The weather is getting cooler which means The Abominable Snow Race is just around the corner and it’s time to start training!

Where to Begin:

Whenever I begin training for a race or an event, I always start with a goal.

Setting a good goal will provide focus, direction, and passion for your training because you’ll know exactly what you’re working to achieve.

There’s a lot of information out there on goal-setting, but here are three simple tips that have been really helpful for me:

1.) Make it Meaningful

Start by asking yourself, “What do I want to get out of this experience? What would make this meaningful to me?”

Everyone has their own reasons for why they sign up for a race:

Are you looking to compete? Maybe try to get on the podium?

Are you looking for a challenge and crossing the finish line would be a victory for you?

Maybe you want to complete all the obstacles or get past a particular obstacle that has been your nemesis.

Perhaps you want to get into better shape and signing up for a race seemed like a good way to motivate yourself and kickstart a new exercise routine.

Whatever your reasons might be, make sure you set a goal that will mean something to you if you can hit it on race day.

2.) Identify Your Starting Point

Do you know what your current abilities are? Your speed? Your strength? Your stamina? An obstacle course race will challenge all three of those areas.

Starting your training with a few fitness tests will give you a baseline to work with as you set a realistic goal and track your progress.

For example, you could do a 400m sprint to test your speed, a set of max pull-ups or bent arm hang (for time) to test your strength, and a 1-hour run (or walk/jog, if necessary) to test your endurance.

If there are other fitness tests that you like better, then go with what works for you. The important thing is to figure out your starting point so you know what you need to do to reach your destination (hit your goal).

3.) Stretch Yourself

The best goals push us to get better. So once you have your baseline and you know what your current abilities are, set a goal that is just beyond that.

It can be tricky to find the sweet spot, but you don’t want to set a goal that you could hit tomorrow, and you don’t want to set yourself up for failure with a goal that will require years of training instead of months.

Like anything else, goal-setting is a skill. The more you do it, the more experience you get, and the better you become.

For more training tips to help you prepare for our event, follow Mark on Instagram and Facebook. You can also listen to his podcast episode HERE with more on goal-setting.

Let us know what goals you have going into our 2024 Abominable Snow Race.