Marion Summerer

There is no denying the powerful impact of setting goals! You might have heard that athletes who have a high ability set goals demonstrate better performance, optimal cognitive anxiety and higher levels of self-confidence and motivation. But did you know that there are different kinds of goals and that certain types of goals are more useful in improving your performance than others? If you want to take your training and racing to a higher level, keep reading. I’ll explain several goal setting strategies, their place in the design of your training program, and how you can excel toward your best potential this season!

Being an endurance athlete, you are most likely familiar with the four key components of your training program: Frequency, Duration, Intensity and Recovery. How to best determine, measure and implement the “right” workout intensity has been debated within sports scientists and coaches for decades. Measuring intensity is one of the most challenging aspects of endurance exercise.

The off-season is just as important training phase as any other. Its primary purpose is to provide recovery from the physical and mental fatigue that accrued during the previous training and racing season. The second objective is to minimize the amount of detraining that occurs while still facilitating this all-important rejuvenation process. Achieving these goals will ensure you are prepared for the beginning of next season well rested, motivated, mentally fresh and injury free, while having minimized the decrement in your physical fitness. Striking the balance in the off-season between reduced training for recovery and enough to minimize detraining is a key to improving as an endurance athlete from year to year.