Why Outcome Goals Are Making Athletes Quit (And How Process Goals Can Save Your Love of Sport)
by Coach Paul Warloski An endurance athlete puts everything into reaching that big race result, that performance milestone, that personal record. When he doesn’t hit it? He throws in the towel, takes time off the bike or off the running trail, and questions his value as an athlete. Sound familiar? Here’s the truth: If you […]
Mastering Process Goals: A Guide for Endurance Athletes to Achieve Success in 2025
As endurance athletes, effective goal setting is essential to staying motivated and excelling in your training. However, while outcome goals-like completing a race or achieving a specific time-are important, they often overshadow the real drivers of progress: process goals. This blog will guide you in setting effective process goals to support your big ambitions in […]
Adopting a Pro Athlete Mindset: How Making Key Lifestyle Changes Can Bring Success for Everyday Endurance Athletes
One of my junior clients texted me from St. Louis after one of the Gateway Cup crits didn’t go very well. “I’m actually so done. I’ll do anything to get better. I will not complain, I will do everything this winter.” The junior had done well in Cat. 4s in the Chicago Grit series, but […]
Beyond the Finish Line: Setting Smart Process Goals for Endurance Success
We’re in the time of year when most athletes are done with their competitions and are thinking about next season. I’ve already got a list of the gravel races I’m doing for most of 2024! So I’m sending a goal sheet to each client, and then we’ll meet to talk through their goals so they […]
Focus on unique process goals rather than results goals to find more success in training
It’s a constant challenge to focus on the process of training specifically for an event and not develop expectations about results. Whether we are training for a cycling or running event, we start to feel a certain way about how we might end up doing. We – or at least I do – daydream about […]
2 Effective Mental Skill Training Tools That Can Lead to More Joy For Endurance Athletes
One of my coaching athletes has been training for a big challenge, and as the event nears, we’ve been focusing a lot on her mental skill training, especially finding joy in the process of training. What I mean by that is enjoying the training and competition just for the challenge, not as a measure of […]
