It is essential in life to set goals for yourself, especially when you are trying something new. But more importantly than the goal itself, is the system you implement to get to that goal. What ends up happening, is that if you are not intentional to set up a system you will use to achieve that goal, is that you will end up falling into your default setting.
What is a default setting? A default setting is our normal pattern of behavior that we have learned through our life experiences and established routines, many times unknowingly, so if we are not careful to plan out a strategy to meet a new goal, and plug it into our calendar, our default patterns will take over, and we will not end up achieving our goal, at least not in the way we intended.
The System
The way you set up your system in order to achieve your goal, is going to depend on what type of goal it is. If your goal is to run for pure enjoyment, you may set a goal to run 2-3 times per week, and simply put it on your calendar at a time that works best for you. If you are doing it for weight loss, you would probably add the length of time you would like to run, and a diet plan for the week, hopefully with some meal planning involved, so that you don't fall into your default pattern of eating too much fast food, sugar, or whatever it is that you turn to for a quick grab and go meal, or for comfort.
I do like to run for fun and the enjoyment of nature, but right now I am planning to run a 5K in mid October. I will also be using this run as a stepping stone for longer distances in the future. I have learned to become more strategic when planning to run a race in my 40s, because training for a race in your 40s is much different than when you are in your 20s! You are much more prone to injuries, especially in the knees and hips. I endured a hip injury at the beginning of this year, and it was 5 weeks of recovery and painful stretching before I was back to normal, which wasn't until about 4 weeks before the race I had signed up for. In addition to the stretching, something that really helped me to recover, and to protect my joints was a supplement that contained Glucosamine, Chondroitin and MSM. When you take these together, they have a stronger affect. I noticed a huge difference after taking these daily, from having pain in my knees consistently after running just 1 mile (and I was trying to train for a 1/2 marathon!), to absolutely no joint pain after running 3-4 miles. I put the link for the supplement I started taking, and still am today in my section on running gear.
What I've Learned
I signed up for this race in January 2026, with a goal of running it by May of 2026, which wasn't enough time for someone who hasn't been running consistently in several years, and hasn't run a 1/2 marathon since her 20s, and even then it was hard! So that was one mistake, but I also started too fast, without stretching enough, without drinking enough water, and doing these Youtube videos of cross-trainig fitness that were too difficult of a level for me. Doing consistent stretching for my knees and hips, as well as drinking more water and taking a supplement helped me to recover, but I couldn't run for 5 weeks, and my energy level was not the same after. So I ended up decreasing my distance for the race from 1/2 marathon, down to a 5K. I also went through some hormal changes as a 43 year old woman going into perimenopause, and was having some painful symptoms on the day of the race. On top of that, the last mile of this runn was running up multiple steep hills, which I wasn't prepared for and slowed me down tremendously. So guys, make sure you research what the course of the race you are about to run is like, to help you prepare better for it.
Effective Tools
I signed up for this running app called Runna that helped me tremendously. I would strongly recomend it because you can plug in your race date and distance, and it already has a training plan made out for you, including pre and post stretches and cross training! In addition to that, this app has already done a lot of research for you, and has multiple articles you can read to help you along your running journey. I am absolutely using this app again! There is an annual fee, but to me it is 100% worth it, because I had already tried a few other apps that didn't have the same features, and they were pretty glitchy. My discount code for the app is in my section on running gear also. I will definitely be using this app again for my next race. More posts to come!!
If you are a milennial like me, and let's face it, just want to run far away from technology sometimes and get a pencil and paper out to do your planning, or just read a paperback book about it , that makes perfect sense too. Here are some of my recommendations:
Books:
Training Journals:
Good luck on setting your goals, and enjoy the running journey!!!
