Are you looking to get faster, stronger, improve your endurance, set a PB in the mile, 5k, 10k, and Half, complete a marathon, get a BQ, win your age group AND throw in some trail races? Maybe you really can accomplish all those goals, but not definitely not all at the same time!

Helping with goal setting is a part of coaching I love and is so important - the goal provides the framework to ensure that each day of training or recovery is purposeful. Focused training leads to quicker results. Here are a few thoughts to consider when you choose your next running goal.

The Goal Hog

Why do you need to choose just one goal? As a runner and a coach, my top priority is keeping myself or my runners healthy, happy and motivated. No injuries, please! And because injury is so common in running, I am super thoughtful when I program training plans and workouts.

For example, speed work and short intervals are associated with overall higher training intensity: greater forces between our body and the ground, increased range of motion in our stride, higher heart rate and more. To survive this kind of training without getting injured requires more recovery days in between workouts. More recovery days means less availability to run a lot.

While training for a long distance race, keep intensity low-to-moderate so you can run lots and lots of miles. Your speed may improve as a result of running a lot, but it’s not the priority and there’s no good opportunity to test it. Testing your higher end speed would require dialing up the intensity, increasing recovery days, and taking the focus off the main goal.

What if I want to do several races?

Some people love doing lots of races and I strongly believe that the training process should be enjoyable. So add more races! But as a coach I recommend choosing one race as the top focus, and I want runners to understand how extra events affect the primary goal. For example: I have had several runners unfortunately get injured after trying out trail races for fun. Simply landing the wrong way can torque your knee, ankle or hip - not to mention the increased possibility of trip and fall due to the challenging terrain. Because both high intensity (speed work) and high mileage (distance training) put the body in a fatigued and compromised state, a trail race is a risky addition.

If you love trail races and don’t want to sacrifice those events, it would be wise to back off training for your primary goal before and after the trail run to lower your risk of injury.

Here is another example: Running shorter road races just for fun or incorporating them into training or workouts is an easy way to fit in more events. But if you really want to test yourself, it’s important to back off training for your primary goal so your legs are fresh for the race.

Speed First

For anyone who is unsure what to focus on, I suggest starting with shorter distances and working on speed first. Why? Quite simply, your top speed is a limiter that affects all your other running paces. If you can improve your speed before training for a half marathon or marathon, your ceiling will be much higher in those longer events.

For example, If you never run much faster than 10minutes per mile and then decide to train for a marathon, your race pace for 26.2 will be slower than 10min/mile. To go longer you need to go slower. But if you focus on speed work by running some intervals and workouts at 8-9minutes per mile, that 10min per mile pace becomes much more comfortable relative to the faster speeds. When you shift your focus to a HM or marathon, you could potentially make 10min/mile pace your goal race pace.

The Marathon

Before signing up for a marathon, consider why you want to run a marathon. Remember that even if you are capable of it, you don’t have to run 26.2. The time and energy commitment required to run the mileage of marathon training is significant and lasts for months. If you’re always tired, you’re probably doing it right.

Jane is a wife, a mom, and works full-time as an engineer. She fit all the training into her busy life, and now she’s a marathoner!

I often feel guilty writing training plans for my marathon runners because I schedule training in all their free time.

I write 100% individualized training plans, so my clients let me know when in their busy schedules they have time to train and then I claim that free time and schedule in lots and lots of running! That’s what it takes to run a marathon.

Even after all the preparation, injury and illness could still arise. Marathoning is for those who are truly passionate about it and have considered all the hard work it will take. If you will enjoy and find value in process of preparation - apart from whatever the outcome may be - then a marathon is a great goal.

Enjoy the Process

There is huge satisfaction in accomplishing any big goal, but this satisfaction is quickly forgotten as we turn our focus to the next goal. Ultimately the best thing about big goals is s not the actual moment of success (or failure), but the focus, purpose and appreciation of progress they bring to daily life. No matter what goal you choose, make sure it’s something you can enjoy working toward.

For my thoughts on attitude, mindset & motivation related to goals, check out Dear Younger Me in my personal blog.

Choosing the Right Goal