1-15-2009 | Planning a Triathlon Season (Part 1 of 2)
by David Glover

Now that we’ve crossed over into the New Year and the official start of a new triathlon season, it’s a good time to do some planning for the upcoming year.  This topic will be a series of four articles geared around planning a triathlon season.

Part I: Goal Setting

Alice: I was just wondering if you could help me find my way.
Cheshire Cat: Well that depends on where you want to get to.
Alice: Oh, it really doesn't matter, as long as...
Cheshire Cat: Then it really doesn't matter which way you go.
-- From Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Goals are important, as they can provide a source of motivation and purposeful direction in both training and racing.  In order to make the most out of this motivation while minimizing potential disappointment for falling short of desired results, I recommend setting performance goals at multiple levels from “pie in the sky” stretch goals to more achievable “baseline” goals.

Here’s an example of setting goals at multiple levels: When one of my coaching clients set a new personal best time in a 10-mile race of 1:27 to best his previous best time by more than seven minutes, he contacted me and said, “I want to finish my next race under 1:20,” then asked, “Is this realistic or should I target 1:23 instead?” he asked me. 

“It’s possible to run under 1:20, but it will be a stretch,” I replied, “As you go faster, those extra minutes of speed become tougher and tougher to find.  By all means, I think you should set that as a stretch goal with a secondary goal to improve by four minutes, which would still be a significant accomplishment.”

He now has two performance goals for his next race:

(1) “Pie in the sky” finish under 1:20 and
(2) Baseline finish under 1:24.

I wanted him to set the stretch goal because without it, he might never achieve it.  I like what Timothy Ferriss (author of the bestselling book The 4-Hour Workweek) says about large, unrealistic goals:

“Having an unusually large goal is an adrenaline infusion that provides the endurance to overcome the inevitable trials and tribulations that go along with any goal.  Realistic goals, goals restricted to the average ambition level, are uninspiring and will only fuel you through the first or second problem, at which point you throw in the towel.  If the potential payoff is mediocre or average, so is your effort.”

Aim high and who knows, you might surprise yourself.

David Glover
www.davidglover.net

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