2013 Targets...

TheBigYin

Yep - it's that time of year again - time to start working out where we are, where we're looking to get to in the coming year, and how we're going to achieve it.

For me, I know i'm pretty much time constrained, and unlikely to be able to spend much more time on the bike than I have this year, so my emphasis is going to be mainly on building speed/strength on the bike - working on this year's 12,000km worth of mainly base/endurance work, and hopefully bulding in some more speed / climbing orientated stuff.

To this end, I'm actually setting a slightly lower target distance of 10,000km than i've achieved this year, partly to allow a few more days off the bike to cope with recovery time from harder workout sessions, and partly because - well - to be honest, I think I've been very lucky considering the weather to get out as often as I have done, and I can't rely on being that fortunate 2 years running.

Other Targets...

To participate in all three of the Grand Tour Cycling Challenges - I'm not necessarily offering to organise them - indeed if anyone wants to step up to the mark and do so, I've got a whole bunch of files re: the Dossards/Leader Shirts that I'd happily share.

Dates for your diary would be...

04.05.2013 26.05.2013 Giro d'Italia
29.06.2013 21.07.2013 Tour de France
24.08.2013 15.09.2013 Vuelta a España


I'd also love to come up with something based around the Spring Classics...

03.03.2013 10.03.2013 Paris - Nice
06.03.2013 12.03.2013 Tirreno-Adriatico
16.03.2013 Milano-Sanremo
24.03.2013 Gent - Wevelgem
31.03.2013 Ronde van Vlaanderen / Tour des Flandres
07.04.2013 Paris - Roubaix
14.04.2013 Amstel Gold Race
17.04.2013 La Flèche Wallonne
21.04.2013 Liège - Bastogne - Liège

And maybe a Late season "one-off" for one of my favourite races - "la classica delle foglie morte"

05.10.2013 Giro di Lombardia


I'm thinking a simple one - if you ride on the race-day, you email your ride distance and tracklog for verification to me and I keep a "league table" - longest distance ridden overall in the spring classics being the winner. Should suit the "weekend warrior" riders, as most of the races are actually on a Sunday...

So - that's an overview of my aspirations - humble as they may be - anyone else want to nail their colours to the masthead ??

katozdad

Just sat on the sofa watching Rocky V, and thinking about my 2013 goals. Just re-wrote my profile and looking for some targets to set myself. I see the challenges that are set as being central to my progress this year and don't want to lose sight of that in 2013... so count me in.

narak_lol

I am in for the challenges if I may

Meanwhile my target for 2013:

Cycling: Annual total 13,000km. At least 6 months over 1,000 km. Last year was very erratic.

Duathlon (bike & run): Compete in at least 3 races. This is big challenge for me as I have not been running the last 10 years.

Others:
Weight: Lose 10lbs by Mar. 15lbs by Jun. Maintain to year end.

Others others:
Garmin Garmin Garmin

TheBigYin

silly me - just realised that I actually included two one-week stage races in the classics list.

Please ignore the

03.03.2013 10.03.2013 Paris - Nice
06.03.2013 12.03.2013 Tirreno-Adriatico

section... the "big three" stage races are quite enough to organise, without getting into 1 weekers as well - unless someone else fancies a pop at doing them of course :laugh:

beatpig

I think this is a fantastic idea, though I think that my wife (who already is a bit of a cycling widow) might have some issue of me cycling during the TdF AND me going out as well!

If you were to look at some sort of factor for those with road bikes and those with MTB?

TheBigYin

we already have a factor for MTB's - it's called work harder for your mileage :laugh:

seriously, we can't accomodate everything - otherwise we'd need categories for recumbents, for tubs rather than clinchers, CX bikes, you name it... I have to TRY and keep it manageable.

narak_lol

we already have a factor for MTB's - it's called work harder for your mileage :laugh:

seriously, we can't accomodate everything - otherwise we'd need categories for recumbents, for tubs rather than clinchers, CX bikes, you name it... I have to TRY and keep it manageable.

But TBY! What about miles pulling the kid in the trailer?????

You get double of the mileage :drinker:

RekindledRose

Lol! My husband's a big time rider; he does centuries and death rides, and goes out when there's snow and ice everywhere and his road bike is icy and frozen. He's doing some festive 500 km ride on STRAVA between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

But enough about him!

MY goals, since I'm a newbie, is to ride my MTB 2 days a week this winter until March (we have snow), then go up to 3x week to average (a mere) 30 miles/week so I can justify buying myself a road bike. I want to ride a 100 km ride with him this year, and by next spring (2014) be able to do a 'real' century in miles and be "that cute wife in spandex".

Non-biking goals are to do one pull up and one sit up by June 1st and get rid of the last 45 lbs of dead weight on me by the end of the year.

midschool22

Mine are not necessarily mileage based but placings.

I want to finish in the top 50% of EVERY cross race I do in the Fall.

TheBigYin

...He's doing some festive 500 km ride on STRAVA between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve...

Strava Festive 500 sponsored by Rapha... I'm in, and doing quite pathetically badly at it!

Spatialized

Sounds like fun, esp. the Spring Classics, my favorite races of the year. I'd be in.

