Reaching a goal but not being able to see it through to completion, for reasons outside your control, is not fun. That's exactly what happened to me this year. I qualified for the European championships in Turkey as a GB age grouper and was loving life. But as my Uni year progressed, it became apparent that my exams would be just when the most critical stage of training would be taking place and I would potentially have a week or so between finishing exams and flying to Turkey to compete. I'm not one to do things half-baked, so with a heavy heart I decided it was best if I didn't take up my place.
This obviously left a massive gap in my season. I'd been expecting to be placing the Europeans as the highlight and purpose of my season, but now had nothing. Until now I've been wallowing around like a sinking ship without a sail in a sea of mis-matched metaphors. But now, I have a plan. I've decided that if I can't go to the Euros, I'm going to put all my efforts into doing as well as possible at the races I can do.
This has led me to a rather rash goal.
I want to podium a race. Depending on the size of the race, I would consider an AG podium. But really, I want an overall podium. I don't think this is too far outside the realms of possibility. I think I should go sub-2:10 for an Olympic this year and whilst this isn't going to trouble Mr Brownlee, it's getting close to the pointy end of the field. Similarly, at sprint distance I would also be pretty competitive. In theory.
I've written this blog post to utilise the power of public peer pressure. I've not only put the goal down on paper, I've broadcast it across the Internets. I've got a number of races this year already and will be looking out for one or two more as well. I may even step up to 70.3 distance at the end of the season and see what the fuss is all about. Maybe. That little thought is one for another blog post I think....
Lets hope I can see this new goal all the way through to the end. #OperationPodium.
Twitter is a wonderful thing. No one gets more than 140 characters and normal people get access to "celebs" (should it be your want). It's also a great way for companies to see what their customers think of their products. I replied to someone asking which videos they should get for use on the turbo - 3LC or The Sufferfest. I've always been an IWBMATTKYT kinda guy, so replied in support of The Sufferefest. Later that night, I received a DM from 3LC offering me a chance to check out one of their videos, to see if my view could be swayed.
Cheeky promo video.....
So, I settled down on Thursday night with a pay-per-view copy of the sprinting session. The pay-per-view is a cool little feature which means you can try the video for £2:99 before stumping up the £19:99 for your own copy. The sprint session ties in nicely to my training plan, as I'm in need of some sessions which sharpen my speed. I need to remember what it's like to sit at a HR well over threshold, as I just can't seem to push much harder at the moment. This probably reflects a good winter of hard work, but without any real sharp stuff thrown in.
Doesn't everyone use a fee medical dictionary as a wheel riser block?
The "sprinting" session consisted of 3 or 4x 10 or 15sec sprints, with the remainder of that minute as a warm up. Each set was followed by a 5min rest interval. The final sprint includes a "lead out" of 3mins at 8-, 9- and finally 10/10 perceived exertion.
The video takes an entirely different form to that of The Sufferfest. The Sufferfest uses race footage and overlaid graphics to tell you what's going to happen. 3LC is essentially a recording of the esteemed Mr Cavendish and his fellow Isle of Man cyclists doing a spin/turbo session. The banter is a high point and it's nice to see one of the top sprinters in the world grimace doing the same session as you. My personal preference is for The Sufferfest. I can put some loud, shouty music on or listen to the decent soundtrack included and get on with it. 3LC is not dull, but the semi-artistic shots of turbos and the plethora of Cavendish victory photos would undoubtedly become tiresome after a few viewings.
If I'm honest, the session ended up being a little tame. I'm used to sessions like The Sufferefest - Revolver, which is 15 x 1min on, 1min off. This is a great session and it has had me feeling more than a little green in the past. The longer sprint at the end of the 3LC video was the only time I felt properly broken as the sprints before that were so short, my HR barely had time to reach a good high level. This was exacerbated by the fact there was such a long rest between each sprint and each set. You can see this on my HR trace for the session and the breakdown of time spent in various HR zones. You can see I was down to 65-70% of MHR between sets, which is pretty chilled out really. This meant my HR had a long way to climb to reach the HR levels which I was hoping to work. It's pretty difficult to increase your HR by 60bpm+ in 10-15secs!
HR trace and zones for 3LC
76% of this video I spent essentially cruising. Given this session is toted as a sprint session I thought I was in for a beating, but it just never really happened. The final sprint, which included a 3min "lead out" was much more like it, and this got me working hard, but the sets before were leg ticklers in comparison to the offerings of The Sufferfest.
