2017 Targets

I am going to stick with setting mileage targets as usual, but this year will be completely rearranged as my early focus is on the ETU Aquathlon Champs in Bratislava in May. I have a month-by-month plan as well as the big picture plan. 

Swimming

102 miles in 2015 was a good year, but then stuffing extra swims into December to try and get close to that again and still only getting to 98 miles in 2016 was really disappointing. My new job seriously interferes with trips to Knockburn through the week and it took me too long to get organised and replace that with additional pool swims. This year it will be 2 swims every week as standard, and at least until April a third swim at the weekend is the basis for the target numbers. 

By year end I want to be at least through 120 miles. By the end of April I want to be past 50 miles. 

One of my targets from 2016 was to get back into lane 4 consistently, and to be much more consistent at putting regular fast laps together for entire races. Having failed at those I am going to carry them over in to 2017.

On the racing front the 6 minute 400m target has proven too tough in 2015 and 6:15 too tough in 2016. I am going to aim at 6:15 again though. During our annual T20 Time Trial in March I went through 400m in 6:31 and kept close to that pace for another 800m. And late in the year I have been back to putting in regular sub-7 min 400m reps in the middle of sessions.

I did make my 750m target of 12:15 twice in 2016 but only in outdoor swims which I tend not to count. I am going to tighten it again though. I need to be under 12 minutes just to save myself from being last out of the water in Bratislava. Ideally I want to be somewhere much closer to 11:30 in the wetsuit and with a big crowd to tow me along in open water. 

Twelve minutes through 750m would give me nearly 2 minutes of slack to make 1,500m in 26 minutes. If I clock a 12 minute 750 then something would have to go drastically wrong to then swim outside 14-minutes for the second half of a 1,500m. I was another minute twenty off that during my only attempt in 2016 but there were some valid reasons for that. 

Biking

I had a decent year on the bike in 2015, and then with the commuting I had my biggest mileage year in 2016 but with relatively poor race performances. I have made little changes on the bike but in truth my race performances haven't measurably changed over the last 4 years. 

After 4 years of 2,100 to 2,300 miles I really need to step up my biking. The commuting should take care of that this year, but those are just miles, they doesn't really do anything for my speed. 

I want to be better on the bike as that is still my weakest event, but until I either get offered a space at Dusseldorf, or get past Bratislava, I am going to leave the bike as just commuting, some cross-training and enjoying myself on the mountain bike at the weekend.

I still think a sub-26 minute 10-mile TT is certainly in my range, and I can certainly go faster over the 25-mile than I did in 2016. The TT season doesn't start until mid-year so I can look at making some bike changes and upping my speed for later in the season.

I am also considering some tech upgrades to buy some speed. A full disc rear wheel is the main target for my spending as I have recently picked up a new aero race helmet.

Running

I have set bigger target numbers for this year than ever before. I am aiming close to the total I achieved in 2015. My base target is 800 miles for the year, but as with swimming this is front-loaded until the end of April with 300 miles in the first 4 months. 

However that is only half the story with running. Miles are good but I really need to put some speed back in. Missing out on reps sessions is definitely hurting and I need to start adding some fartlek type runs in to my morning commutes and to put some pure reps and speed sessions in at the weekends. 

I want to be racing more and faster this year though. Another sub-40 10k at the very least but also I should be aiming towards the 19-minute mark for 5k. 

Triathlon

First up is my plan to try and qualify for another GB age-group team. The obvious events to aim at are the 2018 Euro Sprint or Aquathlon Champs but the 2018 Worlds being in Rotterdam make that a tempting target as well. 

Unfortunately the qualifying race at Strathclyde is the same day as Bratislava so I will have to consider going to events south of the border if I want to qualify.

Also not coming last at Bratislava makes the target list. I have no intention of being up at the front of that race. The pure swimmers could be 3 minutes out of the water ahead of me, if I have a great swim and 5k is not long enough to make up that sort of gap even if I was running at my absolute best.

Others

Yoga. I am going to start January again by signing up to 31 consecutive days of Yoga www.yogawithadriene.com. I have also changed my target system so that any week where I fail to do a yoga session that will carry over in to the following week. That gives me a planned total of 78 sessions and I will round that off to 80 again this year. 

Weights and Core. I have been terrible at these for years and hopefully the similar change to carry over missed sessions will push me to do more. I have also changed the target from 80 of both to 52 of each. 

Targets by numbers

Represent GBR age-group at an international event.

Take part in a GBR age-group qualifying race for the 2018 European or World Sprint Champs.

Swim 124 miles.

Swim under 6:15 minutes for 400m.

Swim under 12:00 minutes for 750m.

Swim under 26:00 minutes for 1,500m.

Ride 2,332 miles.

Ride a 10-mile TT in under 26 minutes.
Ride a 25-mile TT in under 1 hour 14 mins.

Run 802 miles.

Run a 5k in under 19:10 or 10k in under 41 mins. 

Run another 5k in under 19:20 or 10k in under 42 mins. 

80 Yoga sessions

52 & 52 Core & weights sessions.

Stretch Targets

Qualify for the GBR Age-group team for the 2018 European or World Sprint Championships.

Race a qualifying event for any other 2018 European or World Championship event.

Swim 142.6 miles.

Swim under 6:00 minutes for 400m.

Swim under 11:40 minutes for 750m.

Swim under 25:45 for 1,500m.

Ride 2,798 miles. 

Ride a 10-mile TT in under 25 minutes.
Ride a 25-mile TT in under 72 minutes.

Run 906 miles.

'Run my age' for 10k.

Run a 5k in under 19:00 or 10k in under 40 mins.