Pair outcome ambitions with process goals that remain useful when weather, courses or life change.
Separate outcomes from actions
A finish time depends on conditions and competition as well as preparation. Process goals—completing suitable sessions, sleeping, fuelling and starting patiently—sit closer to your control.
Use more than one definition of a successful training block.
Review without judgement
Check progress at planned intervals rather than reacting to every run. Ask what worked, what created friction and what the next manageable adjustment should be.
A revised goal is a decision based on information, not a failure.
Avoid harmful trade-offs
No performance goal justifies training through severe symptoms, unsafe food restriction or ignoring medical advice.