New Year - New Blog

 You should know how this works by now. 

http://kevinmorice2022.blogspot.co.uk

End of Year Review

So Covid has screwed a second year in a row so a lot of these make no sense. So I have gone for a four colour approach: 

Green - Did make it. 
Blue - A 2021 target got pushed to 2022 without my intervention. 
Red - Didn't make it but had a reasonable chance. 
Orange - Didn't make it but never had a reasonable chance.

All the blurb is at the bottom.

Targets by numbers

Represent GBR age-group at an international event. - All deferred.

Qualify for the GBR Age-group team for a 2022 European Championships. - Rollovers plus an additional selection for Cross Duathlon.
Finish top-20 at European Aquathlon Champs. - Deferred, and would have prequalified anyway.
Finish top-30 at World Aquathlon Champs. - Deferred, and would have prequalified anyway.

Take part in a GBR age-group qualifying race for a 2022 European Champs. - Aquathlon and Cross Triathlons completed (with prequalifying performances).

Take part in a GBR age-group qualifying race for a 2022 World Champs. - Aquathlon and Cross Triathlons completed (with prequalifying performances).

Swim 130 miles. - 103 miles

Swim under 6:15 minutes for 400m. - 6:30 at Kings Aquathlon

Swim under 11:45 minutes for 750m. - 12:19 at Dundee Aquathlon

Swim under 25:30 minutes for 1,500m. - No races.

Ride 2,000 miles. - 2,011.1 miles.
MTB 500 miles. - 554.0 miles.

Run 1,000 miles. - 1,357 miles.
January run 170 miles. - 169.4 miles

February run 180 miles. - 217.1 miles

Run a 5k in under 19:30 mins, or 10k in under 42 mins. - 5k 19:51 at Aberdeen Parkrun.
'Run my age' for 10k. - No 10k races.

>52 Yoga sessions - 52 sessions

>52 Stretching and rollering sessions. - 52 sessions.

>40 Core sessions. - 33 sessions.

>40 Weights sessions. - 33 sessions.

>50 Run reps or ‘fast’ sessions. - 26 sessions

<45 ‘Junk’ swim session. - Unknown. Honestly lost count.

Stretch Targets

Qualify for the GBR Age-group team for a second 2022 European Championships. - Deferrals x3

Qualify for the GBR Age-group team for a 2022 World Championships. - Deferrals x2 (maybe a 3rd qualifier?)

Medal at the Scottish Aquathlon Champs. - Bronze

Finish top-20 at World Aquathlon Champs. - Deferred.

Swim 136.5 miles. - 103 miles

Swim under 6:00 minutes for 400m. - Not enough races to even attempt this.

Swim under 11:30 minutes for 750m. - Not enough races to even attempt this.

Swim under 24:59 for 1,500m. - Not enough races to even attempt this.

Ride 1,575 miles. - Typo in target setting post, should have been 2,200 miles. Did 2,011.1 miles.

Run 1,050 miles. - 1,357 miles. 

Run a 5k in under 19:00 or 10k in under 40 mins. - Not enough races. 

Run another 5k in under 19:20 or 10k in under 41:30. - Second best 5k was 19:55.

>78 Yoga sessions - 52

>78 Stretching and rollering sessions. - 52

>52 Core sessions. - 33

>52 Weights sessions. - 33

Breakdown

It is hard to make any sense of this again without the context of racing. And Covid again has removed that context.

Swim

If I take off the extra 38 days for the pools being closed longer than I had predicted, and the corresponding 15.7 miles, that I lost before my first swim of the year, that would change my target to 114.3.

I then lost another 23 days, and 11.1 miles, to my pectoral injury would take me to 103.0. I am actually spot on target for swim miles for the days I was actually able to swim. 

I only made it over the 100 mile mark on Christmas Eve, I am going to keep this target the same for next year and see how it goes. 

Race-wise, I just didn't get enough opportunities. I had four races late in the season. They weren't spaced out enough to react in between so when I realised I had no pace, and my turns were untidy, I had no time to fix anything. Even more frustratingly I did a 6:29 in training, then a 6:30 in a race, then a 6:33 in training. All in the same pool in consecutive swims. Great consistency, but I should easily have gone those 15 seconds faster on race day.

I also managed to get in with the Aberdeen Uni Triathlon Club for swim sessions and they have helped me make some minor changes to my technique that I think will be helpful.

