There is no doubt that goal setting can help bring the most out of an individual regardless of the setting in which it is set. For endurance sports, I believe reaching for the unobtainable result can often lead to your best performance.
One of the biggest contradictions I’ve seen with goal-setting is the idea that if you achieve your set “goal,” then you have succeeded. This is all too simple, why not set an easy goal and once it’s achieved you’ll be happy? The reason is, that goals are meant to be set to help us motivate, push, and in most cases achieve beyond our current level. I believe in setting your goals high, maybe slightly beyond what you think is really possible. Put a goal out there in a place you’re a little uncomfortable with, then dream big and go after it!
While going big and reaching for the seemingly impossible may garner your best result, it’s also important to realize that it can also cause you to fall painfully short. Often times a more modest and secure approach will offer a more likely “good” finish. This is an unfortunate reality of going BIG, and often times the fall-out after one of these shortcomings requires a lot of mental strength to move forward. If this happens, then I feel the best idea is to rely on positive thought and persistence and look to the future. Once an event is done, it’s in the past, we need to learn as much as we can from it and mostly focus on what’s ahead.
Here is an example of how I use this goal-setting method. In November of 2010 Ironman Arizona is coming back to Tempe. My best finish ever at Ironman Arizona is an 8th place where I finished in a time of 8 hours and 53 minutes. I believe that winning this November will require a sub 8:20 performance. That’s over a half hour off of my best time at this event! What’s my goal? The same as it is every year, to win the event! Why not race to go faster than my previous best? Because I know that the only thing that will make me 100 percent happy will be winning. We could list out one hundred reasons as to why I’d be more likely to do “well” with a more controlled or realistic approach, but I only need one reason to set my goal at winning. The only way to satisfy my dream on the day, is to win.
Of course not everyone has a dream of winning their next race. What I recommend is taking a little time and figure out what your personal dream is for your next running, cycling, triathlon, or other multisport endeavor. Take that dream, see if there’s a way to mold it into something real, and make that your goal. After you have or haven’t achieved your far-reaching goal, you will know that your pursuit of having giving 100% to your dream will leave you looking back more than satisfied. Then revise the goal, repeat the preparation, and do it all over again.
Runners tend to think it’s all about their lungs and their legs and while those are major aspects of running, that’s not all there is to running. A strong core and upper body is also needed to ensure powerful movement in the legs and in maintaining good running form. Youngsters in their 20s and early 30s tend to be involved in multiple activities–golf, tennis, soccer, softball, Frisbee football, volleyball, working out at the gym, etc. Because of this variety of activity, the upper body gets a good workout without the individual realizing they’re strengtheing their upper body and core. Then somewhere in our late 30s, 40s and 50s, due to work, family, just life in general, many of the activities fall by the wayside. Somehow many manage to hang-on to running. Maybe it’s because we can fit it in whenever. Maybe it keeps us sane. Maybe it’s because it’s cheap. But, over the years, that core and upper body fitness begin to wane. Don’t use it; you lose it. Probably wasn’t that obvious because as runners we tend to be lean. But lean doesn’t always mean fit. (Click more to see the video.) Continue reading 'Core strengthening workout'»
As a runner, the focus of the upper-body workout should be to gain muscular endurance. So, go with lighter weights and higher repetitions. 10lbs to 15lbs dumbbells are sufficient for this workout. You can also use light or medium resistance bands or resistance tubes instead of dumbbells.
The workout consists of a 7-exercise circuit. Do each exercise (10-15 reps) one right after the other without taking a break. Once you’ve completed all 7 exercises, take a 1- to 2-minute rest; then repeat the circuit a second time. If you’re new to upper-body exercises, then begin with 10 repetitions. Each day add an additional rep until you get to 15 repetitions. Also, if upper-body exercise is new to you, begin with one cycle of the circuit for the first week. During Week 2, complete two cycles of the circuit. If you’re advanced, try three cycles of the circuit.
It’s fine to pair the upper-body circuit with the core workout on the same day. Try doing the core workout in the morning and the upper-body circuit in the evening. You can also rotate days. For example you could do the upper-body workout on M,W,F and do the core workout on T,TH,S. The great thing about circuit workouts is that they’re quick. You’ll have a strong core and upper body before you know it and you’ll start to see the benefits in your long runs too!
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What features does the High-Tech Entertainment Center offer?
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RT @FitnessExchange: According to the American Medical Assoc., a treadmill workout ranks #1 among workouts on cardiovascular machines. [landicefitness]
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