2017 targets

warreng

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Sounds like you had a hard year - seriously hope that you manage to keep to 7!

However, since your target 3 Is the antithesis of my target 3, can you send any you buy my way please?

WarrenG wrote:

3. Due to Point 1 I celebrated the year with high-quality Belgian beers - this HAS GOT TO STOP

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

3. Sample more Belgium beers.

Ha. I finished my last bottle on New Years Day. I convinced myself I was celebrating surviving my near-miss but I was just being a glutton. I dusted off the juicer last night and then had a camomile tea before bed. Mrs G wanted to get me sectioned

wolfsbane2k

WarrenG wrote:

Ha. I finished my last bottle on New Years Day. I convinced myself I was celebrating surviving my near-miss but I was just being a glutton. I dusted off the juicer last night and then had a camomile tea before bed. Mrs G wanted to get me sectioned

Well, if you get given any more, please send them my way!
I've only just got into them - I like leffe brun/blonde and had a few chimay red before, but didn't like it, but found piraat & gulden draak in a selection box at lidl and had to give it a go.
Hooked. Absolutely hooked.

Blacktemplar

1) Increase non-communting miles and beat the 5,136 I did in 2016
2) Repeat/increase the 'ride 300' (days on a bike) challenge to at least 320
3) Introducing (with some trepidation) the 'dry on 250' (days without alcohol) challenge. I sense a fail looming
4) Ride at least 2 x 100km plus 1 x 200km monthly Jan-Mar, plus as many 300km rides pre-May as daylight allows
5) Lose some festive lard and drop from my current 73kg to at least 70kg, preferably 67kg if possible
6) Complete the Mallorca 312 within the cutoff time and without being utterly ruined (depends on points 3-5 to a degree)
7) Ride at least 2 x 100-mile sportives after May

Apart from that, nothing much....

N0bodyOfTheGoat

NitrousOxide wrote:

Start doing some recreational cycling again, especially if I choose to use the bus for commuting over the next ~2 winter months

After looking out of the window on several days recently, when there were no scheduled Xmas social events, I finally got round to my first recreational ride (and first ride of note for ~7 weeks) of 2017 a little earlier, instead of making excuses as to why I shouldn't pop out for a gentle ride.
https://www.strava.com/activities/822000755

Definitely not a day for setting segment achievements, not least of which I've lost some fitness in those ~7 weeks (partially due to a cold that held on for weeks), but also a lot of places had loose dogs and pedestrians; some areas had not thawed out since the overnight frost etc.

But I feel far better for the ride, more awake and in a more positive frame of mind, Strava simply gives me my own re-enforcement record of what I've done and I should continue to do more frequently... The first of many rides this year that don't need a purpose than simply getting me outdoors in the fresh air!

warreng

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

WarrenG wrote:

Ha. I finished my last bottle on New Years Day. I convinced myself I was celebrating surviving my near-miss but I was just being a glutton. I dusted off the juicer last night and then had a camomile tea before bed. Mrs G wanted to get me sectioned

Well, if you get given any more, please send them my way!
I've only just got into them - I like leffe brun/blonde and had a few chimay red before, but didn't like it, but found piraat & gulden draak in a selection box at lidl and had to give it a go.
Hooked. Absolutely hooked.

I think there's a good thread on here somewhere. Mrs G just buys me a couple of boxes for Christmas/Birthdays from The Belgian Beer Seller. I work in Brussels a fair bit so am able to bring back some more obscure stuff. I must admit - I'm not fussy - I'll drink anything. A couple of the weirder lambic ones make my teeth itch though

ugo.santalucia

I also want to build up to the point when I am comfortable doing 200 miles in a day

cyclingprop

1) lose 35kg
2) lejog (third time) after 2 years largely off the bike
3) 6k miles

daddy0

Good thread, some good ideas (which I have stolen).
Here are mine:

Commute more. Go on more club rides. Train properly. Eat properly. Get above 5w/kg FTP. Get below 70kg. Ride up some mountains. Retain cat 2 licence. Win a crit or RR. Improve TT times. Enter a TTT. Win the Pru 100, if I get a place that is...

mrfpb

Bump.

So how are people getting on?

I've only managed one ride over 40 miles this year and only one other over 30. Good weather now, so I may get out a bit more, but all my hols and weekends require me to look after kids at some point in the day, so all day rides (or 3+ hrs) are rare.

