Monday, October 15, 2007

Race goals

I have a race coming up this Sunday and its time to lay out my goals:

Goal C: One Pair
A gimme, for sure.

Goal B: Straight
Call my crazy, but if I really push it I think this is attainable.

Goal A: Full House
This is my pie in the sky goal. I doubt it will happen, but I can dream, right?

Did I mention this is a poker run, not a timed race? This is my kind of run! A race I can win!


On a serious note, I think I'm going to stop setting time goals. At least for the time being. I seem to race better when I just go out and run. In a way, setting goals has been limiting. Not long ago, I never imagined I could run a marathon at a sub-10 minute pace. But then I simply, unexpectedly, went out and did it. Without being bounded by preset goals, the possibilities are endless!

11 comments:

Olga said...

Hey, this approach seemed to have worked for me, many times at least...although if we pull all the races out in the open, it's msotly going to be a chance choice:) You know, the error of the means and all that math crap. Anyhow, it is definitely more fun! Sorry I am going to miss the local gang and beautiful trails of Sisters, I now have 2 runners to take care of instead of one (who, BTW, is not what we talked about anymore...far from it). Enjoy it for me too, not bound by obligations!
Oh, yeah, and I never played pocker, so thanks for the picture, may be I'll memorize the names of those things one day!

Backofpack said...

I like the idea of running without time goals - I agree they can almost feel restricting. I feel like I can be having a good run, feeling good, but if I'm not meeting time goals then I start thinking it's a bad run. I think I'll think like you!

I don't get the poker run - you'll have to give us the specifics on the report.

Sarah said...

You get a card at each aid station and the best hand wins! : )

PNW Runner said...

I agree, time goals only wears me out and I forget to have fun. But those are nice set of marks to go after, wish you the best.

Pinkcorker (Renee) said...

Great idea - a poker run! I did a 'mystery run' last year where you don't know what or where you are racing until you show up that day(you just know it is between 3 and 8 miles and they bus you out to the race).
It was an out and back race (called 'Match at Mescal', since it was in Mescal, AZ). Those who most closely matched their 'back' time to their 'out' time won. I got 2nd place, since my pace is pretty consistent!
It is so much fun to do races based on other than time.
I look forward to maybe running into you at the PCT Forest Park 50k next year!

matt said...

i am starting to train without the watch more and noticed that i am running better that way. i think that the watch can add a level of stress that doesn't need to be there.

will you still wear a watch just to check your progress now and then?

onepinkfuzzy said...

sarah, i love the last sentence!

Jamie Anderson said...

Ditto that race approach! I've done something similiar recently as well and found it liberating, not to mention I run smarter and faster. Best wishes this weekend.

Joe said...

So, if you ante up the entry fee, you deal your way through the course. "Full In" would be a dead sprint to the finish, eh??

Do they give you a baggie to keep the cards dry in as you collect them?? (sorry, I'm an engineer...I think of these things :-) )

What a fun idea...have to propose that to someone around here. I like the mystery run idea as well!!

wendy said...

That sounds like such a fun run! And, I think it's great you're running without a time goal...it's great having goals to keep you motivated, but there's gotta be a balance so it's still enjoyable and not so much pressure.

Unknown said...

Go for the five of a kind, or the straight flush. The sky's the limit. No need to hold back on this one. Have fun!