Setting fitness goals

I find keeping up regular exercise to be enough of a challenge. What is an even greater challenge is setting fitness goals.

I often find that my most common fitness goal doesn’t really have direction or feasibility. It is simply, to get fitter. With this in mind, I have been trying something new and relatively straight forward. Finish two laps around the oval near my place and time myself each time. Each time that I do it, I am trying to beat my previous time. My end goal is to do two laps in under two and a half minutes (something that still needs a bit of work).

I have found having a clear timed run goal is a great motivator. Even when I hit a slump and feel liking stopping to catch my breath, I think about the time I last ran and how I need to beat it. The good part about trying to run two laps flat out is how it encourages me to do a slow first lap to warm up and a slow final lap to cool down. In comparison to the timed run, these two laps are relaxing and much easier. All in all, once I am ready to exercise, it is really helpful to have this goal.

The only challenge I have encountered is getting dressed and out the door for a run. Thinking about exercising during the day and beating my time is proving to be a great motivator for this habit. I think about what time I previously ran and how I want to beat it and reach my goal. The only bump in the road I am anticipating is when I stop being able to beat my time. I know after an extended period of not getting quicker it will be mentally tough to keep going but I will cross that bridge when I come to it (I still have plenty of fitness to catch up on).