Managed a run of 13.2 miles, so I'm thinking about building up to a full marathon distance over the rest of the year - maybe do an event around my 50th birthday.

london-red

London-Red wrote:

1 - Sub 06:30 Box Hill ascent (current PB 07:09) - no idea, haven't been close enough to find out.
2 - Sub 56:00 Richmond Park 3LC (current PB 56:47) - badly, but September is the target month for that
3 - Sub 07:40:00 Etape du Dales (never done this, so plucking that out of thin air) - not looking likely. will satisfy myself with getting round it.
4 - Complete RideLondon without falling off ...
5 - Do a weekend in the Alps/Pyrenees - unlikely now
6 - Hold sub-80kg - not even close
7 - Stop my 'occasional' smoking habit, finally - tick
8 - 5,500 Strava miles (might just make 5,000 this year) - only 944 so far, which is the root cause of 1, 2, 3 & 6

Anyone else?

Still, I've been enjoying the beer and dog walks

dyrlac

Dyrlac wrote:

1) Recover the watts of FTP lost over my crash-induced layoff and subsequent rehab. While we're at it, definitively shift the extra 9 kg acquired by continuing to eat like a cyclist without actually cycling (3 kg gone so far, but just holding the line over the holidays will be a success).

FTP is back in business and comfortably above my peak last year. Still stubbornly sitting at 75kg with 70kg seeming a long way away.

Dyrlac wrote:

2) Do my bit to deliver a credible showing for our age group for 4-man RAAM in June (sub 6.5 days for us geezers (well, not counting me)).

Alas, deferred till 2018. But as a substitute, I have re-entered the ToC with a view to qualifying for the worlds again, and heading off to Fuerteventura, the Cote D'azur, Girona and Calpe over the course of the next few months.

Dyrlac wrote:

3) Work out how, exactly, to ride the time trial bike I bought while depressed as a result of (1). In the coming months, if you see someone pottering around Richmond Park on a bright orange Dolan Scala, probably best to give him a wide berth when overtaking. Then ride it for real.

First outing in RP this weekend. Stayed rubber side down, but not very rapid. Working up the nerve to ride it on the commute (that was not me in parliament square this morning!), but can't face the -3 FCN penalty.

Dyrlac wrote:

4) Keep the cost of replacements for replacements (as a result of cack-handed fettling) below £100. Relatedly, rebuild my road bike from scratch with less than two trips to wiggle/evans/crc after starting.

While I did rebuild my road bike, I utterly failed as to the emergency trips to the LBS. On the bright side, I now have a star nut setter and a PF bottom bracket press.

Dyrlac wrote:

5) 16,093.44 kilometres in CY 2017 (I should hit 10k this year even with 3 months off, so doable).

On 4,190 km for 2017, which is 219km behind the pace (skiing hols to blame), should make it up soonish.

Dyrlac wrote:

6) Incidental to (1) and (2), work out how to stick to structured training; Zwift may help, but it's really just making the time.

Regularly on the turbo at 0530 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Dyrlac wrote:

7) No more crashes!

Touch wood.

asprilla

Asprilla wrote:

My targets this year are triathlon related. But I have nowhere else to put them so I'm going to put them here.

1. 20min 5km run
2. 42min 10km run
3. 1m30s / 100m pool swim over 1.5km
4. Do 4 Sprint and 2 Olympic distance tris
5. Finish building my TT bike (or give up and get someone to do it - internal routing is a pig).
6. Do an FTP test
7. Stick to a structured base / build programme on TrainerRoad

I can tick off 5 and 6, and 7 can go fuck itself.

Did my first sprint tri yesterday and have two more, plus an olympic, in the calendar.

smokey_bacon

Smokey Bacon wrote:

Mine are at this point:
Ride more after doing other stuff in the last 6 months.
Give track riding a crack.
Finish the tough mudder ive got booked in April.
Get some upper body strength for the above.
Actually learn to do my own bike mechanics.

Riding more has not happened. Im about 450 miles behind the pace at the moment, logistics being the main villian. No. 4 is progressing nicely as Ive been doing alot of bouldering recently in prep for no.3.

Still a sh!t mechanic. Some things will never change!

whatleytom

whatleytom wrote:

Mine, taken from another forum post.

