Distal Goal
Self-Regulated Inquiry Project
Increasing Running Duration
Lauren Bancks
PME 800- Self-Regulated Inquiry and Learning
Queen’s University
Forethought: Phase 1
Background Information
A few years ago I used to run every day when I was at the gym, to improve my cardiovascular health. I stopped running this past year, but wanted to get back into it; this time, I wanted to learn how to build my running endurance in a safe manner, without provoking injuries. Due to a change in my living arrangements I wanted to make health (as well as my Master’s program) a top priority, which I why I decided to pursue a personal goal, as opposed to professional one. Schooling can be very time consuming and stressful, and I often neglect my physical well-being during times like these. I chose to center this project around health because I thought I would be more motivated and invested in this process. “Researchers have found that allowing individuals to set their goals enhances motivation and self-regulation, perhaps because self-set goals produce higher goal commitment” (Schunk, 1995).
Distal Goal:
My distal goal is to run on the treadmill without stopping for 60 minutes at a speed no slower than 6.0 mph, by November 15th. I will use my Fitbit watch and app to track my exercise days and use its data to help reflect on my running sessions. I will also track my progress by writing my entries down in my goal monitoring document, and posting it to this blog.
Proximal Goals:
My proximal goals are to run at least three times a week in order to improve my cardiovascular endurance, aside from the sixth week where I plan to run twice. I plan on increasing my duration spent on the treadmill each week by 5 to 10 minutes. Along the way, I plan to research effective ways to condition myself as a runner, and will employ these strategies to help achieve my distal goal.
I would classify my distal and proximal goals as being SMART because together they provided specific information regarding my goal’s time-frame, plan of action, and how it will be measured within realistic and agreed upon terms (Dhaughey, 2013).
Performance: Phase 2
Process:
Proximal Goal #1: October 7th to 13th
Week 1
I plan to start my first week by running at the gym three times for 25 minutes each session. I will begin to research distance running and proper warm ups and cool downs.
Resource this week:
Dunham, J. (July 29, 2019). The Pre-Run Warmup You Should Do Before Every Run. Retrieved from https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20865088/pre-run-warmup/
Date
|
Monday
7th
|
Tuesday
8th
|
Wednesday
9th
|
Thursday
10th
|
Friday
11th
|
Saturday
12th
|
Sunday
13th
|
Log
|
*ran for 25 mins.
|
*lower body workout
|
*full body workout
|
*rest day
|
*rest day
|
*ran for 25 mins.
|
*ran for 25 mins.
|
Notes
|
*first 10 mins. was challenging. *dropped my pace to 5.0 mph, *continued to run for 25 mins. however
|
*felt strong today
*pace never changed
*did the warmup suggested by Runner’s World
|
*struggled today to keep pace
*dropped my pace to 5.0 mph after 11 mins
*developed a bad cramp in my side
|
Weekly Reflection:
1. Challenges- two out of the three runs I developed cramping in my side that made the run difficult to accomplish. I plan to research “running cramps” more thoroughly this week to try to prevent it from happening.
2. Successes- I ran three times this week for 25 minutes! I also incorporated proper warm up and cool down exercises into my sessions this week, which I plan to incorporate into my routine to prevent muscles soreness for the remaining weeks.
3. Plan for next week- Research why the body cramps during physical activity and create a running schedule (i.e. run Monday, Wednesday, Fridays).
Proximal Goal #2: October 14th to 20th
Week 2
This week I would like to increase my running time to 30 minutes, and still run three sessions. I will be recording my successes and challenges, and will continue to broaden my knowledge of running by researching other sources.
Resources this week:
Jordan, M. (October, 2019). Don’t Waste Your Breath. Runner’s World, 80-81.
Miller, K., Stone, M. S., Huxel, K. C., & Edwards, J. E. (July, 2014). Exercise Associated Muscle Cramps: Causes, Treatment, and Pervention. Sports Health, 2(4), 279-283. doi 10.1177/1941738109357299
Overcome Exercise Obstacles. (Summer 2019). The Fitness Formula, 48-51.
