I talk a lot about the importance of the journey, enjoying your training for its own sake and not becoming obsessed by the final goal. However, that is not to completely dismiss the power of goals to keep us motivated.
A quick story to give you an example…
In 1961, President Kennedy promised that America would put a man on the moon before the end of the decade. At the time, they had no idea how they were going to do it, but that big audacious goal was enough to motivate and direct the efforts of the smartest people in the country.
The story goes that if you went into NASA in the 1960s and asked anyone what they were working on, they would say, “I am putting a man on the moon.” If you asked one of the astronaut team… if you asked a scientist poring over equations… even if you asked one of the janitors sweeping the floor, “What are you doing, mate?” They would all reply, “I’m putting a man on the moon.”
This is a lovely story that shows the power of an overarching vision to keep people motivated and focused.
How do we translate this to triathlon? Well, what is my big audacious goal? I am racing the Allerthorpe Quin triathlon in 2022. So if you ask me what I am up to when I am training, my response ought to be, “I am preparing for The Quin.”
Half way through a tough pool session, when I am fed up and I want to get out? I am preparing for The Quin. When I am doing another boring yoga session? I am preparing for The Quin. When I am lying face down on a massage table gritting my teeth under the “gentle pressure” on my calves? I am preparing for The Quin.
So what is your man on the moon? It will always help with motivation to have that goal on the horizon.