1. Train all the way through winter, build more consistency and volume - Taking this one directly from last years goals.

2. Justify my retained 2nd Cat licence with a 2/3 RR Win - missed out on this one this year, but entirely sure given the right circumstances I'm capable.

3. Short 20 min 10TT - Had a TT bike for the end of this season, and now have some more of the right gear, skinsuit etc. Just need to sort out a disc wheel, then start playing with positions. Fairly sure I can start to be reasonably quick if I'm able to repeat/improve on the watts I had this year. Best 20min was 350w in 2016 (held that for 25mins, so room for improvement anyway), targeting 365w for 2017 with a stretch goal of 370w.

4. Podium again at RPTT - Probably the best chance is going to be road bike, but will see closer to the time how the TT bike is going. Came 3rd at both this year.

5. Pointless one - Sub 15min RP lap, maybe more on the TT bike.

6. Once more will be looking to lose 10kg, but I tried and failed once more this year, and in fact ended up putting more weight acting like a fat cat banker.

1. Coming along, over 250 miles ahead of this time last year. Training a lot smarter and more consistently thanks to having a coach now.
2. Not yet.
3. Managed a 29.6mph 25 at the weekend, so on the right day a long 19 might even be possible this year.
4. Wait and see on that one
5. As above.
6. Going ok, lost over 5kg so far. More to come.

warreng

1. 2016 was a write-off due to a few pulmonary embolii and DVTs in Nov 2015 - still managed ~6,000km but this was pretty much all commuting and very slow. When I say "write-off" - Jan, Feb and Mar were recuperation - the rest was laziness - so I'm aiming for 8,000km with a higher percentage of weekend rides

On target for this but struggling to get time out at weekends

2. I should be about 78kg but ended the year at 85kg

I'll get there

3. Due to Point 1 I celebrated the year with high-quality Belgian beers - this HAS GOT TO STOP

Nah, still getting stuck in

4. Ventoux and Alpe D'Huez are on the list this year

Off to Ventoux in May, Alpe d'Huez in August

5. Beat 7.30 on Box Hill

Not looking likely

6. More MTB'ing - won't help with miles but encourages the kids out

Now the weather's better this will be my Friday nights

7. Not have any more embolii

Fingers crossed......

hopkinb

hopkinb wrote:

Mine aren't exciting or quick either, but fwiw.

1. Try and do more non-commuting miles. It's all very well being relatively quick over 700 metre sprints between traffic lights, but I'd like to have more endurance. All depends on my getting out of bed early enough I expect, as my other half doesn't see me disappearing for 4 or 5 hours on a weekend morning, then sitting on the sofa moaning about my sore legs for the rest of the day as acceptable.
2. Sub 18 mins RP lap currently just under 19 mins.
3. Sub 57 mins 3xRP lap, currently just under an hour
4. Get under 83 kg, currently 86.
5. Drink less beer - which might help with 4 above
6. Beat 2016 distance on strava - which looks like it will be just shy of 8,000 km come the end of the year. 90% of which is commute.
7. Maybe join a club

1. Nope, too lazy, though light mornings and evenings are now properly here, so let's wait and see.
2. Dunno, not been
3. See above
4. Hahahahahahha
5. My local off license has a massive "craft" beer section along with all the £1 a can Polish tramp juice - what's a man to do?
6. On track
7. Maybe, just maybe...

This is why I never set any goals.

sloppyschleckonds

Treat people as you like to be treated.

Except those on holiday cyclists who insist on going down to breakfast in full kit including bibshorts.

veronese68

I'm really glad I didn't contribute to this thread before now. At least I don't think I did.

itboffin

Drink more beer

kingstonian

Kingstonian wrote:

Mine are really simple.......

1- Recover from my knee injury, so I'm able to get back on the bike
2- Once done, commute to work by bike at least 3 days out of 5
3- Sub 19 min RP lap

All obviously dependent on number 1.......

Number 1 - achieved, knee is fine now

Number 2 - been commuting by bike for the past 3 weeks.