Date
|
Monday
14th
|
Tuesday
15th
|
Wednesday
16th
|
Thursday
17th
|
Friday
18th
|
Saturday
19th
|
Sunday
20th
|
Log
|
*ran for 30 mins today
|
*rest day
|
*ran for 30 mins today
|
*rest day
|
*ran for 30 mins today
|
*Pilates class (45 mins)
|
* rest day
|
Notes
|
*tried to slow my pace a bit to prevent cramping
*I didn’t feel fatigued and that felt like a small success
|
*ran at 6.0 mph and tried relaxing and breathing intervals to prevent cramping
*I didn’t feel tired while running and am confident that the five minute warm ups beforehand and cool downs have prevented tired muscles
|
*ran between 6.0 mph and 6.4 mph
*no side cramping today!
|
Weekly Reflection:
1. Challenges- It was difficult finding specific reasons for cramping while running. Although the information I read was interesting, it wasn’t overly helpful. This week I spoke with my small group and we discussed our goals and some challenges we were facing. The common theme amongst our group was accountability. Please read the next section to learn the solution we came up with.
2. Successes- I felt strong running this week and was happy I was able to run for 30 minutes, each session. Before each run I downloaded videos I was interested in listening to which helped to pass the time spent on the treadmill. I was even able to increase my speed on the treadmill, which makes me feel like I am getting stronger and more conditioned. To solve the problem of accountability which was listed above, my small group and I created a list of strategies to employ. We decided that we needed to make our goals more visible by creating sticky notes on my calendar and reminders/weekly intentions on my phone.
3. Plan for next week- Find articles relating to diet and proper hydration for distance running.
Proximal Goal #3: October 21st to 27th
Week 3
This week I would like to increase my running time to 40 minutes, and still run three sessions. I will be recording my successes and challenges, and will continue to broaden my knowledge of running by researching various sources.
Resources this week:
Quaine, C. (June 2019). Smash Your Goals. Women’s Health, 68-69.
Staying Pumped. (Summer 2019). The Fitness Formula, 85-86.
The Run Experience. (June 28, 2017). 3 Boss Beginner Running Pacing Tips. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxzpmWpo9M
The Run Experience. (March 22, 2017). What to Eat Before Running. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1eYiZiQanU
Date
|
Monday
21st
|
Tuesday
22nd
|
Wednesday
23rd
|
Thursday
24th
|
Friday
25th
|
Saturday
26th
|
Sunday
27th
|
Log
|
*ran for 40 mins today
|
*upper body workout
|
*ran for 40 mins today
|
*Lower body workout
|
*ran for 40 mins today
|
*Pilates
|
*rest day
|
Notes
|
*I was proud that I was able to run for the entire time
|
*I felt light headed during this run and was constantly checking my elapsed time
|
*I felt great for the entire run
|
Weekly Reflection:
1. Challenges- The challenge I faced this week are what I would contribute to the lack of eating before my runs. Two out of the three sessions were difficult to complete and I even felt dizzy running on one of those days. I have been drinking a glass of water and a cup of coffee before heading to the gym, but I think I need to eat something small as well, earlier on in the morning, before starting my run to prevent these dizzy spells. Treadmill running can also be very repetitive and boring, especially for forty minutes. To counter my boredom I’ve uploaded a playlist on YouTube of interesting videos to watch while running. I like this because it passes the time and keeps me engaged for the duration of my run.
2. Successes- I was proud of myself for running for 40 minutes three times this week, while also increasing my speed on the last run to 6.5 mph, from 6.0 mph. I was also able to incorporate some pacing and breathing techniques into my runs to fend off side cramping. It wasn’t until the last run of the week that I felt I was able to do this successfully.
