Goals

I have been talking to a few friends about race goals the other day. Maybe it's because I'm very outcome-focussed at work (I've had more than one leaving card signed with the phrase "what's your objective?") or because John Bingham does a good chapter on goals, strategy and tactics.

For new runners, I've always warned against time goals. So you finish a marathon under four hours but injure yourself, is that a goal met? Or you finish really well but in 4:01 and beat yourself up for 61 seconds? That's not me. My goals have been pretty simple: finish the same day I start, with a smile on my face, and injury free. That was my Berlin goal. I didn't have a smile on my face when I finished - so maybe that is why I found myself running Athens one year later!

Now I have run two marathons I have learned a lot about running I feel ready for a time goal. I think this will push me to focus on what usually falls apart between my 20 mile training runs (with good 3 hour finish times) and my actual marathons (with 5 hour finish times!) Also it gives me a pace to focus on for the run. Will I be gutted if I don't make my time? Not really. I will be very concerned mid-race if I don't because it means something has gone wrong! But the goals for London Ultra: to finish the same day I start, to finish strong and injury free, to finish with a smile on my face, to feel like I could not have done any better.