Dromore Road Race committee will feature a number of blogs from Hugh Donnelly of 'Sports Specific Training & Fitness' as we build up to the 10K & 5K on 22nd June. The first one is all about setting targets!

Targets - It's all in your head!

As my clients begin to taper their training towards the 10k and 5k routes respectively in just under 4 weeks, the topic of goals and targets were discussed post session last night. Do they help us or do they hinder us?

As all my clients do, pre training set our weekly challenges, it would appear that something so easily spoken is often quite hard to achieve. As we all do, or don't in some cases how much actual thought goes into setting our targets?

SMARTER tips are needed when setting goals,
S- Are your targets specific to you?
M- All training targets should be measurable are yours?
A- Are your goals achievable? If not, are they adjustable?
R- Are your goals realistic?
T- Are your targets timed based?
E- Are your targets exciting enough?
R- Are you recording all your targets?

In more cases than not, we don't follow this simple but very effective template, but for those who struggle whilst on the road, targets can be set, every few minutes should you wish.

I would always encourage my clients to forget the finishing line, forget the half way mark, in fact forget everything around you. Use street poles, electric poles, bushes, trees, white lines, pot holes, whatever it takes to get across that stretch of road. Get the head up, relax your body, fix your eyes on a target, and get there, sometimes we over think the most basic and simple things.

You're there to enjoy the race, so do just that. The results whilst coaching this simple policy have not only surprised me, but also the clients themselves. Race runners are more relaxed, less focused on time, and are enjoying their exercise.

Remember this folks, freer the mind, the freer the body.

So try it on your race route, and see the differenceIt's all in your head.