Setting SMART running goals
It’s the time of year when runners set their running goals for the 12 months ahead. Many runners, old and new, will set their intention for the year ahead to run more.
But ‘run more’ is not a great goal. Not because running more isn’t a great thing to want to do, but because it’s too vague to be able to aim for it.
Getting SMART with your running goals
What does running more look like? In order to make it happen, you need to be more specific.
You’ve probably encountered ‘SMART goals’ if you’ve had an annual appraisal at work. They can feel a bit business jargon. But they make a lot of sense when it comes to running.
If you’re not familiar, SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time based
So if we’re intending to ‘run more’, we need to break it down. If you don’t have a clear idea of what ‘run more’ means, how will you know how to make it happen and, more importantly, how will you know when to celebrate actually achieving it?
‘Run more’
Be specific
Do you mean more miles in total than you ran last year? Or more frequently? Maybe both. We need to know what it is exactly you’re aiming for.
If you’re looking to run a 5k, 10k, half-marathon etc, then that’s already quite specific. Pick an actual race and, BINGO, you have yourself a specific goal.
Is it measurable?
Running more miles than in a previous year is a pretty measurable goal. If you ran 500 miles last year, you know how many you need to do in the year ahead. But you need to find your mileage for last year and set a goal for next year that is achievable.
Running a certain race distance is definitely measurable. Running an ultra-marathon though is still quite vague as this could be anything from 30k to 100 miles +. So again, pick a distance.
Is it achievable?
It’s got to be something that you could actually achieve otherwise it’s not going to motivate you. Even if it’s a massive challenge, it can still be possible. But setting a 100m world record is beyond the limits of most of us.
So maybe the leap from 500 miles last year to 2,000 in one year is a bit ambitious. Don’t let this put you off being ambitious though. Just be realistic with your ambitions.
Relevant
Ironically I don’t think this one is very relevant to us here. If your goal is running based, you’re hardly likely to be included waterskiing in your goal setting. I like to think of this more as ‘relevant to you’, so something that excites you and isn’t just something you think you should aim for because other runners are doing it.
Time–based
This doesn’t mean your PB, it’s about setting a timeframe for when you’re going to make this all happen. So a New Year’s resolution for next year mileage has a 12 month deadline.
If your goal is around setting a marathon PB, it’s going to happen either April or October time. So once you’ve picked your race, bingo.
One problem is with those aiming to run 5k for the first time or as a PB effort. There are parkruns on every week of the year, which can make motivating yourself to get to one harder in a way, you can keep telling yourself you’ll ‘go next week’. So pick a date, tell people and make it happen.
Best of luck with your goals! Come find me on Instagram where I’ll share mine.
Planning to run a race in the year ahead? I have training guides for 5k, 10k and the marathon distances, all featuring easy-to-follow training plans.
