Great running on Saturday Run Campers!
I hope that you all enjoyed the warmer weather. Hopefully this week and weekend will be similar.
This week is all about Goal Setting.
So what is a goal? The dictionary definition states that a goal is “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.”
But one of my favorite definitions of a goal comes from Fellow Flowers, a small, semi-local company based around encouragement of women in sport – maybe a little less dictionary: “Goals aren’t wishy-washy maybe someday ideas. Goals are action, and when done intentionally, they challenge your greatest fears and ignite your dreams.
This goal, dream or new of living will not be handed to you simply because you want it… your willingness do the work must come from within.
You’ve gotta earn it.
Goals are initiative, grit and will. Goals are getting up early and staying up late to get it done. Goals are fueling your body, soul and spirit properly so you can push through the moments when you will want to quit. Goals are walking away from people who make you feel small and insignificant, and deciding to surround yourself with people who believe in you. Goals are doing the work when no one is watching.”
Maybe you are a goal setter, and you constantly set goals for yourself. If that’s the case, good for you! But not everyone is a consistent goal setter. So, if it’s not something that you think about frequently, here’s a short how to, partially from the Top Achievement Community.
A good goal should be Smart – that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time – Bound. This will help you to make your goal something that is personal to you.
Some of you might be asking what the heck these words in this Acronym have to do with goals.
Specific: A specific goal has a greater chance of being achieved than a general goal. If you can answer the 5 W questions, your goal is specific. For example, a general goal might be “Get in Shape” but a more specific goal would state, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week.”
Measurable: When you measure progress you stay on track. A good way to do this is to track your results – The most obvious example for most of us as runners is to look at mile times and splits. Are they improving? If speed isn’t your goal, find another source of measurement, be it distance or something else.
Attainable: When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals. You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.
Relevant: To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.
Time-Bound: A goal should be bound by a time frame. With no time frame, there is no sense of urgency. Instead of “some-day,” your goal should have a date. “April 17″ or May 14” for instance. When you set a date to achieve you goal by, you subconsciously are setting the wheels in motion to move toward your goal.
So, guess what your challenge is this week? To set a goal! It can be running-related, or not. It should be SMART, and something important and relevant to you.
Gazelle Sports Holland in conjunction with Crossfit Soaring Ledge are hosting a Declare It Day event this Saturday. After our run, you are welcome to head over to Crossfit Soaring Ledge (76 S River Ave, Ste B, Holland, Michigan 49423) for refreshments, and to declare your goal. Write it out, share it. It’s more concrete, more real if you write it down.
All run campers are welcome, and the event page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/878467695606232/
Wednesday we will be meeting at Gazelle Sports.
Complete: 1 mile easy, 1 mile Fartlek, 1 mile recovery
Compete: 1 mile easy, 1 x 3 miles tempo, 1 mile recovery
Saturday we will be meeting at the Civic Center on the corner of 9th and Maple (back lot). I will not have the van, as the Snowmelt Shuffle is going to be taking place as well. So, the van will be at the Civic Center, but we are not meeting by it!
25k/Half:
Complete: 4 miles
Compete: 8 miles
Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6792499
5k/10k:
C25k: 3R/1W x4
5k Complete: 1 mile
5k Compete: 2 miles easy
10k Complete: 2 miles easy
10k Compete: 2.5 miles easy
Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6792499
Alternative: Snowmelt
See you all soon!
~Alli
Gazelle Sports - Holland 