HR zones for The Sufferfest - Revolver
From the HR zones, you can see I spent only 3% at threshold HR in the 3LC video, but 17% in The Sufferfest video. Nearly all of the threshold work in the 3LC video came during that final sprint. It's worth bearing in mind I took this HR recording from a session I did last Jan, when I wasn't as fit and probably had a much lower threshold. There's a pretty good chance I spent much longer at either threshold or even VO2Max.
There's also the price difference. The Sufferfest only come as a digital format (MP4), but cost around £8:50. The 3LC videos come as a DVD and cost £19:99. I just can't justify that price. I never use DVDs anymore and everything I watch is stored on my laptop, so the physical copy of the video has no real attraction. For those using TV/DVD setups, maybe this could swing the argument one way or the other however.
So for me, this 3LC try-out hasn't changed anything. I'm going to keep on Suffering.
When I sat down and wrote my plan for racing and training this year, I noticed there was a distinct lack of races around the end of March. I can't remember who suggested it first (it may have been me) but a Kingston Wheelers clubmate of mine and I ended up entering the Richmond 13.1 Half Marathon. At the time this seemed like a good idea - and it was - but things didn't go exactly to plan.
March for me, was a nightmare. There wasn't a single day or night where I didn't have to spend an inordinate amount of time working in my University's library. A succession of deadlines for important coursework, presentations and data collection for my research project didn't just impede training but made it near impossible. This meant my preparation for this race wasn't fantastic, but I thought I'd go for it anyway.
When I entered the race, going by my 10km PB, I thought I may just have been in with a shot to sneak in under 1:25. The poor training leading up to this race made this pretty much impossible, but I thought I'd go out at sub-1:25 pace and see if I could hold on....
Morning of the race didn't start well. Given the technology at my disposal, I thought one of my alarms would be able to handle daylight savings time. I was wrong. I woke myself up half an hour after I'd planned and the frantic panic to get some breakfast and catch the first available bus began. I made it to the race HQ with 10mins to spare and still needed to change my shoes, get my race number on and get over to the start line. I made it with seconds to spare and snuck under the fencing next to the 1.25 pacer, meeting up with my clubmate in the process.
Before I knew it, we were off. I was determined not to go out too fast and made a conscious effort to keep to around 1.25 pace. During my training, I'd noticed if I start off a little slower than planned pace, I can build the pace up and finish strongly so was really hoping for a negative split at this race. After a few miles, the 1.25 pacer was still in sight and I was feeling OK. I'd settled into a good rhythm and was working well with a small group.
The route then turned down along the Thames and I was really beginning to enjoy myself. It was a lovely sunny day in SW London and the route along the river was almost picturesque. Then the footpath ended. The surface turned into a mass of puddles, broken concrete and mud. Wonderfully flat as it was, the surface was brutal on the legs and completely disrupted the rhythm I'd settled in to. I think mentally more than anything, this was beginning to hurt. Finishing that segment, I couldn't help noticing a 12mile marker facing the other direction. The route doubled back on itself and I was going to have to do it all over again in a few miles. Nuts.
Mile 8 was a tough one. The route was now back on concentre but my lack of experience running longer distance was beginning to show. I think more than anything it was my mental strength which failed me at this point as the pace stayed OK but my perceived effort was racking up. My average pace was slipping but I was still around 6:40 - 6:45 which I would have been quite happy with. I took on board a gel, though it didn't seem to make any difference and the expected energy boost never came.
Soon after the 9mile marker, I entered that hateful river segment again. Now, calves that were starting to whither, I really struggled on the surface. Leaping over puddles was no longer possible and a couple of times I came all too close to rolling my ankle. This was hard. This was hurting like a 10km but for so much longer. The lack of training was also starting to make itself known and my lap paces were tumbling. But then joy of joys, the tarmac returned. Never before have I appreciated flat concrete like that. My average pace had now slipped to 6:45 - 6:50, but I was OK with that, it was still a comfortable sub-1.30.
Then I came to the turnaround. Flooding due to the high tides had forced a course alteration and this necessitated a 180 degree turn in the road just after the 12mile marker. I wasn't even really aware of what was happening until I was nearly upon the marker, and I was moving too quickly. The ice all over the path and my momentum sent me flying to the ground, smacking my head and winding myself on my HR belt. I lay there for a minute as I tried to get some air into my lungs before I got back to my feet. I struggled through the last mile, but knew a sub-1.30 was now out of the question.
I finished with a chip time of 1.30:56 and I'm gutted to be honest. In no way is it a poor time - I should be pleased with it really - but given that I was on for a far faster time and this was only prevented by a single mistake is devastating.
