Your Two Most Important Athletic Goals
I learned these from The Non-Runner’s Marathon Training Guide, but they really make sense for any kind of athletic endeavor, particularly like these runs and bike rides. Here are your two most important athletic goals with any event:
1) No injuries
2) Finish
In particular, the Non-Runner’s Marathon Training Guide asks that you not have a time goal for your marathon, but instead you simply focus on these two goals instead. Similarly, while I sometimes give myself targets to aim for in terms of how quickly I finish something–like a century or metric century (100 kilometers, about 62 miles)–the reality is that for someone like me who is in competition only with myself and the elements, the actual goals are just those: to not hurt myself and to be able to say I finished.
I think that we’re raised in a competitive society–it is, in many ways, the American way. But while competition is indeed healthy, it’s important to be clear about who you’re really competing with. I’m not trying to finish 100 miles on the bike faster than my neighbor or even faster than other 40 somethings; I’m battling the heat, the rain, the wind, and myself. When I struggled through the marathon last December, I was fighting the heat and my bum knee–and yes, I did finish, even though I hurt more than I ever have. Fortunately, I had no lasting injuries, just some bad blisters and soreness.
Do I wish I was faster? Sure. An old training adage says train your weaknesses and race your strengths–my strength is endurance, so I wish all rides were forever. I don’t like getting left in the dust by riders who are faster than me, and so I do work on speed, but I realize that I’m not a racer, and I’m not trying to be, so what’s important, most of all, is what I said above: no injuries and finish.
Hope to see you not injure yourself and finish your personal big run or ride soon!
May 13th, 2009 at 9:18 am
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