Dreams, Goals & Reality
The difference between dreams and goals for races is the training that actually happens.
Not the training plan, the actual training.
Our preparation is what allows us to achieve our goals. Sometimes, great training turns our dreams into realistic goals, and sometimes lack of training turns realistic goals into dreams.
The latter is what happened to me leading up to my race tonight, the Tracksmith 5000m in Detroit.
Initially, my goal was to run under 18 minutes without having to max out my effort. This is because I no longer have any desire to max out my effort ever since retiring from professional running. I enjoy pushing myself, but not to the max.
In order to achieve my goal I needed to get fit enough to run at least 17:30 in the 5K max effort. Then at less than max effort I could finish in 17:5x.
But I hit some rough patches in training with a lot of fatigue and (predictably) opted not to push through it. My mileage has been lower than intended and the reality is, I did not train enough to get my goal. Tonight, max effort might get me 17:59.
My original goal is now a bit of a dream, and my new goal (based on reality) is somewhere under 1830. I’m going to run hard and I’m not going to run max effort.
I think it’s important when lining up to have a good clear view of what you’re capable of and what kind of effort you’re willing to put out. Certain key workouts can help you determine what to expect in races. There’s a lot of uncertainty when lining up for a race, but there’s no uncertainty in the training that you did because you’ve already done it.
Depending on the length of the race is still possible to get your dream goal if everything clicks, and you don’t start out too slow. Maybe you’ll feel great and have a big negative split and come under your dream goal. That happened to me once. But the 5000m is pretty short so if I start out at the pace that my training indicates makes sense, I won’t have enough time to make up the deficit even if I feel great and run a big negative split.
Do I want to start out fast with my dream goal in mind? Should I be optimistic and hope that I feel great even though I haven’t done the training to back it up? Or should I start out at the pace that I think is smart, knowing that my dream goal will be off the table if I do?
The old me, the one who was always willing to push to max effort, would opt with optimism. But tonight I’m going to run smart and hard (but not to my limits), and just have some fun while I’m at it.
Nicole Sifuentes is a full-time Running Coach for adults of all ages and abilities. She is a former professional runner and 2-time Olympian, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Read more about her services, and schedule your free coaching consultation.