Never mind. There's always the next race.
During the race, whilst not on the floor, I was mostly singing...
Run 1 - 4.9 miles, 31.56
Run 2 - 11.3 miles, 1:25.43
Run 3 - 4.9 miles, 34.21
Run 4 - 6.4 miles, 44.12
Cycling
2 sessions
Time: 2:00.00
Distance: miles
Bike 1 - Turbo, 1:00.00
Bike 2 - 14 miles, 1:00.00
Week Totals
9 sessions
Time: 7:16.12
Pretty decent week, with the only let down being the cancellation of a TT I had entered for Sunday. I'd been laying off the bike work as I'd had some problems with saddle sores in the run up and wanted to be comfortable for the race. Highlight of the week for me was resetting my CSS pace. Went off way too quick, going through the first 100m in 1:15ish! Struggled through to finish with a new 400m PB of 5:34 and a subsequent 200m PB of 2:38. There's definitely more to come I think, sub-5:30 should be do-able with better pacing.
Very much looking forward to my next 10km at Bushy Park this coming weekend. I think I've got a sub-38:30 in me, maybe getting close to 38:15 if I can find myself in a good group to pace with. Depending on how this race goes, I'll set my goal for my first half-marathon which I'm doing at the end of March. I've only really entered for a bit of fun and the experience, so I'm tempted to just go out strong and see if I can hang on. The race time calculators say I could do a sub 1:25, but this seems very ambitious indeed. We'll have to see, I'll have a better idea after Bushy.
It's that time of year again. February is a brutal month. It's so tantalisingly close to summer, with it's vest and shorts weather and seemingly endless daylight. It's so close, yet so far. The never ending days of long, endurance training, building the base of fitness to allow all that quick training that is to come, start to drag by and the apparently ceaseless wet, windy weather starts to dampen both the spirits and the trainers. For one brief, glorious afternoon last week I was convinced Spring was just around the corner, but the harsh reality is we're still pretty firmly entrenched in Winter.
I'd love to jet off to a warm training camp somewhere, maybe Majorca or Lanzarote. A 10day escape to warmer climes would go down a treat right now, but the harsh reality is I'm all tied up in University work, other commitments and the financial destitution of student life so won't be jetting off anywhere anytime soon. The greater climbs of Surrey will have to do for now, but there's always the hope of a cheeky last minute trip once exams are done and work is yet to re-start.
As I do almost all my training solo, the motivation to go out and do planned sessions has to be entirely self derived. There's no safety net of teammates urging you to come along, braving the frankly disgusting weather. This places an awful lot more pressure on me mentally. It's a new form of pressure as I've only previously been involved in sports where that safety net of teammates was there to encourage me should I falter. I used to row, a sport which is notorious for sticking to planned schedules and training plans, despite all forms of protest from the crew. Now I'm training solo, without a coach, I have to be the one to tell myself to get up and pull my kit on. I find its easier to try and convince myself that a session is a good idea as I get changed. That way, even if I still don't want to do the session, I'm already changed and its silly to get changed and not train. Having my kit laid out ready also helps, especially if there's a pice or two of it strategically placed across the radiator. A nice warm t-shirt before a run is a small luxury, but it's the little things that make all the difference.
I know I'll look back on this post in 6 months and wonder why I was complaining. It's putting in the effort at this time of year that will pay off come race season. Every session I do which my fellow competitors decide to sleep through is one session I'm fitter than them, technically better than them or better prepared.
I've only raced one so far this year, but in less than perfect conditions I PB'd comfortably. I know that this Winters' efforts are paying dividends. I can see it in my training and how I feel. Excited about the summer? Oh you bet. Happy to battle through a few more wet, windy sessions until then? Yeh. I think I can do that.
The Regents Park 10k, organised by the Mornington Crescent Chasers Running Club, was my first race of the 2013 season. Mornington Crescent Chasers organise both a winter and a summer series of 10ks which are held in Regent's Park and you could tell - it was a very well run event.
As the race was only a C race for me, I didn't taper down at all. Although I actually had an easy week volume wise, it wasn't a planned one! Uni work piled up and there just wasn't enough time in the day to get a normal training week in. I did manage to get a couple of good turbo sessions in, including one the day before the race on Saturday (8 x 3mins.