Bike

 

My plan was to do about 1/4 of my miles on the mountain bike trying to prep for Euro and World Cross events. That started well, but very quickly became pointless as it was evident those races were going to get cancelled. I kept riding the mountain bike to keep the numbers, but very little of it was actual mountain biking after March. It was mostly commuting. 554 miles sounds like a good amount, but I would think >500 of them were on the road or paths so weren't really achieving what they were meant to. Next year, mountain biking needs to actually mean trails and off-road. 

In a similar vein the weather this year wasn't great and I didn't do much outside on the road bike.  The counter says only about 287 miles. 

The rest (~1200) were on the turbo trainer. I am getting better at spending time on the trainer, as much as I hate it, and the new garage has made that a much less hate-filled experience. 

Run

After the ridiculous excess of 2020 I was still running every day coming in to 2021. I continued that until May 25th and did a huge February as I tried to compete single-handedly in a mileage challenge against teams of 5. I ended the year more than 30% over target. Again this was partly  due to using running to deal with my mental health during all the Covid restrictions. I would rather get back to some more normal life and get the number back down to around 1,000. And to be better at organising this sessions rather than just putting in regular miles. 

My run-only races were not good. I did a few Parkruns, Aberdeen in October and Elgin on Xmas Day both managed to go under 20 minutes, but only just. I did a cross country race in October but apart form the first and last miles it was just a jog round a forest. Nothing I did during a triathlon or aquathlon was worth recording.

Race

Not much to say. I medalled at the Scottish Aquathlon Champs with no prep, then won my next two races, then won my age-group at the other two while getting beaten by younger and fitter people. They were all small races with little or no competition (even the Scottish Champs was only half a normal field).

Other

You know the story by now. I skipped these more and more as the year went by, like I do every year. I do yoga when my hip gets too painful not to, or when I want to do something fast or long the following day and need to mitigate the pain. I do bits of stretching and rollering every week, but nowhere near enough. And I can always find an excuse to miss out on the core and weights sets.

Somehow, despite doing lots of training this year, I managed to get my weight up to 80kg in mid year. It wasn't until I saw some race results that I realised I was carrying all that extra weight. I went on a proper diet for the first time and have brought my weight back down to 71kg at the turn of the year. My plan is to try and stay y between 70-72kg but I am not going to be rigid about that if I feel I am gaining useful muscle.

Basketball came back late in August and I only missed a single week from then on. it is good to have an activity where I am competing with people rather than against them all the time and to have a sport that I am not focused on competing at. 

My relationship ended somewhere between January and March. It sort of dribbled to an end. I haven't dated any one else since. Partly because I judge everyone against her now and the is a much higher bar than I previously set. Partly because Covid is discouraging people from actually meeting. Partly because I just don't have the willpower for online dating any more. 

My extension was completed and I love the larger home, especially the new office. I still have some minor jobs to finish; installing light fittings and redecorating some of the older rooms, but it is complete for the most part.

Extra Review - Week 53?

So, because of the year starting on a Friday I only did 10 days for my first fortnight and that leaves me with 5 days to fit in here to year end.

I have been doing bits to keep me busy all week, but nothing useful, just ticking off numbers and getting used to my revised turbo set-up. 

Actuals, (Target) - 

Swim 2.8 miles / 4,500 m. (2.5 miles).
Bike 39.0 miles. (28.3 miles). MTB 0.0 miles. (7.0 miles)
Run 18.5 miles. (10.6 miles).

0 short core, 0 short light weights and 0 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga. 

Cumulative Actual, (Cumulative Target), [Cumulative Stretch] -
S 102.9, (130.0), [136.5],
B 2,022.2, (2,000.0), [2,100.0],  MTB 541.6, (500.0), [525.0],

R 1,338.7, (1,000.0), [1,050.0].

Core         - 33, (40), [52]  
Weights    - 33, (40), [52]

Stretching - 52, (52), [78]
Yoga         - 52, (52), [78]. 

Fast run sessions - 26, (>52) 

Junk swim sessions  - 24, (<32).

Training Review - Weeks 51 & 52

I thought about just leaving this for year end but have decided instead that 5 days is enough to warrant an extra post. 

The World Duathlon Cross and Triathlon Cross venue has been announced as Targu Mures in Transylvania again. I didn't go last time when they were meant to host the European Aquathlon. It was the first of the events that I missed in my current 3 years streak, so it is fitting that it will be my first International post-Covid (hopefully).

Obviously being Xmas time the pools aren't open as much as normal so I have been a little bit short this fortnight. Not by much, but by enough to be a red number. I passed 100 swim miles for the year.

