ETU Walchsee is in Week 26 so the first half year is just prep for that.
ITU Almere is then in Week 37 so I have to stretch a fairly long season.
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As race targets: I already have the ETU Aquathlon Champs in Walchsee, Austria in June, and hopefully the ITU Aquathlon Champs in Almere, Netherlands in September. I will also hopefully take part in the Scottish Aquathlon Champs and attempt at least one qualifying race for the 2020 ITU Sprint Triathlon Champs.
I have set my stretch distance targets so they are 5% of the normal target.
I have written some numbers for the year. And some numbers for Q1 based on being unemployed. I am assuming that I get a job sometime and that my training plan changes from there.
Swimming
I had a record swim mileage year in 2019, and cleaned up my tumble turns, but it didn't really convert to consistently faster swim times. It is hard to tell how fast I really was as my two best races both have queries over whether they were the right distance.
This year I am again going to specifically focus on eliminating the 'junk' swim sessions like I did in the first have of 2019. I am going to have planned sessions set at the start of the week. I am even going to make that a target. I would rather not go to the pool and just paddle 20 minutes. I would benefit more from the rest instead and come back later in the week and do a real session.
I have picked 150 miles for the year, straight off the top of my head based purely on being in the 140's in 2019 and wanting do do more. There is not even an attempt at science or planning in that number. That makes the stretch target 157.5 miles.
On the racing front the 6-minute 400m target has proven too tough in 2015 and 6:15 too tough in 2016 through 2019. I had a couple of years of rehab from my broken ankle but my fast swim pace has still stalled. I should be a sub-6 swimmer though and that is going in as my stretch target. I went 6:21 this year so 6:15 is still my basic target.
It is hard to judge my 750m and 1500m targets as the fastest races I did in 2019 both have question marks over the distances but I was so far inside the times in those races that an extra 50m and I might still have made the targets. So I am going to take last years stretch targets as my new basic targets (11:45 and 25:30) and set new stretch targets based on a ~2% improvement. (11:30 and 24:59).
By the end of Q1 I want to be through 45 miles. That sets me up for 3.75 / week through Q1.
By the end of Q1 I want to be through 45 miles. That sets me up for 3.75 / week through Q1.
Biking
No commuting on the bike (at least not yet) so no idea how I am going to get bike miles. For now it will just be the turbo until the weather and occasional mountain biking until the weather improves.
I am going to just pick a randomly low number that I can spin out on the turbo and then if I can get a job that works better or we get some nice weather that I can play in I will revisit it.
I am going to just pick a randomly low number that I can spin out on the turbo and then if I can get a job that works better or we get some nice weather that I can play in I will revisit it.
I didn't ride a TT last year. I have no plans to ride one this year either.
Target 1,500 miles
Stretch target 1,575 miles.
Running
Last year was built on commuting so, again, I just have to make up a new number and look agin once I get a job. I feel like I did about the right total this year so I am just going to go 800 as a baseline for next year, with 240 of them loaded in to Q1.
My stretch target of 5% over comes out at 840 miles.
My 25th consecutive year defending as North District Champion will depend on whether I can even get over a hurdle this year. It is getting tougher every year and at some point I will just have to let common sense take over. Retiring at 25 years sounds like a nice round number.
I want to get back to running my age for 10k as an absolute minimum. I also want to get well under 20 minutes for 5k. On top of those I have set some faster stretch targets.
Triathlon
I missed last year's Scottish Aquathlon Champs. I should be in or around the medals in that race every year so I have kept that medal as my stretch target for this year.
I have also qualified for the 2020 European Champs in Walchsee already. I missed last year's race but I want to get back in the top-20.
I should have qualified for the 2020 World Champs in Almere as well. Last year I was a disappointing 34th. I really want to be in the top-20 there but because of the proximity to Schipol the field is likely to be stacked, so I will set my main target as top-30 and stretch target as top-20.
I should have qualified for the 2020 World Champs in Almere as well. Last year I was a disappointing 34th. I really want to be in the top-20 there but because of the proximity to Schipol the field is likely to be stacked, so I will set my main target as top-30 and stretch target as top-20.
Others
Yoga.
I am going to start January again by signing up to 31 consecutive days of Yoga www.yogawithadriene.com, but I know I am not going to stick to that schedule. My base target is to do one session per week for the full year. My stretch target is to to purposefully stretch the yogawithadriene sessions out over Q1, so one every ~3 days. Then for the rest of the year, just one session per week. That gets me to a stretch total of 78 sessions for the year.
Stretching and rollering.
I am terrible at tracking the cumulatives on these. So the first target is to write them down every fortnight. Then to follow the above plan, but with the more intense period being through summer when I am racing.
Weights and Core.
I did really well at the start of last year and then faded off as the year progressed. I want to do 52 of each but I recognise that historically that has been unrealistic. I am going to set that as the stretch target, then assume that I will do 12 races through the year and not attempt these sessions in race weeks. So a base target of 40 of each.
Targets by numbers
Represent GBR age-group at an international event.
Finish top-20 at European Aquathlon Champs.
Finish top-30 at World Aquathlon Champs.
Take part in a GBR age-group qualifying race for a 2021 European Champs.
Take part in a GBR age-group qualifying race for a 2021 World Champs.
Swim 150 miles.
Q1 45 miles.
Swim under 6:15 minutes for 400m.
Swim under 11:45 minutes for 750m.
Swim under 25:30 minutes for 1,500m.
Ride 1,500 miles.
Q1 400 miles.
Run 750 miles.
Q1 200 miles
Run a 5k in under 20 mins or 10k in under 43 mins.
'Run my age' for 10k.
'Run my age' for 10k.
>52 Yoga sessions
>52 Stretching and rollering sessions.
>40 Core sessions.
>40 Weights sessions.
>50 Run reps or ‘fast’ sessions.
<50 ‘Junk’ swim session.
Stretch Targets
Qualify for the GBR Age-group team for a 2021 European Championships.
Qualify for the GBR Age-group team for a 2021 World Championships.
Medal at the Scottish Aquathlon Champs.
Finish top-20 at World Aquathlon Champs.
Swim 157.5 miles.
Swim under 6:00 minutes for 400m.
Swim under 11:30 minutes for 750m.
Swim under 24:59 for 1,500m.
Ride 1,575 miles.
Run 787.5 miles.
Run a 5k in under 19:20 or 10k in under 40 mins.
Run another 5k in under 19:40 or 10k in under 42 mins.
>78 Yoga sessions
>78 Stretching and rollering sessions.
>52 Core sessions.
>52 Weights sessions.
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