This Method of Setting Goals Can Work Wonders

This Method of Setting Goals Can Work Wonders

by | Jan 21, 2026 | Mindset Training, Uncategorized

by Coach Ray Nypaver

High-level performance isn’t just about pushing harder, but rather it’s about making better decisions under stress. The runners who improve year after year are the ones who can regulate effort, recover well, and adjust intelligently when training or life doesn’t go exactly as planned. Goals rooted in clarity rather than pressure lead to better consistency, lower injury risk, and more effective adaptation over time.

The framework below is designed to support both results and longevity. It keeps outcome goals in view while prioritizing the systems such as habits, mindset, recovery, and self-awareness that actually determine performance on race day. Whether you’re chasing a PR or aiming to stay strong and motivated for the long haul, this approach helps you explore what you’re capable of without burning out.

As we start 2026, and soon the year of the (fire) horse, Coach Ray Nypaver wants to make sure we’re setting ourselves up for success in the best way possible and using some scientifically backed research.

First and foremost, it’s important we revisit some of recent our pawsitivity posts:

(Shared on Instagram and Strava)

1) Love makes you brave: When our foundation is unconditional love, we have more willingness to both take risks AND no one it’s time to step back. We know when a goal that scares us a bit is a goal born through inspiration vs. a goal of the ego (I’m not enough as I am/ I need to prove myself). And no matter what, we know we’ll be okay, whether we succeed or fail (make a mistake to learn from)…which also settles our nervous system. And a relaxed nervous system actually helps us be our best selves.

2) Your job is NOT to reach your potential. Your job IS to explore the possibilities of your potential. For some of us, that will mean reaching what we are physically capable of. For others of us, it will mean we learn how to work with our negative thoughts and beliefs and turn towards compassion, which IS reaching our highest self.

Okay, now we can start goal setting:

*If you did each week of the Steps to Adventure plan with me, you’ll realize this is a summary of that, especially the Peak Goal Setting model in Step 5 (attached).

Why/(Big) Intention: Yes, we still want to have an understanding of why your goals are important to you, why they matter. While they don’t have to be profound, they should be deep enough to touch the heart.

It might be something like “I want to experience more joy in my life because I know the more joy I allow myself to feel, the more others in my life will give themselves permission to experience more joy too. And doesn’t the world need more joy?” Or more simply, “I want to experience more joy in my life, because I know I am worthy of it.” (If you do want to go profound, we could talk about the rates of depression in the world and how that is keeping good people from stepping up into their power and ability to influence with voices and hearts.)

The why comes from your heart.

Values: Know what you care about in life! Know your priorities! These will help ground you, especially if the mind/ego gets caught up in a goal. The paradox is, of course, that the more grounded we are the higher we can fly. Becoming attached to our goals puts us into a fear state. Shooting towards them with a loose grip and knowing what matters most in life keeps us inspired but relaxed. A relaxed nervous system means we have more energy to run and create.

Outcome goals: These are your race goals, PR goals, etc. Yes, these are important and we should absolutely set them… but truly, these goals are secondary. They are what inspire us to explore our potential, our energy, and what we can do with our energy in physical form. For those of you who have Instagram, Coach Sandi recently shared this: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTWC05-kQ6T/

 Outcome goals are mainly of the mind, but should be influenced by the heart.

Action Goal: These are daily and weekly habits or actions. (On a slightly bigger scale, these might be B races leading up to your A race). It could be running 3-5x each week, but for more of you, it’s more like getting in mobility 3-5x each week, asking yourself each morning before you run: What does my body need today? Or, I’m going to pat myself on the back each time I take 1 minute to practice diaphragmatic breathing during the day. (Little rewards, like acknowledging yourself, activate the reward center of your brain making it more likely that you’ll repeat the activity and increase self-esteem. Contrary to what we like to believe, self-judgment often has the opposite effect.)

