mwh wrote:
I think the longer the cycle, the better. I'd say the cycle length determines the level of ultimate competition:
weeks = competitive locally
months to compete regionally
1 year to compete nationally
years to compete internationally
I just naturally dream big and am amazed that most runners have short-term mundane goals, and that's it. As an extreme example, I'm presently charting a 7-year plan to make a run at the marathon American Record (55+) -- a relatively soft 2:33. Along the way I'll have micro-cycles or test races, like my first 5 weeks to debut in last fall's 3hr thread, from which I extrapolate to 2:33 in 7 years (with a lot of luck).
So I'd take exception to a few things here.
First, I don't think you're defining training cycle the same way everyone else is. Darkwave, Sub 6:00, Stone, etc etc haven't just stopped running after each of their marathon cycles. They've reset, found the next goal race, and continued training. I think you're trying to compare your macro-cycle to their micro-cycles.
Second, there is a correlation between length of consistent training and improvement, but there is not a correlation between length of training and competitiveness on a local/regional/national/international scale. There are people on this thread who have been training consistently for well over a decade and aren't running at the olympic trials. In contrast, Justyn Knight went from failing his gym class to a national level elite athlete over the course of about 2 months. If you assume the people who have put years of training in and aren't at an elite level just aren't shooting high enough, you're doing them a pretty severe disservice.
Third, I don't think most runners only have short term mundane goals. I think those are what you hear about most often because they are the stepping stones to the larger long term goals. That doesn't mean those larger goals don't exist. You have to embrace the day by day process to actually accomplish anything worthwhile. If you're only ever looking at the long term goal and wishing you were there, you'll never accomplish anything. Take a relatively short term 3 month goal for example. If you spend each of those 90 days just focusing on where you want to be at the end, and not thinking about what you have to do each individual day to get there, you're going to end the 90 days not significantly closer to your goal than you began. On the other hand, if you start by looking at those 90 days, evaluating what you need to do each one of those days so they all build on each other to arrive at your goal, and then focus on executing each individual day to the best of your ability you'll actually get somewhere. But that means each day you're just going to talk about a relatively small and mundane task - e.g. a 6 mile easy run, a 15 mile long run (just for you AJ), a single unspectacular workout, etc.
Fourthly, I think there's one other reason you don't always hear about the long term goal. Talk is cheap. Anyone can say they have a 5 year plan to accomplish something. Actually executing each day to get there is an entirely different story. I can sit here and tell everyone around me that I want to be a sub-4 miler, qualify for USAs, make a national team, etc etc and feel really warm and fuzzy inside because I have these great goals and I'm going to do great things. It doesn't mean a dang thing if I'm not willing to show up every day and do the small mundane things to the very best of my ability that day.
Finally, big long term goals are great, but don't let them cheapen what you accomplish en route. Maybe I never run under 4:00, but if I run 4:05 as part of that pursuit, I shouldn't view that 4:05 as being less special than it otherwise would be. It would still be the product of a lot of hard work and something to be proud of. It's easy to miss the moments that should be savored and enjoyed because I'm too focused on what comes next. Be happy when you accomplish something new. Keep the fire burning by never being satisfied. It's an admittedly delicate balance, but if you can do it well you'll go places.