Oops, I forgot to Set A Goal

I finished a long-run the other day, and felt pretty good. The distance was in the medium range for my long runs, but it was enough to get me tired. As I refueled afterwards, my satisfaction started to fade. The run itself was fine, but how did it fit into my overall plan?

I've been a runner for over thirty years and a coach for nearly twenty-five. I'm always ready to learn new things, but I have a pretty good idea what I need to do to establish goals and set up a training program. What was going on here?

The easy answer is that I lost focus. That sports cliche is actually based in truth. It is rare that the winner of a marathon will confess at the awards ceremony, "I had no idea what I was doing out there. I was daydreaming the whole way." Successful athletes have a plan and ways to adapt the plan, and don't stray too far from it. Focus matters.

Beyond focus is a larger issue. You can't have focus without a goal. What was your goal for today and how does it match up with your bigger goals? If you know the answer, congratulations. You are well on the way to success. If you are like the rest of us, it's time to do some work.

I realized that for me, the lack of goal setting was not because I didn't know what to do. I've had plenty of experience setting and reaching goals. The reason was avoidance. If you don't set a goal, you can't fail, right? The problem is that you can't succeed either.

When I look at my situation, I also realized I was making the mountain too high by creating an endless list of things that needed to be in place before I could set goals. It's an icy winter, so it's too soon for speed work... My long runs aren't where I want them yet... I'm busy with work...Blah, blah, blah. I wouldn't allow those excuses in someone I was coaching, so why was I making them?

I don't believe that every action we take has to revolve around a larger goal. It's fine to be spontaneous. But the benefit of goals is that they help round things into shape, and help you make decisions on how to spend your time and effort. While reaching your goals can be challenging, having goals tends to make day to day decisions easier.

Part of the process for me is to remove clutter. That includes both physical and mental clutter. What are the things clogging your path? Start pruning, purging and organizing, and that path becomes much easier to follow.

There is also power in sharing your goals. You may want to keep a few to yourself, but sharing can also help draw in the outside resources you might need. Want to run a marathon in 2009? Find a training program and/or training group. Looking for a new job? Let people know you are looking. Want a new relationship? Put yourself out there.

I still have some clutter to remove, but I'm not waiting to set my goals. I'm turning them loose by sharing a few with you:

• I turn 50 in June, so I'm training for a marathon this year. I probably won't have a time goal, but want to use ChiRunning and enjoy the experience.


• I want to act on all your suggestions on how to make TSL events better than ever. That means I'm actively looking for more sponsorships.


• I'm looking to use my knowledge and skills to help others meet their goals. That means I'm looking for work, either projects or jobs, where I can add value (project management, writing, coaching, cone moving).

What are your goals? Share them on our Facebook page in the discussions section. By turning them loose you'll me amazed by the power that flows back to you.

Resource guide:

There is no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to goal setting and motivation. Here are some great resources:

Books:

Galloway Training Programs by Jeff Galloway

ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-free Running by Danny Dreyer

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude by Jeffrey Gitomer

The Passion Test by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood

Local Workshops and gatherings:

Live Dynamite with Cathy Paper and Maryanne O'Brien (they are both runners)

Time for Stories

Every day the stories seem more bleak. More layoffs, more Ponzi schemes, more bad financial news. I admire ostriches for having enough sense to put their heads in the ground and ignore it all!

We did a survey last summer and found most runners were not cutting back significantly in their running expenses because they consider them to be essential. That may have changed slightly since then, but we're seeing race registration purring along, people buying running shoes and getting excited about a chance to run outside with a little warm-up.

Most of us can't ignore the bad news entirely. But we can use some of our best human skills, the ones that have kept our species alive for so long. We can connect with other people, share our stories, and work together to make things better.

A new president has asked us to do just that. There are glimmers of hope. For many of us, running is a great metaphor for times like these. Yes, sometimes it is hard, but moving forward will lead to something better, sharing will lead to something richer, and persevering will lead to something lasting.

For those who have lost jobs recently, I encourage you to maintain your connections. Running can be a great way to keep social, keep active, and keep sane. Reach out to your running partners or group, and let them reach out to you. Don't disappear, come to races too. We're offering a special $10 entry fee for the St Patrick's Day Human Race for people recently laid off. Join us and join your friends.

Continue to tell your stories. Stories keep us connected, keep us inspired. Online social networking is so popular for a reason. It allows people to tell the stories of their lives, and see the stories of their friends. Tell us your stories. Find us on Facebook and drop us a note. How is your running going? What about your job search? Reach out to others who want to hear, and want to help.

We all have our own stories, but sometimes we want to be lost in someone else's story. Movies have the power to tell stories in ways that pull us in. There are many inspirational running movies (and some dreadful ones too). I've incorporated a list of fabulous running movies into six-week training programs posted on our Facebook page. These movies combine entertainment with inspiration.

Of course, there is no substitute for face-to-face interactions. Training partners , training groups and running clubs all fill that role. Jeff Galloway, Olympian and marathon training guru, recommends that each person in a training group bring a story to tell on a long run. By the time you get to your marathon, you are not only ready to run, you've become a better storyteller and listener.

The snow will melt, the economy will heat up and jobs will return. Your running will be part of what makes things better. Your stories will be part of what makes things richer.