I Think I Can?
How do you know if you’ve set the bar too high?
Chapter two of Run Less, Run Faster focuses on goal setting. The idea is that failing to reach your time goal may not be a function of having a bad race but merely a function of setting the wrong goal.
Thirty Seconds = the time between a realistic and unrealistic goal.
The book includes a race pace prediction table to help set a realistic goal for varying race distances. I thought this could help determine whether or not my goal of getting into the red corral is realistic.
The only flaw is that it predicts my 5k race pace to be slower than that of the Fitness Magazine 4-miler I ran last year. This leaves me back at square one: Is getting into the red corral a realistic goal?
- PR for 4 mile race: 29:10
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Goal for 4 mile race on November 21st: 27:56
What fitness goal has you repeating “I think I can”?
Wow, I was just thinking this morning if perhaps the reason I am constantly feeling disappointed with myself is because I set my goals too high. I expect nothing but perfection, but is that realistic??
Hmmm, I don’t know about this book. Isn’t the point of a GOAL to choose something that makes you work harder, and really push yourself to your limits? If goals were numbers that could obviously be reached, what’s the point?! I think you should definitely keep your goal of getting into the red corral. If you don’t, oh well, try again next year! Books like this are just trying to make money. I haven’t read it, but that’s just my QUICK opinion.
My goal at the moment is working through “Insanity”
It’s tough and challenging…I am trying not to give up.
I have to admit, I haven’t set many “I think I can” goals since I finished swimming in college. I’m a bit easier on myself and set “I know I can” goals.
My “I think I can” is completing the 1/2 marathon I signed up for in November.
Although I do a lot of cardio, I am a weight lifting lover so it is all about challenging the weights as I age. I challenge the cardio too but I like the weights a lot better!
My goal right now is to finish my Oct marathon as close to 4 hours as possible. I think if I am being realistic it will be more like 4:15 – 4:20 but that will still be a PR and I will be thrilled.
- Sub 3 Marathon this year (after 2 failed attempts this year)
- Ironman AZ next year
- sub 5 minute mile in the 5th Avenue Mile
You always have amazing goals!
My fitness goals seem lame, but mine is to bike for 45 minutes at a high intensity without knee pain. OK, maybe 35 minutes.
Im going to start “running faster” when i move next week. There’s a track right by my house and I desperately hate treadmills, so I’m excited to force myself to get up and go outside. “I think I Can.”
Getting through the swim at my tri this weekend, eessh.
Your goal looks amazing, and I know you can handle it!
Great post sister!!
The infamous red corral also depends on the race. I was in it for the Harlem 5K last week, which was a major confidence boost for me, and my prior pace was 8:05/mile.
Sorry, I meant the size of the race! That 5K only had about 1800 people…
I know! I’ve only been in the red corral once and it was based off of a 7:17 pace. I heard that if you get a below 7:00 pace your highly likely to a red corral placement on a somewhat regular basis.
Feels so good to be in red, doesn’t it?!
it also depends on race capacity AND if the professionals are running.
Congrats on the Vital Juice email mention! So nice to see NY bloggers get some love.
(It was also nice meeting you at the Summit!)
Am I the only runner who doesn’t know what the red corral is? haha.
The red corral is a NYC Road Runner’s thing. I mention more about it here http://fitchickinthecity.com/2010/04/18/i-dream-in-red/
Oh heavens, another running book I have to add to my list!! haha I say this phrase in some way EVERY DAY. I just keep telling myself, “Girl, you thought you couldn’t run at all, now you are doing 30 minutes at once! YOU CAN DO IT!!”
Sounds like a fantastic goal! You have plenty of time. Run a few races outside the city and you can win them with that time. I’m utterly confused by the red corral thing. I never ran sub 7 and since they started the color system I always get red despite the fact that if I do a race these days, I’m running like 9 minute miles LOL. I think you’re in!
I think I currently have an unrealistic goal of beating my PR for a 5k in September. Some shin pain and days of rain has derailed my training – at this point, it is time to reevaluate.