Training goals

[andygates]

This offseason period is really hard to focus in.  There are no serious events, no threat of public humiliation, no hot chicks in neoprene to ogle.  So to get some goal other than "do stuff, hm'kay?", here is some goalage in the public domain; the power of shame compels me to comply.  (Sweet howling baby Jesus, I'm so sub I dominate myself)

Long-term: get fit for an early-season Olympic-distance triathlon.  After than, decide whether or not to make it a season of Olys.  Get bodyweight down to 85kg and 12% fat. 

Medium-term: by the end of 2006, be swimming 1km a set in the pool each session.  Be at least capable (if not elegant) of doing tumble-turns.  Have run a 10k in under 55:00, ideally 52:00.  By the end of February be looking at 1500m.

Short term: Weekly goals for the month are three swims, two runs, two ride days.  The swim before breakfast then lunchtime run works well so I'll keep that up.  Runs should be either long and easy or at pace as logistics demand but the 10k on the 17th is the big day so structure everything around that.  Bike days are either commutes or a long ride up to around 60 miles, there's no need for more.  Do not neglect rest days; get plenty of sleep so no late-night chat; training on a hangover sucks ass so lay off the party booze. 

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

How do you measure body fat - calipers or electirc something? I'm not particularly unhappy about it per se, but my weight fluctuates a lot (well, I think its a lot, up to about 5% of my total body weight) and I want to know if its fat and muscle as well as hydration effects.

I'd add to the training: Don't get too stressed about missing a session. I think its unrealistic with jobs and social life to consistently hit every session every week.

And as to the booze, its a tricky one. Inevitably, I find my long sessions are at the weekends which conincides with going out, parties, meals etc. I try and schedule "hard" long sessions for a day I know I won't be going out the night before. On nights when I will be having a drink, the next day will be an "easy" long session :-/

As to your ride days, "...up to around 60 miles, there's no need for more" just makes me vomit. In a nice friendly way of course. I managed another 65km (a whole 40 miles) today, with a 200m and a 300m climb, so Bike is my focus for the next couple of months.

I hope to get a nice Tri Bible book for Xmas and will spend my post prandial daze in Colorado planning how to work off the poundage when I get back to CH (and maybe some Langlauf sessions at altitude to make sure it doesn't all slide).

[skean.livejournal.com]

Gak, that "Anon" is me. Sorry. As was Battlestar Galactice the other day.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

I use calipers and the 4-site skinfold method (as seen here). Electric scales were perplexingly erratic - the figures it gave hardly changed over the entire year and fluctuated over a day by 5%, so I declared them rubbish.

Fat and muscle change slowly, so daily changes will be things like general hydration, muscle fluid retention (a hard-trained muscle holds onto more liquid, as does a muscle when you're using creatine), and gut load.

>I'd add to the training: Don't get too stressed about missing a session.

For sure: if I make the goals and miss sessions, I'd overplanned :)

Yay for another long ride - build that bike base! (The reason for that figure I gave is that I may otherwise be tempted to do some audax, and with a goal of the Oly bike leg, any more than about distance-and-a-half is unnecessary)

Wot's Langlauf?

[ravenbait.livejournal.com]

I want to do the fixed Audax UK challenge next year.

I don't feel so bad about today's abortive effort having seen the weather warnings now.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

The weather people did say stuff along the lines of "..and it Scotland, it's astoundingly grim!" and I heard the H-word used a couple of times. I think you can chalk that one down to adverse conditions.

[ravenbait.livejournal.com]

The bridge is closed!

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Crikey.

Not a day to try riding across it :)

[skean.livejournal.com]

Langlauf = Cross country skiing.

Living in a country where the winter is not well suited to road bikes in the winter due to either 3 foot of snow or sheet ice, I need something else good for the thighs. Cross country is meant to be good aerobic and builds legs.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Cross-country skiing is one of the classic winter things, isn't it? Bloody hard work and an excuse for a long hot bath!

[arabis.livejournal.com]

I tried cross country skiing once and it was great fun - I could hardly walk the next day though. Be prepared to discover leg muscles you didn't know existed!

I always mean to investigate langlauf possibilities when we go snowboarding, but never got around to it yet.

[jonnycowbells.livejournal.com]

Langlauf possibilities in Tignes! There are three or four short circuits here - not tried them myself, but Mrs C took her mother around one of them last season. Much fun was had.