Blog 1: The S(t/M)ART of the End
Posted byellie prior-clarkePosted inUncategorized
The Liverpool rock and roll marathon…. A yearly event where roughly 20, 000 people partake in a weekend of running events. Whether they are attempting the 1 mile, 5k, or half marathon they all cross the start line with a goal, whether it be to win or achieve their best time so far. My Goal? To cross the finish line at the end of the full 42.2K… preferably alive.
Throughout our lives we frequently set goals, whether we realise it or not. There are two types of goals; explicit and implicit . Explicit goals are consciously generated and are usually more directly beneficial to an individual’s motives. An example of an explicit goal would be to run 5 k. Implicit goals are unconscious and associated with immediate rewards, these goals are generally beneficial to the person. An example of an implicit goal would be to put my trainer on before a run. My goal to run a marathon is an explicit goal with the overall aim of increasing my fitness.
Leading up to starting the module ‘Born to Run’, I think I was in denial of just how much work I have to put in. This truly hit me as I went on my first run and was wheezing for breath after only 2 kilometres, (40 more needed to finish a marathon!). I realised I’d have to get my act together and start to plan my training.
Upon reflection I believe that before the classes had started I was enjoying the pre-decisional stage of Rubicon’s model of action; a model which outlines the steps taken towards achieving a goal, and how to achieve these.
While I was in this stage prevented me from making physical progress towards my goals, as I was only contemplating a marathon and not planning for one. To move forward with my goals and reach the pre-actional stages of Rubicons model (shown in the diagram above), I have to start planning how to build up my physical fitness and learn how to endure the longer runs
While I was in this stage prevented me from making physical progress towards my goals , as I was only contemplating a marathon and not planning for one. To move forward with my goals and reach the preactional stages of Rubicons model (shown in the diagram above), I have to start planning how to build up my physical fitness and learn how to endure the longer runs
SMART goals setting can have a powerful effect on goal success, as the process of going through the individual steps and motives breaks the goal down into achievable steps. I found the process of going through my own goals (image bellow) made the marathon more realistic, causing me to focus more on what I need to do on a day to day basis to achieve my goal.
While writing my SMART goals I tried to use another psychological strategy called implementation intentions. This strategy involves plans that help to avoid excuses. The strategy can involve changing wording such as instead of saying ‘I might go on a run tomorrow’ you change it to ‘tomorrow I will run at 5 o’clock’. I tried to implement this idea of determination in my phrasing by saying ‘I will achieve’ ‘ I will measure. By using this I’m trying to change my mindset to build more resilience against excuses. Implementation intentions are often used by having ‘ ‘If , Then’ statements. I will incorporate this strategy into my running i’m going to use the phrase ‘ if its a day starting with T or S then i will run’.
Alongside this method I will also be doing most of my runs with my partner Tom, who has a slightly quicker pace than me, this pushes me to go faster and ensures I go on the runs I plan. Running together has helped me stay motivated on long runs and to continue even though i would prefer to stop, as I find the encouragement of my friends to be useful. There’s a saying in running, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together’, at the moment I just want to go, and having someone to hold me accountable should help me stay on track.
Initial Review as a Marathoner (possibly?):
In summary, I have found the concept of setting myself a goal using SMART techniques to be useful, however I do not think it directly aids my running. In order to use these strategies to help my running, I will make a weekly running schedule using the same technique, breaking goals down into smaller, more achievable goals. I think these small wins will help me maintain motivation over a longer period of time.
I have found the running strategy of having a partner to be the most effective, as it is harder to persuade two people to just stay in and binge watch Netflix . Due to my lack of persuasive skills this method has kept me on track with my running, and I will continue to run with friends throughout the next weeks.
Overall, I have actually started to enjoy running, and with no injuries or muscle aches, it feels like success to me!
References
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Mayo, B. (1957). Conditional statements. The Philosophical Review, 291-303. doi;10.2307/2182436
Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta‐analysis of effects and processes. Advances in experimental social psychology, 38, 69-119.doi.org/10.1016/s0065-2601(06)38002-1
Chang, A., Chou, C. L., Teherani, A., & Hauer, K. E. (2011). Clinical skills‐related learning goals of senior medical students after performance feedback. Medical education, 45(9), 878-885. doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2011.04015.x
Bovend’Eerdt, T. J., Botell, R. E., & Wade, D. T. (2009). Writing SMART rehabilitation goals and achieving goal attainment scaling: a practical guide. Clinical Rehabilitation, 23(4), 352–361. doi.org/10.1177/0269215508101741
Gollwitzer, P. M. (1990). Action phases and mind-sets. Handbook of motivation and cognition: Foundations of social behavior, 2, 53-92. doi:10.4135/9781446249215.n26
My Born to Run Journey 