Since the 29th of June, I haven't done much in terms of quality training. It is the month of Ramadan, which means that I do not eat or drink all day until sunset, so I have very limited time during the day to exercise. It also means that I have had the chance to catch up on some work and take time to think about my next moves and plan ahead.
The first goal I have is The London Triathlon, on 3rd August. It will be exactly one week after I stop fasting, so I'll only have that one week to really get any proper training done. So far this month I have only done the minimum to stay in shape and not lose too much fitness, but it's not ideal, of course. With temperatures rising and the day being very long (I can't eat until after 9pm), my options have been quite limited in terms of how long and/or how intense my training sessions could be, whether before I eat or afterwards. This happens every year, so it is not like it's a surprise, but it is just what it is, and I have to deal with it.
The London Triathlon will only be a sort of a hard training session for me, since there isn't really any kind of realistic expectation of me doing well after such a long down period. So, I am looking forward to enjoying it, especially that I am racing the scenic course that passes by Westminster, so it should be fun. It will also be the only race this year that my wife will be able to come and see me in, so I am looking forward to having her and my son there (my daughter will be away, unfortunately).
Now, for what's happening next is what I have been thinking about extensively recently, and I have come to some decisions. First, I don't think I'll race any more in 2014, even though I would have liked to attend such a race as the Challenge Bahrain in December. I had to look at what I wanted to achieve and draw my plan around it rather than just go for a race without a clear goal.
My plan for 2014 was to get into the 70.3 (Half Ironman) distance racing, experience it, and see if it suited me. Well, I have achieved that. I participated in 2 such races and decided that this distance is definitely my ideal distance for mow. I have also identified my strengths and weaknesses, so now I can move on to the next step.
My goal for 2015 is to achieve the 5 hours in the Half distance, hoping that I can be as close as possible to going under the 5 hours, if at all possible. In terms of actual time goals for the 3 disciplines, I need to sustain a pace of 4:45min/km in the run, 1:40min/100m in the swim, and average about 33.5km/h on the bike. I know I can already achieve better pace on the run and swim, although I haven't been able to reflect this in a full race yet, so, if I am only looking at current race paces, this means an improvement of about 9-10%, and I am confident I can do this, since this should only be about working on sustaining a pace I can already achieve comfortably.
As for the bike, this is where the main work should be focused, since to achieve this average speed, my power output needs to increase by around 15%! Additionally, this increase will have to be a "real" improvement in my cycling, since I currently do not achieve the goal power output comfortably, let alone being able to sustain it. One part that may help a bit, with a potential 5% improvement in my speed, is to switch to a TT bike and work on some other aspects of my gear setup to be more aerodynamic, but I will still have to work very hard to get this extra 10-12% improvement in my actual power.
So, with these clear targets in mind, I have drawn the outline of my training plan for next season, with very specific targets along the way being tested through time trials every 4 weeks to make sure I do not leave things to chance for too long. The first main goal will be the Ironman 70.3 Mallorca on 9th May 2015, which everything will be building up towards. I have a couple of other races on my calendar for next year, one being the Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire (14th June 2015) and the other being the Ironman 70.3 Dublin (some time in August 2015). There is a little part in me that is hoping that I can achieve greater things and qualify for the World Championship at the end of August 2015, but until early 2015, when I can assess my progress, I won't be able to see this as a realistic goal.
My plan starts on 1st September, so this gives me 36 weeks until that first race. Since I am planning on not doing much at all during August and just enjoy my holiday with the family, the first 5 weeks will just be for getting back into training, play around with training and nutrition logistics, and just prepare myself for the main training that starts in October. Although I am not planning on reaching the ridiculous hours I used to do last winter, I'll still have some weeks where I'll be training for 25-30 hours (but not many), and most of my time will be spent on the bike and in the pool. My plan also includes specific weight/body composition targets for different times in the year, as well as a focus on core and general strength.
I am more than aware that plans don't always go perfectly, but I'll do my best to stay healthy and injury free to be able to stick to it as closely as possible. Along the road, I might add a couple of small races, if they make sense, in order to test new gear, new strategies, and/or new nutrition, and to just get back into the spirit of racing again. Possibly the race in Sharm in March if it's on?
