Back To The Future: The 2011 Season Goals
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So my A race for this year has come and gone. What’s next? First, lots of ice cream, pizza, and beer. Check, check, and double check. Next up is retrospect. Then, its time to plan next year. So, first things first….
The 2010 Retrospect
Overall, I’m happy with my progress this year. This is my second year of full on triathlon, and my goals for 2010 were:
1. Remain middle of the pack or slightly better.
2. FASTER…in every way.
Indeed, I have remained lodged middle of the field tighter than a BP oil well cap (aka slightly tight).I also had a couple of good performances. I improved my highest age group placing to 4th. I had some top three finishers in foot races. While that sounds nice and dandy, I’m first to admit that those shining moments depended just as much on who showed up as my training. In regards to swim and run times, I have new PR’s in every event:
5k – 20:09
10k – 46:43,
Half-Mary – 1:57.
Swim – 1:32/100y.
In regards to cycling, I have dug myself out of the pits to a FTP of 202, racking up a 24% increase over 7 months.
At the same time, it’s been a tough year for training. With a new job, new state, new side of the country, new baby daughter, new business, new house; life has been ….complicated. Even with the reduced schedule secondary to not putting an Ironman on the calendar this year, it’s been hard for this obsessed triathlete to hold on to the training schedule consistently. Fortunately, 8 months into my new life in Montana, things are finally starting to settle into stability. Work is good. Starting to know the safe ride routes. In the groove with the local cycling team. Starting to get a grip on the unique weather. My beer making skills are improving. Things are primed for an excellent 2011.
The 2011 Season Plan:
Okay, here are my official goals for 2011:
1. Sub 12 hour Ironman at Coeur d’ Alene
2. Sub 5:45 Half Ironman
3. Top 3 age group finish in a triathlon
4. Sub 20:00 5k
5. Sub 46:00 10K
6. Sub 1:50 Half
7. Sub 4 hour Marathon
8. Sub 1:15 Ironman swim.
So how am I going to do this? First up, I’m going to be spending a lot more time on form, drills, and training rather than racing all over the place. I’m limiting my sprint triathlons and focusing more on Olympic and greater. In regards to specific training, I will FINALLY be including some core exercises and weight sessions. To improve my technique, I’m enlisting the help of swim and running coaches; perks of working in a medical fitness facility. A couple of my teammates have also used swimsmooth.com, and that looks very promising.
As for the schedule, everything is based around Coeur d’Alene on June 25, 2011 and Ironman Arizona. As for the past two years, I will use the ultra awesome Endurance Nation training and coaching to guide me overall. Here’s the schedule:
Start Date: 8/9/10 – Advanced Outseason Training Plan for 28 weeks
Start Date: 2/21/11 – Transition Phase for 2 weeks
Start Date: 3/7/11 – General Prep for 4 weeks
Start DAte: 4/4/11 - Race Prep for Ironman Coeur d’Alene for 12 weeks
Start Date: 6/27/11 – Break for 1 week
Start Date: 7/4/11 – Transition Phase for 2 weeks
Start Date: 7/18/11 -General Prep for 6 weeks
Start Date: 8/29/11 -Race Prep for Ironman Arizona 12 weeks
Start Date: 11/21/11 -Drink a whole lot of wine and beer.
Lofty agenda? Maybe. Crazy schedule? Probably. Fun? Absolutely. Four more days until we start. Now pass me a deep fried beer.
Comments
You never cease to make me laugh with your posts. I was on a ride today and was trying to formulate my own goals for the fall and the 2011 season. Will post them up when I finalize. One quick thing that jumped out at me was your choice of the Advanced OS. I thought this was only for those really fast guys, like guys going sub 5-5:15 HIM? I remember when I decided on my OS plan last far I was told to not overreach as it may do more harm then good. Just a thought.
You need to bring some of that beer to CDA!
Hey Tucker,
No problem, I'll be here all week. Make sure you tip your waitresses.
Thanks for the advice on the Advanced OS. I just chose it because I wanna work hard, but if thats what the coaches said, Im happy sticking with the Intermediate. "Really fast guy" is not what I am, unless your talking about women or beer. Ow, my wife just kicked me.
Anyway, I look forward to your goals and everyone elses thoughts!
As long as you wrote down times, I'll observe:
To do sub 12 @ CDA, you'll need a faster HIM - like 5:30 range (depending on the course)
Are those running times for the run leg of a tri, or stand along? Cause they don't seem consistent within themselves. Like, a 20:00 5k (which requires a 50 VDOT) would equate (most would say) to a 1:32 ish HM and a 3:2X marathon. But the longer distances WOULD seem fair if the 5K were stand alone an the others were done in a tri.
Here are my thoughts on the goals: focus on your FTP and your VDOT in that 28 week OS. For the IM, your time will then take care of itself if you (a) do the training and (b) execute the race. You can decide on your goal for that race once you know your FTP & w/kg and your VDOT. Just speculatin', to break 12 hours on that course, you'll need w/kg of at least 3.8 and a VDOT north of 48 if you're gonna swim 1:15. (I've finished that race 7 times, all between 11:29 and 11:55 with swims of 68-73 minutes.)
Greg, I have the same goal as you for CDA. Would love sub-12 and think it is quite possible. But Al brings up some good points, as always. So it got me thinking, we have a big team here, a data tool, and some really smart people. Can we get a chart/graph/spreadsheet/whatever that shows how our people did in their HIM and IM along with their FTP, w/kg and Vdot? It is probably more out of curiosity but may be a helpful guide to see what one can expect to do on a certain course.
So according to Al I need to get my FTP to 310 if I hot my weight goal of 180. Yikes better get to pushing them pedals.
No doubt the OS is going to be where I need to put things. LOTS of work.
This is my very first post at EN. I was searching the forums to see if I could learn anything for my own IMCDA 2011 plans. I like the input you received to your post. My contribution is much more mundane.: your 12 week race prep for CDA should start on 04/04/11 not 3/7/11........unless you are building in a month's rest! Adrian
Congrats on your first post! And thanks, I forgot to put the first general prep session in the block. I have fixed it above. Best of luck!