3. Plan for next week- I would like to try to eat a small meal before running to prevent feeling dizzy, (which could be because of low blood sugars). I learned from the running community that my runs aren’t long enough to require eating a lot before I head out, but I do believe that I should eat something, as I like to run early in the morning. I would like to research this more this next week.
Proximal Goal #4: October 28th to November 3rd
Week 4
This week I would like to increase my running time to 45 minutes, and still run three sessions. I will be recording my successes and challenges, and will continue to broaden my knowledge of running by researching another source.
Resources this week:
Donciu, M., Ionita, M., Dascalu, M., & Trausan-Matu, S. (2011, September). The Runner--Recommender
System of Workout and Nutrition for Runners. In 2011 13th international symposium on symbolic
and numeric algorithms for scientific computing (pp. 230-238). IEEE.
Wong, S. H., Siu, P. M., Lok, A., Chen, Y. J., Morris, J., & Lam, C. W. (2008). Effect of the glycaemic
index of pre-exercise carbohydrate meals on running performance. European Journal of Sport
Science, 8(1), 23-33.
Date
|
Monday
28th
|
Tuesday
29th
|
Wednesday
30th
|
Thursday
31st
|
Friday
1st
|
Saturday
2nd
|
Sunday
3rd
|
Log
|
*ran for 45 minutes today
|
*HIIT circuit
|
*ran for 45 minutes today
|
*rest day
|
*planned on running and didn’t get a chance to
|
*also planned on running but didn’t get a chance to
|
*rest day
|
Notes
|
*I felt tired at minute 30 in my run but persisted in running the last fifteen mins.
|
*45 minute workout
|
*running for this length of time has proven to be challenging. I feel like I am running out of energy
|
*my friend came to town for a few nights
*spent time preparing for her arrival and cleaning the house
|
*baby sat for another friend after child care fell through and missed my exercising window
|
*spent the day cleaning after my friend left and had to run errands downtown
|
Weekly Reflection:
1. Challenges- This was the first week where I was not able to reach one of my proximal goals of running three sessions at 45 minutes a session. Working out or going for a run fits better into my schedule when I am able to go in the mornings, and has been a large contributing factor to my success thus far. Towards the end of this week there were some environmental impediments that effected my ability to go to the gym to finish my last 45 minute session. Physically, I know my body is ready to run longer this week than last, regardless of only running two sessions (at 45 minutes). Mentally, I am a bit disappointed that I wrecked this perfect running streak I had going but realize it has not thrown me off track, nor has it effected my motivation to continue running this week.
2. Successes- At this point I feel my body is finally feeling conditioned for running larger distances compared to when I started. In week 1 and 2 I struggled to run for 30 minutes, but now I feel both physically and mentally able to surpass that time. Another success I am proud to mention is that my motivation to run hasn’t decreased since I started this journey a month ago. “…students who are motivated to choose a task when given the opportunity display greater progress” (Schunk and Zimmerman, 2012).
3. Plan for next week- As mentioned by Schunk (2001), when facing challenges and difficulties, it is necessary to take the time to re-evaluate goals and timelines. This week I will be running for 50 minutes and based on my reflection, I have decided to slightly alter my proximal goal for this upcoming week. Because I am feeling physically fit and don’t see the benefit or hinderance of running two versus three 50 minute sessions, I will run two sessions at 50 minutes, and one session of at least 30 minutes. This way I am still running three sessions a week while also working to increase my running minutes.
Proximal Goal #5: November 4th to 10th
Week 5
This week I would like to increase my running time to 50 minutes, and still run three sessions. I will be recording and reflecting on my successes and challenges, and plan for the following week.
Resource this week:
N/A
Date
|
Monday
4th
|
Tuesday
5th
|
Wednesday
6th
|
Thursday
7th
|
Friday
8th
|
Saturday
9th
|
Sunday
10th
|
Log
|
*ran for 30 minutes today
|
*Pilates for 30 mins
|
*ran for 50 minutes today
|
*sick today, went for a walk
|
*sick today, no exercise
|
*sick today, no exercise
|
*sick today, went for a walk
|
Notes
|
*I was able to run at a faster pace and felt the run time flew by.
|
*I was relaxed as a ran and felt the session flew by.
