Quick Case Study - Goal Setting Guide

Goal Setting

            Jane is a Paramedic, who responds to 911 emergency calls and an instructor, in the Paramedic Program, at the local university.  Consistently living in a stressful environment, her mental and physical health has been impacted by work and life stressors at home, which caused a disruption of her balanced lifestyle.  To find serenity, Jane utilized recreational running as an outlet and participated in a multitude of races throughout the years prior to this current year.  As work increased in the recent year, running no longer became a priority, which has affected her mood, nutrition, health, and peace of mind.  Jane’s decision is to prioritize her well-being first by running her first half marathon.

Long-term goal

            Jane’s ultimate goal is to successfully finish a half marathon (13.1 miles) within 2 hours at the end of 9 months of training.  With a feeling of being unbalanced in life, her drive is to find that serenity running as she has before.  Her schedule of 48 hours of continuous work with 911 and 20+ hours as an instructor, short-term goals are necessary to structure her lifestyle and incorporate changes to achieve her long-term goal.    

Short-term goals

After analyzing her current abilities and barriers that could potentially interfere with her success, a series of short-term goals are in place, suitable, for Jane.   Consistency is important, so she will start her runs with a 2-mile run, four times a week for the first 30 days.  After the first 30 days, a mile will be added to her runs every 30 days until her set date.  With her runs, a form of hill training must be applied in the event the half-marathon has incorporated hills on its course.

While Jane establishes a consistent running plan, a realistic goal is to increase her speed and reach a 10-minute mile by the end of her first 60 days.  After the 60th day, she will be encouraged in striving to improve her speed by cutting 10 seconds per mile every month until she reached an eight and a half-minute mile per mile.  To be effective, Jane will have to focus on her strides and breathing control during her runs.

In order to prevent muscle loss while increasing cardio, Jane will implement resistance training as a process goal, so she can achieve stamina and endurance for longer and faster runs.  Her resistance training will consist of lower body strength training exercises for 2 days a week and 1 day a week for speed and agility.  Each training session will be at least 30 minutes per training session.

Furthermore, Jane will be exerting more energy than usual, so proper recovery and hydration are fundamental to her success.  Sleeping releases a growth hormone that helps muscle development (Myers, 2015).  Running has a significant impact on our lower extremities, so water hydration is vital in assistance with recovery and in motion.  Water lubricates our joints, to include easing the movement of the bones, and regulates the body temperature (APUS, 2020).  Applying these process goals helps Jane mitigate unnecessary injuries that could prevent her from achieving her long-term goal.

Jane’s final short-term goal that is in place is to modify her nutritional habits.  Primary source of energy comes from the food that is consumed, but specific foods that need to be consumed should benefit her oxidative energy system for maximum performance.  Following the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, focusing on the total caloric intake consumed improves overall health and manages weight (APUS, 2020).  With a combination of proper nutritional consumption and physical activity is beneficial to overall health, physical and mental.  A good source of energy, through nutrition, will allow Jane to last longer in training and increase her abilities to reach her milestones in place to meet her end goal.

Goal Settings Tools

            Jane’s approach was uncertain on how to narrow down her choice of goals that she wants to achieve.  To assist her focus in her desired goal, the backward goal setting was applied to focus on her ultimate end goal (Mead, 2024).  With this approach, the GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Will) model was able to be applied for guidance in structuring her short-term goals leading, as steps to achieve her end goal (Fine, 2018; Mead, 2024).

            Journaling is a reliable source for Jane.  Physically visualizing her words on specific emotions and thoughts will help her to recollect on her progress and setbacks, moving forward in a positive direction.  To track Jane’s training and nutritional progress, multiple applications were made easily accessible on her phone and any digital device available.  The applications are Muscle & Motion ltd. (strength training), MapMyRun (running), and Cronometer (nutrition). 

