When you start a race, your goal is to get to the finish line. For some, the goal is to finish comfortably, for others it's to get to the finish line first. Simply getting to the finish line is but one of the many goals we can set for ourselves. Goals challenge us to see how high we can go and to do things we perhaps didn't know were possible. Setting goals for ourselves is the way we stay motivated to train in the tough times, in bad weather, and when there are no races in the immediate future. Goals make bring your dreams to reality.

Your Dream Goals are the big ones. They set the stage for your passion for triathlon and they give you reason to train and compete. Your dream is a big part of who you are and what you do. Maybe your dream is to win your age group at Hawaii. No matter how 'out there' it is, your dream is important, and it is the ultimate goal that guides everything you do. You may never attain your dream goal, but it creates a pathway for the positive way you live your life.

Having a dream goal guides more specific goals that you have every ability to achieve. Dream goals can seem very distant and intangible, so it's important to have specific, measurable and realistic goals in the form of Long Term and Short Term Goals. Long term goals are important because they make you think about what really motivates you, and what specific things about your dreams you personally would like to accomplish. Your dream goal can be as ambitious as you dare, but your long term goals should be logical and attainable. Planning on racing an Ironman qualifying event and then Ironman are examples of long term goals. If your dream is to be an Ironman, and you have never done one, then your long term goals specifically are the steps necessary to qualifying for Ironman. A long term goal keeps you focused on the big picture as you plan your season, go through the ups and downs of training and racing, and makes planning the short term goals an easier process.

Short term goals are the stepping stones along the way to the long term goals. This is the weekly training schedule, and the daily training runs you need in order to reach your long term goals. Short term goals are the things you have to do today, this week, and this month in order to make sure you are moving towards your long term goals and staying true to your dreams. Short term goals include less important races that will create improvement, times that you have to run in training in order to get that personal best and the type and frequency of training that you have to do in order to reach your long term goals. Sometimes short term goals can look like a to-do list, such as finding a coach to help your build a better training program, taking a yoga class to reduce the chance of injury and taking a swim clinic to learn how to be a better swimmer.

Write your goals down. There is something concrete and contractual about committing goals to paper. Tape them somewhere so you see them often. They are affirmations of your dreams.

Make both outcome and process goals for yourself. Winning your age group at Ironman is an outcome goal. So is running a personal best for the 10k. These are good goals, and sports psychologists say that having something measurable is easier to quantify (thus creating a feeling of success) than something vague. Outcome goals are also not entirely within your control. Somebody faster may show up or the weather may not cooperate. Within your outcome goals, there should be some goals that you have complete control over, and these are the process goals. If you need to work on becoming a better swimmer so that you can achieve your goal of making the swim time cut-off at Ironman, break your outcome goal into process oriented tasks: take a swim clinic, work on one aspect of your stroke through drills, stretch and strengthen your upper body.

Do your goals match your life priorities and time commitments? Do you realistically have what it takes to meet your goals this year or next? Matching our long term and short term goals with our training takes skill and honesty. Having clear goals will ensure you stay on track with your training and racing.

Set daily goals which create focus for each workout. Every training session has meaning in an overall program and deserves your attention. These goals can include having a positive mindset before and during practice, or staying on top of a particular part of your swim stroke during the main set.

Knowing your goals is one of the best ways to ensure that motivation and interest stays high. Take ownership of your goals and share them with others and your coach to make them a reality. You can now relax and enjoy your training because the road ahead is clear and you have something driving your forward.

Happy Goal Setting!

Thanks to Lucy Smith for her contribution to this piece.