*I started with a proper warm up and cool down and don’t feel fatigued or sore
|
Weekly Reflection:
1. Challenges- This week I caught a nasty head cold. I wasn’t able to run past Wednesday because I wanted to give my body a chance to rest and fight off the cold. Last week I felt guilty about not running due to environmental impediments; after some reflection I realized these feelings were not logical and did not affect any progress towards reaching my goal, and therefore I needed to move past those negative feelings. With being sick, I took what I learned from last week and paired it with rest, small movements, healthy eating, and am ready to get back to work on Monday.
2. Successes- Although I was sick, I felt proud of my decision to rest, eat well, while still moving my body each day without pushing it too much. I am naturally a busy being, but in the past year I have learned the importance of resting your body and looking for signs of when my body needs a break.
3. Plan for next week- Tomorrow signals the last week I have to reach my distal goal. I look forward to this week because I know I have given myself enough time and have prepared myself to reach this goal.
Proximal Goal #6: November 11th to 15th
Week 6
This week I would like to increase my running time to 60 minutes, and run two sessions. I will be recording my successes and challenges, and will continue to broaden my knowledge of running by researching another source.
Resource this week:
N/A
Date
|
Monday
11th
|
Tuesday
12th
|
Wednesday
13th
|
Thursday
14th
|
Friday
15th
|
Log
|
*sick today, went for a walk
|
*sick today, went for a walk
|
*ran for 60 minutes
|
*went for an hour walk today
|
*ran for 30 minutes
*strength training for 30 minutes
|
Notes
|
*towards the 50 minute mark I felt some pain in my knee and slowed my pace to 5.5 mph
*emotionally I felt proud and accomplished
*I spent time rolling out on a foam roller and stretched
|
Weekly Reflection:
1. Challenges- I have been thinking a lot about what happens to my health once this course ends? It was easy to stay accountable to my goal partly because my school life and personal life (i.e. health) were intertwined. You can read my solution to this in the next two sections of this reflection.
2. Successes- This week I met my distal goal and was able to run on the treadmill for 6o minutes. It has been awhile since the last time I ran for this duration and I hope to safely maintain this conditioning throughout the Winter and into 2020. I could not be more proud of myself, the process I underwent, and the growth I made since the start of this course. Reflecting on my journey has helped me realize that this personal goal does not have to end when this course does; running is a life-long activity I can continue to do for years to come. The information and skills I have gained from this inquiry has proven to be greatly relevant, and will be sustained and applied into my daily routines because of its success and my confidence in SRL.
3. Plan for next week- I will create an exercise schedule that balances cardio, strength training, while incorporating Pilates into the mix. I will continue to run 2 to 4 times a week and will make sure that 1 of those runs is a longer one (up to 60 minutes). I have created a November and December health log that will track my diet, exercise, and water consumption. This log states my next goal and plan of action that will keep me motivated and focused and allow me to make health improvements during the hectic time leading up to Christmas and the New Year.
Self-Reflection: Phase 3
Proximal Goal #1: October 7th to 13th
Weekly Reflection:
1. Challenges- two out of the three runs I developed cramping in my side that made the run difficult to accomplish. I plan to research “running cramps” more thoroughly this week to try to prevent it from happening.
2. Successes- I ran three times this week for 25 minutes! I also incorporated proper warm up and cool down exercises into my sessions this week, which I plan to incorporate into my routine to prevent muscles soreness for the remaining weeks.
3. Plan for next week- research why the body cramps during physical activity and create a running schedule (i.e. run Monday, Wednesday, Fridays).
Proximal Goal #2: October 14th to 20th
Weekly Reflection:
1. Challenges- It was difficult finding specific reasons for cramping while running. Although the information I read was interesting, it wasn’t overly helpful. This week I spoke with my small group and we discussed our goals and some challenges we were facing. The common theme amongst our group was accountability. Please read the next section to learn the solution we came up with.
