2012 Goals - Cycling and Fitness

[Blueberry]

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!

[Owlie]

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.

[Jen12]

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!

[rubysoho]

I signed up early last Fall for the NC Tour De Cure in June 2012. I am supposed to ride the 150 mile route. 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! )

[nscrbug]

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.

[ivorygorgon]

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

[azfiddle]

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.

[Veronica]

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.

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.
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

[pll]

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.

[Jo-n-NY]

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.

[Catrin]

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
  
  

[skhill]

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.

[shootingstar]

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...

[Crankin]

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

[goldfinch]

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.