As we settle into the New Year, it is a perfect time to start training for the upcoming racing season. The key to creating an effective training plan and then to staying motivated and excited about what we’ve created for ourselves is a clear set of realistic and measurable goals not only for race outcomes, but also for personal fitness, technique and mental development as well.

To get started, take some time in the next week to think about where you want to be with your sport in a couple years. What is your ultimate goal? I mean the one you are almost hesitant to share with anyone because it seems a bit outrageous, but it is secretly in the back of your mind as you plod along on an easy over-distance run or when you are registering for your next event thinking maybe it could happen this time? Write it down!

Intention is 100% of what it takes to achieve a goal. So set that intention by clearly and specifically articulating in writing where it is you want to be – no matter how far beyond reality it may seem today.

Congratulations! You have now set the stage to get there if you really want it. From this point, it is simply a matter of breaking down the path toward your ultimate goal. I choose to break my path towards excellence into four different aspects of training and racing: fitness, technique and mental development and then race performance.

When writing your goals, focus on the positive – what you want – and phrase them that way. Avoid stating things you don’t want. For example, instead of saying “don’t get sick” say “stay healthy”. There is a lot of power simply in stating positive intentions.

For fitness, think about how many hours per week you want to be training. What is realistic given the reality of your life, keeping in mind that part of fitness includes nutrition, maintaining a work/ family/ social balance, and REST! For example:

• Follow through on my training plan every day – 85% follow through apart from illness.

• Eat a healthy snack of protein, carbs and fat within 30 minutes of the end of each workout.

• Get at least 7 ½ hours of sleep at least 6 days a week.

SUBSCRIBE TO CHECK OUT THE CURRENT ISSUE