What are your (immediate) goals?

[ilanarama]

Let's talk about running goals. These can be simply time or distance (like, to be able to run 10 miles, or to be able to run 3 miles without stopping, or to run a mile in under 10 minutes), or a time goal for an upcoming race.

I've got a half marathon coming up in just under two weeks. I've been really focusing on this one, because I've run it twice before, each time with a time a bit more than two hours. This spring, I have been training really hard, and I have a number of goals:

Fallback goal: better than 1:56 (my current half marathon PR)
Stated goal: better than 1:50
Seekrit goal: 1:48:xx
All the stars align and someone throws magic pixie dust on me: better than 1:48

I try to set multiple goals for every race. Usually I make my stated goal (but not always; last time I did this race my goal was 2 hours, and I missed it by nearly 4 minutes), sometimes I make my seekrit goal, and I have never made my pixie dust goal but that doesn't stop me from trying!

Comments

[lyras]

Now that I've reached my goal of being able to run 5 km comfortably again, I want to reduce the time it takes (I'm currently ridiculously slow). So my next goal is to run 5k in 35 mins.

Good luck in your half! When I was running longer distances, I set myself three goals: one I'd be happy with if I had a bad day, one that I should be able to achieve, and one I'd be delighted with. It definitely helped me to be realistic on the day.

Also, I love your icon.

[ilanarama]

That's a good goal! I have been simultaneously working on extending the distance I run, and on running my shorter runs faster. It's amazing how really working at it has made me improve: this morning my workout included several 2K intervals at a pace that a month ago I couldn't even reach for a short distance.

And my icon is my footies crossing the finish line of a race I did 3 years ago!

[lyras]

That's great that you've seen such a difference in your speed. I'm looking forward to getting faster now. *g*

I saw that your icon was of you when I looked at your journal. It's a great pic!

[gnomad]

Hmm...well, the immediate goal is to get comfortable doing a continuous 5k. I'm also seriously thinking about signing up for a 10k in October to give me something to plan toward; I do well with deadlines. Plus I'd really love to try build toward longer distances. And, well, in my head 10k is long.

Good luck with the half marathon!

Hello, *waves*

[blnchflr]

10k in RL is a lot longer than 10k in my head! It surprises me every time how hard it is :o)

Re: Hello, *waves*

[gnomad]

Hi! It is good to know I'm not alone. When I first started running a 5k I thought it was insanely long. I had been doing the Couch 2 5K podcasts, which are time based, and when I finally looked up how far I was going each time and realized it was only about a mile and a half. *facepalm*

[ilanarama]

A friend of mine who does a walk/run program (the Galloway method) is working on that, too. She can walk/run a marathon but can't run for a whole 5K - but she said that she is pushing her run intervals longer but running them more slowly, and shortening the walk intervals, and it seems to be working.

10K is a good distance! I have only ever run one 10K and I screwed up the pacing and came in with a terrible time, so I am looking for a rematch.

[gnomad]

She can walk/run a marathon but can't run for a whole 5K - but she said that she is pushing her run intervals longer but running them more slowly, and shortening the walk intervals, and it seems to be working.

This gives me hope!!

[blnchflr]

Yay, let's talk about running goals! I have fallback/stated/sekkrit goals for races, too, heh.

[Edited because my previous time-keeping was apparently way off, so my immediate goals need to be revised *sadface*]

I ran 5.5k today, and the primary goal was to run the whole way, not stop and walk. I met that goal, but I sure expected my time to be better: It took me close to 39 mins. So I'm a long way from running 5k in 30 mins, boo.

My next immediate goal, instead, will be to run/walk almost-8k in 55 mins.

[ilanarama]

Heh, it does help to have a watch. I have this really fancy Garmin GPS-watch that records time and distance and heart rate and probably stock market prices, too. Good luck!

[blnchflr]

Came back to check what my stated goal was - I thought I'd been silly and stated I'd be in shape for the ½-marathon yesterday, but at least I hadn't, *g*.

I did however meet my 8k/55mins goal twice in July, so yay!

I'm looking into getting a watch, because it would be better than looking at random clocks with no seconds-hand and doing ballpark figures :o)

[coverallthebasses]

I'm running my first 10K on July 25! My first distance race was a 5K that I ran in mid-May and I finished with a time of 32:40 so for my 10K, ideally I'd like to get around 1:10:00 but we'll see how training goes!

I like your idea of multiple goals. I'll have to think about mine more in depth as the weeks go by!

[ilanarama]

That's awesome - good luck for the 10K! The runworks calculator predicts a time of just under 1:08 based on that 5K, and if you have been improving since then you might even do better.

I have not yet run a 10K to my satisfaction. I keep having pacing issues - in other words, I go out too fast and I limp miserably to the finish line. Well, I did that twice, in the two 10Ks I have run. I hope you manage yours better than that.