Alarm goes off. Ignore it. Snooze it. Grumble. Coffee on. Weetabix (x3). Bowl. Milk. Banana. Grumble. Back into bed to drink coffee. Eat breakfast. Out of bed again. Suited and booted, ready to go. Stumble to tube station (more coffee). Sleep. Stumble to Regent's Park. Warm up. Race.
I always like to leave myself some spare time in case of disasters, so usually arrive pretty early to a race. I arrived with nearly 50mins to spare at Camden Town tube station and followed some likely looking fellow racers, clad as they were in lycra and a selection of race-finisher t-shirts. I already had my race number and so had no need to queue to register, I just needed to get changed, fingd a place to stash my kit and turn my Garmin on. Top tip there - wandering around with your hand in the air trying to find satellites 3mins before the gun goes is not a good look for anyone.
I managed a pretty good warmup before having to line up, including a few stretches. On reflection, I positioned myself a little further back than I maybe should have. There were a fair few people who were far too close to the front and there was some congestion to begin with. The gun went and I waited until I'd crossed the timing mats before starting my Garmin. The course is not a fast one, consisting as it does of a triple repeat of a loop made up of a long drag uphill, before a shorter, sharper descent down. My PB was 39:25 and I knew I had it in me to beat that so was targeting sub-39mins, meaning 6:18min/mile. I set off a little quick, as often is the case, but was careful to stay within my limits a little and not go too mad on the first lap. At the end of the first lap I was well ahead of schedule, averaging around 6:08min/mile and knew I needed to peg it back if I wanted to finish strongly. The subsequent two laps were a little slower, not helped by an increasing headwind on the downhill section which was also a blustery crosswind on the uphill section - not a fast day!
I found myself working in a small group, each of us pushing the others on and this definitely helped us all out. I felt strong on the hills but surprisingly struggled a little on the downhills. My left hamstring had been a little tight in the week before after doing a fair amount of turbo work using my TT bike and I wonder if that was impairing my cadence. Other than that, there was a distinct lack of drama in the race for me and I managed to plod round to a new PB of 38:45 (6:15min/mile).
I'm overall quite pleased with my pacing though was a little disappointed to not finish stronger. Some congestion on the final downhill as we caught some of the slower runners who were just finishing their second lap probably didn't help but I could barely muster any sort of sprint finish. It's probably only a reflection of the training I'm doing at the moment. Winter miles are not necessarily quick miles. I've not done any track work since last year, so maybe the finishing sprint will come once I move into the build phase of my training plan and restart track work.
Chip time : 38:45 (PB) 24/547
Lap 1 - 12:46
Lap 2 - 13:05
Lap 3 - 13:01
Quite pleased with a new PB - especially given it was a slower course on a slower day and at this stage of the season. I've got another 10km at Bushy Park in a month which is pan flat. I'm really hoping to improve again on this time but it's going to be difficult to decide what to target. Sub-38min seems a huge improvement, but with another month of training and a much faster course it might just be possible. An alternative target could be 6:10min/mile pace which would give me a 38:14 finish. I may go for sub-38min and see what happens! If it's not looking good, I can always back off and move onto the second goal. This race has also confirmed that I need to do a 5k again so I can update my training paces (I follow the FIRST running program which is all based on your 5k race pace).
There are many things I like
about endurance sports. There's something very liberating about
self-propelled movement, whether that's on foot, on a bike or in the
water. I like the camaraderie that exists. I like the looks people
give me as I run past clad in shorts and a vest, whilst they shiver
smothered in layers upon layers. The experience of the world is very
different when running or cycling. Spending a cold, crisp morning
cycling the perfect route with a group of mates around you is an
almost unbeatable experience. But most of all, I like that
regardless of a persons’ experience, talent or commitment, they can
always strive to improve their performances, whether that's in a race
or during training.
Several times over the last
month or two, I've been reminded of how far I've come since I signed
up for my first triathlon. When I started cycling for example, I
hadn't even used clipless pedals before, let alone done any
significant cycling or training. Now, I would say I am a competent
cyclist, one of the stronger members of my cycling club and capable
of holding my own in all but the fastest of groups.
However, there are still
times when I'm way over my limit, fighting every pedal stroke and the
guy next to me is more concerned with trying to engage me in a lovely
chat about how nice his weekend was. This is something else I like
about endurance sports. You can guarantee, no matter how good you
get, no matter how impressive your times or performances, there will
always be someone who is better than you, stronger than you, faster
than you or even simply having a better day than you. I like that
there is always something to aim for and a reason to strive for
better training and better racing. Endurance sports have a wonderful
ability to congratulate you on your progress, massaging your ego,
before swiftly bringing you down to Earth with a not so gentle bump.
