Nicks Running Tips: New Years Running Resolutions
This month’s running tips from coach Nick Haugher: New Years Running Resolutions
The New Year is fast approaching! There is something special about a new year. With a year behind us and a year ahead of us, it is a valuable time to set new goals for yourself. This month I’m addressing how best to go about goal setting for the new year so that you can find success in your pursuit of these goals.
Reflection. Something I like to do each year is reflect on the year as a whole. I like to ask myself, what are a few things that went well? What are a few things that didn’t go so well? What are some habits that fueled successful running? What are some habits that didn’t serve me well in that space? Taking some time to reflect is a great way to get started on future goal setting.
Pick something outside running itself. We are constantly shooting for big improvements in running and this is important but constant improvement is hard. So I like to start with something simple that isn’t directly tied to my running performances. Something I chose as a goal was to see the physical therapist two times a month all year. While this was somewhat tied to my running it wasn’t something that I looked to from a performance standpoint. I can look back on the year and be proud that I achieved a goal surrounding my body’s health!
Make a goal that is within reach. All improvement starts with momentum. We gain momentum by accomplishing small goals over and over again. Did you set a new PR in the 5k this year? Well make a goal to hit that same time not once this time but twice. Now of course that isn’t guaranteed to happen but you can see how starting there can lead to a great feeling that can lead to bigger performances.
Finally, come up with that big goal. We all have that audacious goal that drives us out the door everyday no matter what. Listen to how that big goal makes you feel. Life would get boring with nothing but small attainable goals. A combination of small and big goals keeps momentum going in our direction as well as motivation to tackle something big.
Enjoy the process of goal setting. It’s exciting to day dream about something that matters so much to us. Once you go through the process of goal setting, write them down and tell someone. There is no better motivator than seeing your goals laid out in front of you everyday and having someone you care about knowing to keep you accountable. Good luck and have fun!!
About the Author:
Nick Hauger is a two time All American from the University of Portland. He has been running professionally for NAZ Elite sponsored by HOKA for 3 years. His PR’s consist of 13:55 in the 5k, 28:43 in the 10k, 1:03:48 in the half marathon and 2:12:59 in the marathon, and he holds the American Record for 10 miles run on the track. Nick likes to place an emphasis on assigning a variety of workout types so that runners can toe the line with confidence knowing they have felt all sorts of pacing types in training.
“Running is a discovery of finding out just how far you can go, and that begins with confidence in yourself.”
If you’d like to work with Nick, contact us to learn more about our virtual running training programs.