It wouldn't be that hard to do a conversion for MTBs. We did a local challenge this last Fall and those who rode MTBs (with knobbies...) had their miles counted as 1:1.25 ratio, he had it all set up in a spread sheet so it was super easy for him to get all the info in.

But I have goals:
Ride a 1/2 Century, Metric Century and full Century in 2013 (maybe even a 1/2 - metric century off-road) Longest ride to date is 37 miles.
Buy a new bike, probably MTB
Ride our local Fall race
Train for 24 hours of Old Peublo to be ridden in 2014.

We'll see how they evolve as the year goes.

TheBigYin

I'll make it easy...

if I'm organising the challenges, it's kept as simple as I can

No "buggeration factors"

No "indoor riding"

No "non GPS supported mileage"

just go out, start the garmin, record the ride, upload it, and email the mileage and a link to either GC or Strava for verification.

anyone want's more complications, fine... start your own challenge :laugh:


Anyway - thats the thread derailed completely... can we get it back on track and discuss targets for 2013 please...

RekindledRose

...He's doing some festive 500 km ride on STRAVA between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve...

Strava Festive 500 sponsored by Rapha... I'm in, and doing quite pathetically badly at it!

Yep! That's the one! He's 1/3 of the way there, snow and all.

I'm using STRAVA to record my mtb rides and my running so that it's trackable. I'll be sending in mine here too, though I'm sure the first few months of my rides will be pitiful. I've a dirt road to ride on, full of sandy mud and snow.

But I'm looking up to the more accomplished rider and wanting to be like YOU when I grow up!

TDGee

2013 target #1 would be the new road bike my wife has "allowed" me to consider getting. What to buy, what to buy...

My riding targets are to first complete an organized metric century in March, and then a full century in May. After that, who knows?
I am hoping to get my work life a little more balanced so I can go back to putting in some miles nearly day.. I have been sucking it pretty badly since October. But.... there's a new bike in my future!!!

TheBigYin

New bikes are always good - I'm currently accumulating the bits to go with a new flashy plastic frame (okay, it's carbon fibre, but it sure sounds like plastic) Got the Ultegra geartrain and wheels, just need the 6700 brake calipers and pedals then I can start and work out positioning for my bars/stem and order those up too... Oh - better get a saddle as well - the "belgian sofa" (old Selle San Marco Rolls) is fine for initial setup and fettling, but it weighs nearly the same as the frame!

TheBigYin

so - is everyone else having a lazy year then ?? :laugh:

Coltsman4ever

I set a goal of 4000 miles of riding this year. Most will be on the road, however, some will be on the trainer and some will be on the trails on the mountain bike.

My first big ride of the year will be January 12th when I'll be doing a Polar Bear Metric Century (62 miles).
I know I'll be doing a century in July also. Those are my only 2 planned rides so far. I'll definitely be adding more as the year goes on.

I also ride several days per week during lunch. Not as much now when the temps are cooler but I still try to squeeze in one or 2 per week. When the temps warm up it will be 3 to 5 rides per week at lunch and a Saturday morning ride.

From May to September I will be involved in the National Bike Challenge with a group of riders here at work.

All in all it should be a good year of riding. This will be my first full year as a cyclist. I didn't discover it until May of last year.
Happy I did. I love it.

Frannybobs

I guess my targets are to get as many miles in as possible, work permitting!! I did almost 1000 miles last year - so I should set this year's higher - 1500 - why not!!!

Also my target is to get a road bike if my company continues to participate in the Cyclescheme, and then find myself a challenge ride to sign up to. I'm happy to participate in the challenges but don't generally have time to get the massive rides in more than once a week at best - the majority of my rides are commuting and maybe 2-3 weekend rides a month in the late Spring - Autumn...and then when I have a road bike I would like to get a trainer ready for next Winter!

j_a_witz

I've never set an actually milage goal, but i should end up about 4500 Miles. As for events:

April 100k Munster ride
May MS150 (2 days)
July RAGBRAI
August Hotter than Hell 100mi.

Lots of MTB and other road rides along the way.

And, i started C25K about 6 weeks ago, and I want to do a 5k/month every month this year.

Dahamac

Cycling goals:
#1: Total Mileage Goal for 2013: 10,000miles/16,130km
#2: Earn my Randonneurs Certification by completing my first 200K Brevet Feb 16th
#3: Complete my first Double Century (200 miles) by adding 14 miles to my first 300K on Jun 22nd
#4: Complete a single-day Century (162km) per month
#5: Commute by Bicycle to work 60% of working days (at least 3 days out of 5, preferably 4 days)

Weight Loss Goal: Reach and Maintain Goal Weight of 175lbs

tubbycyclist

In 2012 I achieved my goals, which were about getting some long audax/randonneur rides under my belt.

For this year, I have signed up to a long-distance audax in the UK so now it is all about preparation and getting the miles in so that I am strong enough to complete it.

Hoping to get some cycling specific dieting tips along the way, as it can be challenging balancing the demands of riding and sound nutrition at times, especially at the cafe stops.

TheBigYin

bump - ready for 2015's