Number 3 - will give it a blast in a month or two when I've got more miles in my legs, am still recovering all the lost fitness from when I was crocked

warreng

WarrenG wrote:

1. 2016 was a write-off due to a few pulmonary embolii and DVTs in Nov 2015 - still managed ~6,000km but this was pretty much all commuting and very slow. When I say "write-off" - Jan, Feb and Mar were recuperation - the rest was laziness - so I'm aiming for 8,000km with a higher percentage of weekend rides
2. I should be about 78kg but ended the year at 85kg
3. Due to Point 1 I celebrated the year with high-quality Belgian beers - this HAS GOT TO STOP
4. Ventoux and Alpe D'Huez are on the list this year
5. Beat 7.30 on Box Hill
6. More MTB'ing - won't help with miles but encourages the kids out
7. Not have any more embolii

1. On target for this quite easily
2. Nah - I reckon 80kg is about my natural boozy limit
3. Moved onto gin
4. Ventoux done and Alpe d'Huez booked
5. Done
6. Desperate to get out to do more of this
7. Fingers crossed

mtb-idle

MTB-Idle wrote:

let's see:

• Annual distance target of 10,000 km. Not a stretch target as we might say in the office as I've ridden this or more every year for the past six years, but it's good encouragement to get me out of bed and onto the bike on those cold January/February or November/December mornings (I just passed the 10k mark for 2016 earlier on this week 8)
• Cycling trip to northern France. Me and a couple of buddies are planning on riding the D-Day beaches this year. Well not the actual sandy beach but riding along the Normandy coast stopping at the various WWII landmarks/sites
• a week MTB/DH'ing in the Porte du Soleil region. Again, I've done this or similar every year for the past 12 years but I'm an MTB'er at heart and I love it. Here's a little taster of this Summer's trip
• Another regular event for me is to go t'alps to follow the TDF and ride up some mountains (rather than down as I do on the MTB). Next year's accommodation is booked already, can't wait
• I was also lucky enough this year to have a long weekend in Italy staying rent-free in another riding buddies flat in Roseta Degli Abruzzi and got 3 full days of road riding in. I'm making a play for another similar trip in June
• Me and my Saffer riding buddy like to end the riding year off with a bang. 2015 was a lap of the M25, 2016 saw another 250km ride to Portsmouth and around the IOW so we are looking for a similar challenge for 2017
• And on the home front we have an extension planned to our house with a new, larger kitchen/breakfast area, a utility room and an extended lounge which will set me back the best part of £70k. This kicks off in 2017 :shock:

That's about it for the moment.

Holy thread resurrection Batman,

• Annual distance target of 10,000 km. On track
• Cycling trip to northern France. Me and a couple of buddies are planning on riding the D-Day beaches this year. Decided to ride to Hook of Holland and back instead. 550km in three days - DONE
• a week MTB/DH'ing in the Porte du Soleil region. Booked and leave for this in just over four weeks time
• Another regular event for me is to go t'alps to follow the TDF Booked and leave for this in six weeks time
• I was also lucky enough this year to have a long weekend in Italy staying rent-free in another riding buddies flat in Roseta Degli Abruzzi Not yet booked but on the cards for September
• Me and my Saffer riding buddy like to end the riding year off with a bang. 2015 was a lap of the M25, 2016 saw another 250km ride to Portsmouth and around the IOW so we are looking for a similar challenge for 2017 Already done the Holland trip but may find another epic for October
• And on the home front we have an extension planned to our house with a new, larger kitchen/breakfast area, a utility room and an extended lounge which will set me back the best part of £70k. Completed and just decorating it at the moment

hopkinb

Would have ducked under 18 mins for Richmond Park last week had it not been for a car turning across me (not badly, he was just turning right up towards the ballet school, so his right of way, he just took an age about it) at Sheen mini roundabout forcing me to brake hard to a near standstill then get going again in too high a gear. Oh well, plenty more opportunities.

Otherwise, still too heavy, still drink too much, don't go on many/any long rides at the weekend.

Working on core strength and keeping my elbows bent while riding, as I caught sight of myself in a shop window - looked like a sack of spuds plonked on a saddle rather than a cyclist.

hell27

Beat 2000 miles for the year
Get lower than 17st
Learn to jump properly on a mtb
Teach my youngest to ride

london-red

London-Red wrote:

I thought it might be good to share our targets for the year - these can be anything, from first century, to buying dream bike, to getting through the season without falling off

Mine aren't particularly exciting, but Box & RP are great benchmarks to measure progress, so are always in my thoughts.

