I am in the process of adjusting my goals for my goal half marathon (the B&A Trail Half in March) – and it’s scary. I’ve never had to adjust my goals mid-training cycle to a faster goal. But after besting my race goal for March a couple of weekends ago at the Phoenix Women’s Half (recap here), I need a new goal.
I’ve decided that instead of focusing on a time goal for B&A, I will aim for a pace goal. I ran a 8:38 pace at Phoenix (aside: it is crazy to me that a year ago, I was shooting to run sub-2 and now I’m in the low 1:50s) and will be hoping to run an 8:30 even pace at B&A. An 8:30 pace would be a 1:51:26 marathon. I think given my training and my tempo runs and my recent paces on runs that 8:30 is definitely feasible. I’ll be honest – I think I could probably be ready to run a bit faster than 8:30 by the end of March, but I want to set myself up for success.
There’s a portion in the Hanson’s training book that talks about what to do if your training starts to go really well – should you adjust your pace and such. The book asks an important question – if you would have originally been happy with the goal that you set, why throw that away? My original goal was 1:53. Since running 1:52 in Phoenix, I’ve had a few people say things like “oh you should go for 1:50 next time.” And I thought about it. But if I would’ve been happy with 1:53, then I’d rather get a more reasonable time rather that blow up trying to run 1:50. Does that make sense? It does to me. 🙂
So I have adjusted my training paces a little bit to adjust for the 8:30 pace goal but it doesn’t change too much. I’ve also just been getting back into the rigorous training – it’s hard to PR and then get right back into hard training, honestly. Luckily, I have some great group runs and run buds that help me keep it fresh. I’m looking forward to my race and think that I’ve set a smart goal.
Have you ever reevaluated in the middle of a training cycle?
No one has ever had a season that didn’t come with some kind of challenge. Adjusting goals is part of being an athlete and when you’re committed to your goals, setbacks are temporary. Thanks for the post!
Luckily I haven’t had setbacks but that’s true.
There’s nothing wrong with adjusting your goals at any point during a training cycle. You’re doing so well with your training, so why not push yourself a bit more.
Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…Putting Together My Chicago Marathon Training Plan
Exactly – I think it’s reasonable and I’m having success with it so far!
That’s awesome that you’re adjusting your goal! It’s certainly better than having to adjust to a slower time. I really admire how much you continue to improve your times. Great work!
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets recently posted…Benefits of Yoga for Runners with CorePower Yoga
Thanks Janelle – I owe it all to my training plan! 🙂
Well, you have been crushing your workouts and previous races!! It is good that you have even taken the time to reflect and consider the idea of adjusting upcoming race goals. This process will allow you to weigh the pros and cons and do what feels right for you! Good luck!
Kara recently posted…Running Lately and Build Up to Spring Races
Thanks Kara – it’s certainly been a good year for me so far!
For me it’s so hard to set a specific goal early on in the training cycle because each cycle is different. You can totally do this! Can’t wait to see how it works out for you 🙂
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Thanks Alaina – I’m anxious to see how March plays out as well 🙂
I think it makes sense since you are in the middle of a cycle, to go for your pace goal instead of 1:50.
1:50 (or lower!) is definitely doable, and if it was at the beginning of your cycle I would say go for it.
I bet even with your conservative goal you will best 1:50 in march. 🙂
Thanks Wendy! I so appreciate the support, lady!
I think it is awesome that you have cut off that much time in just a couple years. I hope you feel very proud of that accomplishment! I too am trying to get down to that 8:30ish pace. I just finished a 10K at 8:17, but keeping that for a half is a whole different story. Lately, I have found that focusing on the pace and not the time has helped me stay more even on my runs. I tend to fall into the gun it and die category. Good luck with your training! I’ll be interested to see how the adjustment goes for you.
Good luck to you as well – what race are you training for?
The Flying PIg Half Marathon in Cincinnati, OH!
I love this suggestion to stick with your original goal! Rather than getting too far ahead of yourself, and risking an experience that might feel disappointing, this advice would help you feel good celebrating no matter what the outcome on race day. Kudos to you for being kind to yourself, acknowledging the accomplishments you’ve already achieved (and hard work!), and making smart adjustments! I know you’re going to KILL IT!!
Thanks Tara – it’s easy to always get caught up in MORE, FASTER, NOW! But I think my goal is doable, reasonable and sets me up for a positive race experience. 🙂
Congrats on the great finish and need to make some changes. I think being open to changes midway through a training cycle is great regardless of which direction you need to make them in. We probably should all be looking at our training halfway through and determining if we are still on the same track we wanted to be on. If you didn’t make the proper changes, you wouldn’t be getting the most out of your training plan. Happy training!
This is the best kind of adjustment to have to make, and I like your plan of setting a reasonably faster pace. Come race morning you can make any adjustments necessary to accommodate the day’s weather, how you’re feeling, etc. Good luck!
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I think setting a goal pace makes sense, since finish times don’t take into account that you can’t run exactly 13.1 miles. I’m pondering my goal for the NYC Half. My starting point is a sub 2:00 finish, since I want to enjoy the course more than finish in a certain time.
I think we all adjust our goals sometimes during training cycles, it is nice to get to adjust them faster for a great reason.
Definitely a smart goal adjustment! But overall, really amazing that you’ve seen such improvement in just a year. You rock!
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