Even those at the very pinnacle of the sport have had days when they
have been humbled.
I don't think there's any
place for ego in endurance sports, although there's no doubt it's out
there. From club runners to professional, Olympic standard athletes,
there are some who believe they are not only superior to others, they
are infallible. The line between confidence and arrogance is all too
fine and to some people it is also blurred. But endurance sports are
able to quite elegantly remind them they are in fact not perfect. A
particularly hard race or training session can humble us all. A poor
performance can not only humble but humiliate.
Endurance sports are a
wonderfully pure pursuit. There is no need to sully it with
ridiculously egotistical attitudes and actions. The performances of
a person speak far louder than any flamboyant gesture or questionable
attitude. The attitude of a person in victory and defeat speaks
volume about their credentials.
I mentioned in my first
column that I am far more concerned with my own performance in any
given race or training session; if I can be satisfied with that, I
will be happy. Endurance sports are very special because they allow
you to compete without competing. There's no real need for a rival.
There's no reliance on team members. Its’ isolation pits yourself
against the one person you will always want to beat; yourself.
Bike 1 - 14 miles, 1:00.00
Bike 2 - Turbo, 1:00.00
Bike 3 - 14 miles, 1:00.00
Bike 4 - 14 miles, 1:00.00
Bike 5 - Turbo, 40.00
Bike 6 - 14 miles, 1:00:00
Bike 7 - 67.9 miles, 4:20:11
Week Totals
12 sessions
Time: 13:34.38
Distance: 135.5 miles
Awesome week this week. Every session I felt strong and was enjoying every minute. A minor hiccup with swimming (lanes were always ridiculously busy), but more than made up for that with commuting in to Uni 4 times on the bike and getting a very solid race pace brick session in. I don't think this is the sort of volume I can maintain, so will be toning it down a little, but it's nice to be feeling the benefit of the winter's training so far. On Saturday, the weather here in South London was absolutely glorious and I couldn't resist a bike ride. I'd been hearing from clubmates about the Hell of the Ashdown sportive and I thought I'd go out and do the short version of the route. It seemed like such a good idea at the time, but 70miles of hard hills by yourself is pretty tough! It's all good miles though and I felt strong which was great.
Next week, now that it's a bit warmer, I'm planning on getting out on my tri bike. I'd also like to build on my rediscovered love of the turbo.
Saturday's ride out to the Hell of the Ashdown route was quite muddy.....
Run 1 - 4.4 miles, 29.35
Run 2 - 2 miles, 13.56
Run 3 - 2.2 miles, 13.40
Run 4 - 11.2 miles, 1:22.45
Cycling
0 sessions
Week Totals
6
sessions
Time: 03:49.00
Distance: 23.1 miles
Like most people, my training this week was pretty badly affected by the snow - especially bike training. My turbo setup is out of action at the moment, so I did no bike training this week, a little frustrating. However, I had two good swim sessions and a good run week. In particular, my long run this week was a success. I tucked my Garmin into a back pocket and just ran around a route I knew to be around 11miles. I kept the pace conversational and didn't go too hard on any of the hills, but managed a comfortable 7:20min/mile pace for the whole thing. It's a good sign for the half-marathon I've signed up for at the end of March - I hope to go under 1hr30.
If the snow eases off, next week I'd really like to get out on the bike properly. I also need to start putting some more miles in on my Tri bike - something I've said before!
This week I've been reminiscing a little and listening to...
When I signed up to do my first triathlon at London, the idea of qualifying as a Team GB Age Group-er seemed as distant as possible. I'd never ridden clipless pedals, I could swim but it wasn't pretty and running was something I did once a fortnight. Since then, I've worked hard and achieved things which seemed impossible back then. A sub-40min 10km was laughable, but now I would do that comfortably in training. I can keep up with guys and girls on the bike who I used to perceive as these untouchable super cyclists, vastly more experienced than me, but I now know as a great group of people, whose company I enjoy. My swimming has come on leaps and bounds - I'm now a full minute quicker over 400m than when I started and am feel like I understand swimming more and more every day. I also achieved what I thought was impossible and qualified for a spot on Team GB Age Group at the European Championships in Turkey.
But it's a spot I won't be filling. I've come to the conclusion that although I am very proud that I qualified for Team GB AG, it's just not right for me this year. My exams will be just just days before I would due to be racing and its just not possible for me to do the training I need to do, whilst also revising for my iBSc exams.
