Daily Chatter

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Life giggles

For those who follow me on Daily Mile it will come as no surprise that I will more than likely be going into a streak of Ultras without any consecutive runs over 15 miles.  That is not really ideal when you consider I will be running 31+ trails miles twice within two weeks potentially followed by a trail 50 miler in early April.
To say that I am nervous about that point would be true.  But I have put in some serious weekly mileage.  I have done a bit more cross training
still not nearly enough. 

Life is sometimes like that.  You make plans and set goals. 
Life however giggles at your attempt to control things as it throws you curve balls. 
The best thing to do when you are served a curve ball is to adjust your swing so that is what I will do.
As I approach the final two weeks before the Seneca Greenway Trail 50k I will adjust my mindset. 
Add a few levels to my mental goals.
Since this will be my second time at this event the obvious A Goal is to better my time.
With the experience I have gotten over the past year in racing this distance on trails I should be able to accomplish that factoring weather conditions somewhat.
But another factor for how I run Seneca will be the HAT Run two weeks after.
The HAT Run is a new course for me.  It is also a much harder course.  This makes goals difficult to set. 
And before goals are finalized there is one last factor for my early spring racing.

and my position on the ever shortening wait list.
This would be a new distance, new course, new adventure for me.
This would be a PR no matter what.
Well, assuming I finish and that would be the goal.  To finish.

So I ask you experienced and new runner friends alike,
What strategy would you use for goal setting?

5 comments:

  1. I think with your high weekly mileage, you'll have no problems with those ultras!

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  2. You'll have no problems whatsoever doing these races, Shelly!! But I think you and I are very similar and want to do well when we race and see improvement so it's hard to not wonder. But you will get it, you will!

    Goals for Jill: learn to accept that I can no longer have goals...my heel pain is here to stay I fear so back to just run for awhile.

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  3. I usually set some long term goals. These are longer runs most of the time (50km – 100 miler or multi day). I then set smaller goals to use as milestones to achieve on my way to the bigger, long term goals (all part of training for the big goals). If I realize some big (long or difficult) race goal is not achievable I move it to the next year and change the focus to my next big goal. This way I stay motivated even if certain goals are only reached a year later. As long as I always have a goal to focus on.

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  4. Of course I'm not an ultra OR trail runner and the goal setting is probably quite different, but I like to have three "time" goals - I think I can, I know I can and I HOPE I can.

    GOOD LUCK! You've done enough. You're a star!

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  5. I believe that the high weekly mileage has given you the endurance needed to make it through these reaces very successfully.. I am pumped to see how it all turns out. GOOD LUCK!!

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