2012 Goals - Cycling and Fitness

I'm starting to think about my goals for next year, and wondered if others are doing the same.

Still very much in the formative stages - I had lots of tentative tri/run goals which have been completely derailed by the ankle from hell. I will run again, but the timing is completely in the hands of my PT. So - I'm thinking on focusing on cycling/swimming goals and will take running as it comes.

I want to set a mileage goal for cycling - not sure what it will be. If I went by my mileage this year, it could be very low....It will include indoor miles and outdoor miles.

I am debating Blood Sweat and Gears again - and whether to repeat the 50 or try for the 100.

Swimming goals - I'm fuzzy on what to shoot for here. I can swim and am comfortable in the pool. I've not done much counting laps, etc. Maybe a time goal? Or a number of workouts goal? Not sure how to quantify this one (and I do very, very well with goals that are quantified as opposed to just mushy).

2011 was lackluster for me - for mostly personal reasons. I did gut on the big ride I wanted to do - but I have a feeling it could have been a lot more fun than it was had I trained more. It's time to take charge for 2012 and meet some fitness goals. Thanks to Veronica and the December Challenge, I'm well on my way!

I hope your ankle cooperates, Blueberry!

Let's see...
Until it gets consistently warm enough to ride outside again, I'm going to set a goal of 90-120 minutes of trainer time a week, however my schedule will allow.
I'm going to see if I can manage a metric in early summer (June/early July). Beyond that, my goal is to ride as much as possible, weather and school permitting. I'd like 1000 outdoor miles for 2012, but I won't hold myself to that.

I'm running a full marathon for the first time since 2008, and I have a list of half marathons and a couple of cycling events. Last year I thought I wanted to do a century, but I did a 50-mile event and decided that that was quite long enough on the bike for me. I don't like to cycle alone and I don't really have any friends nearby who do it. I went to one cycling club meeting this past summer, but their rides conflict with my CrossFit classes and most of the people seem a lot older than me, so I didn't go back. Maybe I will try again this summer. If I can find someone else to do one with me, I may do something longer than 50 miles. We'll see.

Right now I'm trying to formulate some CrossFit goals because our coaches always want to meet with us to list goals. It's difficult because I'm at a point where my goals are the same as they've been for a year now and I'm just not getting there. I'm very frustrated.

"Lackluster" would also be be a good term for me in terms of 2011 fitness goals. I started off well, but injuries and then some laziness got the better of me. It's time to dial in the eating and dial up the fitness!

I signed up early last Fall for the NC Tour De Cure in June 2012. I am supposed to ride the 150 mile route. :eek: With a team of riders who are much stronger than I am. Sigh. Today the bike went on a trainer I have on loan from a friend and I hope this gets my lazy, cold-hating butt in the saddle more often over the next few months.

After that, I want to do a sprint tri in Fall 2012. I missed signing up for a local, all women tri. It was a bit too expensive anyway.

In my post-exercise endorphin rush I signed up for a 5k on January 1. Not sure what I was thinking since I have been anything but consistent with my cycling/running... but I am confident I can muscle through. Hoping I might meet some other locals too. I need more friends who want to bike or run... (I need more friends! :rolleyes: )

Well...my cycling goal for 2012 will be to match or surpass my mileage for this year, which at the moment is 7,265. But I will likely ride on Saturday, and hope to add another 35 to make it an even 7,300.

I'd also like to get back to where I once was, with my running. For about the last 6-8 months, I've had to really scale back on my running due to my lower back issues (spondylolisthesis). I've had to incorporate more walking breaks, and I've also had to slow down from my already slow 10m/m pace. Today was actually the first day in over 4 months that I was able to run a 5k distance (albeit very slow and on the treadmill) straight through without walking. I can generally tell within the first 5 minutes of a run, whether or not my back is going to be a limiting factor. Today was a good day...which usually means tomorrow won't be. :(

I don't think a mileage based goal is realistic for me, with that said, here is what I hope to accomplish in 2012.

I really want to lose about 10 pounds, at least - 15-20 would get me to goal weight. I have lost a total of about 85 so far, but would really like to get the rest off, because of the goals that follow.

I signed up for a training program to ride a double century. I rode an ultra (144) in October, but need a bit of help to get to the double.

