THE AIMS FOR 2012
Well, as I approach the end of a half century of club based training and racing I am pleased to look back on 2012 with great pleasure, much satisfaction and little to regret.
Compared to 2011, which began struggling to recover from a piriformis problem (a real pain in the bum!) 2012 started much more positively. December 2011 had seen a steady rise in quality and quantity following a calf strain at the end of November so the first few weeks would see 10 weeks of over 400 miles building a base to underpin the season of racing to come. fail to prepare...prepare to fail and all that!
The aim would be to ultimately average 40 miles for the 52 weeks (2080); exceeding in weeks without races, less than 40 for weeks without a race.
I had run 18 races in 2011; if I could avoid injury, something around that mark again would be acceptable.
Quality wise, according to the books, repeating 2011 times would be very unlikely but who knows? Perhaps I could defy old father time?!
The key would be ensuring variation and moderation in the training to stay injury free!
Those then were the key aims. No major races like the old days with the season punctuated by marathons. Just a solid season with creditable performances throughout.
2012 REVIEW
CONSISTENCY
I successfully managed to avoid injury and this meant being able to enjoy my running on 362 days of the year. Just 3 Fridays missed due pressure of getting club orders out and some foul July weather!
COMMITMENT
Calling a halt to the season after the GUYS 10 (Dec. 2) meant that 4 solid race free training weeks would see the 2080 miles target being reached; a repeat of 2011.
COMPETITON
17 races in all were completed. Several 10Ks, a few 5ks, a 10 miler and the Manchester Parks 5 race Grand Prix completed once again. But no half marathon or marathon. A solid season.
COMPARISON
Staying free from injury no doubt contributed to times which were not too far removed from those of 2011.
5K (2011: 21.11 2012: 20.59)
5M (2011: 34.10 2012: 35.24) ??
10K (2011: 42.39 2012: 71.52)
CATEGORY PERFORMANCE
64 in a few days times so well down the Power Of 10 rankings in the M60 but did manage 3 category wins in races and half a dozen second places . So reasonable in that respect. Amazed that some M60s are running PBS when all mine were in 1983!
Regrets? Very little really. It would be good to have some company now and again when training. Shame that it would appear I can no longer make a contribution in club teams as I'm not good enough for open age teams and the vets M55 isn't really happening. Perhaps next year.
I hope that 2012 has been an enjoyable one for you and you can look back on your training and racing with pleasaure and satisfaction. May be you find it tiresome to talk about aims and goals which is fine but if you have fallen short of your intended targets hopefully you can look back and spot what and where problems occurred and avoid them happening again in 2013.
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