Goal to just finish

Of course not. Why would it be?

Goals are a personal thing and the "vote" of those of us not living YOUR life don't really count...

But to help you...GOALS are things YOU want to accomplish and are willing to work to accomplish.  Not sure what you do for a living, but most of us had a goal and to accomplish that goal, we chose to go to college to help us achieve that goal.  Maybe you have a goal to be a millionaire and so consistently pack your lunch and drive old cars so you can save money, invest it, and ultimately become a millionaire.  

Generally, our reluctance to admit "super secret" goals is based on the negativity associated with not hitting them...the perceived "failure."  How do you think you'd respond after you finish the race (hitting your "stated goal") but missing your "super secret goal?"  If you're like most of us, you won't be satisfied and your loved ones may be confused because you're agitated even though you hit what you told them was your goal.  

Think of it this way:  What if...the day of the race turns out perfect for you to achieve your "super secret" goal but because you chose to to avoid "failure" you didn't really train to achieve that "super secret" goal?  It's an opportunity squandered!  

There are many on this forum even who will suggest you not set time-based "goals" particularly for your first race.  I'm actually in the other camp...set the goal, admit that is your goal, and then WORK TOWARDS THAT GOAL.  Your actions will reveal your goal.  

Here's a quick exercise in that line.  Could you complete your "just finish" goal without running?  Assuming so, why are you risking injury to run instead of just walking a lot?  Ahh...you're already admitting that the time goal is marginally more important to you than "just finishing."  

Maybe your "super secret" goal is <6:00.  How do you see that unfolding?  You obviously have it playing out in your head already.  So the real question is how to play it out in real life.  As long as your race is far enough away to follow a proper training plan, you probably CAN achieve your "super secret" goal.  (Although it may no longer be "super secret.")  

Admitting you have a time goal and then working towards achieving it is a good thing!  Admitting your "super secret" goal gives you motivation to walk outside on that cold winter morning and run your 4 miles when you could just as easily stayed in bed.  It's what has you seeking out the hilly 50 mile ride when you could have done an easier ride to "just finish."  

Sure, it's a very valid goal, especially for your first effort.  It sounds like you have a good plan in place to get you toward your secret goal, too, which is also good.  Best of luck in your training and racing!

OK, so you've provided far more context about your goal.  Good!  

Part of the reason to be so specific about goals is to keep "goal creep" in check.  You can drive a stake in the ground NOW about your goals and continue to assess whether what you're doing supports or undermines your goal.  

As for "failure."  It's often healthy to put that in context.  

Assume you're 35 years old the day of the race.  Race day is but one of 12783 days in your life thus far.  Are you going to let success or failure of 0.008% of your life define you?  

Whether you finish in 7:25, 8:00, 8:35 (technically a Did Not Finish), or are unable to finish the race, you'll still have a roof over your head, the love of your family, and a story to tell.  None of that sounds like "failure" to me.  

My first 70.3 my goal was to just finish.  I has a time goal of 5 hours, but that was NOT as important as finishing.  I finished just over 7 hours and was not disappointing one bit.  I was on top of the world and felt just as much accomplishments as I think I would have felt if I had won the race.  Until you have finished a race you don't know if you can do it.  After you have done it you know you can do it and the next time is a matter of how much faster you can do it than before.  For the first 70.3 just finish.  Pacing is important in the goal to finish so do look at time but don't make time your goal just a tool to gauge how you are doing.

Lots of good advice, insights, etc. above. 

One thing I like to do is to have multiple goals, but they're not all time-related. For example, I ran an open 10k this summer as part of my training. I had a time goal, but also had a goal to run the race smart and hard. I did not make my time goal, but I did run smart and I went as hard as I could. I was happy with my effort, so it was a good result even though I missed my time goal.

Goals should push you, but they also need to be achievable. If you think completing a 70.3 will push you but be achievable, then it's a great goal. I'll be cheering for you - please keep us updated!