I want to increase my MPH. I tend to be a pretty slow rider, but I really want to increase speed to keep up with the club rides easier and to finish centuries faster.

I want to increase climbing speed.

I have a team together to ride the Furnace Creek 508. That is a big goal for this year.

I think that is probably it for now, but I might think of more :)

I am still basking in the glow of reaching my 2011 goals of 4800 miles and riding the full length of El Tour de Tucson that I haven't thought much about 2012.

I have been neglecting my music with all my riding but want to stay active and take off a few pounds that have crept back on in spite of the bike miles. At least 5 lbs are back but it might be as much as 8 if the jump on the scale this week is real (I think it actually in between the 2 numbers - extra salt and some water retention in muscles with all of the riding over vacation



A reasonable goal might be 4000 miles, and riding at least a century again, as long as the unstable left side ( back, hip, leg) cooperate. And if circumstances lean toward more music and less cycling, or I have time off with injuries, I will try to keep a flexible and positive attitude.

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Originally Posted by ivorygorgon

I signed up for a training program to ride a double century. I rode an ultra (144) in October, but need a bit of help to get to the double.

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Which double are you planning on doing?

My goals? Hmmm... I have a lot of events I plan on doing, but I haven't really set specific goals.

April - Devil Mountain Double - I just want to finish. :rolleyes:
May - Angels Camp Tri - not freeze my a$$ off, have fun and run.
June - Tri 4 Real Olympic - better my time from 2008
July - Norway Tri in Maine! - just enjoy my first out of state tri.
July - Barb's Race - HIM, the elusive sub 7 hours would be nice.
August - Back to Maine for Rev3 Old Orchard Beach. I just want this to be a blast. We're doing it as a relay. Old Orchard Beach is where we went for senior skip day in high school. I get to swim in that COLD water. Thom is doing the bike; it goes through our home town. I'm doing the run. It would be cool for us to podium, but I don't think my run is good enough.

Veronica

I think my main goal is to maintain my weight between 120 and 125lbs (as close to the lower bound as possible), and tone up some more. Ride more than in 2011 (today I will pass the 3000 miles mark if the roads dry up a little), run more than in 2012. I will get some weight training sessions and should enroll in a gym to make weight training a regular feature in my week. [Oh, I hate paying gym fees.]

Planned challenging rides: 6 days around Rimini in May (the fault of a post in this forum some months ago), the Horribly Hilly Hundreds in June, the Wright Stuff Century in September, in addition to a couple of metrics closer to home. I'd like to run one or two 10km running races. This year I did two 8km races, in early April and for Thanksgiving.

I am probably going to stick the goal I thought of trying a month ago, bike for 300 days of the year nothing less than 6.2mi. Since most of my riding for the 1st few months will be indoors I am thinking of beginning with 6 days a week but all 7 if time permits. Once the days are longer and the weather is more cooporative I don't think it will be so bad as the outdoor rides begin and eventually the indoor rides are done with until Oct.

Also, I have not done a century in 2 yrs so I really would like to get at least one of them in.

I've been thinking a bit more about my 2012 fitness and cycling goals:

• 2000+ road miles (300 road mile month average from May through October)
• Crane Ride2Recovery (May???)
• At least one metric century (Hope Ride), more if I feel like it
• Increase climbing endurance and strength
• Continue to increase mountain biking strength and skills
• Camp/mountain bike every other weekend - day trip to mtb if I can't camp that weekend..now I have all my camping stuff it isn't very expensive :)
• Brown County Breakdown - ride as much of the short route as possible
• Ride my birthday (53) ON my birthday (end of October)
• Decrease body fat percentage, lose 7 pounds and stabilize at that weight
• Finish the season without over-use injuries - THAT is something I can control :cool:
  
  

The big one is a repeat from last year: strength training. I was pretty good about it last winter and spring, but fell away.

Running: do at least one half-marathon.

Bike: Just ride more, especially hills. I plan to stop planning routes to avoid the bad climbs.

And I'd like to learn how to swim better. But it's a lower priority.

Just ride at least twice per week in winter, and then switch to daily when it warms up, by commuting and adding on mileage afterwards.