Daily Intention: We have this reminder in one of our “Getting Started” boxes in Final Surge, and it’s a great way to make sure you’re not just going through the motions, keeping your love for running, and continuing to improve- even if it’s making sure your easy days are truly easy! It might be running based: I want to work on my form today, or technical trail practice, or a little more personal: I want to practice mindfulness and presence today, so when my mind wanders back to work, I’ll come back to my breath or surroundings. YOU CAN ALSO look back at your values and why, and integrate those more deeply. (From the therapy side of my job, I know I can write down and say all the things I’ve learned all I want, I know self-compassion is one of the best healing tools we have and I know negative beliefs can be composted and rewritten, but it doesn’t mean anything unless I actively integrate these lessons and practice them in my daily life.)

Obstacles: What obstacles do you see getting in your way on your path towards your goal, or potential? Is it a busy life? Work stress? Or knowing you have a tendency to push through fatigue and injury? We want to plan these out, but not without…

Plan How You Want to Work Through Obstacles: If you know you have a busy week coming up, you can coordinate with me/your coach, to have that be a recovery week in running. If you know you’re good at pushing through, maybe set a reminder on your phone that: Rest results in future growth and recovery allows for strength. We need the Yin and the Yang.

Of course, we can’t plan everything…but we can plan how we want to treat ourselves when things are hard and know who our support team is. At Higher Running, we hope you know that we care about each one of our athletes as people first, runners second.

Last, here’s a helpful, 7 minute meditation to get your goal setting started for the year:

Motivating Self-Compassion Break

(I’ve written enough for this email, but research now shows that self-compassion is beneficial to/can improve performance.)

Wishing everyone a beautiful, magical, and successful (how you choose to define it) 2026!

When “Hard” Is Just a Story You’re Telling Yourself

When “Hard” Is Just a Story You’re Telling Yourself

by | Jan 6, 2026 | Mindset Training, Uncategorized

Coach Sandi Nypaver shares one of her many tips to help you train a high-performance mindset that will allow you to achieve your goals. Thanks to neuroplasticity, anyone can develop a high-performance mindset with the right focus!

One of the biggest mistakes runners make when chasing big, uncomfortable goals is focusing only on how hard the process feels.

Yes, training can be challenging. Yes, growth requires discomfort.
But here’s the key: something often feels hard simply because we keep telling ourselves it is.

Words matter. The story you repeat in your head matters even more.

I recently had this exact conversation with someone about healthy eating. If you constantly tell yourself that eating well is hard, it will be. Every choice feels like a battle. But if you reframe it as simple, not easy, but straightforward, your experience changes entirely.

And the same applies to running!

If every workout is labeled as “brutal,” “miserable,” or “a grind,” your nervous system braces for pain before you even start. But when you shift your focus toward what you gain, things like confidence, strength, pride, momentum, you unlock a completely different training experience.

Here’s something worth remembering:

A belief is just a thought you keep thinking.

So the next time you’re staring down a tough workout or an ambitious goal, try this:

  • Acknowledge the challenge

  • Then intentionally focus on the pleasure, purpose, or progress it brings

You don’t need to pretend training is easy.
You just don’t need to keep convincing yourself it’s harder than it has to be.

Run with intention, and train with belief!

How are you responding to your training?

How are you responding to your training?

by | Dec 8, 2025 | Training, Uncategorized

One of the most important questions Coach Sandi Nypaver asks when reviewing an athlete’s program is: How are you responding to your training?

This matters because everyone responds differently. Take high-intensity VO₂ max speed workouts, for example. Some athletes thrive on them because they recover quickly and see big performance gains. Others? Even with great recovery habits, too many of these sessions can leave them completely fried.

That doesn’t mean those workouts aren’t valuable. It just means the way they’re integrated into your training plan should look different depending on how your body reacts. For some, sprinkling them in sparingly is the key. For others, they can be a cornerstone of progress.

And that’s just one example! There are countless ways training can impact you differently than someone else. So here’s the takeaway: Look at your training and ask yourself: Are you benefiting from it, or is it leaving you exhausted and holding you back?

Your response to training is the ultimate feedback loop. Pay attention to it, and you’ll unlock smarter, more effective progress.