In the mean time, I'll hopefully update you in 2 weeks about my London race.
The first goal I have is The London Triathlon, on 3rd August. It will be exactly one week after I stop fasting, so I'll only have that one week to really get any proper training done. So far this month I have only done the minimum to stay in shape and not lose too much fitness, but it's not ideal, of course. With temperatures rising and the day being very long (I can't eat until after 9pm), my options have been quite limited in terms of how long and/or how intense my training sessions could be, whether before I eat or afterwards. This happens every year, so it is not like it's a surprise, but it is just what it is, and I have to deal with it.
The London Triathlon will only be a sort of a hard training session for me, since there isn't really any kind of realistic expectation of me doing well after such a long down period. So, I am looking forward to enjoying it, especially that I am racing the scenic course that passes by Westminster, so it should be fun. It will also be the only race this year that my wife will be able to come and see me in, so I am looking forward to having her and my son there (my daughter will be away, unfortunately).
Now, for what's happening next is what I have been thinking about extensively recently, and I have come to some decisions. First, I don't think I'll race any more in 2014, even though I would have liked to attend such a race as the Challenge Bahrain in December. I had to look at what I wanted to achieve and draw my plan around it rather than just go for a race without a clear goal.
My plan for 2014 was to get into the 70.3 (Half Ironman) distance racing, experience it, and see if it suited me. Well, I have achieved that. I participated in 2 such races and decided that this distance is definitely my ideal distance for mow. I have also identified my strengths and weaknesses, so now I can move on to the next step.
My goal for 2015 is to achieve the 5 hours in the Half distance, hoping that I can be as close as possible to going under the 5 hours, if at all possible. In terms of actual time goals for the 3 disciplines, I need to sustain a pace of 4:45min/km in the run, 1:40min/100m in the swim, and average about 33.5km/h on the bike. I know I can already achieve better pace on the run and swim, although I haven't been able to reflect this in a full race yet, so, if I am only looking at current race paces, this means an improvement of about 9-10%, and I am confident I can do this, since this should only be about working on sustaining a pace I can already achieve comfortably.
As for the bike, this is where the main work should be focused, since to achieve this average speed, my power output needs to increase by around 15%! Additionally, this increase will have to be a "real" improvement in my cycling, since I currently do not achieve the goal power output comfortably, let alone being able to sustain it. One part that may help a bit, with a potential 5% improvement in my speed, is to switch to a TT bike and work on some other aspects of my gear setup to be more aerodynamic, but I will still have to work very hard to get this extra 10-12% improvement in my actual power.
So, with these clear targets in mind, I have drawn the outline of my training plan for next season, with very specific targets along the way being tested through time trials every 4 weeks to make sure I do not leave things to chance for too long. The first main goal will be the Ironman 70.3 Mallorca on 9th May 2015, which everything will be building up towards. I have a couple of other races on my calendar for next year, one being the Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire (14th June 2015) and the other being the Ironman 70.3 Dublin (some time in August 2015). There is a little part in me that is hoping that I can achieve greater things and qualify for the World Championship at the end of August 2015, but until early 2015, when I can assess my progress, I won't be able to see this as a realistic goal.
My plan starts on 1st September, so this gives me 36 weeks until that first race. Since I am planning on not doing much at all during August and just enjoy my holiday with the family, the first 5 weeks will just be for getting back into training, play around with training and nutrition logistics, and just prepare myself for the main training that starts in October. Although I am not planning on reaching the ridiculous hours I used to do last winter, I'll still have some weeks where I'll be training for 25-30 hours (but not many), and most of my time will be spent on the bike and in the pool. My plan also includes specific weight/body composition targets for different times in the year, as well as a focus on core and general strength.
I am more than aware that plans don't always go perfectly, but I'll do my best to stay healthy and injury free to be able to stick to it as closely as possible. Along the road, I might add a couple of small races, if they make sense, in order to test new gear, new strategies, and/or new nutrition, and to just get back into the spirit of racing again. Possibly the race in Sharm in March if it's on?
In the mean time, I'll hopefully update you in 2 weeks about my London race.
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