This is the first time my triathlon goals and my University goals have been entirely incompatible. Until now, I've juggled the two and although there this has meant times when going for a run at 2200 was the only way I could fit my training in, it has been possible. To say I'm disappointed is entirely inadequate, but I need and must move on. I fear that disappointment is all too prolific the more involved in a sport you become, from not placing as you'd hoped in a race, to a lacklustre performance in training and I need to learn to not let these stumbles lead to a greater fall.
Bike 1 - 19.6 miles, 1:12.47
Bike 2 - 81.1 miles, 4:23.09
Week Totals
7 sessions
Time: 9:53.46
Distance: 120.8 miles
Another solid week for me this this week. Beginning to string together some good weeks and I'm starting to settle into a routine of training. One of the things I've previously struggled with is, not having come from a sporting performance background, is knowing how much I can subject my body to before it just decides enough is enough. There's a fine line between pushing yourself to do a session you don't really fancy and forcing yourself to do something because that's what the plan says, but to your own detriment. Toeing this line is something I believe comes with experience (possibly the experience of getting it wrong!) and, without wanting to get too touchy-feely about the whole thing, knowing and understanding what your body is trying to tell you. Those heavy legs may just be the result of a hard session catching up to you, or is it the nag of an imminent injury? So far, I've not had any real problems with injury and I'd like it to stay that way, so for once, I'm all ears.
This week saw me bite the financial bullet and enter all my races for this year. I'd spent a fair amount of time putting together a plan for this year, so I decided rather than wait around and try to spread the cost, I would get it over and done with and guarantee myself an entry to the races. I'm still toying with the idea of a late season triathlon, but it may be a little difficult to fit it around my commitments with Uni and with work. It's something I'll readdress as the season progresses.
I also booked myself a swim stroke evaluation with Fiona Ford of SwimSmooth. I'm hoping to find some 'free' speed in the swim leg as I've never had anyone assess my stroke in anyway as I am self-coached and taught. In an odd way I'd like Fiona to tell me I'm doing a number of things wrong, because by correcting them I may gain a decent chunk of time!
This week also saw me go out on a training ride with my club, the Kingston Wheelers. The training ride is the quickest ride that goes out, although this week was a little diluted due to the absence of a couple of the quicker guys. The pace was quite conversational until the final 1/3 when things ramped up, just as the stomach cramps which had been bugging me for the past 30miles decided enough was enough. I'd tried a new drink for this ride and it obviously didn't agree with me. I was disappointed to end up dropping off the group and solo'ing home, but it is what it is. The ride also showed me that although my cycling has come on quite well - I've only been cycling with the club for a year - I still have a very long way to go.
Bike 1 - Turbo, 45.00
Bike 2 - 18.9 miles, 1:01.26
Bike 3 - 49.4 miles, 2:48.33
Week Totals
8 sessions
Time: 8:03.49
Distance: 84.45 miles
A nice easy week before training kicks off again properly. I've got my training plan all sorted for this year and I'm looking forward to seeing the products of some properly focused training. Bring on 2013.
This week while training, I've mostly been humming....
So this year I decided I needed to be a little more organised with my training. The 2013 season will only be my second season of triathlon and I'm hoping to continue improving across all three disciplines by introducing better structure and discipline. The first big step in achieving this is the training plan I've put together (link here) The races I'm targeting this year are:
C Race - Two of the Regent's Park 10km Series
C Race - Kingston Wheelers Sporting 14 TT
B Race - Richmond Park Half Marathon
A Race - TATA Steel Man Standard Distance Triathlon
B Race - Pembrokeshire Coast Triathlon
A Race - Lake Logic Standard Triathlon
I've also set some goals I'd like to achieve this year. Some of the goals are ambitious but I think they're feasible.
Sub-23:30 10mile TT.
Sub-60min 25mile TT.
Ride 100miles - somehow I've not done this one yet!
Sub-39min 10km, at a stretch 38:30.
Sub-18:30 5km.
Sub-90min Half Marathon.
Sub-5:15 400m.
Sub-22:30 1500m.
Sub-2:10 Olympic Tri, at a stretch get close to 2:05.
1,000 run miles in 2013.
4,500 bike miles in 2013.
300,000m swimming in 2013.
Race weight of close to 70kg.
Sub-60min solo on the Kingston Wheeler winter loop
Do the 'fast' rides with Kingston Wheelers and hopefully hold my own
Lead a Kingston Wheelers ride and also volunteer to marshal/set up for the Club 10mile TT
Do a proper FTP test and repeat at least twice during the year.
