going faster at 40, in my 40s, than in my 30s, is more a matter of staying in shape and not getting injured.
So, those are my goals for the year. I really doing like seeing the sun rise as I am getting in ready in transition, or driving to a race. I think it is really cool.
I have been keeping my goals on a white board for a number of years. I hope if I see the goals everyday, or at least a few times a week, it can help remind me what I am working toward, and embed it in my head.
The white board is now in our new "training room.", so I see it almost everyday, either when I go in there to get stuff or ride my bike.
Also, I write down why I have the goals. I give reasons. I heard\read once that if you have goals, you should have reasons, so I have reasons. I think they are good reasons.
Here are my goals:
- Ave Speed 23.5 MPH for 10+ miles
- 10K faster than 48 minutes off the bike.
- Open 10K faster than 46:30
- Faster than 2.5 hours for an Olympic distance triathlon
- Faster than 21:30 for a 5K/3mi
- Faster at 40 than I was in my 30s
- Do a back-to-back race weekend
- Sunrises
- Feeling of accomplishment you can only get from racing
- The challenge
- It is fun
- Get faster as I get older
- Because I can
Some of my goals are similar to previous years. I think the goals are set are doable for me. I think I have missed my goals in previous years because I have not been able to put in the training time.
I think if I went back to being coached, and really focused, I could hit my goals. Since I am not a pro, and I have other things going on in my life, I will probably not get a coach again, and I probably will not be able to put in the time. This is fine, I don't want triathlon to be my life. It is my hobby, I like doing it, and it helps keep me healthy and it fun, most of the time.
I don't think these goals are physically impossible for me to reach. I think they are possible if I train properly. I have confidence that this year, I might get close to my bike goal. I have gone over 23MPH (23.2 or 23.3 MPH), so I should be able to get to 23.5MPH+. I have started off this year with a lot of biking and biking hard.
My run goal, I am not so sure about. I think I can hit the 5K/3mi goal. The 10K goal is going to be more difficult. I was close to both in 2008, but have not been close since. Basically, I am trying to get back to my 2008 10K time. On the treadmill recently, I did a 5K and I was a bit over 23 minutes, with tired legs, and I have been running 4+mile treadmill workouts with intervals that should help me hit my goal. My early year test, the 8K (~5 miles) Irish for a Day race in St. Paul is my early season test. I have a goal for this race of going under 38 minutes. I don't write this goal down because it is so early in the year and mainly I do the race to see where I am at.
I really, really want to get under 2.5 hours for an Olympic distance triathlon. I have gone 2:31 I in the St. Croix Valley Oly, so I just need to drop that minute. I think it going to hinge on me going close to or under 48 minutes for a 10K.
I have registered for two triathlons in a weekend. Two sprints in one weekend. See how that goes....I would like to do better than just to do the two triathlons. I want to be able to do them both at about the same time. They are both similar distance races, so it will be a good test.
Going faster at 40, in my 40s, than in my 30s, is more a matter of staying in shape and not getting injured.
So, those are my goals for the year. I really doing like seeing the sun rise as I am getting in ready in transition, or driving to a race. I think it is really cool.