Neuqua Valley Men's Cross Country

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Goal Setting - Neuqua Valley Cross Country

“To successfully arrive at your destination, you must first KNOW where you are going.”

Key thought: Understand that it is not the actual goal setting that leads to success, but rather the process of achieving that follows. Before considering any specifics in the goal setting process, first consider and answer these questions:

1. What do you value or what is really important to you?

2. How would you define success?

3. Why do you run? What do you hope to gain from running cross country?

Put this sheet aside for a couple of days. After the couple of days, re-read and make any changes to what you wrote. It is important you come to terms with what you feel. After this understanding is reached, you will be increasing your likelihood of a tremendously successful and satisfying running career.

Here are some basic guidelines to think about before you begin to set your goals:

1. Be realistic. A goal that is unrealistic will not seem possible and you won’t strive to achieve it.

2. Be exciting. A goal can be too easy and not give you any inspiration. A goal should have some challenge to it. It should inspire you to do everything you can to achieve it.

3. Be measureable. All goals need to be able to be measured. If a goal is not measurable, then the concept of progress is lost.

4. Be time oriented. All goals need to have time in mind. You want to achieve the goal by a certain date.

5. Be under your control. Goals stated in terms of winning, All-State, All-American, placing, or being selected are outcome goals and not performance goals. They all involve inputs that are under someone else’s control. If you concentrate on performance goals, the outcome goals, like winning a state championship, take care of themselves.

6. Be better; improve! Small steps taken consistently and persistently add up to giant leaps.

7. Be flexible. Goals may need to be adjusted after a while. For example, if one of your short term goals is to improve forty seconds over last year on the same courses and your times are over a minute faster, it might be wise to set a higher goal.

Performance Goals

It is time to establish your performance goals. Use the space below to write your running goals down. After writing each goal, check with the rules above and make sure each goal meets the requirements described. Your goals should be classified into three main categories: short term, intermediate, and long term goals. Short term goals are what you want to achieve in the current season or two weeks from now. Intermediate goals are within the coming year. These goals might involve the upcoming winter and track season. Long term goals are goals you want to achieve by the time you graduate and beyond.

Short term goals:

Intermediate goals:

Long term goals:

Process Goals

Once the performance goals are established, attention must turn to identifying the capabilities which must be strengthened to contribute to attaining these goals.

Once these capabilities are identified (i.e. strength, speed, knowledge, mental skills, nutrition, injury prevention, etc.), attention then focuses on developing a process of preparation that will result in increased capabilities.

Specific process goals should be established. For each of the capabilities identified above, write short, intermediate, and long term goals for each. Be sure to refer back to the rules of goal setting while writing these.

1. Strength Training – pushups, core exercises, pull-ups, etc.

Short:

Intermediate:

Long:

2. Training – mileage, pace, consistency, etc.

Short:

Intermediate:

Long:

3. Mental Skills/ Preparation for Races and Practice – routines, sleep, hydration, shoe rotation/purchases, mental rehearsals, etc.

Short:

Intermediate:

Long:

4. Nutrition – good foods, fluids, junk to avoid, weight management

Short:

Intermediate:

Long:

5. Injury Prevention – stretching, specific exercises to strengthen weak areas

Short:

Intermediate:

Long:

Personal Goals

Even an impressively developed process can be no better than the personal commitment and investment in implementing it by the athlete.

Personal attributes or characteristics of the runner which would contribute to the investment in the process and ultimately to the performance should be identified.

These may be present weaknesses which should be strengthened, or even present strengths which could be emphasized. (i.e. persistence, pride/team player, effort, consistency, mental toughness, integrity).

What is your plan to achieve the following? Be sure to tie these goals into the ones you have already established.

Persistence:

Pride/Team Player:

Effort:

Integrity (high morals, honesty):