I’ve been training and tracking my training regularly / weekly all year, and I thought I’d bring together a summary of what’s gone and what’s to come for the end of the year for me. A look at my training and what it looked like / will look like for the whole year.

With no events up until July, it was good to do my first event since March 2020 – the 3,000m open water swim event in Loch Lomond at the end of August. I sort of forgot how good it is to take part in an event – and it was great.

Now I have the Brighton 10km on Sunday… an event I sensibly downgraded to from the Brighton Marathon that I booked ages ago – and I knew in June that I wouldn’t be able to do it. I’m quite released to be doing just the 10km, perhaps my marathon running days are over (which is fine – I’m comfortable that I’ve done enough of them).

I’ve also entered another open water swim event on the 18th September in Loch Morlich, and I’ve entered a wee fun nighttime 5km with a friend on the 14th November. Hopefully 4 medals this year. That should do.

I tend to train week to week, but with 6 weeks to train for the Loch Lomond swim I had more of a focus on swimming and less on strength training in July and August. And in May and June my focus was on physio and getting back to running.

That and the mix with swimming seems to have worked and my injury which was around since about August 2020, seems to have cleared up. Thankfully!

So here’s what I’ve done, by quarter, and the activities I’ve focused on. At the end I’ll give myself and annual goal for mileage (run / Cycle / Walk) / km (swim) / hours (Strength).

From now on I’ll do my events, then have some time off work, before focussing on Swimming, Running and Strength in Winter, as below.

Q1 – Focus on Cycling/Spin / Strength / Running
Jan – March – 13 weeks

Run – 31,37,60 miles

Cycle – 64,78,50 miles Strength – 9,10,8 hours
Walking – 80,35,76 miles

Mon: Full body strength / 30 min Spin
Tue: Run
Wed: 45 min Spin or Strength
Thu: Run / Yoga
Fri: Strength
Sat: Run
Sun: Rest / Walk

Q2 – Focus on Cycling / Physio, Walking/Running & start of Swimming (May / June as leave)
April – June – 13 weeks
Run – 2,7,29 miles
Cycle – 143,118,88 miles
Swim – 10km
Strength – 10,7,7 hours
(incl physio, 5 days / 1hr pw, May and June) Walking – 66,115,60

Mon: 2.5M Run
Tue: outdoor cycle
Wed: 30 min spin / Strength
Thu: Strength / 25 min Spin
Fri: 2M Run / Foam Roll & Stretching / Yoga
Sat: Walk / rest or Swim
Sun: outdoor cycle

Other
Leave for 6 weeks, May into June

Q3 – Focus on Swimming / Running (& Events), less Strength / Cycling
July – Sept – 13 weeks
Run – 30,47,10 (50?) miles
Cycle – 32,5,0 miles
Swim – 22km,34km,25km
Strength – 6,1,5 hours
Walking – 47,48,45 miles

Mon – Coach / Strength
Tue – Run
Wed – Swim or Strength
Thu – Run or Swim
Fri – Swim or Run
Sat – Rest
Sun – Swim

Events & Other –
28 August – 3,000m open water swim Loch Lomond
12th September- Brighton 10km
18 September – 3,000m open water swim Loch Morlich
2 weeks leave in September
Started coaching on Mondays in August

Plans for last quarter – Q4, Oct – Dec

Q4 – Focus on Swimming / Running / Strength (and Swim Coaching)
Oct – Dec – 13 weeks
Run – 40,40,40 miles
Swim – 25km, 25km, 20km
Strength – 6,6,5 hours
Walking – 45,45,45 miles

Mon – Coach / Strength
Tue – Long Run
Wed – Swim
Thu – Effort Run / Coach pm
Fri – Strength or Swim
Sat – Rest
Sun – Swim or Strength

Events –
14th Nov – 5km evening run Kelpies
Aiming to do an open water swim 1-2 times a month, see how it goes

I need to get back into the gym 1-2 times a week, and why not – the garagym is sitting there waiting for me to get in there and use it (after 2 weeks not going in there).

So there we have it… that’s what I’ve done by quarter, and what I’m planning. All going well I should be able to achieve the following distance and time goals for the year.

Annual distance / time goals for 2021:
Run – 500 miles
Cycle – 600 miles
Swim – 161km / 100 miles
Walking – 700 miles
Strength – 80 hours

And I would walk 500 miles… and I would walk 500 more… ha. The run miles are a lot less than normal, but the other activities make up for it, for sure.