Catch-up, part 2: 2011 plans, targets, dreams

With all those distant memories out of the way, it's time to concentrate on this season. It's one where I'm hoping to step it up a level, especially at standard distance, and nudge towards the top of the listings at sprint distance. It's not going to be easy, but it rarely is, and my training performances thus far have given me confidence that I can hit what are some pretty stretching targets.

Race-wise, those targets are:
1) Finish a sprint triathlon in under an hour. That gives me two chances - Driffield (1:04:04 last year) and Ilkley (1:04:36 last year). Conveniently, it's also one relatively flat course and one darn hilly course. For that matter, it's one early-season race and one late-season race. Either way, a lot of things will have to go right to beat the hour, but I don't believe it's impossible by any means.

2) Ripon in under 2:30. Last year it was 2:47, but that was my first standard distance tri, and one where some elements were being taken a little conservatively. Also, it had the sun absolutely blaring down, which surely can't happen two years in a row. The bike and run courses are both pretty flat, which isn't exactly playing to my strengths, but my distance running is a whole lot better now than it was then.

3) Leeds in under 2:25. A more achievable target might be to avoid being disqualified, but again this is a matter of taking 15-20 minutes off the previous year's time. The difference being, of course, that this is a tremendously hilly race - hideously painful, for sure, but more my style. It's an course where racing weight will be a factor, and I'd expect to be lighter than last year. Also with hilly courses, local knowledge is very handy, and I'll be able to ride the course a number of times before the event.

Now, all those targets are very tough, and it's not inconceivable that I could have a very good season without meeting any of them, but there's no point aiming low. Awkwardly, as they're all time-based, they're vulnerable to elements outside my control - inclement weather, for example. They do, however, offer the tantalising possibility of high finishes, and maybe even some minor prizes if things go my way. Everyone likes prizes.

So what do I have to do to meet these targets? The first thing, I guess, is to train consistently. That's always the main building block of any athletic performance, and in triathlon it seems even more pronounced. That includes when the weather is vile (hopefully, most of this should be out of the way now). Having a plan B is very useful for this (as, indeed, is having a plan A!), events have a habit of getting in the way of things, so backup is very useful. Tends to involve the turbo trainer for me, it's not restricted by weather or lighting.

Also key is to train at various intensities. Last year, I was moving up the distances, so there was a lot of endurance work to do. This year, lots of work at tempo and anaerobic levels are in the pipeline. Training at low intensity all the time is the classic trap for triathletes to fall into - after all, any triathlon is neccessarily an endurance event. If you want to get onto the first page of results, though, you need to be able to shift. I've used Parkruns to sharpen up my running, hard turbo work and hills on the bike, and hard interval sets in the pool. It hurts like hell, but let's face it, that's what gets results.

A bit of shiny new gear also helps, of course. This year, I've picked up some proper tri cycling shoes (and attendant pedals), and I'm currently having lustful thoughts towards a pair of Brooks T7 Racers - race-specific running shoes that weigh approximately nothing, as worn by Chrissie Wellington among others. The question is whether the lack of any motion control or cushioning is a good idea for my running style. Sadly, that'll be about it for new gear, like-for-like replacements notwithstanding, so I suppose I'll have to work hard instead :-(

Lastly, I need to sharpen up my transitions. Hopefully this will improve with experience; I've had some horror shows in the past. I'm trying to streamline the process - the shoes are easier to get on and off, and my new bike computer will negate the need for my Forerunner on the bike leg (I can put it on on the move during the run). These little time gains add up - with a bit of luck (and a lot of graft), they'll add up to a successful 2011 season.