It’s that exciting time of year when we reflect on the past, dream big, and set New Year’s resolutions and new running goals, whether it be your first 10K, marathon, or ultra.
But let’s face it, sticking to resolutions can be tough. Statistics show1News.com.au. (2018, December 21). New Year’s resolutions last exactly this long. New York Post; New York Post. https://nypost.com/2018/12/21/new-years-resolutions-last-exactly-this-long/ that only 8 percent of people actually stick to their New Year’s resolutions. Life gets busy, motivation wanes, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
We’re here to help set you up for your most successful running year yet! You can achieve what you never thought possible with the right tools, mindset, and strategies.
Why Is It Important To Set Running Goals For The New Year?
Setting running goals in the new year is a powerful way to keep runners motivated and accountable and provide structure for the entire new year. It’s difficult to stay motivated to do something hard if you don’t have a purpose. Goals give you purpose.
When we have a clear goal, it’s much easier for us to get out there and train. We tend to be much more consistent with our training and push ourselves to work harder when we have a goal in the pipeline.
5 Steps to Accomplishing your Running Goals
Step 1: Take Inventory
To pick the right running goal for you, Dr. RT Hill, co-founder of The Stride Shop, advises runners to take a realistic inventory of their lives. Answer questions such as:
- How much available time do I have in a week to train?
- What is my current fitness level?
- What has gone good or bad with my training in the past?
- What resources do I have to help achieve my goal (running location, coaching, babysitters, etc.)?
Answering questions like this prevents runners from biting off more than they can chew, a big reason why runners don’t keep their New Year’s resolutions.
When you set a running goal for the new year, you must set a goal that is both challenging and doable. You need a goal that excites you but doesn’t daunt you.
For example, don’t set a goal to run a marathon if you haven’t even run a mile.
Also, remember your New Year running goals don’t need to be race-related. Some ideas for running goals can be the number of days you run a week or the number of miles you run a month, for example.
By taking an inventory of what you can practically accomplish in the time that you have, you’re able to map out a real plan to get you to your goal. If you set a lofty goal of, say, running 60 miles a week but only have an hour or less a day to run, then you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Knowing what resources (including time) are available to you can help you choose an appropriate goal that is challenging yet likely.
Here, we have a list of 96 running goals for you to browse through: Running Goals: 96 Exciting Goal Ideas For Your Next Training Cycle
Step 2: Set A Concrete Goal
The more concrete the running goal, the more likely you are to keep it. Set your running goal by using the SMART method.
A SMART goal is a tool used to set people up for success when setting goals. It is an acronym that stands for:
Setting SMART GOALS
- Specific – don’t be vague when setting your goal. Define exactly WHAT you’re going to do, HOW you’re going to do it, and WHEN it’s going to get done.
- Measurable – your goal (and training to get there) should be something you can track and measure. Look for metrics you can track so you can follow your progress
- Attainable – the goal you set should be realistic. Don’t commit to an ultramarathon next month if you’ve just finished a 5k; likewise, your goal needs to challenge you enough that you find it interesting and motivating.
- Relevant – the goal should somehow align with your interests, values, and purpose. Try to choose a goal that you feel a close personal motivation to work towards, this will help power you through the months of hard work to come.
- Time-bound – your goal needs to have an end date attached to it – for example, running a marathon by the end of October.
The SMART goal-setting strategy is a useful tool for runners. Instead of setting a vague goal to “run more,” it encourages runners to drill down to actionable tips that can be measured and celebrated.
An example of a SMART goal for a runner could be:
“I will train for and run my local half marathon in under 2 hours in September.”:
Specific: this goal includes the specific event you’re aiming for, as well as a time-based goal.
Measurable: Your progress can be measured by following a half marathon training plan, for example. There’s no random training, it’s all leading towards your goal.
Attainable: A half marathon in 9 months is realistic for a beginner runner – perhaps an ultramarathon or even a regular marathon would be too ambitious.
