2009 - a year in review...

Thought I'd pop down a few thoughts and numbers on the year just gone, which began with me at something around 15 1/2 stone and hideously unfit, with a resolution to do an Olympic tri.

I started with the target of swimming twice a week, running three times a week and cycling twice a week, with at least one bike commute a week.  It started well, and I kept up the swimming until about April, when the boredom of grinding up and down first thing in the morning finally got too much.  By this time I'd lost the best part of two stone and was running reasonably well, and did my first race for a long while, the Bradford 10k when I was surprised to break 40mins.

Things were going well on the cycling front too, and in March I finally started to get a little quicker than my cycling mates from Harrogate, and eventually got a Gold standard in the White Rose Challenge, which was a stark contrast to the year before when I had a horrendous time over the same route.

Did two Olympic Tris, Ripon and Bassenthwaite, and was pleased to get well inside my target of 2:30 for Bassenthwaite - and had a good race at Ilkley to get in the top 20 with 63:30.  Probably won't be doing any more big triathlons as it all seems a bit of a faff, but will probably enter Ilkley again.

So - the statistics:

1159 miles run (22 a week) at 7:32 average pace (compared to 305 in 2008)
3021 miles cycled (58 a week) at 15.3mph (compared to 613 in 2008)
Weight bottomed out at about 13st, but I've put on the best part of 10lbs over the last few weeks - need to put in some effort to get that off before April
9 PBs - 3x5k (best 17:54), 3x10k (best 37:14), 2x10m (best 62:27), 1xHM (82:03).

Ambitions for the year -

3:15 at Blackpool, with a BHAG of sub-3, which should be achievable
A 36:xx 10k
A sub-80 HM
Gold in the Etape du Dales (v tough)
Do some more fell races - maybe some Lakes ones

Right now the focus is marathon training.  I've got a reasonable base, with a run of 18m this week and a couple of 16milers under my belt.  Need to get that long one to 20m before the end of the month then keep my motivation and get 5 decent long runs in before Trimpell in mid-March.  I've got several Friday afternoons booked off to do long runs, which means I should be able to get a few bike rides in as well, given that I'm off to Mallorca with my brother Rick 2 weeks after Blackpool.