General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Goal vs actual finish time. Rss Feed  
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2007-11-02 3:29 PM
in reply to: #1035188

Iron Donkey
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, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Goal vs actual finish time.

smilford - 2007-11-02 12:39 PM hmm recent race goals.. 5k: Wanted to break 18:00, with the thought of 17:45 as a perfect run.. ran a 17:48 Oly triathlon: It had a tough run so I put my goal at 2:20.. was 2:24.. had a bad swim and the run was still hard. Sprint, 400m, 10mile, 5k.. wanted to break an hour.. came in at 54min. Sprint, 300m, 12mile, 5k.. 57min.. but coming in over an hour didn't even occure to me.. came in at 1hr and 30 seconds. Usually have a good idea what a good day will give me.. but it all depends on how things click that day.

Must be nice to be young.  



2007-11-02 3:29 PM
in reply to: #1035020

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Expert
1169
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Charlottesville, VA
Subject: RE: Goal vs actual finish time.
A running coach I respect a lot once told me that you should always have a goal for your race -- particularly longer races like marathons.

In his opinion, the worst thing you could do would be to go into the race thinking "I just want to finish." It's almost always a recipe for disaster -- you won't pace yourself properly and you'll end up going out much too fast and suffering badly or bonking later on.

Best to be realistic, and have a goal time, no matter how modest it might be.

2007-11-02 3:32 PM
in reply to: #1035430

Iron Donkey
38643
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, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Goal vs actual finish time.
Birkierunner - 2007-11-02 2:26 PM

bryancd - 2007-11-02 1:00 PM

For Hawaii, I told everyone to expect me out of the water in 1:05, I was out in 1:04 and change. I figured a 5:10-5:20 bike, I got a 5:03. I told anyone who would listen a 3:30-3:40 run, I went 3:26.

geeeeez...there goes Bryan, showing off again....I did such and such at Kona...yadda yadda yadda (I'm totally kidding of course )

Then listen to Birkie - oh, just wanted to BREAK an 11 hour 50 mile Ultra, but did it under 9 hours!!   

2007-11-02 3:38 PM
in reply to: #1035546

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Cycling Guru
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Fulton, MD
Subject: RE: Goal vs actual finish time.

ohiost90 - 2007-11-02 4:25 PM I get how if you don't tell anyone you don't set-up expectations for others? But how does not telling others not set up expecations to yourself? DO you include yourself in the not telling? And if you don't tell yourself, how do you know that you meet your goal? Do you tell yourself after the race? So in other words, by not telling others, you don't have to explain how you didn't make your goal. thats cool. btw, good luck at your IM. Whats your goal time? Or haven't you told yourself that yet? lol... Just f'in with ya. Really, rock this IM!

I put out my main goals, but my "ultimate" ones are kept to myself now.  Call it sort of a "sandbagging" mentality.   I guess it does go along the lines of not telling others so I don't have to explain why I didn't perform to that level.

But everyone who knows me well enough really does know my silent one without it being said, it's a pretty obvious one and the time that would need to correspond with it ......... if it happens, awesome, if it doesn't, no big deal as this is my learning curve.

My realistic goal is in my log .... 1:20, 5:10, 3:45 with :12 for transitions or around a 10:30.  That will get me in under my idea of beating the sunset.  That is what I plan on pacing for.  But if I'm doing better than that??  Fantastic, as long as I survive the marathon.

And if I don't hit it?  (As long as I'm not in an ambulance or the hospital) That's fine too, not going to really change my life any.



Edited by Daremo 2007-11-02 3:39 PM
2007-11-02 3:59 PM
in reply to: #1035562

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Pro
4675
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Wisconsin near the Twin Cities metro
Subject: RE: Goal vs actual finish time.
1stTimeTri - 2007-11-02 3:32 PM
Birkierunner - 2007-11-02 2:26 PM

bryancd - 2007-11-02 1:00 PM

For Hawaii, I told everyone to expect me out of the water in 1:05, I was out in 1:04 and change. I figured a 5:10-5:20 bike, I got a 5:03. I told anyone who would listen a 3:30-3:40 run, I went 3:26.

geeeeez...there goes Bryan, showing off again....I did such and such at Kona...yadda yadda yadda (I'm totally kidding of course )

Then listen to Birkie - oh, just wanted to BREAK an 11 hour 50 mile Ultra, but did it under 9 hours!!   

Its called sandbagging   I guess I could have bragged that I puked 16 times during my IM   Sorry for the hijack

2007-11-02 4:09 PM
in reply to: #1035576

Subject: ...
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2007-11-02 4:47 PM
in reply to: #1035554

Master
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Houston, TX
Subject: RE: Goal vs actual finish time.
1stTimeTri - 2007-11-02 3:29 PM

smilford - 2007-11-02 12:39 PM hmm recent race goals.. 5k: Wanted to break 18:00, with the thought of 17:45 as a perfect run.. ran a 17:48 Oly triathlon: It had a tough run so I put my goal at 2:20.. was 2:24.. had a bad swim and the run was still hard. Sprint, 400m, 10mile, 5k.. wanted to break an hour.. came in at 54min. Sprint, 300m, 12mile, 5k.. 57min.. but coming in over an hour didn't even occure to me.. came in at 1hr and 30 seconds. Usually have a good idea what a good day will give me.. but it all depends on how things click that day.

