Hello Dyestat fans, I want to introduce myself, my name is Janet Leet, and I will be writing a weekly blog on different women’s issues and general running topics. A little about myself, I created the SUB5 camp for girls 13 years ago as an avenue to promote a positive message to the future female runners of tomorrow. My goal is to have every athlete walk away feeling better about who she is and where she is going. I am a former Kinney (Foot Locker) National Champion, 10 time division I All American, USA team member, professional runner, and Cross Country Athlete of the Century in New Jersey.

 I participated in many camps as a youth and worked at many more as a collegiate runner. What I found is that NONE OF THEM told the real story about running and none dealt with issues about being a young female runner.  In reality, women’s running at that time was very new and in some ways it still is today. It was not until 1980 that women could even run over a 1500M at the Olympics. What really surprises me, though, is that my high school times from over 26 years ago still stand up in today’s standards. I ran a 10:18 2 mile (not 3200M), 4:52 mile (not 1600M), and a 16:43 5000M (not a 3 mile). I would love to see the youth of today take this sport to a whole new level and eventually be able to compete on the world stage. 

One of my many goals with the camp is to help guide each individual athlete to create her own goals and visions. I want her thinking about TOMORROW so that she makes the right choices and decisions TODAY. I want her thinking big because we are made of so much more. I ant to see the times I ran as a youth be just that – Old times from the past. I have had a lot of success with runners who have attended my camp such as All American NCAA Division I athletes Maureen Scott, Stephanie Brown, and Dacia Barr (Olympic Trials qualifier). They all set goals, wrote on tiles, and smashed their tiles when they achieved their goals.  But, let me be perfectly clear, I have athletes attend the camp with all levels of ability and their goals are just as important as  Stephanie Brown’s. Not everyone crosses that finish line first. Cross Country and distance running is about learning to take the body to all new levels.  

GOAL SETTING:

Goals are extremely important to have in any sport. Goals guide, direct and give us vision and focus.  If there is no goal then the athlete can weave aimlessly in and out of her performances. The athlete will have no direction or guidance on what she is doing or why.

Athletic goals are important but even more important are academic and personal development goals. “Running must be a passion, not an obsession.” I have been asked to write about GOAL SETTING in my first blog. I want to start out with an explanation about where goals come from, explain the different types of goals, address where to set goals, dealing with team goals, and how to run a goal setting session for your team or individual. Next week’s blog will be about THE PLAN.

WHERE DO GOALS COME FROM?

 All goals start from a thought and build into a passion and then become a conviction. Many Olympic athletes will tell you they knew they were going to be Olympians when they were just kids. I knew I would win a national title when I was in 5th grade. I had just gone to my first Junior Olympics and finished 80th out of 83 runners. I set my goal that day to win a national title. I know that is crazy but, I won that National title just 7 years later. On the bottom you can follow my progression of setting and achieving my goals.  

Goals all start out from a thought that come out of an experience at some point. That thought comes from our imagination. We might even visualize the thought in pictures or in words. As we hold onto the thought and visualize it, the goal grows and becomes bigger. These thoughts and visualizations get power and energy. The more we hold onto those thoughts and visualizations the more imbedded into us they become. After setting our goals we want to tag positive affirmation statements against them. Then we develop a morning and/or nightly ritual of relaxing our mind and body to say our statements to ourselves. This type of training session teaches us to hold onto those thoughts in order to give it power. But, we must also listen to what we are saying back. If we pick up on any negativity then refocus, and go into a deeper relaxation. If this still does not work then we need to listen to what we are trying to tell ourselves. It might be time to revisit that goal and make an adjustment to it. But remember we are working on getting that goal to become a true belief. An example of why we might not have a belief is that maybe we are having a hard time hitting the times we need to be at during practice. We might not be adapting. There could be reasons for that, so I recommend talking to your coach and make adjustments to the goal if need be. At a different date I will discuss visualization and incorporating the goals into that visualization but it is very important that we understand its role in the “Mind-Fit” training program (SUB5’s mental training program).  