I missed a bike session as I decided to stay in Elgin longer on Boxing Day at the last minute. That has put me behind my cumulative cycling target for the year for the first time since January 14th. As I am only 0.3 miles behind target I could easily have fixed that with 5 minutes on the turbo on Sunday evening, and I have no worries about catching it back again before year-end.

I was way over my run miles as I run at least 5k a day through December again. 

I managed both weights sessions and yoga sessions but missed my second core session thanks to a pair of muscle strains in my abdominal and adductor. I think they were due to me trying to protect my cracked rib, which at least seems to be close to being fixed now. 

Santa brought me some new trail running shoes, among other things, so I should try and get out and run on the country a bit more. I did another Parkrun on Xmas day. Having been jabbed the day before and not having had a day off running this month I didn't expect much, but accidentally ran under 20 minutes, clocking my second fastest 5k of the year.

Actuals, (Target) - 

Swim 4.8 miles / 7,700 m. (6.9 miles).
Bike 72.2 miles. (79.2 miles). MTB 12.4 miles. (19.8 miles)
Run 62.5 miles. (29.7 miles).

1 short core, 2 short light weights and 1 stretching / rollering session. 45 mins of yoga. 

Cumulative Actual, (Cumulative Target), [Cumulative Stretch] -
S 100.1, (127.5), [133.9],
B 1,972.1, (1,972.4), [2,071.0],  MTB 541.6, (492.1), [517.8],

R 1,338.7, (989.4), [1,038.8].

Core         - 33, (40), [52]  * End of year targets
Weights    - 33, (40), [52]

Stretching - 52, (52), [78]
Yoga         - 51, (52), [78]. 

Fast run sessions - 26, (>50) 

Junk swim sessions  - 24, (<31).

Training Review - Weeks 49 & 50

Year end is rapidly approaching, and my cracked rib has continued to dent my plans. I am still managing to train, but instead of swimming 2,500 to 3,000m in a long session during I am only managing 1,200m and then having to stop rather than aggravate it and miss another session.

Also attempting to run every day through December has not cost me miles, but has meant that I am doing just over 5k each day, rather than doing 10k and a day off alternately. If the 5k's were faster this would make some sense, but they aren't. Still, since I talked someone else into doing the challenge I am going to stick with it myself. 

I was short of bike miles in the first week as the weather ruined any options for cycling commutes to other sessions and then I decided to go to Elgin and help clear out the garage at my mum's house rather than sit on the turbo for an hour, and that cost me my bike miles for both weeks. 

The rib stopped me from doing my weights sessions but in week 50 I managed to get some core work back in. Having now dropped under 72kg I expected my abs to start showing through, but apparently I have skipped way too many core sessions this year and there is no sign of them. I have moved my weight target to 71kg, but kicked the date out into next year. If I start going the wrong direction but gaining upper body muscles, I will just move that target again. 

Actuals, (Target) - 

Swim 6.3 miles / 10,000 m. (6.9 miles).
Bike 57.5 miles. (79.2 miles). MTB 0.0 miles. (19.8 miles)
Run 56.0 miles. (29.7 miles).

1 short core, 0 short light weights and 1 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga. 

Cumulative Actual, (Cumulative Target), [Cumulative Stretch] -
S 95.4, (120.6), [126.6],
B 1,899.9, (1,881.9), [1,976.0],  MTB 541.6, (470.2), [494],

R 1,276.2, (959.6), [10007.6].

Core         - 32, (40), [52]  * End of year targets
Weights    - 31, (40), [52]

Stretching - 50, (52), [78]
Yoga         - 49, (52), [78]. 

Fast run sessions - 25, (>50) 

Junk swim sessions  - 24, (<31).

Fortnightly Review - Weeks 47 & 48

I have had a couple of shorter swim weeks, but some of the sessions I did have been really good, and I know I am not going to make any of this year's targets, so I am happy enough to give up the distance. I hurt my rib at the start of week 48 and and that impacted what I could swim. I am hoping it is just bruised but as it has got worse through the week I am suspecting now that it is possibly cracked or separated. I am not even sure where I did it. it might have been at basketball on Tuesday or it might have been doing my weights and core session after a swim on Monday.

I have managed to wear out the rear tyre on my 27.5" Orbea mountain bike by riding it so much on the roads and often leaning hard on the rear brakes. So much so that I had to switch over to my 26" Orange 5 in the second week. That was weird. It now feels like a child's bike or a bmx on the smaller wheels. But it got me where I needed to go, and took me to my flu jab, where they told me I was a week too early for my Covid booster jab which the website says I can't have until Feb. 

