Going Long! New Triathlon Targets For 2014!

After completing what I consider a very successful year in terms of my triathlon goals, I have had time to reflect on what passed and what lies ahead. While looking at 2014 races, talking to family and friends, and looking objectively at my own training and what I can and can't achieve, I have now taken the decision to start aiming for longer distances, rather than focusing my efforts on just getting faster in standard distance triathlons. In this post, I talk about some of the reasons behind the decision, as well as the alterations in my plans for 2014 and beyond.

To change my goals completely from the Olympic dream to long distance triathlon was no easy task and a decision that has taken me some time to reach. All my training and goals since June 2011 have been geared towards the one goal of getting to an optimum performance in standard distance triathlon by 2015/2016 to take a shot at qualifying for Rio. Most of you know by now about the major changes I have made, etc., so I'm not going to bore you with the details, but to say that a major part of my life has been dedicated to this goal would be a huge understatement (Lisa would argue that it has actually taken over my/our life)! So, to change some of the goals now has been tough, but I am happy with the decision.

First, I have looked at my progress over the past 18 months, the period during which I have actually been training seriously. I am very satisfied with the results, as I have achieved what I was aiming for. On the other hand, I am not over the moon, as there is always a part in my head that would say that I could have done much better. But, from a "written" goals point of view, I have ticked all the boxes.

Second, looking at my current levels of fitness, speed, recovery requirements, and several other factors, as if I am looking at a stranger's, I can see clearly which areas I can improve in and which areas I may find challenging to improve to the extent I was hoping for.

Third, by assessing my strengths and weaknesses from my 2013 training and racing, by laying down several training options for the next 3 years, and by combining these with my current and potential physical and psychological abilities, I can now clearly see that to seek improving my speed solely for standard distance would be extremely challenging, yet not impossible.

Fourth, and most importantly, I had to think seriously about my long-term plans for my triathlon participation, rather than just considering the next couple of years. Seeing as from 2014 I shall be racing in the 40-44 age group, I have to consider where I can realistically be competitively. I do not just want to race to finish, but I want to race to compete, which makes the whole mindset quite different. I have to look at past results of races and see where I can be on these lists, when I can move up, and how far up I can move over which period of time.

Combining all the above, it has dawned on me that the most suitable distance for me, and what I should be aiming for in a couple of years, is the long-course "Ironman" distance (3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.2km run). Therefore, working backwards from there, I need to move up the distances to get there gradually. This means that, my goals for 2014 and beyond have now totally changed. My first aim for 2014 is to start participating in Half Ironman (aka 70.3) races (1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run). This means that my race goals for the year have changed, with my "A" races now being 70.3 rather than standard distance, and I will consider standard distance races as my "training" races.

My training and nutrition objectives from now on will be geared towards the new goal. The major changes in my training will be having a longer foundation period, especially focusing on my cycling, sessions will generally become much longer, I will have to get used to training at lower intensities than I have been used to, and my equipment set up will eventually have to change slightly. Moreover, the longer the distance, the more important nutrition becomes, before, during and after training and racing. Luckily, I have recently started to be very precise about my nutrition, so this shouldn't take too much work, although I will not have the luxury to be too lax about certain parts, especially to make sure my recovery is not compromised, and that I don't start losing too much weight...

Deciding on which races to do now, although it looks like fun, it also starts to look expensive! Race destinations I am currently looking at include Abu Dhabi, Fuertaventura, Mallorca, Luxembourg, and Austria. Not too bad if I can get there, but I now have to plan my racing budgets carefully in order to, hopefully, be able to actually do these races.

With standard distance triathlon, there are 2 major aims of a triathlete, one being the World Triathlon Grand Final, which happens every year, and the second being qualifying for the Olympic Games, which happens every 4 years.

For the longer distances, namely the 70.3 and Ironman, the main goals are the World Championships, which happen every year. For the 70.3, until this year, these used to only happen in Las Vegas, but from 2014, the 70.3 World Championships will be held at a different location every year, starting with Canada. As for the Ironman World Championships, there is only one place for it, which is Kona, Hawaii, and if you ask any triathlete, this would probably be on top of their wish list to qualify to race there one day.

So, as a natural progression of my plans, although not seeing myself qualifying for the 70.3 World Championships in 2014, it will definitely be my main goal beyond that, with the ultimate goal being Kona, hopefully, in 2016-2017.

As for now, I just need to focus on getting to participate in 70.3 races and trying to move up the ranks steadily.

The bar has been raised, and I am ready for the challenge!