LONG TERM VS. SHORT TERM GOALS:

Very simply, long term goals take over a year to accomplish while short term goals are less than a year and more immediate. Long term goals can be the desire to run in college, desire to run marathons some day, desire to compete at the local, state, or national level, etc. I look at the short term goals as stepping stones towards the long term goals. We can have many long term goals because that is what keeps us training and doing what we do. There are NO RULES with goal setting. If short term goals are set correctly they become a stretch for the athlete but not unmanageable. I have many campers who stretch themselves and do not reach their goals right away. There are no guarantees in sports. It can take a little longer to accomplish that goal. That is OK because accomplishing it makes it mean so much more. Plus, if we hit all our goals all the time we would never learn. Obstacles get in our way of accomplishing goals and how we handle those obstacles determines our future success or lack thereof.  As a former professional runner, I learned more from my failures then I ever did from my victories. I learned more about my weaknesses in my defeats. I always tried to make my weaknesses my strengths.

TIME VS PERFORMANCE GOALS:

 A time goal is just that, a time you may want to accomplish. A performance goal, on the other hand, is more a place or range you want to be in. For example, If you want to be “All State” that is a performance goal where as a time is a time. DANGER arises when we tag performance goals with time goals. I always tell my campers never to do that because you do not know what is going to happen in a state meet for example. It could be 100 degrees or the course could be full of mud, or better yet the race goes out really slow. There is no satisfaction when we hit our performance goals but not our time.  While yes we all want to run fast times and we all want to put on the show at the state meet, I strongly encourage you to treat the performance meets for what they are performance. Go and RACE THEM. Remember Alan Webb had to set up a race in order to break the American Record in the mile because the perfect race never presented itself in professional racing.  Now if you want to run a fast time at the state meet than you better be willing to do all the work in the race. As Steve Prefontaine once said “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”

One thing I do not allow in my goal setting sessions is for athletes to make a main goal about beating a particular someone. I never liked those kinds of goals because the focus becomes one individual and it defeats the purpose of what this sport is all about. It is about honor, determination, dignity, hard work, commitment, etc. It is not all about beating Jane Smith. You sell yourself short if that is your main goal.

GOALS WITHIN GOALS:

Within the goal you could have several smaller goals. For example, chronically injured athletes may have a goal that they want to stay injury free for the season so as to build up strength in order to perform more consistently. I had a goal in high school of adding fun back into my training. I put so much pressure on myself my junior year in high school I forgot what the sport was all about. I raced like it too. I had no fun and it felt like a job. Anyone who runs with me today knows I am going to laugh a lot during a run. They also know I will throw in some race like situation to see how she reacts; i.e.: like bump into her, push her, cut her off, etc. If you can learn to laugh and respond appropriately in training runs you will quickly learn something very special about competing. I added that philosophy into all my training runs and I never forgot it. I was known as one of the toughest mental competitors of my time. I made training and racing my playground.  

I wanted to win a national title so bad that I made many changes into my routine.  Another change was that I was not going to over train. I put things into place to prevent myself from over training. One was that I took a morning heart rate and if it was up over 10% I ran easy that day. No matter what was on the plate. My coach and I agreed and lived by it that season. I trained from June until December with no illness, injury, or fatigue.  The other goal I made was to deal with pressure. I felt so much pressure to win my junior year that I needed to control some of those pressures. I talked to my coaches, parents and friends about it. I told them that I wanted to win a national title and I needed their support. To be on my support team they had to believe in my goal and accept that I was beatable. If they could not accept that I could lose then I asked them not to come to my races. I can only control what I can control. I cannot control others and there is always someone out there better.  

My challenge to you is what smaller individual goals do you need to put into your plan?

