Goalsetting....

I'm going through them right now. Trying to determine what I want to shoot for and how to quantify them. It's been a very tough process for me.

I set goals for the year ahead but I split my season up into race-season and offseason.  It's easier to focus on training whatever for X weeks when you don't have race weekends interrupting you.

Also once I write out my goals, I try to think - how can I track my progress?  If there's not a quantifiable way to do that, then I revise / clarify the goal.  Some of my goals this past year were time related, one was a strength goal and another was nutrition tracking.

So far it's just IM CdA that I'm signed up for, but I have plans to kick some azz in dozen or so 1/2's oly's and sprints next year.  I want to be top ten in my AG in at least one race next year...even if that means finding the smallest race possible. 

I already have my races lined up for next year with projected goal times.

http://www.fatguysredemption.com/race-schedule/2011-schedule/

I try to set goals well in advance, but never set them in stone.

The process I usually go through is determining what I want to accomplish, then drawing out a plan that I think will help me achieve that goal.  If I can't stick to the plan, or the plan becomes too easy, I adjust the plan, and possibly adjust my goals.