Crossing the finish line at the last event of a season can be bittersweet. One of two things happened, you either accomplished the goals you set out to, or you didn’t. Regardless of the way the race went, a sense of pride sets in, knowing you put in work, and completed the task. Now it's time to get some much needed rest and recovery.  

I can not speak for everyone else, but rest and recovery is the hardest part of the season for me. For the first few days it is amazing. The feeling of accomplishment effortlessly taking you everywhere. Reliving the race countless times as you share the experience with friends and family. Then as the high of the event starts to fade, and your body heals, you begin to analyse your results. “Where/How can I improve?” begins to be a constant thought.

Once healed and recovered the “where/how can improve?” question begins to grow louder. For myself this creates a bit of angst. In the past I would just begin to aimlessly train. My training would have no real focus, just doing similar things to what I had done in the past. The only true motivation being to calm my anxiety. This style of training can not last long. With no real focus on where to go, I would get burnt out.

This is where setting clear, defined goals has shown to be paramount. For those who are not familiar, S.M.A.R.T. goals are commonly spoken about with goal setting. This stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-based, and Time-bound. To simplify, set a big goal (personal best marathon), set little goals working towards the big goal (run 50 miles a week), and develop a timeline (starting January 1st, every week till the race).

Now I know the example is a little oversimplified (and I do not suggest anyone use that as a plan to prepare for your next marathon), however the idea behind it still stands true. When we find ourselves in the off-season it is easy to become nostalgic. The best way to shake that is to sit down alone, and have an honest conversation with yourself about what you want to accomplish in the next season. Then find a coach, and formulate a plan. Before you know it, you are crossing the finish line, with a new personal best time. Which is then followed by the inevitable question “what’s next?”