Remember that post "Having a coach help you with your goals" and goals 1-3? Now here's the last goal of that 4-part goal series.
I knew what I wanted. I knew what was meaningful to me. I came up with my four goals. In the summer of 2008 they were far off and seemed lofty, yet I was sure of them.
It was June of 2012. I was qualified for the US Olympic Team Trials and I had hit 3 of my 4 goals. If you look at goal 4, it seems like another pretty good goal. Look at it. Trials and Olympics!
As a coach and as an athlete, I hated watching heat after heat and counting times and places to see if an athlete had made the next round on time. Did he or she squeeze into the next round?! It is nerve-racking and doesn't fully provide the greatest confidence boost. At a big meet like the Trials where there's already a heckuva lot of adrenaline and excitement and anxiety, I wanted to be able to secure an automatic qualifying position which would mean that I raced smartly and took care of business. I also wanted to get that Olympic qualifying mark because that's a big deal. I understood that it didn't matter if you finished in the top-3 in the finals, but didn't have a fast enough time. You wouldn't go to the Olympics and you could even be stealing an opportunity from someone that was good and had a bad day.
I made sure to take care of business in the prelim. I had been set on goal 4 for years. It served me well. I ran a terrific race and was pumped up during it. I remember the last 500m of the prelim very well. I was happy and confident and made a great move on the backstretch. After the final water jump I knew I could get the automatic qualifying spot and finished well. I ran a PR and got an Olympic mark. Goal 4! Got it!
I was pleased with myself, cooled-down, and then got in the ice tank. Then it hit me.
Uh-oh. Now what?
I had no goal. I had completed my 4 goals and it was Thursday evening in Eugene. The finals were Saturday evening and I had no goal. Of course it's everyone's goal to make the Olympics, right? I had never really fully considered it. I had tried to once or twice, but I couldn't wrap my head around it. I had messed up. Big time. I didn't train with people that had been to the Olympics. I didn't have a coach who trained athletes that had run in the track & field Olympics. I'm not Michael Phelps or Michael Jordan or Shannon Miller.
But who goes into the finals not aiming for the top-3? How can you aim for the top-6? Not in the Trials finals afterall. Right?
The first 5minutes of the finals - here's what was going through my head on fast repeat:
"I'm in the top-3! This feels good! The top-3 make the Olympics! I could make the Olympics! The Olympics?! I'd be peers with Michael Phelps and the likes?" This was on repeat. Like some terrible dj in my head with the lyrics looping. This was exhausting. I hit the mile mark and it got overwhelming and exhausting. I wasn't focused in on the moment. I wasn't focused in on the race. I didn't know how to process this. I wasn't prepared for the final. I still am impressed with people that can wrap their heads around the idea that they could make the Olympics. So lofty, so terrific. I am still pleased with my process. I learned to aim bigger. I hit my goals. I was zoned in fully. But what if they had been bigger?
What would you have done differently? What goals do you have set for yourself? Are they lofty? Are you putting yourself in an environment that pushes you towards them? Do your goals need to be evaluated by a coach?
Next week I will touch on 2008 and 2010 - part of the process.
I knew what I wanted. I knew what was meaningful to me. I came up with my four goals. In the summer of 2008 they were far off and seemed lofty, yet I was sure of them.
1) acquire athletic sponsorship
2) make the PanAm team
3) compete in Europe
4) automatically qualify for the Trials finals and have an Olympic mark
It was June of 2012. I was qualified for the US Olympic Team Trials and I had hit 3 of my 4 goals. If you look at goal 4, it seems like another pretty good goal. Look at it. Trials and Olympics!
As a coach and as an athlete, I hated watching heat after heat and counting times and places to see if an athlete had made the next round on time. Did he or she squeeze into the next round?! It is nerve-racking and doesn't fully provide the greatest confidence boost. At a big meet like the Trials where there's already a heckuva lot of adrenaline and excitement and anxiety, I wanted to be able to secure an automatic qualifying position which would mean that I raced smartly and took care of business. I also wanted to get that Olympic qualifying mark because that's a big deal. I understood that it didn't matter if you finished in the top-3 in the finals, but didn't have a fast enough time. You wouldn't go to the Olympics and you could even be stealing an opportunity from someone that was good and had a bad day.
I made sure to take care of business in the prelim. I had been set on goal 4 for years. It served me well. I ran a terrific race and was pumped up during it. I remember the last 500m of the prelim very well. I was happy and confident and made a great move on the backstretch. After the final water jump I knew I could get the automatic qualifying spot and finished well. I ran a PR and got an Olympic mark. Goal 4! Got it!
 |
| (post via LetsRun: top five advance automatically: Coburn, Kipp, Cathey, DiCrescenzo, and Wade. Aguilera the next fastest non automatic qualifier in 9:51.02. first heat of the women's 3000 Meter Steeplechase won by Emma Coburn at 9:43.19) |
Uh-oh. Now what?
I had no goal. I had completed my 4 goals and it was Thursday evening in Eugene. The finals were Saturday evening and I had no goal. Of course it's everyone's goal to make the Olympics, right? I had never really fully considered it. I had tried to once or twice, but I couldn't wrap my head around it. I had messed up. Big time. I didn't train with people that had been to the Olympics. I didn't have a coach who trained athletes that had run in the track & field Olympics. I'm not Michael Phelps or Michael Jordan or Shannon Miller.
But who goes into the finals not aiming for the top-3? How can you aim for the top-6? Not in the Trials finals afterall. Right?
The first 5minutes of the finals - here's what was going through my head on fast repeat:
"I'm in the top-3! This feels good! The top-3 make the Olympics! I could make the Olympics! The Olympics?! I'd be peers with Michael Phelps and the likes?" This was on repeat. Like some terrible dj in my head with the lyrics looping. This was exhausting. I hit the mile mark and it got overwhelming and exhausting. I wasn't focused in on the moment. I wasn't focused in on the race. I didn't know how to process this. I wasn't prepared for the final. I still am impressed with people that can wrap their heads around the idea that they could make the Olympics. So lofty, so terrific. I am still pleased with my process. I learned to aim bigger. I hit my goals. I was zoned in fully. But what if they had been bigger?
What would you have done differently? What goals do you have set for yourself? Are they lofty? Are you putting yourself in an environment that pushes you towards them? Do your goals need to be evaluated by a coach?
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