“Dreaming is different than goal setting….”
Several of our runners are coming off big races, and beginning the process of re-building and looking ahead. For high school and collegiate cross country runners and for folks targeting a fall marathon or other big event, early summer training holds a similar place. During this early phase of preparation, we tend to think a lot about putting together a sound training plan to prepare for the physical challenges ahead. We may also set out some goals for the next training cycle and season. These are both much needed and crucial to a successful period of training. However, what we don’t talk about as much is the importance of dreaming during this early period of training.
Dreaming is different than goal setting, in that it is free of practical constraints, timelines and, importantly, self-limiting restrictions. The practical, nitty-gritty task of goal-setting is important, but the value of dreaming is often cast aside as frivolous. I think both are critical, and eventually, those dreams that seemed far off and removed from reality can come into focus as real possibilities. I think it’s a self-protective mechanism, but we as humans become very good at restricting our beliefs of what is possible based on all the baggage we bring with us. Being a realist is very useful when it comes to the day-to-day of training, but dreaming big when thinking further down the road can allow you to break free of those self-limiting beliefs.
This all occurred to me on the run this morning. I am a volunteer coach for Minneapolis Washburn High School, and was tucked in with some of the high school kids that run for the team. They were quiet, in a way that a group of high schoolers tend to be only early in the morning, or under physical exertion, both of which were the case on this run. But as a I watched these young runners, who were so much smoother and faster than they had been a year or even a couple of months ago, I wondered what they were thinking about. Could they see the trajectory they were on, and the possibilities of what they could accomplish?
I recalled how, in my own competitive days, my mind was always seeing myself weeks and months ahead, running with ease and control, breaking person bests, winning races, etc. Some of these young runners, I realized, probably have no idea what they are capable of in two months, much less two years. And dreaming of those possibilities is incredibly motivating and useful, both in making hard moments more tolerable, and in making good moments all the more joyful.
From the outside, and with the benefit of having observed the same process year-after-year, it’s easy to see the raw ability, just waiting to be nurtured and refined. But for people who may be new to the sport, struggling on that day, or comparing themselves to teammates, it can be easy to forget to dream. The mind and body work in concert to adapt to the challenges presented to them. A little dream of what could be may be just the seed of a challenge that can grown your running into a new and beautiful organism.
Chris Lundstrom is the head coach of Minnesota Distance Elite – formerly Team USA Minnesota – which includes some of the top distance runners in the USA, including Annie Frisbie, Dakotah Lindwurm, Breanna Sieracki and Joel Reichow.
