Alanya, Turkey 2013 - My Euro Dream Odyssey

Well here it is the third installment of my training logs, here are the other two for anybody interested:

Keen to see what the future may hold
Swim, bike, run...if only it were that simple!


Five Year Plan

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans" - Woody Allen.
I am very aware of this quotes but I still feel it's important for one to get where they want they need to have some sort of a plan. So this is my (rough) five year plan:

Year 1 Olympic/Sprint
Year 2 Olympic/Sprint
Year 3 HIM
Year 4 HIM
Year 5 IM

So that might dispel the usual talk at the end of each season regarding the following seasons goals So according to this I will be 35 when I try my first Ironman event, that will mean I have 7 years of triathlon under my belt.

My Reasoning and Some Hopes and Dreams

Well I feel I haven't reached my potential at sprint/olympic yet and I would like to do that before moving on. This will also provide me with a solid base for moving up in distance, so it's about a progression, however life may/will dictate what actually happens over the next few years.

The main reason is trying to reach my potential, put simply I guess I want to get as close as possible to 1 hour for a sprint triathlon (currently 1:04) and as close as possible to 2:05 for an olympic (currently 2:10). It's to do with an obsession for speed and getting faster. Another thing that would occupy time in my mind is wondering what it would feel like to actually win a race, to be no. 1, to break the tape and have a title to defend the following year. Only a tiny tiny percent of people will ever experience that feeling and I want in on that club. There are a few on here that are in the winning club so some day, some day, who knows? I started thinking like this at the end of 2010, I'd even make myself every medal ceremony going just to keep me motivated! It works. Every time I see others getting presented with medals (or whatever) it makes me want it even more Now in 2011 I did podium once and I was walking on a cloud for the rest of that week, even though it wasn't a NS race, still I was battling it out with the best of the west and it gave me great self belief. This is just me and my hopes. I have great respect for anybody who just decides to get off there couch and get out there and do something, anything and indeed I am very supportive of many of those people in my everyday life and try to help them where possible.

The biggest motivation is however to do with the title of my log. Drunk and hardly even able to see my computer screen, on the 26th of June I was already googling and searching for ways to get a faster run - I'd need this if I was to get what I really wanted - a European AG Champ Medal. I think I have stated before that I would not go to these AG champs again unless I thought I was in with a good chance of getting a medal. Now when I sat down with my coach in Sept and stated my goal it was met with a raised eyebrow but I went onto explain why I thought the goal was attainable. Last year in Pontevedra I raced the wrong race. I was poised for a great sprint race but I was in the olympic distance race. It only dawned on me about 2 weeks before the race I realised that I had no prep for a 10km run, whereas I just PB'd in a 5k after about 3 weeks of speed work on the track. Then looking back at the sprint distance times I am very sure I would have finished 5th or 6th in my AG (half my oly time and minus 1 min). Coach seemed to come around to what I was saying but interjected with "you need to be faster at everything". Of course he is right, it ain't just about my running.

Ok, and what if I fail? Well then I fail, no problem. At least I will have tried something special. The worst that could happen? I become the best triathlete I can be along the way - cool, I'll take that as a consolation :cool:

So there I was, 2am, Linda fast asleep, we had been out with the Irish team and I was searching... Even when I was out that night I wasn't in the moment, all I could think about is how do I get one of those medals. It was that night that my heart went out of my second A race of the season - Galway 70.3. Although I enjoyed that experience I was just mad for the winter so I could get my head down and get on with the training. SO why not the Euro's 2012? I wouldn't be ready and it's on too early in the year and in Israel :eek: (much as I'd love to visit that country). SO I am giving myself plenty of time. As far as I am concerned 2012 is about experimenting, getting consistent with training, strengthening my weaknesses and getting up there domestically - try to break into top 10 of NS races. As far as I am concerned my next A race is in Turkey on the 14th of June 2013 For the purpose of this year I have picked races to peak at so I can practice the art of peaking (my first peak will be roughly around the same time of year as ETU 2013).

So for this season...

2012 Season

Now to discuss my races, goals and objectives for 2012.

Races

Races 2012

Jan Sun 15th

Tuam AC 8k Already a race gone due to knee

Feb Sat 18th

Ballinrobe Duathlon

Mar Sun 18th

MSB Paddy Weekend 5k

April Sat 21st

Sportsman Duathlon

May Sat 12th

Valentia island Sprint (NS+NC)

June Sun 3rd

TriAthy Sprint (NS) A Race

June Sat 9th

Crooked Lake (NS) A Race

Then 5-6 days Euro 2012

June 20th Weds

Bray Aqua

June 23rd Sat

HOTW (just love this race and a good mate is coming home from Oz to race it)



So the A races: TriAthy Sprint, Crooked Lake Triathlon and Blacksod (Sept).

Goals

I guess my goals are simple. Try to prepare as best I can, be committed and consistent, for my A races. Then try to execute the race plan as best as I can and have a feeling after the race that I couldn't have pushed or tried harder.

Objectives

Swim

400m TT sub 6:10 (6:34 set last June)
1,000m TT sub 17

Bike

20k TT sub 29min
40k TT sub 61min

Run

Run a sub 17:30 5k by years end (currently 18:14)
Let 4:20/km be my easy pace by years end (currently 4:30-4:40/km)

Limiters

After last season I identified 2 limiters:

Weight and Diet

I was too heavy and big for what I wanted to do. Already I am well on my way to fixing that. Just before christmas I was 76.3kg- lowest since I was a teen! More about losing weight it has to be about reducing body fat and gaining/maintaining lean muscle. Now I am sure I've lost muscle since Sept but with the big gear work and buoy and band/paddle work I think I will gain lean muscle that is more geared toward triathlon. That along with core work and working on my weakness should see a different shaped El D for this season

Helping me do all of this is Matt Fitzgeralds "Racing Weight". The foods I now eat are of a higher quality and I've learned the importance of eating the right type of food and the right time. I've also learned to plan my diet with the next session/or two in mind. Over christmas however all bets were off

Consistency

I felt I had to be more consistent with training as well and if this meant less racing and more training then so be it. Since going with the coach my consistency has really improved making 97%+ of sessions.

Where I am Right Now

Much better shape now than this time last year :rolleyes: 10kg lighter and still more to come off, so I feel I am starting 2012 with a head start.

Swim Although I have no TT's I do feel that I am a better and faster swimmer already than the end of last season. The drills I am doing are really helping and as the season draws closer I am sure I will add the extra bit of speed needed for a 750m swim.

Bike I've done one FTP test but the numbers that came from that cannot be trusted although I am working the HR numbers that came from it. So I'm not too sure where I stand currently but one thing I can say for sure is that my quad size has noticeably increased :P so maybe.... I'll see how I feel in my first duathlon in Feb.

Run Well I was only 2 months with the coach, a lot of easy running and some fast and build work, that coupled with the weight loss and i knocked over 30 sec off my 5k PB time! That was before christmas and I have certainly gone back a bit since, that doesn't worry me as it was christmas and all that goes with that. What does worry me is this IT problem. More on that during the week when I confirm it as an actual IT problem.


For those who think I am a dreamer (which I am )

“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake up in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.” - T.E. Lawrence

So now the hard work begins, here goes....520 days to go