By Kim Conley
5,000m, New Balance
In this guest blog post from Team New Balance runner Kim Conley, she shares how her goals change and evolve with her career.
In professional distance running, like many endeavors, the pursuit of goals helps drive us to new heights. My One Goal is to return to the highest stage of my sport as the best athlete I have ever been. In August of 2012, I walked off the track in London, disappointed with my finish but with a new fire inside me. My journey to London represented a dream come true, but in the process my horizons shifted. I felt a new sense of purpose as I looked down the road at the athlete I wanted to become in the ensuing four-year cycle.
In the years since that moment in 2012, every aspect of my training and lifestyle has been directed at this purpose, although there have been many intermediate goals along the way. As August approaches, I will continue to pursue intermediate goals designed to help me refine my skills — mental and physical — as I test myself against some of the best athletes in the world. Those intermediate goals keep me focused on each task and reinforce my commitment to improving and developing my ability to compete on the highest stage.
As the moment of my One Goal approaches, I know that I am indeed evolving into a better athlete, ready to face many challenges that were new to me in 2012. A major component of this evolution has been surrounding myself with a team that makes me a better athlete. Between New Balance, the NorCal Distance Project, and a support team that includes doctors, physios, massage therapists, and a sport psychologist, I am surrounded by others that enhance my training and help foster my best possible performances. When I’m in the competitive arena, I draw power from my connection to them, knowing that they too have worked hard to help me be there, and I am eager to represent them to the best of my ability.
Training and competing consists of both a process and an end result. During the coming months, the work I do will build upon the foundation I have laid leading up to this year, creating momentum to take me towards my One Goal. In 2012, years of hard, physical training culminated in an effort that earned me a trip to London. As my One Goal approaches this year, the journey encompasses everyone that shares my path with the synergistic effect of a team. I eagerly await the day when my preparation and moment of opportunity align to realize my One Goal for the season ahead.
The post One Goal: Always Evolving appeared first on Eastbay Blog.