Conclusion

            It is crucial to identify any barriers because Jane’s lifestyle is unique, which can derail and discourage if setbacks were to occur.  Narrowing down from the end goal allowed her to build the necessary steps to reach her end goal.  Accountability and a positive outlook are required to help encourage Jane overcome daily challenges, which are found through journaling and specific mobile applications.  With Jane’s positive attitude and set goals in place, she will be capable to achieve her ultimate end goal, completing a half-marathon in 2 hours.   

Goal Setting Worksheet

Start Date:­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­. 1 August 2024

Completion Date:  27 April 2025

My long-term goal is:

Complete the Austin Half-Marathon in 2 hours.

Two things that will help me reach my goals are:

1.  Mobile applications for accountability and progress for different parts of training: Muscle & Motion ltd. (strength training), MapMyRun (running), and Cronometer (nutrition).

2.  Journaling thoughts and emotions to move in a positive direction.

Short-term goals linked to my long-term goal:

1.  Consistently run more by increasing runs 4 times a week.  First 30 days, start with a 2-mile run with an increase of 1 more mile every 30-days.  Runs will include a form of hill training (treadmill incline. Stairmaster machine, nature hills).

2.  Shorten run time from a 13-minute/mile to a 10-minute/mile by 1 October 2024; improve by cutting 10-sec per mile every month until 8:30-minute mile is achieved. 

3.  Implement resistance training; one week will include 2 days of strength training and 1 day of speed and agility training for a minimum of 30 minutes per training session. 

4.  Focus on recovery time, including sleep 7-8 hours/day and meditate/pray time.

5.  Start water hydration intake between half gallon to 3 liters, daily.

6.  Modify nutritional habits; stop eating processed food and replace it with a well-balanced diet.

I know I have reached my long-term goal because:

The half-marathon (13.1 miles) in Austin, Texas will be completed in April 2025 within or by 2 hours.

References

American Public University System. (2024). Adaptations Developing the Lower Body, 

Developing the Back and Neck. [Lecture notes]. APUS.  

https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/le/enhancedSequenceViewer/153031?url=https%  3A%2F%2Ff54cbe36-23a9-4505-85fe-e251f80ec34d.sequences.api.brightspace.com%2F153031%2Factivity%2F12862138%3FfilterOnDatesAndDepth%3D1

American Public University System. (2020, August 14). Chapter 11.3: Water’s importance to vitality. APUS: An Introduction to Nutrition 2e (Byerley). https://med.libretexts.org/Courses/American_Public_University/APUS%3A_An_Introduction_to_Nutrition_(Byerley)/APUS%3A_An_Introduction_to_Nutrition_2e_(Byerley)/11%3A_Water_Electrolytes_Acid-Base_Balance/11.03%3A_Waters_Importance_to_Vitality

American Public University System. (2020, August 14). Chapter 6: Energy Metabolism. APUS: An Introduction to Nutrition 2e (Byerley). https://med.libretexts.org/Courses/American_Public_University/APUS%3A_An_Introduction_to_Nutrition_(Byerley)/APUS%3A_An_Introduction_to_Nutrition_2e_(Byerley)/06%3A_Energy_Metabolism/6.05%3A_Balancing_Energy_Input_with_Energy_Output

American Public University System. (2024). Digestion and Carbohydrates.[Lecture  

notes]. APUS. https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/le/enhancedSequenceViewer/ 158634?url=https% 3A%2F%2Ff54cbe36-23a9-4505-85fe-e251f80ec34d. sequences.api.brightspace.com%2F158634%2Factivity%2F13128746%3FfilterOnDatesAndDepth%3D1

Mead, E. (2024, July 11). 45 goal setting activities, Exercises & Games (+ PDF). Motivation & Goals. https://positivepsychology.com/goal-setting-exercises/

Myers, D. G., & Dewall, C. N. (2015). Chapter 3: Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind. In Why do we sleep? (Eleventh, pp. 105–106). essay, WOTH Publishers.

USDA. (n.d.). Learn how to eat healthy with myplate. MyPlate. https://www.myplate.gov/