Happy running,

  • Coach Sandi Nypaver

Why “B+ Workouts” Make You a Faster, Healthier Runner

Why “B+ Workouts” Make You a Faster, Healthier Runner

by | Nov 19, 2025 | Training

Are you racing your speed workouts… or finishing them with a little gas still left in the tank? Coach Sandi Nypaver breaks down why she prefers consistently “good” workouts over a few “great” workouts.

One of my favorite reminders comes from Mark Coogan who is an Olympian himself and coach to stars like Emily Mackay and Elle Purrier St. Pierre:

“Ten weeks of B+ workouts are better than four weeks of A+ workouts.”

Coogan has coached two athletes to the Olympic 1500m final, so he knows a thing or two about smart, sustainable training. And the more I read from his book Personal Best Running, the more I find myself nodding along because his principles echo what I tell my own athletes every week.

What Does a “B+ Workout” Actually Mean?

The point isn’t the exact paces but rather the intent. You train hard, but not so hard that you’re emptying the tank every session.

For many runners, “10K pace” can mean very different things (running a 30-minute 10K versus a 48-minute 10K are completely different physiological demands). That’s why I often cue athletes to run intervals at their 30-minute race pace instead, because it anchors the intensity more precisely than a distance alone.

But the message behind the workout is the same:

Finish feeling like you could have done one or two more reps.
Not that you couldn’t.

Why Backing Off a Little Works Better

Here’s what I’ve seen again and again as a coach:

  • Runners who “race their workouts” arrive at race day feeling flat.
    They’ve already spent their best effort in training.

  • Runners who train just a notch below their limit stay healthier, fresher, and more consistent.
    This is where long-term gains actually come from.

When you leave a workout with strength instead of depletion, a few things happen:

  • You can gradually increase mileage without breaking down.

  • You can handle more total reps at quality pace.

  • You avoid the spiral of exhaustion → illness → injury.

  • You show up on race day feeling sharp instead of drained.

It’s one of the least glamorous but most powerful truths in endurance training:
Consistency beats hero workouts. Every time.

Do You Ever Do an A+ Workout?

Yes, but rarely.

Every once in a while (especially if an athlete isn’t racing tune-up 5Ks or 10Ks before a longer race), I’ll put in a single “A+ effort” workout: something that lets them go all-in and feel that competitive gear before race day.

Try This for a Few Months

If you’re someone who loves to “win the workout,” try dialing things back just a touch for a training cycle.

You might be surprised at how much stronger, healthier, and faster you feel on race day.

Happy running,
Coach Sandi

Thriving as a Master Runner

by | Sep 2, 2025 | Uncategorized

By Coach Rachael Warner Sanchez

Running is Life Long!
In today’s article we will go over the training considerations for “master age” runners, but for the younger folks, this article is also useful to help prepare you for the next chapter in your running adventure. Something we should touch on now before diving into detail is the typical life stressors folks between the ages of 40-60s can face. Often, we longingly reflect on our ability to simply sleep off a minor injury or a hard training session from our teens or 20s. Something we may not consider is raising families, providing elder care, rent/mortgage. The list goes on and on. Simply point, your body isn’t failing you, there is most likely a lot on your plate that requires extra recovery considerations.

Control the Variables!
Obviously, these will apply to all runners, but the needs do magnify a bit as we get older. We must prioritize sleep the best we can. Even an extra 30 min a few nights a week is impactful. Quality food to help bolster recovery and ward off micronutrient deficiencies is also critical. The same goes to regular blood work to keep on top of things.

As we enter our middle-aged years, we may need to find a good OBYGYN and/or Endocrinologist to support our hormonal changes. We won’t dive too much into Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) in this article. This is best discussed with a medical provider.

Keep your shoe rotation fresh and make friends with a few simple recovery tools, like afoam roller. These little things do add up and assist in keeping us injury free.

Strength Training!
Yes, we are starting with this because there are a few key exercises we can program into our training plans to help mitigate age-related tendon degradation and muscle loss. The biggest thing that we lose as we get older is tendon stiffness and strength, particularly the Achilles tendon. Knowing this ahead of time, we can focus a bit on safely doing heavy lifts to load the tendons and some basic plyometric exercises. We focus so much on glute power (as we should), but a lot of our stride length is dictated by calf strength and Achilles stiffness. As we age, we compensate with a little bit of a higher cadence but shorter stride. Protecting stride length protects our ability to maintain higher paces. One thing to note about Achilles stiffness: this means the tendon should be like a coil. A strong coil is stiff and can transfer energy. This doesn’t mean we should be running with tight ankles. We want those to be mobile.