Relevant: The half marathon is important to me personally because I’ve attended it as a spectator for years, and it would be very meaningful to complete it myself.f
Time-bound: It’s 9 months away, and I have that time to prepare.
Step 3: Construct A Plan
After we have chosen our SMART running goal, it’s time to get specific about how we will accomplish this goal by creating a running schedule.
Choose a training plan or connect with a running coach. Assess your plan and determine when you will be able to train during the week.
Plan for your training days and create the path of least resistance.
For example, if you plan to run in the mornings, try to get to bed earlier, lay out your running clothes the night before, prep the coffee, and let your family know your plans.
If you will do your long runs on Saturday mornings, make plans to run with friends and tell family you won’t be there when they wake up.
Related: 10 Bulletproof Steps to Consistent Morning Runs
When mapping out running goals for this coming year, many runners find it helpful to break their goals into three categories: long-term, short-term, and process goals.
Long-term goals are the big-picture goals. These are long-term objectives that represent your ultimate aspirations you want to achieve. They often serve as a guiding vision for your efforts and help align smaller, more specific goals toward a meaningful purpose. For example, a runner’s long-term goal may be to run an ultramarathon one day or to stay healthy and be able to run for the rest of their lives.
Short-term goals are stepping stones to those long-term goals. For example, a runner who wants to run an ultramarathon will set short-term goals like hitting a certain monthly mileage or running a marathon.
Process goals are mini-goals. These goals set you up for success in achieving the long-term and short-term running goals. Process goals include things like eating right, sleeping 8 hours a night, and strength training twice weekly.
All three types of goals combine to create a map for achieving one’s running goals.
Step 4. Hold Yourself Accountable.
There are five main ways to hold yourself accountable when setting new year’s running goals:
1. Write it out. Sit down and physically write out your running plan every week.
2. Tell people. Tell your friends, family, and coworkers about your goals. It’s harder to give up if you feel like you will let people down.
3. Run with other people. Similarly, find a running group or friend to train with. This will make training more fun and less likely for you to hit snooze and miss your training. The more you are around people with similar fitness goals and ambitions, the more you will want to run.
4. Track it. Also, use a running watch or an app that tracks your mileage, heart rate, pace, and other important metrics to keep track of your progress. When you see the benefits of your hard work, it’s hard to let that go to waste!
5. Reward yourself. Set mini-goals along the way and reward yourself when you accomplish them! For example, if your goal is to run four times a week every month, buy yourself a new piece of running gear or treat yourself to a massage.
Step 5: Plan For Setbacks.
Setbacks are a part of life, especially life as a runner. We get sick. We get injured. An emergency happens at work, and we have to work late.
The beautiful thing about running is that it is rooted in consistency.
If you are forced to take an unplanned running break, it’s okay! Unless it is several weeks of zero activity, you have likely maintained your fitness and can quickly work back up to where you were in your training. (A running coach can guide you safely in rebuilding mileage and resuming your training plan).
Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress. Expect setbacks to occur in your training plan. Think through how you would approach potential setbacks.
Hill and Htaniuk advise runners to decrease their chances of getting injured by conservatively increasing mileage and intensity.
“We want to build in enough rest and recovery time into our training plan from the beginning so we don’t get sidelined with injuries or overtraining,” says Hnatiuk.
Meet with a medical professional sooner rather than later if you iare dealing with an injury to shorten the recovery time. Then, focus on getting better.
“What is important here is that we don’t dwell on the time missed, and we slowly get back into building our mileage back when we’re able,” says Hnatiuk.
Related: The 10% Rule: Is it a Valid Way of Increasing Mileage
Dwelling will only waste energy you could use in your recovery and training.
By being specific and realistic about setting your running goals for this new year, you are more likely to buck the trend by keeping your resolutions and accomplishing those new year’s running goals!
If you need help accomplishing your goals, check out our ultramarathon, marathon, and half marathon training resources!
