How to Set Effective Race Goals

As your race approaches, setting clear goals helps you stay focused and motivated. A useful approach is to define three different goal levels.

Three Types of Time-Based Goals

• Stretch Goal (A goal): your dream performance — something you’d be thrilled to achieve, assuming everything goes perfectly on race day.

• Realistic Goal (B goal): a target that feels achievable if you execute well — a result you’d be happy with and would view the race as a success.

• Survival Goal (C goal): finishing the race and learning from it — useful especially if conditions, form, or experience are uncertain.

What to Consider When Setting Your Goals

When defining your goals, think about:

• Your previous race experience — what you’ve done before helps shape realistic expectations. 

• The course and race conditions — terrain, expected weather, swim/bike/run profile may affect what’s realistic.

• Your current fitness and recent training data — use recent threshold or training metrics as a baseline, not wishful thinking. 

• Your training history & volume — confirm that your preparation matches the demands of the race. 

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