Saturday, January 14, 2012

The Annual Goal Post

Last year, I had 8 goals. I met 3 of them. That's an awful track record.

This year, as I've mentioned before, I only have two.
  1. Complete a 40K time trial in less than an hour (avg speed, 24.9 mph or faster).
  2. Get my weight down to the lower 170's.
These two goals are relatively simple, but they both take a lot of work and planning.

My best 40K last year was about 1:03. I "only" have to take 3 minutes off that time, but it's going to take a lot of training to get there. I need to increase my threshold power, I need to be able to stay in the aerodynamic position for an hour, and I need the mental focus to be able to keep the intensity up the whole time. I decided that I am not buying any new bike equipment to help in that goal. I'm going to do this on training and skill development alone.

I've got 4 races on the schedule that are 40K, so I've got a few shots at it. And no, doing a 20K in thirty minutes does not count :-)

My weight is currently 184.6 (down from 186 at Jan 1). I realize that wherever my weight is in April is probably where it will stay for most of the racing season. It's very difficult to stay in top racing form while trying to lose weight at the same time. Your body needs to be fully fueled in order to repair after heavy training sessions and that's not conducive to weight loss at all. If I can lose 1 pound a week, which is not a lot but it's not easy to stay consistent, I should be around 172 by the end of April. 

Time to go get on the CompuTrainer :-)