WHY YOU NEED TO HAVE RUNNING GOALS
As I was standing at the starting line of my race a few weeks ago, it occurred to me that I actually really HATE racing. Don’t get me wrong, I love the feeling of accomplishment once I finish, and I love the rush of adrenaline I feel during the race. But, the nervousness and doubt I can definitely live without.I would just MUCH rather train than race. I love pushing myself in my workouts and the feeling of accomplishment when I finish a really tough one.But, if I’m not racing, what’s the point? If I don’t have a goal that I’m shooting for, what is the point of putting myself through those workouts that I curse as I do them if I have nothing that I need to do it for.So, why DO I race? Why continue to torture myself through hard workouts and races that leave me sick to my stomach leading up to when the gun goes off?Like I talked about a few weeks ago, it all relates back to that important WHY.
WHY do you run? What is your end goal? What do you get out of waking up early in the morning and spending an hour or more of your life every day, pounding the pavement, knowing people who aren’t runners don’t get it and think you’re doing more harm than good?
This is why those goals are SO important. You MUST have something to be working toward, otherwise, what’s the point? Why would you even continue to train if you really didn’t have something you were working for.
No matter WHAT your goal is, whether it’s to set a new PR, lose weight, or run your first race, you need to have SOMETHING you are working for. If you don’t, why would you stick with it?
I’ve worked with A LOT of runners over the past year. From the busy working mom to the single woman with all the time in the world. Some are more motivated than others, but the ones that are the most successful are the ones who have that goal in mind and are willing to invest in themselves to do whatever they need to do to achieve it. They don’t make excuses. They make it work, despite time constraints, despite doubts, despite their fears. They have their goals in their head and they are determined to make them happen.And the ones that don’t? Well, I can tell you that I don’t get to coach them for very long.So, even though I hate racing and questions my sanity at the start of every single race I do, I know that without that goal, I wouldn’t keep pushing hard in my workouts. I wouldn’t want to keep running, even though it’s the one thing that DOES keep me sane. And I know I wouldn’t believe that I can do anything I put my mind to. Running has literally changed my life in more ways than I can even count, so if that means I have to continue facing my fear of lining up at the starting line every month or so to try to run another PR, then, to me, it’s worth it.
TELL ME…
What is your WHY? What are your goals and HOW are you going to achieve them?
If you have goals but need an extra PUSH to help you achieve them, check out the Elite Running Academy VIP membership! You’ll get a structured running, strength, and nutrition program that will help get your RACE READY, as well as support from me - your coach - and motivation from a group of like-minded, goal-oriented runners, ready to encourage you along the way!
