Don't Set "False" Goals

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Last Updated: December 18th, 2024 at 11:19 pm

The Shamrock Shuffle, Lakefront 10 miler, and now the Boston Marathon are all in the past

2024 races are underway and runners are running them

Some are racing to finish

Some are racing to earn CARA points

Some are racing to beat their personal best times

Some are racing for a reason to exercise and lose weight

Regardless, most people have some sort of goal when they sign up for a race

One trap that many athletes fall in is deflating their accomplishment by setting “false goals”

False goals are changes in the definition of success after you see the result of something

For example:
When I signed up to race an Ironman, my goal was always just to finish.

I only wanted to complete the race and I didn’t have any sort of time goal.

I successfully completed Ironman Arizona in November of 2022 with a time of 14 hours and 7 minutes

After I saw my time, my first thought was…

“Aw I didn’t do it in under 14 hours 🙁 “

Completing the Ironman in under 14 hours was a FALSE goal

The idea of completing the Ironman in less than 14 hours was never a thought in my mind until AFTER I saw my time

Robbing me of the satisfaction of completing a race that I dreamed of completing for multiple years

Instead of being proud of myself for completing an Ironman, I was partially disappointed about my time

All because of a false goal

My goal was never related to time. Just completion

After completing the race, I immediately judged my performance based on time

That’s stupid

Don’t be like me

When you set your goal before your race, focus on THAT goal

When you finish your race, judge your performance on the initial goal you set

Don’t be a thief of your own joy

Set a goal, train for it, achieve it, and be proud of yourself

You deserve to be happy when you accomplish your goals

Happy runnin

Michael

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