Winterising; or Looking Back, Looking Forward.

We're definitely into autumn now, the days are much shorter, the weather colder, and it's dark when I head to work for a day shift.  Now that I'm regularly training before shifts, it's dark and cold when I head out for my pre-day-shift run.  This is always a good time of year to reflect on how the summer has been, and that seems particularly pertinent this year. 

Having signed up to the Brownlee Fitness Squad for my triathlon training, and completed all my main events for this year, training is now moving into the 'winter base development' period... Then on October 16th, the ballot for Celtman opens for entries.  


To even get to the point where I can feel ready to enter the full-distance Celtman is a huge step for me - I never would have even considered it until the last couple of years.  So putting my hat in the ring - entering the ballot, stepping up - means I will be giving everything I'm capable of, to make it to that finish line. To read more about what that race means to me, take a look at this post.

So, yesterday I sat down to look back over this year, and forward to the coming winter.  This is one of those posts that I will look back on in the spring and, I hope, will help me to see how far I've come.  It may not be that interesting to anyone else!  

So...

Reflection on 2023 training & winter goals



Where was I in spring 2023? 

  • Averaging 20-21kph on average bike ride outdoors, hadn’t yet used tri bars
  • Plantar fasciitis stopping me running regularly
  • Mainly swimming breaststroke, FC averaging over 3:00/100m & unable to swim big distances. 
  • Nervous on MTB


How did 2023 go? 


Successes: 

  • Completed Celtman Solo Point Five - although run not within cutoff time (allowed). 
  • Completed Craggy Island Tri & didn’t come last! 
  • Got comfortable using Tri bars
  • Upgraded road race bike
  • Learning to manage Plantar Fasciitis - able to run regularly, although it’s sore afterwards. 
  • Worked hard on Front Crawl, now averaging under 3:00/100m in the pool, 2:45/100m in open water. 
  • Completed 5km Front Crawl swim. 
  • Came up with a means of improving consistency: early to bed before day shifts & up at 0445 for run/gym; rest & recover after nights, train before 1st night & on days off. 
  • Improved my diet with help from the ZOE programme: removed blood sugar spikes completely, learnt how to eat more sustainably for my body, reduced the amount of UPF I eat. 
  • Got a bit better at going to bed at a reasonable time.  Can still improve. 
  • Much improved confidence & performance on mountain bike - much better bike handling skills. 


Could-do-betters… 

  • Haven’t lost any weight.  Hmmm… I’m not even convinced this is possible any more, without being truly miserable. It's a lifelong battle. 
  • Keep working on consistency, to feel like I’m managing enough swim, bike, run & gym sessions per week, and recovering properly. 
  • Don’t sign up for as many events next summer: they interrupt consistency. 


Goals for winter 2023… To do before my birthday: April 4th 2024

  • Improve my Front Crawl swim speed to below 2:30/100m 
  • Increase run distance to half marathon. 
  • Increase run speed on flat trail (Alness Parkrun) to better than 30 mins/ 5km?  Is that reasonable before spring? Need to test my current pace. 
  • Improve bike speed to average 27.5kph on ‘Home to Avoch for coffee’ route (current average 25.5kph): windless day, race bike. 
  • Ride Garve - Kinlochewe route approx once per month (last 40km of Celtman bike leg, and a good route for headwind practice). 
  • Focus on quality of diet and eating the right amounts for what I need, not too much, not too little.  Keep working on my relationship with food. 
  • Keep up the pattern of training on Day shift days/ recovering after Nights… Be consistent. 
  • Do TTT’s, iTTS, Pack Social/Sub-2’s & Parkruns whenever possible. 
  • Do the Chilly Challenge- keep swimming outdoors throughout winter. 
There's a lot of information in there, but there is one goal at the end of this: the cross the Celtman finish line on June 15th, 2024.  There will be a lot of blood, sweat and tears shed before then, but every step will bring me closer to that goal.  



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