TEAM GOALS

Team goals are extremely important because the team provides the electricity to create the desire within the athletes. The power in numbers can create the ideas in the individuals that in turn create the goals and desires.  A positive coach and a positive team combined create the magic. I sat next to Coach Joe Vigil (USA OLYMPIC and USATF WORLD CROSS COUNTRY TEAM COACH) on a plane ride out to the world championships. Coach Vigil told me this fascinating story about team goals.  He said he asked his captains and team leaders to come up with a strong goal for the season and they came back with something he never could have dreamed of – A jump rope. The team leaders invited all who accepted the challenge to run in such a way to stay within the distance of the jump rope as a team at Nationals to attach themselves. The jump rope was only 6 feet long and it went with them to every competition that season. They not only swept at nationals they all stayed within that 6 foot jump rope. Coach Vigil told me he learned from his athletes because even he had a hard time believing that could be done. The power of the team, when the environment is right, is unbelievable.    

I believe that the team and individual needs to be the ones creating the goals for the season. The coach can be involved by providing the thoughts like Coach Vigil does but ultimately it is up to the athletes to set their future. Coaches need to set up an environment that promotes the athletes to shoot for the moon. The coach needs to establish parameters and a positive encouraging environment to bring out the best in every athlete and team. But, ultimately it is up to the athlete and she needs to believe it in order to buy into it. She is the one running for it.  

At my team goal setting sessions I run an individual goal setting session first. Upon completion I gather up the teams for a team goal setting session. The coach sets up the atmosphere for a positive environment and shares his visions. The team locks themselves in a room (or can be a pizza party). Each athlete is encouraged to share their visions and goals for the season. The coach is encouraged to stay in the background. If team leaders are not set yet, the coach will quickly see who their leaders are. During the session they are to discuss what commitments each of them will make to this goal and tie back in their own goal. The team leaders must then present it to the coach. Everyone is involved from the first year runner to the senior. No one is left out. If all agree then a GIANT TEAM TILE is made and all must sign it. If the Team accomplishes their goal they are to smash the tile and have fun doing it.

MENTRAL TOUGHNESS

Mental toughness is a learned trait. We are not born with it. Personality is unrelated to mental toughness.  Coaches and team captains need to lead by example and have expectations not only for themselves but more important for the team. Dr. Jarvis, a sports psychologist created the Nine Mental skills for successful athletes. Coaches and athletes need to choose and maintain these nine mental skills.

CHOOSE AND MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF SELF-MOTIVATION

SET HIGH BUT REALISTIC GOALS

USE EFFECTIVE PEOPLE SKILLS

USE POSITIVE SELF-TALK

USE POSITIVE MENTAL IMAGERY BEFORE AND DURING COMPETITION

MANAGE ANXIETY EFFECTIVELY

MANAGE EMOTIONS EFFECTIVELY

MAINTAIN CONCENTRATION

When setting goals athletes need to understand these principles and be willing to live that lifestyle 24 – 7.

 HOW TO RUN A GOAL SETTING SESSION:

I run my goal setting sessions at the camp in a very unique way. I want the athlete to have a free flowing thought session. I want the athletes to see the tremendous young people that they are and to not be afraid to reach for their dreams. No idea is a dumb idea. I would have been laughed at in 5th grade if I told my coach and friends that I wanted to win a national title after placing 80th.

I start my sessions by giving the campers a power talk about what goals are and the commitment it takes to achieve them. I discuss many success stories, running and non running, to get their thought process going. I put powerful statements up behind me and make the group continually read them out load. My goal is to get each individual thinking big and not just for this season or the next but for her lifetime. As we all know this sport takes many years of commitment to see much progress. The long term goal is what keeps us going.  

Below is a step by step procedure for how to run your own goal setting session. The athlete needs to bring a pen or pencil and be willing to write for over an hour straight. I talk for 15 – 20 minutes to pump them up. I then ask them to put their pen to the paper and for each of the following topics to write whatever crazy thought comes into their head. The pen is not allowed to leave the paper at any point. I play pump up music during that time. While the music is playing I will offer up ideas to think about. They are not to look up but write until the music stops.

