2024 Targets
This year I am not going to the World Championships as they are in Townsville, Australia. I do still have 3 European Championships in Coimbra, Portugal in June, all in the same week.
I also have a bigger adventure plan for the year, that will follow this post, probably tomorrow as I haven't finished it yet, and which affects some of what is written in here.
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Some of the numbers are going to look funny as instead of rounding them I have set them to an average per week. The adventure post should make the reasons for that more clear.
Races
In summer I have the European Aquathlon, Cross Triathlon and Cross Duathlon in Coimbra, Portugal. Cramming three of them in to a week is not going to help my chances of performing well at any of them.
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, but again the dates and venues have not been announced yet. If I can fit them I will put in any other Scottish Champs that fit. I am also planning a qualifying race for the sprint duathlon for 2025.
The only 'local' race I have firmly planned is Glasgow Aquathlon at the start of March. there are a few other local races this year though so I might be able to build some sort of local season between Forfar, Montrose, Gordonstoun and a couple of local duathlons.
And of course I will likely go to Inverness for the North District Championships to defend my hurdles title, again.
Numbers
I have written some numbers for the year.
I have set my stretch distance targets so they are 105% of the base target, but I have moved the base targets a little.
Swimming
I did my biggest swim year ever in 2023. But I didn't go faster from that. So my lazy plan is just to go back to my fastest year (2019) and aim to do that much instead. That brings me back down to a target of 144 miles. And that coincidentally works out as 12 miles a month
I have just rolled over my target race times from 2020, and 2021, and 2022, and 2023 again. They are all in range, I just need to get in races and get on with swimming that fast.
Target 144 miles.
Stretch Target 151.2 miles.
Biking
No commuting on the bike (and none planned as my current employer still doesn't have adequate changing facilities) so bike miles will be mostly mountain biking, hopefully some summer riding, and the turbo trainer. I need to get out on the mountain bike, on much more technical mountain bike terrain to prepare for Cross Triathlons and Duathlons. I am up to the standard I need to be to finish International races, but I still need to be better to be competitive.
I am sticking with my proportion of mountain bike at 33%. I didn't get near that last year but I need to be doing more so i am sticking with it and cutting the overall number.
I did absolutely nothing on my TT bike last year, that is 2 years in a row that it hasn't even left the garage. I doubt I will ride a TT race this year, but hopefully I can get back on the TT bike for some triathlons at some point.
Target 2,000 miles.
Target 667 MTB miles.
Stretch target 2,100 miles.
Stretch target 700 MTB miles.
Running
I have just written a random number for 2024. 1,100 miles. Very slightly less than last year.
I am not planning a marathon distance this year, but would like to fit in a half marathon race somewhere if I can make it work with my race calendar.
My stretch target of 105% comes out at 1,155 miles.
I managed my defence of my North District Hurdles streak. And since no-one took it off me again, I am going to stand on the logic that I am still defending champion, and go again in 2024. Whether I can make that 29-year streak will again depend on whether I can even get over a hurdle this year. My hip injections have not been anywhere near as effective this time and I won't get another set before race day.
I no longer want to run my age for 10k as an absolute minimum. Turning 48 this year means that target is now much too soft. I actually want to get that sort of time in before the end of January. I am planning to be back under 40 minutes as well with a good shot at going under 39 if I get a good weather attempt.
I also want to get under 19 minutes for 5k and ideally I think a sub-18mins might even be possible if I can find the right course / weather / field.
Triathlon
I have repeatedly defended my Scottish Aquathlon Championship now but as I am getting to the older end of my age-group that is going to be more difficult to replicate. I should be in the medals in that race every year so I have kept that medal as my target for this year and winning as the stretch as there is always a chance of someone moving up from the age-group below.
I have qualified for the 2024 Euro Cross Triathlon and Cross Duathlon races in Coimbra, Portugal. Unfortunately all three races are squeezed in to one week and it will be hot in the middle of June. I was disappointed not to finish the Duathlon in 2023 after breaking my bike on the course, and 13th place in the Triathlon was the best I could manage on a hired hardtail bike that I managed to crash on every single lap. If I can get in the top-10 of one or both of those races, given the likely strong Spanish contingents, I will be happy.
I have qualified for the 2024 European Aquathlon Champs in Coimbra, Portugal already. I am in the upper half of the age-group this year so finishing about the same as last year is likely. I was 10th but I have beaten the guys who finished in the top-5 and if I can run better I can be up with them. Unfortunately it is tucked in to the same week as both my cross races and comes a the end of the week.
I have qualified for the 2023 World Championships in Townsville, Australia for 3 events. Unless I win the lottery in January (hard when I don't buy tickets) I won't be going.
I have qualified for the 2023 World Championships in Townsville, Australia for 3 events. Unless I win the lottery in January (hard when I don't buy tickets) I won't be going.
Others
Yoga.
I am going to start January again by signing up to 30 consecutive days of Yoga www.yogawithadriene.com, but I know, again, I am not going to stick to that schedule. My base target is to do one session per week for the full year, and to have done all 30 of the YWA 2023 sessions by the first of April. Then for the rest of the year, just one yoga session per week. That gets me to a stretch total of 69 sessions for the year.
Stretching and rollering.
I was fine with these through the year but some of those sessions consisted of 5 or 6 minutes. I am going to keep this as it was at 1/week, but try and make them into 20-30 minutes every week.
Weights and Core.
As always 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, stretch target of 52.
Targets by numbers
Represent GBR age-group at multiple international events.
Finish top-20 at European Aquathlon Champs.
Finish top-15 at a European Cross Champs.
Medal at Scottish Aquathlon Champs.
Swim 144 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 677 miles
Run 1,100 miles.
Run a 5k in under 19 mins or 10k in under 40 mins.
>52 Yoga sessions
>40 Stretching and rollering sessions.
>40 Core sessions.
>40 Weights sessions.
>50 Run reps, hills or ‘fast’ sessions.
Stretch Targets
Qualify for the GBR Age-group team for a second 2025 European Championships.
Qualify for the GBR Age-group team for a 2025 World Championships.
Win the Scottish Aquathlon Champs.
Finish top-15 at Euro Aquathlon Champs.
Finish top-10 at either Euro Cross race.
Swim 151 miles.
Swim under 6:00 minutes for 400m.
Swim under 11:30 minutes for 750m.
Swim under 24:59 for 1,500m.
Ride 2,100 miles. MTB 700 miles.
Run 1,100 miles.
Run a 5k in under 18 mins or 10k in under 39 mins.
Run another 5k in under 18:30 or 10k in under 39:30.
>69 Yoga sessions
>52 Stretching and rollering sessions.
>52 Core sessions.
>52 Weights sessions.
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