Why Specificity Will Help You Reach Your Goals

I’ve been naive to think I could just up and run 100 miles. It’s shown too.4 attempts and the furthest I’ve gone is 88 miles. 

This last attempt and this last training cycle I respected the distance more, but still not enough. I’ve been disrespectful to the distance. 

50 miles and below, I can suffer through them. Completing those distances while at times were tough, they were achievable. 100 miles has proven to be a different beast altogether. 

My other lesson through this most recent training build is focus. I was not completely focused on achieving my goal. I was trying to serve two outcomes simultaneously, and that just doesn’t work.

In this last build, I was doing 75 Hard, alongside training for my 100-miler. What this led to was compromises in my training in multiple areas. First, I had no rest days. Then I’d compromise on training because I needed to get an outdoor workout in still for the day and it was raining outside. Now, some people will run in the rain. I will not. I won’t because I am risk-averse. I don’t need to slip or fall in the winter months especially because I went out running rather than just walking and playing it safe. Instead of going on the treadmill and getting in the 5 miles or whatever I needed for the day, I would deviate and do my outdoor walk.

This is in no way taking away from the 75-Hard Program. I’m just saying that for me and this specific outcome that I’m looking for, it did not serve me and my goals. This in and of itself is a big lesson for me. That I have to build a program around me.

Now, in this, there is a ton of nuance. Because I’m trying to go after something that is so difficult. That is so challenging, that 99.9% of the population won’t even attempt. This specificity to me and my goals is the difference here.

75-Hard is a great program and I encourage anyone who hasn’t done it, to do the program. But for this next build and next training cycle, I’m going to focus on the goal that I want to achieve. And 75-Hard and 100-mile training for me in my life right now do not align.

What this has taught me is that my goals are my own. What I need to work on to achieve them is different than what you need to work on to achieve your goals. Where I’m weak, you might be strong, and vice versa. 

I’m saying all this to say that you have to be clear on what you want. You have to put your plan together to achieve your goals. You have to dial in on what is important to you. Most things I’ve done them to do them and haven’t gotten this granular. Which is a big lesson for me. That I have to be specific to me, to my weaknesses to strengthen myself in areas I’m weak so I’m able to achieve my goals.

And I highly suggest that you take the time to really figure that out for yourself.