Running Goals Don’t Define You, They Refine You
Even if you just run to get out of the house, it’s good to have some goals.
Everybody has different reasons for running. Some run competitively, looking to move up the ladder at races. Some run to keep themselves physically fit. Still, others run because it is their mental escape.
No matter why you run, having some running goals is important. I had a coach who once said, “if you don’t have goals, you’re sure to hit them. Not setting goals is a goal itself. You’ve set a goal to accomplish nothing and wander aimlessly.”
That has stuck with me my whole life because at the time I was a geeky, undersized sophomore in high school and I was doing sports mainly so I wouldn’t have to go straight home after school. With no goals and no direction, I was really just wasting time. This happened forty years ago and I still set goals in everything I am doing, even if they are just to have something to shoot for.
When I began running ten years ago, I followed the same process. The process of setting goals is something I keep very simple and easy to follow. I have friends that have goals for running that are so detailed, it makes my head swim just listening to them. I recommend simple, attainable yet challenging enough goals.
