Ultra running goals for 2013

In 1979, interviewers asked new graduates from the Harvard’s MBA Program and found that :

  • 84% had no specific goals at all
  • 13% had goals but they were not committed to paper
  • 3% had clear, written goals and plans to accomplish them

In 1989, the interviewers again interviewed the graduates of that class. You can guess the results:

  • The 13% of the class who had goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84 percent who had no goals at all.
  • Even more staggering – the three percent who had clear, written goals were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97 percent put together.

I honestly don't know how valid this study was, but here is a chance for anybody who so wishes, to outline some of their key running goals for the coming year. 

Personaly, I have a grudge match with the Viking Way Ultra in March, then I hope to be in UTMB via the lottery.  If the lottery dosn't turn up trumps, then I will look for a suitable replacement. 

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Comments

  • I am a written goal person, in work primarily and just applying it to my running, yes it works, although I've found that achievements come easier if you make them your secondary goal.

    For 2013? for my secondary goal I have 14 Marathons in mind or planning stages, 6 marathons booked with accomodation already (includes 3 Ultras) however when I ran my long run in June 2012, I came away injured for three months, so my primary goal for 2013 is to achieve the level of fitness I need to complete all of my planned runs up to end of June and to still be running in July of next year, instead of lounging around with my feet up putting an extra stone on. Then from July onwards I might consider times.

  • A few for me:

    Lose weight, crept back up to 13 and a half stone need to be at 12 or under.

    Get back to averaging 50 miles per week, of the right quality.

    Complete the West Highland Way Race and the British Ultrafest 48HR (I have a target time and distance written down but am not sharing yet).

    The hardest goal of all is to manage the above whilst striking a fair family / work / running balance.

  • mr fmr f ✭✭✭
    Ambitions for me next year include keeping up with the Pilates, the thames100, remaining injury free and to try and get over the magical 1000 mile mark for the year. Have come close a few times so desperately want to beat it! Similarly to Alistair, all of the above with die consideration to my family and my sanity. At the same time feeling grateful that I'm able to run and keep fit.
  • mr fmr f ✭✭✭
    Oh, merry Christmas!
  • I have my goals (TT50, SDW50, NDW50, Lakeland50, Ladybower50) written down - but now I'm first looking to get this posterior tibial tendon sorted. My mileage has been much too low the last four weeks (including zero, the first week) - I've only done one half-way long run (17.5 miles a week ago) in the last month.

    So: revised goals:

    - get posterior tibial tendon sorted (finally found an online resource yesterday with some usefulsuggestions shich seem to be working already - will try a run today).

    - get back to running five days a week and getting some long runs in, to return to 50 mpw +/- 10 mpw

    - Run Winter Tanners 30 (as a training run) and TT50

    - Start additional hill work, do Lakeland 50 recces and recce SDW50 route

    - Do some speed technique sessions with the club to improve my running form

    - run my planned 50-mile races

  • Agree with Mr F on the Pilates, many a running injury/niggle cured by my once weekly session. Debra its great for ITB

  • touie2touie2 ✭✭✭
    Lots of goals for me next year! Main ones stay fit enough to complete Thames trot and SDW 100! Secondary goals sub 3.50 marathon, finish the cts Dorset ultra!!!
  • mr fmr f ✭✭✭
    Ekgo, I take it you go to a class as opposed to a home DVD? I was introduced to it at a rehabilitation hospital where I was staying a couple of weeks ago. I've been so impressed with the results to date, never realised how weak and unbalanced I really was! Has worked wonders with ny itbs
  • Already booked C2C, Winter tanners, Moonlight challange, TP100, GUCR and fingers crossed UTMB..

    Main aim though is to stay injury free all year.

    Oh and lose a few pounds.

  • EKGO: I go to a Pilates class once a week, plus I do a short session each morning. I have no ITB problems - never have had, thankfully. Ironically I think excess ankle work in Pilates was one of the things leading to my injury...

    *Dill*: I've just downloaded a very useful booklet "Building Your Body Maintenance Routine" which takes you through looking at (a) the problems you've had/ (b) problems common with your sport/ (c) aspects common with sitting/standing all day (delete as applicable for c) then helps you work out which areas to work on regularly (to be carried out twice weekly, between a hard session and a recovery session). From a site called Athletes Treating Athletes. The site has loads of useful info including self-massage, kinesio taping etc. - with "how to" videos, diagrames of where the different muscles and tendons are - evrything really. I'm using some of their recommendations now to try to get this posterior tibial sorted and I WILL be going on to their mainentance program.

