[ PERSONAL BEST PERFORMANCE ]

Article:

GOALS

Giving Purpose To Your Pursuit

GOALS: If you haven't already, now is the time to set challenging, yet realistic, goals for the 2009 triathlon season. For example, this winter sit down and really think about why you are either deciding to try a triathlon or why you have committed to completing an Ironman. Commit your goals to paper; limit them to 3-5 so you can realistically meet each one, and post them in a place you have to look at each day . . . the refrigerator, your screen saver. . . you get the idea. Performance-based goals are specific and time-based. For example, "Complete the Triathlon at Rigby Lake in under an hour and forty minutes" is a performance-based goal.

TRAINING OBJECTIVES: Decide how you are going to meet your goals. Whether you are aiming to start and finish a triathlon or you are aiming to win your age group, you need to establish clear and concise training objectives. Training objectives are the road map of how you are going to get there - get to that starting line or get to the finish line of your local triathlon. Training objectives are specific and measurable tasks you must accomplish in order to achieve your season goals. For example, if one of your goals is to break three hours for the international or olympic distance, and you know swimming is your limiter (one of the main things holding you back from reaching that goal), then you need to set up objectives that use your weekly training hours in a way that has you swimming more than running/biking, etc.

TIME MANAGEMENT: Decide how many hours per week you have to devote to quality training. We only have so much time to train our bodies and our minds. The best triathletes in the world understand how to make each workout a quality workout. Each workout should have a purpose. For example, if you have decided that you only have six hours per week to train for a sprint triathlon, then you need to carefully plan your workouts to ensure they are of the highest quality. Spend a minimum of 2-3 hours of each week working on your limiter. Schedule two-three key workouts working in your limiter discipline. During the workouts focus on form, drills, endurance or speed skill. The other 2-3 hours can be used to help refine your skills/endurance in the other two disciplines.

HAVE A PLAN: Once you have decided what your goals and training objectives are and you have decided how many hours/week you have to train, it is time to decide what to do in your week. There must be a purpose. What workouts do you need to do in order to meet your goals? Specify the types of workouts you need to complete in order to meet your objectives.

With all the training you will be doing, don't forget to schedule recovery into your training plan. Some triathletes take a day off every 5-6 days to make sure they are staying "fresh." Others periodize their training. This means they gradually build up each week and then after stressing their bodies for two or three weeks, they step back and dramatically reduce their training volume and intensity to allow their bodies to rest. During this recovery week, they concentrate on resting more, stretching and doing some of those necessary chores of everyday life. Recovery is just as important as training. Train hard, but rest harder!

Remember: A goal not written is only a wish.