Goals, expectations vs. reality

So do you have any goals or performance expectations that you would like to see happen but don't dare to hope for, or don't realistically think you can achieve.


For example:
I would like to finish in the top 50% of the olympic distance event at WildFlower this year.
But when I look at the times from last year, I don't see it as being very realistic.  I probably won't finish in the top 50% of my age group let alone the whole event..  Yeah, yeah,  yeah, the first goal is to make it to the race, then to finish the race, but what I really want to do is to finish in the top 50%.

When I do my Olympic the real goal will be to finish without walking.  Barring an injury or equipment failure.  The same goes for my 70.3 later this year.  But in the back of a wishful mind there is always room for a little more.

Do you think that little spark of wishful thinking sets you up for disappointment?

Scott

I always have time goals. They are my secondary goals, but I have them.

Sometimes I make them and sometimes I don't. It can be a bummer not to make them and sometimes I do have some disappointment, but I generally have so many goals for each event and I always make some of them so normally it's not too bad.

Like at my last race, I wanted to do it in under 50 min. and I did it in 52.5. But my placement was right where I expected. I think the swim part of the course was longer than advertised or else maybe something else was going on as all the times for the top 10 in my age group were about 2 minutes longer this year compared to last year. So I wasn't disappointed at all.

But I was disappointed that I wasn't able to improve on my Wildflower Olympic time when I did Donner Lake. Yes, they are two different courses, but I was much more fit and I thought I could better than I did. Was it that I underestimated the bike course? Well, I did. But I also had a crappy swim and I made a lot of dumb logistics mistakes too. At least I had a good run.

I think, if I had run a good race, and still not made my time goals, I wouldn't be disappointed. But I didn't run a great race so I was, at least a little bit.

I would like to podium in Clydes at Buffalo Springs 70.3 this year...

So for this year, I'd really like to finish my half marathon in under 2 hours.  That's my main time goal.

One day I'd like to qualify for New York City marathon.  As long as I keep running, I won't have to go as fast!  Really, I think I have a 4-hour marathon in me - just a matter of all the stars falling into place...

Linn 

It does not set you up for disappointment if you get after the training to prepare for it.  If you train at a level to be in the top 50, then still don't make it, you will know that you gave it your best.  You either adjust your training and go after it again, or accept that you did your best and move on to another goal.  Always, Always, always have that carrot (or in our case, that protein) dangling in front of you. 

Hey Scott,
I think this year I am more interested in going for quantity than quality.  I think that my running partner and I have decided to forego any marathons this year, and instead focus in on getting in close to 10 half-marathons this year.We would also be doing a number of centuries and duathlons.  My real goal is to  collect as much medal this year to hang in my closet.  Times don't matter anymore, so give me the bling!
Rob

hahah,

Too bad they aren't made of a  valuable metal.