Setting a Goal Spread

One of the most important steps in preparing for a race of any distance is to set a proper goal. When I began running in 2005, my goal was simple: finish the race. However, like most, I quickly got sucked into the neurotic process of whittling down race times. My projected race plans for any given year would teem with what I hoped would be new and improved finishes. With dedication, I worked my way down to my current PR set and, again like most, my times began to fluctuate, mainly due to the fact that life circumstances (i.e., the things that matter more in life than running and race times) interfered with training on an increasingly consistent basis. Despite these peaks and valleys, I rarely enter a race without a time goal in mind. The point of this post is to show that, rather than setting a single time goal and gunning for it, it is much more constructive for a runner of any ability to set a goal spread. Practically, this involves toeing the starting line with three numbers in mind: a goal, a great day goal, and a bad day goal.

Your "goal" is where you reasonably believe you will finish, on the basis of the course, the conditions, your fitness, the buddy you are running with, and a host of other factors. My training for a particular race is designed with my "goal" in the center of the target. For example, I'd like to run between 1:30 and 1:35 at the Berry Half Marathon in March 2011, on my way to running a BQ at the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon in November 2011. A good "goal" for me to set for Berry, on which I will focus my training, is 1:32. Therefore, 1:32 is my goal for the Berry Half.

A "bad day" goal is where you will finish if the whole operation breaks down. Most runners of all ability levels who have run more than a few races understand that a number of factors can derail your chance for glory at the most unexpected and unwelcome time. Blisters, GI issues, adverse weather, gear issues, and physical illness are just a few of the many examples of circumstances that prevent you from reaching your potential. A "bad day" goal for me at the Berry Half would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 1:35 - 1:39.

A tip for setting a spread is that as the distance grows, so should your spread. Goals that are just minutes apart probably work for a 5K, but not for a marathon. Goals that are ten minutes or more apart are unreasonable for a 5K, but probably work well for a marathon or 50K. An extention of the "bad day" goal is a "worst day" goal, which is even lower than a bad day goal. Personally, I stick to three numbers; any more than that and I start to get confused (what was my super super awesome day number again??).

A "great day" goal is the opposite of the bad day goal. Those who understand that sometimes bad stuff happens during a race also know that sometimes the sun begins to shine (metaphorically) and everything just works well. Sometimes a runner hits that sweet spot in the middle of a thousand factors: course, weather, training, pacing, nutrition, hydration, gear, et al., and just knocks it out of the park. For these occasions, a great day goal is appropriate. I find it constructive to set a great day goal either just out of what I think my ability is, or on the opposite of some significant barrier. I have chosen the latter approach for Berry. 1:30 in a half marathon is a significant barrier, therefore, my great day goal is 1:29. I have found myself much more likely to hit my goal when I have a great day goal set, because my competitive nature makes me shoot for the great day goal every time.

Goals are important even if you don't expect yourself to PR or set any land speed records. My last marathon was the Thrill in the Hills Trail Marathon at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, Georgia back in February 2010. I originally signed up for it because I freaking LOVE the course - two loops on a mountain bike trail around the perimeter of the park. Then, an earthquake hit Haiti, and I started raising money for Samaritan's Purse. I was honored by a ton of donors, and knew that some of them would be checking up on me and my finish time. I considered the weather (thirty degree temperature shift from start to finish, from 28 to 58!), the course (moderate hills the entire way), and my marathon fitness (about a 5.5 on a scale of 1-10), and set my goal spread at 4:30 (great day), sub-5:00 (goal), and 5:00 - 5:15 (bad day). I finished in 4:55, and felt great about it. I knew I would not break my marathon PR, but having a goal spread kept my head in the game. It held me accountable to think about pacing, heartrate, nutrition, and hydration.

So, I have defined my spread for Berry. As time progresses I will develop one for other races, and ultimately for the BQ.