I have to assume that some sort of normality will return to the planet by Q2. Either through roll-out of the vaccinations, or a general outbreak of common-sense towards the risks of Covid and how they balance against the damage of the continued mismanagement of it.
ETU Walchsee (Aquathlon) is in Week 25 so the first half year is just prep for that.
ITU Almere (Aquathlon) is then in Week 36 and then, ETU Dolomiti Paganella (Cross Duathlon and Cross Triathlon) are in Week 38, so I have to stretch a fairly long season with a very heavy finish.
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After the racing shitshow that was 2020, I am hoping that at least some events happen in 2021. Q1 looks to be a write off as we start with another Covid lockdown through most of January at least.
For the first few months I am also putting an extension on my house so there may be impacts on how I can train and work around that impact. At the very least I am having to live in a much smaller space as the entire upstairs is effectively out of bounds for the building work.
As race targets: I already have the ETU Aquathlon Champs in Walchsee, Austria in June, the ITU Aquathlon Champs in Almere, Netherlands in September and the ETU Cross Duathlon and Cross Triathlon both in Dolomiti Paganella, Italy also in September. I will also hopefully take part in the Scottish Aquathlon Champs and the Scottish Cross Championships if I can fit them around the rest of the year.
I have written some numbers for the year. And some numbers for Q1 based on Covid restrictions. At the minute we are on a heavy lockdown at least through January, with all the pools closed for at least that long. I am also hoping that at some point in Q2 we will get back to working in the office and I can get back to commuting regularly to my main job. That would be about 5 miles each way which would fit in nicely.
I have set my stretch distance targets so they are 5% of the normal target.
I am also going to put a big tag on here that after my Dad passing in November I am more aware than ever of the other things going on in my life that are much more important and might impact on my training and racing plans. I have a new relationship which I would much rather be investing my time and energy on than pedalling round for hours just for the sake of some numbers on a spreadsheet.
Swimming
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. In 2020 most of my swimming was outdoor due to the pools all being closed for months for Covid. When I did get back in the pool the turns were tidy, but they aren't particularly fast and while I could churn along at 1:50/100m pace for ages, I had no faster gears. They do need some work once I get back in a pool regularly.
This year I am again going to try again 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 130 miles for the year, based mostly on 2019 and assuming I get nothing in January because of Covid closures of the pool. 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 2020 (although 2020 I didn't get a race at all so that is maybe an unfair claim). I have had a 3 years of rehab from my broken ankle but my fast swim pace has still stalled, but after missing a chunk of the year to Covid I still managed to come out and accidentally do a 6:37 in the middle of an easy session in November so 6:15 is still my basic target.
I have just rolled over my target race times from 2020.
Biking
No commuting on the bike (at least not yet) so bike miles will be mostly spinning classes and the turbo trainer. I need to get out on the mountain bike to prep for Cross Duathlons but the big running numbers I am still racking up are hurting that for now and potentially through Feb.
I do need to do more on the bike if I am going to race at European level, so I am going to put that number up to 2,000 miles. I am also going to try and make that more time on the mountain bike, so of those, I want 500 of them to be on the mountain bike.
I have then weighted that slightly lighter to the end of Q1 as I finish off my big running numbers and in case there are any further Covid restrictions that impact on spin classes, or weather issues that stop me from getting outside on the bike.
I didn't ride a TT or a triathlon last year. I doubt I will ride a TT race this year, but hopefully I can get back on the TT bike at some point.
Target 2,000 miles.
Target 500 MTB miles.
Stretch target 2,100 miles.
Running
So I completely smashed everything I had planned during 2020. When I set out to run every day of a leap year I honestly expected to get to a race in Q1, feel fatigued, have a bad race, and quit the challenge to focus on races. Covid then cancelled all the races so that never became a problem. The worst of it was a period in August and September where it was really boring, but the end was still too far out of sight as motivation and I had to find other challenges to keep me going out every day.
I still have a couple of those challenges that roll into 2021. I was set up to run 10 miles further every month for 6 months in a row. I thought that would finish in January and I could use the Xmas and New Year break to log big miles in my heaviest months (159.4 miles in December and then 169.5 miles in January) to finish it off. Unfortunately, Smashrun think I also need to run >179.6 in February. That is going to be a big ask, as it is basically a 10k everyday due to being a short month but I am going for it.
2020 was silly on the running front. There is no need to do anything like that number again. But having survived it I also feel that I have the capacity to do more than the 710 miles I average out over the last 14 years (and that number is just 650 if you take out how skewed 2020 was). I should be at 350 by the end of February, before I calm it down to something more like a normal year. I am going to aim for 1,000 miles. On the basis that is 20 miles a week with a couple of weeks off.
My stretch target of 5% over comes out at 1,050 miles.
Frustratingly my 25th consecutive year defending as North District Champion was cancelled by Covid. But since no-one else took it either I am going to stand on the logic that I am still defending champion, and go again in 2021. Whether I can make that 26 year streak will again 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 and admit that my hip won't get round. Retiring at 25 years sounded like a nice round number, 26 doesn't really have that, but might have to do.
I want to run my age for 10k as an absolute minimum. I actually want to get that in before the end of January. I really should be back under 40 minutes as well. I also want to get well under 19:30 minutes for 5k. On top of those I have set some faster stretch targets.
Triathlon
I missed the last 2 years of 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. With Triathlon Scotland moving to 5-year age-groups, and being in a new age-group next year, I should have as good a chance as ever.
I have qualified for the 2021 European Champs in Walchsee already. I missed the 2019 race and then 2020 was bumped a year for Covid but I want to get back in the top-20, and being in a new age-group should help with that.
I have qualified for the 2021 World Champs in Almere on the same rollover criteria from the cancelled 2020 race. In 2019 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 have qualified for the 2021 World Champs in Almere on the same rollover criteria from the cancelled 2020 race. In 2019 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 have also managed to get selected for European Cross Duathlon and Cross Triathlon races in Italy. I really need to get a new bike for them, and to get out and train and race on it, but until I can get through my extension work and see how much money I have left I am going to have to be patient.
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 spread 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 2022 European Champs.
Take part in a GBR age-group qualifying race for a 2022 World Champs.
Swim 130 miles.
Swim under 6:15 minutes for 400m.
Swim under 11:45 minutes for 750m.
Swim under 25:30 minutes for 1,500m.
Ride 2,000 miles.
MTB 500 miles
Run 1,000 miles.
January run 170 miles.
February run 180 miles.
Run a 5k in under 19:30 mins or 10k in under 42 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.
<45 ‘Junk’ swim session.
Stretch Targets
Qualify for the GBR Age-group team for a second 2022 European Championships.
Qualify for the GBR Age-group team for a 2022 World Championships.
Medal at the Scottish Aquathlon Champs.
Finish top-20 at World Aquathlon Champs.
Swim 136.5 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 1,050 miles.
Run a 5k in under 19:00 or 10k in under 40 mins.
Run another 5k in under 19:20 or 10k in under 41:30.
>78 Yoga sessions
>78 Stretching and rollering sessions.
>52 Core sessions.
>52 Weights sessions.
