How to Set, And Reach, Your Running Goals

There are many different reasons to run. You may be running to lose weight. You may want to run to get in good shape. Another reason to run is to clear your head and relieve stress. And you wish to enter a race and be competitive. All of these reasons can overlap too. You can have many running motivations. One way to stay motivated, regardless of your reason for running, is to set running goals.

Setting Good Running Goals

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The key to setting good running goals is to make them realistic and attainable. For example, if you are new to running it is unrealistic to set a goal of running a marathon in a month. It’s a surefire way to get injured. However, setting a goal of running a marathon in a year is a very reasonable goal.

The second step to setting a good running goal is to break larger goals down into small and attainable steps. For example, if you have a goal of running a marathon in a year then you may want to add two miles to your long run mileage every month. By the end of a year you’ll be at 24 miles.

Reaching Your Running Goals

Once you’ve established a running goal the next step is to plan how you’re going to reach it. For the sake of clarity let’s continue with the example of running a marathon in a year. A plan to run a marathon in 12 months might include:

* Three short runs each week
* One long run each week – this is where you would gradually increase your mileage by two miles each month.
* One complete rest day
* Two days of stretching and strengthening – yoga for example.

There are tools that can help you reach your running goals. The most important tool is a running log or fitness journal. A running log can help you track your mileage, pace, distance and any notes from the run that you want to make.

For example, you may realize once you reach the ten mile mark that you don’t have enough water in your water bottle. This may mean modifying your hydration routine or finding a new water carrier.

There are online programs and mobile apps that help you track your running information too. And of course there are a number of fitness gadgets that track heart rate, intensity and other factors. Find a tool that’s easy to use and supports you to achieve your running goals.