I'm not even looking at mileage, I need to do more hills. Each time I return to Vancouver, I'm reminded... :)

Keep going to my strength training/core classes through the summer (not sure if I can do this)
Do at least 2 metrics, on my own or organized and maybe another century
Work a little harder when I ride. Not looking for huge mph gains, but I slacked off this year a bit. I am good with that, but I need to work on my mental attitude
Ride at least 3,000 miles
Get more comfortable on my Guru, which I haven't ridden much
When my foot gets a little better, start running again

This is a work in process:

Get faster on the bike, which probably means pushing it more rather than simply putting in the miles. I am very slow and want to be able to ride with people and do long rides in the time allowed.

In a few days I turn 57. I want to ride 57 miles some nice day in January when it isn't too windy.

Ride 100k.

Do a multi-day charity ride, either Habitat for Humanity or one of the MS rides, when I am up north this summer.

Work on strength training by doing trainer designed weight program in motorhome two days a week. In spring return to gym for a refresher with the trainer.

Do neck and shoulder exercises every other day. No matter how boring it is. I've fallen off on this one since getting to Texas. I can feel it in my neck

Exercise at least 6 hours a week.

Maintain weight to no more than 112 pounds.

Count calories every day.

Weigh in once a week.

Eat plenty of blueberries, even though they cost way too much money. :)

Watch my impulsiveness: I buy too many things I don't need.

Not sure whether to have any running or walking goals yet.

this link pretty much says it for me.

http://vimeo.com/34028125

I will have to take it day by day with ailing 90 year old FIL. Two two hour sessions a day at the rehab center, monitoring his meals (he is allergic to eggs and yet they persist in serving him things that contain eggs. I live in fear of having him die of allergic reaction in front of me since the staff at the rehab center don't seem capable of conceiving of this as the life and death issue it is) take a big chunk out the day it's a half hour commute each way. I do breakfast, go to the gym which is about midway, do a two hour work out of training session, run errands, go back the the rehab center, monitor lunch , go home, grab some lunch, catch up with backlog of stuff, etc.

Himself takes the dinner shift and gets home for a late dinner.

It's kind of exhausting, but I sure miss the road biking.

Here's hoping something changes for the better in 2010.

In the meantime, I take the link as an inspiration and a goal.

marni

2012 Goals, good subject and none too soon to plan for.

Bike riding goals will look pretty much like this

• Shoot for 1300 miles of outdoor riding.
• Increase MPH avg by 20%
• Increase distance per ride
• Increase endurance and hill climbing abilities
• Get fast enough to keep up with group rides

Some of these goals are easily quantifiable, the endurance and hill climbing abilities are not as easily documented so they are going to have to be a subjective thing. If I measure my first full year of riding from July 24, 2010 to July 23, 2011 I come up with just over 1140 miles. This last outdoor season I had a full season to work with and managed just over 1213 miles for the year so there was a tiny increase, almost negligable. I didn't plan for much of an increase this coming outdoor year because it will be a campaign year for me and I'm not certain that I will have the time to devote to pleasure riding, but I do intend to make use of my bike while campaigning! Plus I want to continue to maintain my current level of fitness. Some of that may have to come from walking as opposed to cycling. Well, these are goals related to the bike, not enough space to write about non cycling goals...

Oh, one last but very important goal - continue to use my bike as a vehicle for exploration and have fun doing it!

1.- Keep losing weight until I reach my ideal which is 160 lbs. Hopefully I'll reach my goal by the Summer.

2.- As soon as the winter its over I will love to start commuting to work everyday until winter again. It will be a total of 18miles round trip.

3.- I want to get a brand new Road Bike

4. - I want to travel somewhere on a vacation to a tropical Island.....maybe back in Panamá or it could be in Colombia or I may go the opposite way to London...

My first goal is in April and it is to finish this challange and do my best on the next day. My next goal is to become national cahmapion again in XCO and XCM.
And hopefully to participate in the 24h marathon.
Meanwhile there will be lots of other races.
I would like to keep on weight lifting but I find it very difficult with approaching of the season, so many hours of base training so I don't want to set up such a goal.
I will maintain my weight of 112 pounds until the start of the season but later it is still difficult for me to balance on the thin line between good recovery and overloading with carbs.

