Setting Goals for 2022 (With COVID Questions In Mind)
Updated: Apr 21, 2022
This season again included canceled events because of the Covid pandemic. Although fewer events were canceled than in 2020, many athletes dealt with canceled, postponed, rescheduled, and otherwise changed events throughout the 2021 season.
In November 2019, I wrote a blog post about evaluating the 2019 season at the end (consider your 2019 season for a stronger 2020).
The focus of that blog was to find and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses we had during the 2019 competitions. We can assess our performances using results from either a marathon or the running leg of a triathlon or the time we swam or cycled in a specific event.
We mainly use competitions to evaluate the season and obtain the next season's goals. It helps to compare the previous season's performances with the following season.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we couldn't imagine an event could be canceled or postponed. Before COVID-19, the only reason we could fathom causing us to completely miss a season was injury or our own responsibility.
How do we evaluate this season over the 2020 season, given all the obstacles and challenges we've faced over the last 2 years? We can focus primarily on the parts the are within our control:
The percentage of workouts that were completed.
The quality of the completed workouts: how many goals or objectives were reached in every workout?
Compare some variables in workouts as technique, motivation, speed, power, the time between prior seasons and the 2021 season.
This exercise can help us evaluate the 2021 strengths and weaknesses and use them to create goals and objectives for the 2022 season. It will help us develop focused goals and workouts to accomplish them, rather than just focusing on the outcome of an event. That way, if the event is canceled for any reason, though we'll feel all the usual frustrations, we can still accomplish the goals we set for ourselves.
For example:
To increase the number of workouts completed.
To increase the quality of each workout.
Are we reaching more technique, speed, power, or other variables in the last week outs compared against the 6 weeks before workouts?
There are two potential results for this exercise:
If the event is canceled, we already have reached our goal and objectives (or we can still accomplish the goal without the event).
If the event is not canceled, we will be sure that we are well prepared (because we did better workouts) and will have better results in the event.
Talk with your certified coach to set your 2022 goals with this focus, and enjoy every workout with confidence!
I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New 2022 year.
Manuel Delgado Gaona is a USAT Level II and Youth & Junior Coach, FMTri Level II Certified Coach, an ACSM Exercise Physiologist, and a Physician specializing in Anatomic Pathology. His coaching philosophy is based on exercise efficiency. Coach Manuel can be reached at manuel@teammpi.com.