    So: Additional goal: do regular maintenance masaage & stretching, particularly for lower legs, with the aim of keeping injury free and running all year.

  • Mr F yes I go to a regular class, a little embarassing being the only guy at first but now I couldn't really care, and I found if one guy starts off others will soon follow.

    Ah Debra I see, I misread you regarding the ITB. 

  • WiBWiB ✭✭✭

    Run a decent 100 miler, have loads of fun on some trails and eat a fair bit. Keeping it simple.

  • Run a decent 100 miler?

    For my own part, I have to say that my times over that distance have not been as good as my times over 50, 60, 70 miles would suggest. 

    It is a serious challenge to carry your speed up to 100 miles!

  • Main goal is to stay injury free after a horrid 2012. If that is achieved then my next goal will be a sub 7 Comrades.

  • Run loads, eat loads and drink loads.
  • Finish the SDW in under 24hrs......

     

    (Only previous ultra was 42 miles)

  • Stay injury free and complete the granIslam for me (tp100 , sdw100, ndw100 and winter 100) would like to do sub 24 on them all but have Achilles injury so not run more than 12mile a week for the last 2 months.
  • Beat Lingster in the Thames path 100 (secretly hoping that his Achilles stops him training too much but still allows him to do it)
  • Run my first ultra, the Ladybower 50.

  • Same as Gaz. New to running this year, loved it and found I can take a fair bit of pain. Manchester in April and Coniston in July for my first marathons but thought what the hell and have entered ladybower 50. Macmillan says 8:23 based on my only HM but I would settle for 10 hours or just finish alive...
  • I'm running Manchester marathon too. Hoping for under 9 hours for the 50 but as you say, finishing alive and under 10 would be perfectly acceptable.

  • DazDaz ✭✭✭

    Working on my nutrition for 100 mile races.  Get faster at the sprint distances haha

    Endurance Coach @ DazCarterFitness.com
    Elite Ironman, Ultra Trail Runner
  • Gaz - we appear to be running the same races next year, I'm doing Manchester too. Are you doing Coniston in July as well by any chance ??

    The 8:23 MacMillan says I should run would have me finishing last years LB in 4th place and your 9 hours would have landed you 6th image

  • Ben, this is a great idea! Well I am new at running. But my aim for 2013 is to do a Greater Manchester Marathon (First one) I set 3 goals, really like this Bronze time under 4 hours, Silver Time under 3 hours 45 Minutes and Gold Time under 3 hours and 30 Minutes. 

    After that I am trying to break 7 Minutes per Mile would be my Bronze at 5k

    Silver 10k and God on Half Marathon. 

    But most importantly running is a secoundary thing for me, so I need to keep it real. My main Gold award would to remain injury free image

    I will update if I achieve any of them in 2013. Good Luck all in 2013. 

     

  • Whats your definition of sprint Daz? 50 mileimage

     

  • No Coniston for me Carter, just a few Halfs before Manchester and Stafford 20 miler. I've got no idea yet whether 9 or 19 hours is realistic for a 51 mile race. Lots to work on and learn over the summer, eh? 

  • ....to complete an Ultra image

  • I can highly recommend Coniston as an awesome trail marathon and as an ideal stepping stone to off road ultras, good mix of terrain, some reasonable climbs and a few technical descents (seen some claret spilled both years), super well organised with superb scenery. 

  • GazOC and carterusm looks like ill be seeing you both at LB next year,don't take no notice of the MacMillan calculator over the ultra distance,i should have finished LB this year in about 8 hrs ,but due to the wind,rain and stomach problems i was an hour slower,a lot can happen over 50 + miles.Other races so far for me are The Dukeries 40m Ultra and The Round Rotherham 50.Also going back into Triathlons as i move up into the 50 + age group.There's also a couple of challenges of my own like the 3 highest Peaks in Eng,Scot, Wales in 24 hours,and to run the length of the Chesterfield canal.

  • Currently trying to work out whether I am asking too much of myself to try and do the Cardiff Ultra 50miler in May. I've got 1 marathon (Cheltenham) last June, with one planned in Jan (Gloucester), and know I'll need a 30 something under my belt too.

    Any advice greatly appreciated - doable, or asking for trouble? Alternative plan was to get say 2-4 marathons/30 milers done before the Wye 50 in October.....

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