Are you planning some summer racing? I know I am. I also have some challenging goals to chase down.
Unfortunately, there’s a high chance that I might have to adjust my goals due to the reality of summer in Wisconsin. However, if that’s the case, I will make those adjustments and continue on.
It’s so important when setting goals for races where the conditions could present a challenge that you are flexible with your goals. It’s OK to be aggressive when setting the goal. You can say this is what I want to accomplish if the conditions are perfect. However, you then need to figure out what to do if reality strikes and the conditions are not perfect.
Personally, I prefer a sliding scale at least here in Wisconsin because, while it’s possible to get the perfect conditions even in July, it’s also possible to get terrible conditions basically any time of the year. So I have goals ranging from aggressive to forget about time and just race. I’m covered whether it’s a perfect morning with temps in the 50s and low humidity or one of those fabulous days when it’s in the 70s with 100% humidity at 7am.
Whatever you do, don’t set an aggressive goal and force yourself to stick to it if you have one of those days like the latter. You’re just setting yourself up for failure and disappointment if you do that. If the conditions are rough, make sure you adjust your goals to account for those conditions.