Their system is a mess, within 5 minutes they told me, from the same database, that I was 3 weeks, 10 days, and 5 days too early for that booster jab. Logging in to the same database today to try and book my booster it tells me I have to wait 18 more days. It is a total farce that something as simple as calculating a date based on a previous fixed date and a fixed interval using a piece of software, gives different dates!

I planned a fast run at Elgin Parkrun, then went to the pool the day before and got carried away with my swim and ended up doing a 20-min TT. While I am pleased with the 1,200m that I managed, that effort tightened up my back and hip and I paid for it when I tried to run the next day. I could only manage 20:40 at the Parkrun, but again that was fine given the conditions and my absolute failure to prep. 

Then winter arrived, and Storm Arwen brought our first proper snowfall. I was meant to be racing on the Saturday at a local cross-country but it was cancelled the day before due to the conditions. They then cleared up a lot overnight so I decided to try and grab an opportunity before the weather gets too bad and went out to run a half marathon distance for the first time in a few years. I dipped under 2 hours for a fairly easy run, and I am quite happy with that as well. 

I went back and checked my plan for the year, turns out I hadn't put as much of the ancillary sessions in as I have been putting in my targets every week so they are actually a lot closer to my original targets than I thought. I have updated them to show the end of year targets from now. 

I have so many holidays left hat I am now going to half days from work so I should be able to cram some training into all those spare afternoons from now until Xmas. 

I have also managed to get down to my weight target of 72kg. That should allow me to go back to eating a bit more, but with Xmas parties coming I still need to be a bit careful that I don't get carried away and put those 7kg back on. I have set a new target at 70kg but way out at the end of January, so I can very carefully try to lose a bit more of the spare tyre that I am still carrying (more mountain bike than a car tyre now at least) but still put on some muscles with additional training sessions.  

Actuals, (Target) - 

Swim 3.7 miles / 5,900 m. (6.9 miles).
Bike 80.4 miles. (79.2 miles). MTB 40.2 miles. (19.8 miles)
Run 48.5 miles. (29.7 miles).

2 short core, 2 short light weights and 2 stretching / rollering session. 30 mins of yoga. 

Cumulative Actual, (Cumulative Target), [Cumulative Stretch] -
S 89.1, (113.7), [119.4],
B 1,842.4, (1,814.0), [1,904.7],  MTB 541.6, (453.5), [476.2],

R 1,220.2, (929.9), [976.4].

Core         - 31, (40), [52]  * End of year targets
Weights    - 31, (40), [52]

Stretching - 50, (52), [78]
Yoga         - 49, (52), [78]. 

Fast run sessions - 25, (>48) 

Junk swim sessions  - 22, (<29).

Fortnightly Review - Weeks 45 & 46

Two complete weeks in a row, and consequently a complete fortnight as well. 

It has been a good fortnight all round. My divorce has finalised, which meant I was able to update my Will and PoA to avoid any future challenges. I also finished my last set of aligners and after 20 months my teeth look much better than when we started. I am really pleased with the outcome. All of that was a bit of a panic as my car chose that day not to start and I had to cycle to those appointments in dreadful conditions. 

But it was done, and the new battery in the car seems to have at least sorted the starting issue. Hopefully by the next post, the gear-shifting issue will also be sorted. I have had the car a long time, am quite attached to it, and would like to get another year or two out of it if I can. 

 

I have passed my mountain bike target for the year with 6 weeks to go, will pass the stretch target next week, and look to be in a good place for finishing my bike total and maybe even my stretch bike total as well. 

Actuals, (Target) - 

Swim 7.2 miles / 11,550 m. (6.9 miles).
Bike 80.2 miles. (79.2 miles). MTB 47.5 miles. (19.8 miles)
Run 37.0 miles. (29.7 miles).

2 short core, 2 short light weights and 2 stretching / rollering session. 30 mins of yoga. 

Cumulative Actual, (Cumulative Target), [Cumulative Stretch] -
S 85.4, (106.8), [112.1],
B 1,761.9, (1,734.8), [1,821.6],  MTB 501.4, (433.7), [455.4],

R 1,171.7, (900.2), [945.2].

Core         - 29, (46), [60]
Weights    - 29, (46), [60]

Stretching - 48, (46), [60]
Yoga         - 47, (46), [65]. 

Fast run sessions - 23, (>46) 

Junk swim sessions  - 18, (<27).