With a new year stretching before us, now’s the time many people will be thinking about what they want to achieve. From simply riding more to taking the top step on the podium, your goal is just that. Yours. Ahead of 2022, we spoke to our coaches to get their tips on goal setting, how coaching helps realize goals, and what their own ambitions for next year look like.
Mitch Docker's goal setting tips
I think you should set goals that you are scared of. If you set a goal you know you can easily achieve then it will be easy to opt out of things along the way. It’s got to feel real. If you set a goal that you really don’t know how you can achieve, then you are going to get stuck into the work leading up to it, feel the pressure and who knows what else you will achieve on the way.
Coaching has allowed me to understand goal setting for others, but also to achieve my own goals. It's so nice for me now to see what it takes from the other side to support an athlete in that way - and experience the joy of helping them achieve it - that’s been the most rewarding part of coaching so far.
One of my goals for 2022 is to not lose touch of what it feels like to ride my bike as a coach, and the pain as well as the joy of completing tough sessions. If I put it on a plan for someone, I have to be willing, and able to do it myself.
I also want to hone my training for myself. It's got to be time efficient, as I am no longer a pro. I need to find out what it means to have a bang for your buck type program. I need to still uphold my legacy as a rider in the early morning bunch ride, but I don’t have the time to train like I used to.
This is going to be great for coaching lots of athletes that are in the same situation, they want to be fit and fast with a limited amount of time.
Heather Fischer's goal setting tips
Write down your goal and place it somewhere you will see it and discuss your goal with others. It could be where you can see it when you brush your teeth every morning or set as a screen saver on a device. Goals should be seen every day as a reminder for why we are doing what we are doing especially if these things are difficult. Get others on board so that you can receive support and positive reinforcement during the process of working towards your goal. Don't go it alone if you don't have to.
Coaching is key to achieving your goal. In the past, I set the goal of winning collegiate road nationals. The structured training and personal support, I received from my coaches over the two years it took for me to build up to that event prepared me but most importantly my coaches helped me believe I could achieve it because my coaches believed I could do it and they repeatedly told me I could do it. Positive self-talk is often the difference between winning and losing from my personal experience. I have always needed coaches to help me mentally and physically prepare to do my best.
My goal for 2022 is to be consistent. I will have more races next year compared to the last couple of years and I want to take advantage of that opportunity. Of course, I want to win races, but my biggest goal is to be consistent with my training, recovery, race-day routines and race-day execution of tactics. No matter the results I will be happy with my improved habits and mindset.
I will have a structured training plan leading up to my events. I will connect weekly with my coach communicating anything that needs to be adjusted or noting if something is going well. I will work to improve habits and routines that will lead to my riding goals. It's easy to mistake stories of success as happening instantaneously. What we don't see in a snapshot on the podium is the years of consistent work and many failures that ultimately lead to those moments of success. Buckle up for the journey.
Alex Howes' goal setting tips
I like to have one big goal that's usually a bit more open ended then three smaller more specific goals that are parts of the puzzle for achieving the big goal.
Something like, "Podium at the National Championships" as the big goal then, "Ride 100hrs in December" "Deadlift 250" "Make the team for the Dauphine". I might not check all the boxes during the prep but I know if I'm working towards each smaller goal, things will move in the right direction for my main goal.
Good coaching is key to achieving goals. When we're passionate about something, it's incredibly difficult to take a step back and keep the big picture in view. As athletes, we become incredibly in tune with what we're doing in the moment but that ability to focus can lead to tunnel vision. A good coach is constantly checking in to see how the day to day work applies to the big picture.
In 2022, I want to crack 1500w in a sprint. I could do it when I was younger but 10 years at the WorldTour level and some recent ultra-endurance events have taken the edge off my kick. With some focused gym time, plyometrics and a slight shift in training, I think it will come back. Do I think it will win me more races? No. Then why set this as a goal? Because hauling ass is fun!
Goal setting - 5 key pointers
Be ambitious. Set real goals that you have to work towards - but don't set yourself up to fail. You're not going to climb Ventoux faster than Rigo with one year's training.
Coaching isn't just about doing the right things at the right time - it's having someone to lean on for support, to see the bigger picture, and to steer your progress around obstacles.
Set smaller goals and milestones that you can celebrate - they'll motivate you to stay on track to your bigger goal.
Winning habits win races. Make your normal day-to-day choices conducive to achieving your goal.
There are only so many hours in the day. Work out what time you can commit to your training and factor that in to your plans and goals.
So what’s your goal for 2022? If you’re aiming to achieve something big and think coaching could offer you the support you need to make it real, schedule a consultation today and start your journey to success.