1 - Sub 06:30 Box Hill ascent (current PB 07:09)
2 - Sub 56:00 Richmond Park 3LC (current PB 56:47)
3 - Sub 07:40:00 Etape du Dales (never done this, so plucking that out of thin air)
4 - Complete RideLondon without falling off
5 - Do a weekend in the Alps/Pyrenees
6 - Hold sub-80kg
7 - Stop my 'occasional' smoking habit, finally
8 - 5,500 Strava miles (might just make 5,000 this year)

Anyone else?

Update time...

1 - Yet to put an effort down - might head over this w/e
2 - (drum roll please) 55:40 8)
3 - 08:02 (07:31 moving) I claim victory, however shallow
4 - fingers crossed
5 - ditto
6 - not yet, but might get there
7 - the one or two I've had don't count
8 - way behind - be more like 4,000 probably

whatleytom

Train all the way through winter, build more consistency and volume - Kind of done, moreso through the rest of this year. Currently about 500/35 hours ahead of 2015/16 so far this year and on target for not far of 10k miles.

Justify my retained 2nd Cat licence with a 2/3 RR Win - Still working on this one.

Short 20 min 10TT - Done, managed a 19.55, plenty more to come there, possible long 18.

Podium again at RPTT - Done, 3rd on Sunday, this time in the TT bike category.

Pointless one - Sub 15min RP lap, maybe more on the TT bike. - Done, 14.47 and fastest lap of the year so far, although that won't last long. Maybe I can go a touch quicker too on the right day as watts were pretty low.

Once more will be looking to lose 10kg - Not quite, down 5kg since the beginning of the year. Working on the remainder.

dyrlac

Dyrlac wrote:

...
7) No more crashes!

Dammit.

bigmat

BigMat wrote:

1. Shift a bit of timber.
2. Get FTP back to where it used to be (or even close).
3. Sub 20 10 mile TT.
4. Win something (anything!).
5. Have a proper crack at track racing.
6. Finish in the points at Palace.

1. Daren't look - scales are broken, no rush to get new ones.
2. Was going OK, but 4 weeks and counting off the bike can't have helped.
3. Not even managed a 10 this year.
4. Result! Won a 15km scratch race on the track and the one club TT I have managed this year.
5. Made it to Herne Hill track league once - warm up race I just warmed up, points race I attacked off the front after penultimate sprint and held on to win final sprint. 15km scratch won with a lone attack with 2 laps to go. Potential.
6. First attempt rained off, then broke my collarbone.

Need to recalibrate for the year - just getting back on the bike, enjoy a few longer rides, any kind of racing a bonus.

Tashman

Tashman wrote:

1) Ride more
2) Complete the London 2 Brighton
3) Start to commute sometimes (16 miles each way)
4) Get below 100kg (107Kg) now

1) Definitely achieving this. 545km so far this year against 260km in total last year. i know that's peanuts to a lot of you but I'm building all the time
2) All done yesterday. Very hot and sweaty, but I enjoyed it. Next aim is to complete the beacon!
3) Lack of facilities is still hampering this although the distance now won't bother me
4) Down to 104.5kg so heading slowly in the right direction. i should really try harder not to eat so much crap!

london-red

London-Red wrote:

London-Red wrote:

I thought it might be good to share our targets for the year - these can be anything, from first century, to buying dream bike, to getting through the season without falling off

Mine aren't particularly exciting, but Box & RP are great benchmarks to measure progress, so are always in my thoughts.

1 - Sub 06:30 Box Hill ascent (current PB 07:09)
2 - Sub 56:00 Richmond Park 3LC (current PB 56:47)
3 - Sub 07:40:00 Etape du Dales (never done this, so plucking that out of thin air)
4 - Complete RideLondon without falling off
5 - Do a weekend in the Alps/Pyrenees
6 - Hold sub-80kg
7 - Stop my 'occasional' smoking habit, finally
8 - 5,500 Strava miles (might just make 5,000 this year)

Anyone else?

Update time...

1 - Sub 06:30 Box Hill ascent (current PB 07:09) - 07:22 (a way to go still)
2 - (drum roll please) 55:40 8)
3 - 08:02 (07:31 moving) I claim victory, however shallow
4 - fingers crossed
5 - ditto
6 - not yet, but might get there
7 - the one or two I've had don't count
8 - way behind - be more like 4,000 probably