A few times this year I’ve mentioned that I was moving from a complete mindset to a compete mindset. My goals were no longer simply to finish the race, I wanted to be competitive. Yesterday I had an epiphany, there is no difference.
I was working through my coaches Triathlon Success Strategies workbook and module one is all about goal setting (PS You can download this first module for free). As I read through it and wrote things down it became evident, whether you are aiming to complete your first triathlon (or anything really) or compete and have desires of qualifying for something the process and mindset is the same. And it starts with proper goal setting.
It is one thing to say “I want to finish and Ironman” or “I want to qualify for a championship race” and another thing to set the plan in motion to do so. It all starts with an understanding of where you are at and what the end goal is and then creating a plan to take you from here to there. I thought I’d share my completed worksheet that Nicole and I worked on so you can see the process I went through.
These are the high level goals, the smaller goals and checkpoints are yet to be written but this early in the “2013 season” is the perfect time to review what you accomplished this past season and set some high level goals for the next. As I get more detailed, specific goals and go through the checkpoints I’ll share that as well. I am putting it all out there, no holds barred. It’s a little scary sharing it all but at the same time extremely motivating :)
Why are you racing?
I enjoy the training, the challenge, and I want to qualify for the 70.3 World Championships.
What are your triathlon strengths?
Good swimmer, very focused, excellent “trainer”
What are your areas for improvement in triathlon?
Race execution, race nutrition, mental toughness
What are your previous times/rankings for the same or similar events?
Identify the items you have to work on before your next race.
Bike endurance and pacing. Run speed, toughness.
Based on the above, set one goal for each discipline:
- Swim – Solid swim in the 29-32 minute range.
- T1 – Smooth, efficient and fast!
- Bike – Steady, well paced bike
- T2 – Smooth, efficient and fast!
- Run – Strong run closer to my true capabilities
In three sentences or less define a successful race.
I had a fast yet relaxed swim and got out of the water and on to the bike quickly. I started easy on the bike and started taking in nutrition as I built up the effort slowly. Once on my feet I had a strong run.
This is the basic high level goals that we’ve set and as we get into the meat of things more refined, specific goals will be created (and I’ll share them) that will support the achievement of the high level goals. Nicole has created an excellent program that goes through the process of setting goals, mapping out the route to achieve them, and creating and reviewing a race plan to ensure success. Not only does it cover that it also covers all the little things like transitions, what to pack, race week prep and more. Well worth the look and at a minimum follow, I mean Like, the Facebook page with video tips. More of her program will be available soon but there is no better time than now to start planning your 2013 season and set those goals!
This is really great Rodney, thanks for sharing. I’ve “liked” Nicole’s page, followed her on twitter and keep and eye on you two. Lots of good stuff worth sharing for sure.
Awesome way to think of the future; I like it!
(And I think I shall take a sneaky look at that first chapter, too, along with completing this very questionnaire for my blog!)