These are my goals for 2012:

Learn how to cross-country ski (already signed up for the mountaineers course)
Learn how to work on my bike (including maintenance and repairs)
Weekend Bike/Camping Trips
Resume running when my plantarfacitus is clears up
Ride Hurricane Ridge (Olympic National Park)
Courage Classic - Washington (3 day ride over 3 mountain passes)
RAPSody (2 day ride around Puget Sound)
Ride up Mt. Erie (Fidalgo Island)
Kayak/Camp
Lose about 10 pounds and increase lean body mass
Learn how to play the Harmonica (got one for Christmas!)
Spend more time with friends doing the above!

I loved the Holstee Manifesto link that was shared....thank you for that!

Happy New Years!

Love the Holstee Manifesto link:) Thanks for sharing:)

2012 Goals:
1. Lose 15 pounds
2. Spend more time with family and friends cycling
3. Cycle 1000 miles
4. Master the Slagel Hill climb
5. Complete a few metric centuries

Veronica: The double we will be training for is the LA Wheelmen Grand Tour.

This year,

• I want to get back to my "climbing weight". I'm almost there!
  
  
• I want to get back to where a metric century is not a big deal, and an imperial century or a double metric is not in the "you've got to be kidding!" category. :p Been there before, I can do it again.
  
  
• And in early August, I want to ride up the mountain in the background of this photo (which is Mt Shasta; the last climb of the Mt Shasta Century is up the Everitt Memorial Highway to the Old Ski Bowl).

Jo - that's a great pic!!!

I'm going to be working on the "to do list" I created after my DNF of the TT. I've got the new bike with better climbing gears. :) I'm planning to do the TT specific training rides SRCC puts on - one of which is even harder than the TT. Now that I'm back from my trip to the east coast, it is time to resume the weight loss I started last year.

On the way to the TT, I'll do some brevets and doubles. I'd like to repeat my time at DMD, which I was really happy with. And I will mostly try to have fun on the bike and keep fitting in family time along the way.

It feels like I've been planning my 2012 goals since summer 2011!

My main goal is to successfully ride across the country-- Seattle to Washington D.C. over the summer, and to finish strong and in the best shape of my life.

The other goals kind of revolve around this:

• This winter and spring: drop into the 140 lb range and STAY THERE for the rest of the year.

• Compete in several bike races this spring-- I don't have a choice in the matter... I'm the coach!

• Be faster than my female student riders :D

• After the cross country bike ride-- maintain my physique!

• Continue to meet with my personal trainer Zach throughout the year.

It's ambitious, and some of these things aren't really a choice anymore. I'm locked into racing and riding across the country (or it feels like it anyway) and I'm already well on my way to dropping into the 140s. Zach and I started working together at the beginning of december and I've already lost an inch and a half off my waist. No pounds yet, but fat for certain!

Woohoo!

After a lot of thinking, I believe my goal for the year is to be consistent.

I have ideas about how fast I want to run, about where I want to be in the xc expert field, etc. But I noticed that when something unexpected, out of my control, came up and derailed my opportunity to reach certain goals this year--it affected me much more than I thought it would. I became depressed, turned to emotional eating, slacked on my training . . .

Here are a list of "sub-goals" to help motivate me, but as I mentioned, my main goal is eat healthy, take care of myself, and exercise regularly.

• Fully complete Strength Training Program
• PR in the 25k
• Compete in a 100 mile xc race
• Podium in Expert Cat (any race :))

I'll also add:

• Go to bed when I need to go to bed
• Don't eat junk food past 8 PM--go to bed! I am tired, not hungry.
• Take a break when I need it, sometimes I really don't feel better after a workout.
• Stay the course when the course should be stayed
• Stop obsessing about NOT having a treat, move on. The obsessing is what makes it so difficult to say no.
• Continue to push myself to my limits and beyond

I have no goals. Except to have fun.

Where to begin? The athletic performance ones:

• Better my times at the races I repeat this year.
• Go sub-2 hour on a half marathon (I have lots of opportunities)
• Execute an entire training plan all they way through to the event
• Reach my weight goal before June 1.
• Sub 1:45/100m for my swim.
• Complete both the Mt Shasta Summit Century and The Crater Lake Century

For other goals, I have

• get a better handle on the farm (this needs to be quantified, I know)
• create a family budget and revamp our financial plan
• learn to be more proactive and focused at my job
• socialize more

Bike goals:

• Complete the Excruciation Exam this Saturday, shooting for 7-7.5 hours. It is 80 miles mountain bike and road.
• Finish the marathon season at the end of this month, currently leading the series if I win I get a jersey.
• Improve my times at two races I did very good in this fall - XC at Huntsville, TX and Marathon at Palo Duro Canyon.
• Put times up during spring XC (mountain bike racing) that are competitive. My times last spring were way out of the group I race (first season in this division) I may not be in the placing but hopefully in some races I will be in the mix.
• Improve my technical riding abilities in mountain biking.
• Improve my cornering mountain biking.
• Work back to being stronger on the road, I am probably 2-3 mph slower than I used to average when I rode more.