One note is that during each of these sessions I will have a note pad that I have key phrases, motivational items, things to think about, possible goals to set, team goals, etc. I find that you might have to prompt the athlete to think of it in order to drag it out. They are to keep writing and not look at me during the session. I individualize the session for each camp. Every session is different. I run goal setting on the third day because I want 3 days of getting to know the campers. I used what I have learned during this session. Below is the step by step procedure.

Step 1:                   What do you like about ATHLETICS, ACADEMICS, SOCIAL (Personal Development) Life: (3 - 5 Minutes pens to the paper during that time and music playing)

                                I recommend always starting on a positive note because it reminds the athlete why they are doing what they are doing. This gives her the strong "why" reasons she is doing this sport. I recommend keeping this somewhere easy to remember or see because it is good to look at once in a while - Post it in a locker, or on a book. In this session all three areas are addressed at the same time.

Step 2:                   What are you not happy with? (3 Minutes)

Pick an area of concentration (athletic, academic, personal development) and write out what you are not happy with in that area. Stick to the focused area through step 5 and then return and complete the other steps. You can complete steps 6 through 8 later.

Step 3:                   WRITE GOALS: (5 Minutes) create a free flowing thought list. Let the thoughts come out on paper. Take 5 – 10 minutes and write every weird, strange, awesome idea that comes into your head. Coaches throw in some prompts. I.e.:” Some of you on JV may want to step it up to Varsity? Some of you can be all conference, all state, etc.” It is important to do this drill in specific each area.

Athletic goals – (5 – 10 minutes) then move on to step 4, and 5: I ask the athletes to write their own individual goals and team goals

                                Academic goals – (5 – 10 minutes)

                Personal Development goals (5- 10 minutes) move on to step 4 and 5

Step 4:                   REVIEW LIST (2 Minutes) and assign time frames against each goal you wrote out. You may throw some away and you may add some. 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years. There are no rules.

Step 5:                   PICK TOP GOALS FOR THE SEASON (No more than 3): (5 Minutes) Write what each goal means to you. What will accomplishing this goal do for you? How will it make you feel to accomplish it? Give a lot of good thought in this section. This will be in paragraph form. Return to step 2 and complete for each area “ATHLETIC, ACADEMIC, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.”

Step 6:                   THE PLAN:  You and your coach need to work out an organized plan of how you are both going to accomplish this goal. I will address the plan in another session. On your academic and personal development ask a coach, parent, friend, spiritual advisor, etc to help you write the plan.

Step 7:                   SEAL THE GOAL: You and your coach need to make commitments to each other and seal the goal and plan with a signature.

Step 8:                   REVIEW THE GOAL: The season goal should be reviewed with the athlete individually at least twice a month. The team needs to review team goals twice a month as well. Changes may need to be made to the goal and/or plan. If you make big changes to the goal repeat steps 1 – 6. Work together with your coach, not against each other.

I perform steps 1 – 5 at camp. No one is allowed to leave the session without doing something that is going to get her closer to achieving her goals. I usually have the campers do 3 power push-ups. After each one the group must yell, “I CAN DO IT”, “I WILL DO IT”, “I BELIEVE”.  Each camper is than given a tile and paint to design to give her goal life. The tile is to be placed somewhere that can be viewed on a daily basis. It gives the athlete strength, power, and energy. The tile is broken when the goal is achieved.

Steps 6, 7, and 8 are performed with the coach and the athlete together. At a later time I will write about how to set up the plan. The plan needs to be reviewed against the goal on a bi-monthly basis. Look for how to write the plan next week.

Goal setting sessions should be done two times a year – one for cross country and one for track. Main goals need to be reviewed by the athlete daily, long term goals monthly and all goals 2 times a year. After awhile a pattern will arise and new goals will replace old ones.

I packed a lot into this first article. Next week I plan on discussing THE PLAN. Below are my personal goals I set as a youth to win my national title.  If you have any questions or comments do not hesitate to write janet@runsub5.com . The camp website is www.runsub5.com. The 2011 camp listings are not up yet.

Below is my personal goal outline to winning my national title.