What’s the best way to achieve the big, ambitious running goals you’ve set yourself in 2020?
Do you write them down in lots of detail?
Do you confidently tell your friends and family what your plans are for the year?
Or do you simply keep them in your head and hope that they will happen?
In this article, I look at some simple techniques that will help you create good habits and make 2020 your best year of running ever.
Define Your Goals
The first, and possibly most obvious part, is to clearly define what your goal is.
But although this might sound a simple step, many people can easily fall at this hurdle.
They don’t make the goals clear and specific enough. The concept of creating SMART goals can really help here.
This is where you make your goals ‘Specific’, ‘Measurable’, ‘Achievable’, ‘Relevant’ and ‘Time-bound’.
An example SMART goal for a ultra-marathon runner might be…
To improve my 100-mile time (specific) by 20 minutes (measurable and achievable) in the next 12 months (time bound)’
And, of course, hopefully improving your time is relevant as it’s a hobby you enjoy doing and want to do :-)
The key here is to make the goals as specific as possible.
This article suggests that 92% of people who set goals never achieve them, because they aren’t specific enough.
Create a Plan
Now that you’ve figured out what you want to do (your goal), it’s time to figure out how you’re going to do it (your plan).
For runners, this could mean creating a training plan.
First, to save time, you should get a training plan template.
I’ve created a FREE training plan template, which you can get by simply entering your email below.
Once you’ve got your template, you should start to put in the big milestones.
So you might put in the goal itself. E.g the 100-mile race.
And then you’ll work backwards and put in some smaller, but still significant goals along the way. E.g a 50 mile race 3 months before the 100-mile race, etc.
From there you can start to understand how much you need to improve over time so that you can achieve your goal.
It’s worth putting in a rough plan for your bigger milestones quite a long time before they’re due to happen.
But you probably don’t want to get into the specific detail of individual workouts too far in advance. Because you never know what might change.
How I usually approach this with my own training and with athletes that I train, is that I use a defined weekly structure. E.g Mondays are easy sessions, Tuesday’s are intervals and yoga, etc.
This structure is completely personalised, depending on the athlete’s circumstances.
So this gives you a rough structure for your plan. But I won’t give the detail of these sessions until roughly two week’s before. Because life, injuries or other things that come up will mean we have to adapt closer to the time
Your plan should include other non-running elements too. For example, strength and conditioning sessions, cross-training or rest days.
If you want more information on how to create a training plan, check out my ultimate guide to creating your own training plan.
Review and Update Your Plan
Once you’ve created your plan, you’ll need to set aside time to assess how well you’re doing.
This is a really important, and simple step. But it’s something that most people don’t do.
I make a specific appointment in my own calendar, once a week on a Friday. This is time to look at my training for the previous week and for the next week.
For athletes that I coach we have regular calls and messages.
These reviews are important for two reasons:
To reflect on the previous week - What went well, what didn’t and what can you learn for future?
To adapt plans for the next week - By this point, you’ll usually know what social events coming up or what injuries you’ve picked up. And when you will and won’t be able to train.
This process and system is really important for keeping you on track to achieve your longer-term goals.
As James Clear, habit-creating master and author of Atomic Habits says…
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection of daily habits that will get you there.
This year, spend less time focusing on outcomes and more time focusing on the habits that precede the results.”
James Clear also has 5 great tips for making and keeping habits, which can be applied to running. I’ve summarised the below:
1) Start with an incredibly small habit
Master the art of showing up
A habit must be established, before it can be improved. E.g rather than ‘I’ll go for a run every day’, say, ‘I’m going to put my shoes on’.
2) Increase your habit in small ways
After you’ve proven your ability to establish a habit, how do you improve it? E.g should you do 5 mins more on a run? Should you hire a coach?
3) Break habits into chunks
Work on tasks that are ‘just manageable’ – the Goldilocks rule. Do things that are not too hard, but not too easy.
4) When you slip, get back on track
Never miss twice in a row.
Everyone is human and will fall off track every now and then.
But avoiding missing twice is key to staying on track long term.
(Note that this rule doesn’t apply if you’re injured or ill. In which case you should not be pushing yourself to train through an injury.)
Trying to anticipate when things could go wrong can also help.
I’ve used ‘if/ then’ strategies before to think about what could go wrong in advance. And what specific actions I’ll take to get back on course.
For example, if I can’t do my recovery run on a Monday, then I will do some yoga instead.
This strategy is also incredibly useful for races. When a lot of things can go wrong. So having a plan for these can make you feel a lot less anxious.
5) Be Patient
Stick to a pace you can sustain .
Think ‘like the stonemason’.
They strike the stone 100 times and nothing happens.
But the 101st time they strike the stone, it breaks.
Habit changes, and goal achievement, takes a long time. So you need to stick with it.
Tell Others
Telling other people about your goals has multiple benefits.
First, it can make you more accountable. You’ve told lots of people you’re going to do this thing. So, now you have to do it!
It also means you can ask for help more easily.
If you’ve given yourself a big goal, you’ll often find that other people will want to try and help you achieve it.
The running and ultra-running communities are fantastic for this.
Finally, when you tell people close to you what your goals are, it allows them to understand the choices you are making.
For example, how it may impact your lifestyle. Or their lifestyle. And how you may all need to adapt to give you the best possible chance of achieving your goal.
“Articulate what it is you need for support. Do you need your partner to handle morning mayhem while you train for your first-ever race? Discuss the help you’ll provide in return. Maybe you’ve identified that you simply cannot have certain trigger foods in the house. Together, identify better choices, the middle ground that will work for everyone.”
Reward Yourself
This is a simple, but big one.
Incentives are a powerful motivator because our brain responds positively when we are given something good.
And so it means we are more likely to want to get that reward again.
What can you give to yourself for achieving your big goal?
But, more importantly, what smaller rewards can you give to yourself for achieving the smaller goals along the way?
Incentives can come in a number of forms.
It could be treating yourself to a new piece of exercise gear.
It could be allowing yourself to eat that treat once in a while because you’ve performed so well.
Or it could be simply telling other people about your achievement so that you can bask in it’s glory.
Whatever it is, make sure that you reward yourself for your hard work. And make sure that the reward is strong enough to make you want to achieve it time-after-time.
That way, you’re more likely to stay on track to achieve your longer-term goals too.
Summary
The start of the new year, or new decade(!), is a great time to think about new, exciting, ambitious running goals.
But we all know how easy it is to fall off track.
This article presented some tips that can help you make 2020 your best year of running, ever!
Define Your Goals - Make them SMART
Create a Plan and a Process
Review and Update Your Plan
Tell Others - Get help from a coach, if needed
Reward Yourself
What Big Running Goals Do You Want to Achieve in 2020?
The New Year has started and we start thinking about our exciting new goals.
Which means it’s time to start thinking about putting together a plan for reaching those goals.
One way to make yourself have a better chance of achieving those goals, is by getting expert advice.
And you can do that through hiring a coach.
I’ve coached many athletes, with very different goals. Whether that’s their first half-marathon, their first Ironman triathlon, or they’re an experienced ultra-runner but want to improve their time.
And the coaching plans I offer are suitable for all types of athletes. Whether you’re a first-timer and needs lots of support. Or you’re more experienced and just need some guidance on getting better.
Take a look at the coaching plans I offer here and by using the button below.
What Top Tips Do You Have for Sticking to Your New Year’s Running Resolutions?
Let me know in the comments at the bottom of this blog, on the Contact Page or on social media below.
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