Don't Hide Your Goals and Don't Shy Away From Them

When you set a goal for your training and racing season, please don't hide it. And by that I mean, firstly, don't hide it from your coach. How can your coach plan your season framework and your training sessions towards your goal, if you didn't share your goal in the first place?

And secondly, don't hide your goals from yourself and don’t shy away from them.

I believe that if you are not outspoken about your goals, and you don't make them clear into your mind first, you cannot be 100% committed to them, and you're selling yourself short.

If you feel like you have the possibilities to achieve your goals, but you don't look at them 'in the eyes,' how can you build the road to get there? To only believe that you can achieve something will not give you the certitude of getting where you want to go. Even when you're clear about your goals, you identify them and break them down and work hard to achieve them; still, you have no guarantee of success. This is not fair by any means, but it’s part of the process. That's how it works, and it’s something out of your control.

What's in your control, on the other hand, is that if you feel like you can achieve a specific goal, you should be explicit about it and not hide it somewhere in your mind, away from yourself and your coach. By being specific and outspoken, you can give yourself more chances to get where you want to go and build the platform for the mental strength needed to get there.

But once again, your coach needs to know your goals. And you need to know them too.

If you want to achieve a specific result, it is fundamental to plan the training structure and training sessions to get you there. The overall hope and feeling that you can get there are not a guarantee of success on race day.

Be specific, don't be shy if you feel like you want to achieve something definite — no matter how crazy that may sound. You can get there if you want to, and if you understand what it takes to get there.

Be ready to embrace the crazy idea. Do not hide it, and work hard to make it real.