2. Successes- I felt strong running this week and was happy I was able to run for 30 minutes, each session. Before each run I downloaded videos I was interested in listening to which helped to pass the time spent on the treadmill. I was even able to increase my speed on the treadmill, which makes me feel like I am getting stronger and more conditioned. To solve the problem of accountability which was listed above, my small group and I created a list of strategies to employ. We decided that we needed to make our goals more visible by creating sticky notes on my calendar and reminders/weekly intentions on my phone.
3. Plan for next week- Find articles relating to diet and proper hydration for distance running.
Proximal Goal #3: October 21st to 27th
Weekly Reflection:
1. Challenges- The challenge I faced this week are what I would contribute to the lack of eating before my runs. Two out of the three sessions were difficult to complete and I even felt dizzy running on one of those days. I have been drinking a glass of water and a cup of coffee before heading to the gym, but I think I need to eat something small as well, earlier on in the morning, before starting my run to prevent these dizzy spells. Treadmill running can also be very repetitive and boring, especially for forty minutes. To counter my boredom I’ve uploaded a playlist on YouTube of interesting videos to watch while running. I like this because it passes the time and keeps me engaged for the duration of my run.
2. Successes- I was proud of myself for running for 40 minutes three times this week, while also increasing my speed on the last run to 6.5 mph, from 6.0 mph. I was also able to incorporate some pacing and breathing techniques into my runs to fend off side cramping. It wasn’t until the last run of the week that I felt I was able to do this successfully.
3. Plan for next week- I would like to try to eat a small meal before running to prevent feeling dizzy, (which could be because of low blood sugars). I learned from the running community that my runs aren’t long enough to require eating a lot before I head out, but I do believe that I should eat something, as I like to run early in the morning. I would like to research this more this next week.
Proximal Goal #4: October 28th to November 3rd
Weekly Reflection:
1. Challenges- This was the first week where I was not able to reach one of my proximal goals of running three sessions at 45 minutes a session. Working out or going for a run fits better into my schedule when I am able to go in the mornings, and has been a large contributing factor to my success thus far. Towards the end of this week there were some environmental impediments that effected my ability to go to the gym to finish my last 45 minute session. Physically, I know my body is ready to run longer this week than last, regardless of only running two sessions (at 45 minutes). Mentally, I am a bit disappointed that I wrecked this perfect running streak I had going but realize it has not thrown me off track, nor has it effected my motivation to continue running this week.
2. Successes- At this point I feel my body is finally feeling conditioned for running larger distances compared to when I started. In week 1 and 2 I struggled to run for 30 minutes, but now I feel both physically and mentally able to surpass that time. Another success I am proud to mention is that my motivation to run hasn’t decreased since I started this journey a month ago. “…students who are motivated to choose a task when given the opportunity display greater progress” (Schunk and Zimmerman, 2012).
3. Plan for next week- As mentioned by Schunk (2001), when facing challenges and difficulties, it is necessary to take the time to re-evaluate goals and timelines. This week I will be running for 50 minutes and based on my reflection, I have decided to slightly alter my proximal goal for this upcoming week. Because I am feeling physically fit and don’t see the benefit or hinderance of running two versus three 50 minute sessions, I will run two sessions at 50 minutes, and one session of at least 30 minutes. This way I am still running three sessions a week while also working to increase my running minutes.
Proximal Goal #5: November 4th to 10th
Weekly Reflection:
1. Challenges- This week I caught a nasty head cold. I wasn’t able to run past Wednesday because I wanted to give my body a chance to rest and fight off the cold. Last week I felt guilty about not running due to environmental impediments; after some reflection I realized these feelings were not logical and did not affect any progress towards reaching my goal, and therefore I needed to move past those negative feelings. With being sick, I took what I learned from last week and paired it with rest, small movements, healthy eating, and am ready to get back to work on Monday.