Key things to incorporate into your strength plan: heavy single leg calf raises and bent calf raises. Isometric calf raise holds (hard for 30sec at a time). In general, lift heavy (but safely)..Bulgarian split squats are a great exercise to include. You can try 3–4 sets of 5–7 reps for strength, or 2–4 sets of 12–15 reps for muscle endurance. Start with bodyweight to dial in good form before adding load. For plyometrics, double leg bunny hops are a great start and then progress to single leg bunny hops. To continue the progression, jump squats with a medicine ball and jump down from a box into a half squat and then immediately into a squat jump will do wonders for both bone and tendon strength. Lastly, see if you can set up a camera/phone to record your lifts or have a friend film you. Take note of left/right asymmetries. If lifting is new for you, a journal of things you notice while lifting is good. For example, if you feel less coordinated at the bottom portion of a Bulgarian split squat, and your back is not as engaged, one of the glutes may not have the same power as the other side. Another sneaky one is a stronger foot. Watch for your ankle/foot to roll a bit outward or inward at the top of a calf raise. Big toe mobility is huge with this one. Your ankle will do a lot to compensate and spread the load elsewhere if the big toe cannot bend properly.

Training Considerations!
Hills are your friend. Short hill strides 1-2x a week help with power development and running form. They are also a continuation of the tendon strength we want to preserve as we age. Now the good news: our endurance ability does not really decline but our power and threshold can. This is great news because when it comes to intensity, a little bit goes a long way. Simply the hill strides and some shorter intervals on the track really can ward off age related decline. Of course we want to maintain endurance. As we age, we may need to spread out intense sessions just a bit more than in our 20s or 30s but we can hop on a bike or an elliptical to maintain our endurance. Our heart and lungs do not know the difference. It is ok to be creative and substitute a run day with a cross-training day. Particularly, if it allows you to have a very good speed or threshold session. Sacrificing a little bit of general running to preserve a workout is almost always worth it.

Another tip that comes from my cycling days is “big gear work.” I found I could help with late ride fatigue and build functional power by doing intervals that involve pushing a big gear at a low pedaling cadence (requires more torque from the legs). This could be perfect for a runner, returning from injury, who is ready to workout but is not 100% ready to return to running. It is ok to adapt workouts and do them on a bike or an elliptical. Thriving as a Master Runner

Nutrition and Supplements!
Fuel is important! Simple as that. We must, regardless of age, give our body the fuel it needs to participate in the activity we ask it to do. Protein right after a workout can be helpful, but research shows what matters most is getting enough throughout the entire day. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7400240/ A lot of athletes have been exploring creatine to help with maintaining muscle strength, hydration status, and cognitive function. Creatine has been around and used by body builders for decades, but a resurgence and diversification of its uses has been prevalent this past year. Women seem to come up with a bonus and respond positively to creatine supplementation. This may be because they have lower creatine stores in their muscle tissue. This is a supplement, not a requirement of course. If you’d like to try creatine, it is always safest to consult your medical provider and if you choose to try it: 3-5g per day is a safe starting point for most people.

Philosophy and the Mental Game!
With a bit of planning and staying informed, we can run rather close to our abilities from our 20s and 30s. Having said that, we should also note peak performance will change over time when we enter our golden years. A decline in our relative speed and ability to cover distance is, perhaps, more technically correct, but our running is simply evolving to the phase of life in which we enter. Comparison to one another is the thief of joy and can hamper our own journeys. The same can be said of comparisons to a different version of ourselves. Don’t forget to enjoy this sport for what it can before us: health, travel, closeness with nature, companionship, decompression, and the list goes on! We should always be grateful for our mobility and our sport. Live in the moment. Control what you can control and try not to stress the rest of it.