My own goals and race achievements

[RoadRaven]

Hi there folks... I did join the journal site, but never have time to get there to log mileage etc... so have decided I will make a thread here to talk about my races etc - but it will also serve as a "but-kick" motivator for me ... cause I'll "have" to be answerable to it...

I always read everyone elses goals and aims and achievements although I often don't comment. So thank you to anyone who reads this - knowing someone else is "watching" will help keep me motivated too.

So, here's me - currently I have agreed to support a Sports Therapy student - I am her assignment - she does a bunch of tests on me, writes a training programme which I follow religiously for 6 weeks and then she repeats the tests and has to explain any changes in my physiology (or explain where she went wrong if there are no changes or my fitness regresses).

So yesterday I did a VO2 max test, tomorrow I do a lactate threshold test and Friday I do an indoor TT... next week I start her training programme.

She knows my goal/interest is time trialling so this is an interesting and useful way to start the year...


So - my goals for 2006 thus far...

January 15 - Tour de Beautiful Race and Funride. (I have previously only ridden the 10km kids ride with my youngest boys) I wanted to do this in under 1 hout 50minutes but due to illness we didn't go. I was pleased not to be there as a cyclist lost control and went off the road and was killed instantly when he hit a tree down the hill - he lay there for three hours before anyone realised he was missing.

January 28 - Dartmoor 18km club TT... chickened outta that one cause I didn't feel "ready"

March 19 - 20km cycling leg of a triathalon. Last year I did it in 42 minutes (and I crashed during it too - the 42 minutes doesn't include the crash/get back on bike time). This year I hope to go under 35 minutes and not crash.

March 25 - 25km club race over a flat course... I haven't ridden this course before. My aim is to complete it with the bunch and not get dropped.

April 1 - Dartmoor 18km clubTT - my PB over this course is 37.33 minutes I am aiming to do it in under 35 minutes

I'll add other club races when the winter schedule comes out.


October 15 - Tour of the Bay Race and Funride. 2005 time was 1hour 56 minutes. Goal for 2006 is under 1 hour 40 minutes.


Other general goals before the end of the year - these are personal measures of imporovement...

- climb the top of Tiropai (the last bit of hill before my house, 11% gradient) in under 2 1/2 minutes (at the moment my PB is 3minutes 21seconds)

- cycle out and back through 'the gorge' (I know, another meaningless bit of geography - but its the last rolling hillocks down beside the river just before you reach the first intersection on the way to town - about 10kms from my house) at a minimum of 20km/hour (at the moment I often am sitting around 16-18km when I return home - I want to have enough "oomph" left so that these little rolls don't slow me down so much)

- 20km Apley/Swamp training TT course - PB 46.46. I want to do it in under 33minutes by the end of the year.

- Dump block TT - training course and club TT course - PB 37.01. I want to do it in 31 minutes by the end of the year.

K... its out there... now lets see how I go...

[RoadRaven]

Um... I have a new bike... Soooo purty

Partner took me in to "try out" some bikes so we could start thinking about getting me a TT specific bike... and what did we do - walked out with a new GIANT TCR Aero 2...

I have only ridden two kms on it this week after my partner, my son and I set it up, because I am in the middle of fitness tests and have to rest every other day (between the tests) but I can't wait til Saturday when I can ride it properly.

Its a very long wait til Saturday...

Guess I'll have no excuses come my TT races... and all I can say after riding just the 2kms... Lance, it IS about the bike... it felt just fantastic and without even trying I was faster...

[DeniseGoldberg]

So pretty! Congrats on the new bike.

--- Denise

[RoadRaven]

I know, Denise... I keep going out to the shed to make sure its ok... I need to think of a name - my other bike is my Red Pony.

I've never had a brand new bike (or car for that matter) before - this is my first!

I was asked yesterday if it would get an outing on Sunday (race) and I said "no way - somebody might scratch it!!!"

Guess I'm feeling a tad protective...

[bluerider]

NICE BIKE RoadRaven! Good luck on your races! Sounds like this is a big year for you.

[RoadRaven]

Firstly, thanks Blue... and yes, she is very niiiice (tho still un-named) but she didn't get an outing today though... went on my Red Pony

Well... first goal since I started this thread... achieved!

March 19... the length of the course had been shortened by 2km to avoid nasty corners and the improvement to safety for cyclists and runners was great. I didn't crash this time... woohoo!

I don't have my team's time as I had to leave early, but I averaged 30.6km per hour - last year I averaged 27.0km. I did some calculations (with the help of one of my sons) and we worked out that if it had been the same course exactly as last years (the conditions were very similar) then I shaved over 6 minutes off my time.

Feeling very tired, a little achey and very very pleased with myself...

<<< Raven well-chuffed