2. Successes- Although I was sick, I felt proud of my decision to rest, eat well, while still moving my body each day without pushing it too much. I am naturally a busy being, but in the past year I have learned the importance of resting your body and looking for signs of when my body needs a break.
3. Plan for next week- Tomorrow signals the last week I have to reach my distal goal. I look forward to this week because I know I have given myself enough time and have prepared myself to reach this goal.
Proximal Goal #6: November 11th to 15th
Weekly Reflection:
1. Challenges- I have been thinking a lot about what happens to my health once this course ends? It was easy to stay accountable to my goal partly because my school life and personal life (i.e. health) were intertwined. You can read my solution to this in the next two sections of this reflection.
2. Successes- This week I met my distal goal and was able to run on the treadmill for 6o minutes. It has been awhile since the last time I ran for this duration and I hope to safely maintain this conditioning throughout the Winter and into 2020. I could not be more proud of myself, the process I underwent, and the growth I made since the start of this course. Reflecting on my journey has helped me realize that this personal goal does not have to end when this course does; running is a life-long activity I can continue to do for years to come. The information and skills I have gained from this inquiry has proven to be greatly relevant, and will be sustained and applied into my daily routines because of its success and my confidence in SRL.
3. Plan for next week- I will create an exercise schedule that balances cardio, strength training, while incorporating Pilates into the mix. I will continue to run 2 to 4 times a week and will make sure that 1 of those runs is a longer one (up to 60 minutes). I have created a November and December health log that will track my diet, exercise, and water consumption. This log states my next goal and plan of action that will keep me motivated and focused and allow me to make health improvements during the hectic time leading up to Christmas and the New Year.
References:
Cramps: Causes, Treatment, and Pervention. Sports Health, 2(4), 279-283. Doi
Dhaughey. (2013). How to Write a SMART Goal [Video file]. Retrieved from
Donciu, M., Ionita, M., Dascalu, M., & Trausan-Matu, S. (2011, September). The Runner—
Recommender System of Workout and Nutrition for Runners. In 2011 13th international
symposium on symbolic and numeric algorithms for scientific computing (pp. 230-238).
IEEE.
Dunham, J. (July 29, 2019). The Pre-Run Warmup You Should Do Before Every Run. Retrieved
from https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20865088/pre-run-warmup/
Jordan, M. (October, 2019). Don’t Waste Your Breath. Runner’s World, 80-81.
Miller, K., Stone, M. S., Huxel, K. C., & Edwards, J. E. (July, 2014). Exercise Associated
Muscle
Overcome Exercise Obstacles. (Summer 2019). The Fitness Formula, 48-51.
Quaine, C. (June 2019). Smash Your Goals. Women’s Health, 68-69.
Schunk, D. H. (1995). Self-efficacy and education and instruction. In J. E. Maddux (Ed.),
Self-efficacy, adaptation, and adjustment: Theory, research, and application (pp.
281-303). New York: Plenum Press.
Schunk, D. H. (2001). Self-regulation through goal setting. ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling
and Student Service, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Schunk, D. H., & Zimmerman, B. J. (Eds.). (2012). Motivation and self-regulated learning:
Theory, research, and applications. Routledge.
Staying Pumped. (Summer 2019). The Fitness Formula, 85-86.
The Run Experience. (March 22, 2017). What to Eat Before Running. [Video File]. Retrieved
The Run Experience. (June 28, 2017). 3 Boss Beginner Running Pacing Tips. [Video File].
Wong, S. H., Siu, P. M., Lok, A., Chen, Y. J., Morris, J., & Lam, C. W. (2008). Effect of the
glycaemic index of pre-exercise carbohydrate meals on running performance. European
Journal of Sport Science, 8(1), 23-33.
Zumbrunn, S., Tadlock, J., & Roberts, E. D. (2011). Encouraging self-regulated learning in the
classroom: A review of the literature. Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium
(MERC), 1-28.
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