How are you all shaping up your next year’s training and racing?
After a brief comment with @jorgan how having kids off school wrecks training I’ve been rethinking my races. I’d like to do Italy and Wales but this is the second year that I’ve tried to train through summer holidays and even though I’m not working, it’s been really disruptive. So France, Roth, Frankfurt become more appealing long course events.
I have found shorter, frequent sessions much more fun and easy to schedule when I was working too, and the supporting short course/standard distance racing fun. Unfortunately that season starts when you’d need to switch to long course training…
Then there’s all the questions on what to focus on through Autumn, Winter and Spring…
Honestly? I just make it up as i go these days. I try to keep my body ticking over in such a way that should i see an event i fancy, whether that’s a 5km road run, an ultra, a tri or something else, i can just jump into it. Depending on how serious i want to take it, i’ll allow myself more or less time to put in a training block.
I don’t tend to think further away than about 6 months these days. Though saying that, i am tempted by the TT showdown in the Cotswolds next July. But i’ll probably not commit until closer to the time!
I do what I like, when I like.
I’ve been swimming twice since Outlaw
Autumn - Usually XC season for me. I don’t focus on running, but dark nights, less daylight hours, means I don’t enjoy riding my bike as much.
Winter - Two weeks off completely somewhere (this year is Sep-Oct, due to my hand op) but I do a lot of cycling. And swimming. It’s warm in the pool. Mmm. Warmth.
Spring - Half marathon and get the cycling distances up from 100km at New Year to 200km by April. Keep swimming.
Also, I’m not at the age when where I am willing to wait for the kids to grow-up and be self sufficient. That’s what happens when you don’t have kids at 20-25
I tried to give it up in 2018, but it is stronger than me. IM Barcelona was supposed to be my last in 2020…now it’s 2021…and there is no way I can leave the sport without a decent Lanza performance…etc. Now I want to excel in short course at the same time…
Other than down for Cotswold’s Classic, I’m waiting to see how my Autumn Mara goes. I’m tempted to try run through the winter and build again for an spring Mara with the intention that some consistency sees a decent improvement.
I’m planning to just prepare for a couple of half’s, with no idea which when or where they’ll be, but may do Steelman again. Friend of mine is also planning to swim Windermere and there’s a chance I might get involved with that…
Autumn plan is strength. Need to get to the gym and do some hard work. Plus the usual steady miles on the bike and some trail running.
Winter is strength and endurance. Need to get more miles in than I have in previous years.
Spring and summer same as most people. Just building towards whatever I’ve got planned.
Been similar to @gingerbongo since covid came and just ticked over. Wasn’t disappointed when staffs/lakesman did get binned, and then jumped in for Helvellyn closer to the time.
Half marathon was 12 weeks from arriving in Aus so that was a good focus, and about as far ahead as I can plan nowadays.
Want to give long course another serious assault, in the narrow window before I have kids, but covid doubts sap all enthusiasm for the full training. Now 12 weeks from my planned half that I’m unsure will go ahead, tainting the thought of shifting from unstructured bikes to proper sessions.
Got to try and put a plan together, have currently got the 2020/21/22 IM Copenhagen in August and 2021/22 Lanza booked in. Looks like a lot of Zwift over the winter and trying to learn to swim more efficiently and protecting my achilles. All being well I can recover and keep ticking over between May and August.
Euro Standard Duathlon champs in Aviles hopefully with my son (pending him qualifying in October)
Euro Middle Distance Du & World Middle Distance Du (pending registration qualification period opening).
I’ll just fill stuff in around them so TTs and same type of stuff as this year
Without sounding like a GB stalker I’m getting similar, except for the fact I’ve got quite a few deferred races next year. Other races I’ll just enter depending on whether I fancy it or how I’m going etc., but things carried over.
Texas 70.3
Maastricht 70.3
UTMB - can do 2023 but I need to get 6 points next year
Hardmoors 55
If I don’t get to Boston in October I’d like to see if I can get a time to go next April. Might do the Cotswold.
But a lot of it depends on recovering from this stupid hip problem, although it’s definitely been better recently.
I’ve really struggled with consistency this summer. I’d actually say with Wales being scrapped again I’ve really taken my foot off the gas. My hip issues have meant very little running over the last month also.
I was super keen keen to get a race in September. The weekend of the 26th has some options but my wife is doing Windsor half marathon so it’s my turn for supporter duties. I dithered for a bit for the Outlaw Bowood and Helvellyn and now they’re sold out. I’m free the 18th/19th but I think it’s only Weymouth on then and that’s sold out. I do have to drag myself around London mara. I’m less than enthusiastic being a bit crocked. I’ll just have to wing it, so standard mara prep.
Next year is looking like
Brighton marathon
Lanza / Bolton - probably Bolton. The date is definitely working right now
Wales
Maybe get my arm twisted into the TT world champs at Cotswold
Kind of making it up. So far next year I’m in for ;
Arc 50 in Jan
TP100 May
SDW100 June
And I’m volunteering for A100 on Oct this year which gives me an entry for that race next year.
I want to ride more, especially off road. Just do some stuff with Little One. It’s about her these days.
We are all keen to go to Club la Santa as well.
So now if I want to kayak, it’s a ‘me’ activity again FFS 