Non-Bike Goals to Improve Body and Fitness:

• First goal - give up artificial sweeteners.
• Give up high fructose corn syrup products.
• Tone core, legs and arms.
• Remember sunscreen more, I am not getting any younger and need to protect my skin better!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

• Complete both the Mt Shasta Summit Century and The Crater Lake Century

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Yay!! Excellent choices ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ny biker

I have no goals. Except to have fun.

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I like reading all the goals in this section. This one made me smile big.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Veronica

July - Norway Tri in Maine! - just enjoy my first out of state tri.
August - Back to Maine for Rev3 Old Orchard Beach. I just want this to be a blast. We're doing it as a relay. Old Orchard Beach is where we went for senior skip day in high school. I get to swim in that COLD water. Thom is doing the bike; it goes through our home town. I'm doing the run. It would be cool for us to podium, but I don't think my run is good enough.

Veronica

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Dates? Would be awesome to see you and Thom! Hopefully our schedules will work out on one of your visits.

SheFly

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SheFly

Dates? Would be awesome to see you and Thom! Hopefully our schedules will work out on one of your visits.

SheFly

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I've decided to not do Norway and do another tri out here instead. We're definitely going to be back the weekend of July 8 for a big family to do. We want to spend a few days in Boston, doing the touristy stuff at one end of the trip. Is the week before the 8th better for you or the week after? We haven't made reservations yet, so a planned visit with you could tip the scales towards which week we're there. :p

We're in just for the weekend of Old Orchard Beach - since I'm back at work. That's Aug 26 - probably fly Thursday or Friday night and return on Monday.

Veronica

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Veronica

I've decided to not do Norway and do another tri out here instead. We're definitely going to be back the weekend of July 8 for a big family to do. We want to spend a few days in Boston, doing the touristy stuff at one end of the trip. Is the week before the 8th better for you or the week after? We haven't made reservations yet, so a planned visit with you could tip the scales towards which week we're there. :p

We're in just for the weekend of Old Orchard Beach - since I'm back at work. That's Aug 26 - probably fly Thursday or Friday night and return on Monday.

Veronica

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SWEET! Let me check in with Mike and the current race schedules to see if one week is better than another. Will you have bikes? And we live in the histroic region - the place where the American Revolution began - Lexington/Concord/Lincoln. Lots of fun sights to see, plus the city, of course.

SheFly

Hey, can a slow person join this ride??? Maybe I can just meet you for lunch.
You can ride up my street, Veronica, for just a little training compared to the usual climbs you do. Only 3.5 miles from the Old North Bridge.

We have to rent bikes because we need to recon the course in August.

So, maybe. :D

Crankin I was hoping you'd see this thread. Would love to hook up with you as well.

Veronica

Here are my 2012 goals:

*Lose 20-30# more pounds
*Ride 200 miles a month(between my road and mountain bike)
*Start riding in March(March-October)
*Start jogging/running and maybe run a 1/2 marathon
*Limit my diet soda to 1-2 bottles a week
*Add some strength training

I will put you on my schedule, Veronica.

I'll be working at the bike shop again this coming summer, so one of my goals will be to bike to work all the days I don't have to work until 7pm. Another will be to hit all of those great mtb riding places I didn't get to last year.




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I am inspired by the scale and variety of goals on here, good luck everyone.

Mine are very simple. I want to do at least three errand/nursery runs per week by bike rather than car, when weather and schedule permit (which should be most of the time). This is the easiest way for me to ride regularly, improves my fitness and saves money on fuel for the car as short journeys are the least fuel-efficient. I also want to do a better job of maintaining my bikes. I don't record mileage as standard, but will at least record all my rides in my blog every week.