Must be nice to be young.  



Say that to the 50 year olds who beat me at every race.


(and yes I do hate that comment..)
2007-11-02 5:04 PM
in reply to: #1034959

Extreme Veteran
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Subject: RE: Goal vs actual finish time.
I aways like to have a "great race" time goal and then a "happy with" time goal. The great race time goal obvioulsy a bit on the ambitious side and the happy with time a little more realistic. For example on my most recent 10k

"great race" goal time- under 47mins
"happy with" goal time- under 49mins

actual was 47:55

2007-11-02 5:15 PM
in reply to: #1035599

Champion
9600
500020002000500100
Fountain Hills, AZ
Subject: RE: Goal vs actual finish time.
Birkierunner - 2007-11-02 3:59 PM

1stTimeTri - 2007-11-02 3:32 PM
Birkierunner - 2007-11-02 2:26 PM

bryancd - 2007-11-02 1:00 PM

For Hawaii, I told everyone to expect me out of the water in 1:05, I was out in 1:04 and change. I figured a 5:10-5:20 bike, I got a 5:03. I told anyone who would listen a 3:30-3:40 run, I went 3:26.

geeeeez...there goes Bryan, showing off again....I did such and such at Kona...yadda yadda yadda (I'm totally kidding of course )

Then listen to Birkie - oh, just wanted to BREAK an 11 hour 50 mile Ultra, but did it under 9 hours!!   

Its called sandbagging   I guess I could have bragged that I puked 16 times during my IM   Sorry for the hijack



LOL! And well you should brag! Easy to finish when everything goes right, takes real courage to still suck it up when the wheels come off, so I say good on 'ya for that!
2007-11-02 5:44 PM
in reply to: #1034959

Expert
1073
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scottsdale, az
Subject: RE: Goal vs actual finish time.
my 5k goal in April was 27 minutes, my time? 27:00, for my olympic, I hoped to finish in 3:30, but finished in 3:31, for the marathon 2 weeks ago, I wanted anything in between 4:30-4:35 and got 4:33. For my 1/2 I'm shooting for sub. 7.
2007-11-02 10:34 PM
in reply to: #1034959

Champion
7542
5000200050025
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Goal vs actual finish time.

A couple of times I've hit the goal or range I've expected.  More often?  No, and it's almost always been slower than I anticipated.  That's OK, I'm not losing sponsorships over my performance, and my wife and cats still love me (or it seems like it at least). 

If you've got 5:30 "stuck in your head" for a race next May, what do you need to do between now and then to achieve that goal? 

How fast do you want to swim to hit your 5:30 goal?
What are you willing to do to swim that fast?

How fast do you want to bike to hit your 5:30 goal?
What are you willing to do to bike that fast?

How fast do you want to run to hit your 5:30 goal?
What are you willing to do to run that fast?

If that's your goal, then make the training a priority and train like you mean it. 



2007-11-02 10:49 PM
in reply to: #1035893

Lethbridge, Alberta
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Goal vs actual finish time.
McFuzz - 2007-11-02 9:34 PM

...

If that's your goal, then make the training a priority and train like you mean it.



x2

I don't remember where I heard this, probably on BT, but "A goal without a plan is just a wish."
2007-11-02 10:57 PM
in reply to: #1034959

Champion
19812
50005000500020002000500100100100
MA
Subject: RE: Goal vs actual finish time.

I'm pretty good at estimated in my finish time as I know what I do in training plus I'm really a numbers geek. My coach says of all the people he coaches I'm one of the best at predicting my finish times.

I'm trying to get away from measuring my race performance by my time as so much effect time. Now I try to focus if I executed my race plan well which is something like...be moment focused, enjoy myself, nail my nutrition,  execute my pacing plan, do the best I can at each moment. If I do those things well I did the best I could on that day whatever the time may be. I think for me getting hung up on time actually hampers my enjoyment of the sport.

Yet I usually I set 3 time goals.. stretch goal of a perfect day of everything falling into place, a medium goal, and one I think I can hit on an average day.

The thing with time goals is weather heat, humidity, wind all play a part as does if swim is measured right and if the run and bike course are really the distance they list on the website are accurate often they aren't. Even doing the same race one year to another finish times don't tell all the story of how the day went. My A race the last two years, my run was slower this year by a minute, but I placed 100 people higher, it was a very hot humid day so most folks run times were 3-5 minute slower so me only a minute slower was an improvement...just as an example how conditions effect times. 

I don't like to measure myself against others say I want to place in top 50% of my AG as I can't control who shows up or how they train. I'm in the 45-49 AG and often the group is small so it is much more variable. You can do the same time from one year to the next and be in top half one year and bottom 25% the next. Does that mean you did worse? Nope..just others had a better day.  

I would caution folks not to get hung up on time as it can take the joy out of racing..use it but focus on if you did your best and learn from your race. 

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