Looking Ahead - 2024

 It’s only the end of June 23 but my mind is already looking ahead to 2024. Having been in decent shape, running and cycling well, with sustained conditioning work seemingly being the key, I want to make the most of moving up an age group next year.  Hopefully, I can maintain the same level that I’ve achieved during 2023. The winter will certainly take the same structure as last year, with the progressive strength work underpinning the subsequent work to get some race form and speed. 

This year, the focus was being in peak shape for the European Duathlon qualifier at Darley Moor at the end of May. Next year I will need to be in race peak shape around March to be competitive for the English Duathlon Champs, which are normally late March - yak, too cold 🥶. Also, having qualified for the European Duathlon Championships I may actually race there too. But no idea where they will be. The venue may price me out of travelling. Hence, I will just focus on the domestic champs. Either way, I’ll need to be ramping up the training intensity from January 24 - dark gloomy mid-winter is difficult to actually get the right intensity. But we’ll see how that develops. Could do with a winter warm weather training camp 😎. Not much chance of that. 

So key for me now is to keep the conditioning ticking over so I’m not starting from scratch. Today showed I’m still in a good place with the gym work. 

Not sure how well my biking is doing but I can normally get in shape pretty quickly. I’ll gauge how I’m going with 3 progressive Duathlon events:

20 Aug 23. Manchester Airport Duathlon. 4.2/35/2.8

17 Sep 23. Darley Moor Sprint Duathlon. 4.8/20/2.8

1 Oct 23. Oulton Park Sprint Duathlon. 4.3/21/2.3

These races are really just enjoyment and to keep my legs familiar with the Duathlon race effort. Oulton Park is draft legal too; so good experience. I aim to return to track sessions mid-July 23. 

Almost a plan! 

Training Race

 The regrouping continues. I’ve maintained the strength work over the last 3 weeks. It feels like I continually have heavy legs. That’s to be expected, I tell myself. But it’s hard to mentally accept that you feel a butt off. I need to trust the process. Today I did a training race at the Stone 10k race, with a bike out and back to add training value. 

My plan was to run the first 5k in 20 min and then aim for a sub-19 min second 5k. It was seriously hit today and maybe that asses to the performance and ability to hold the desired pace. I went through 5k in 19:38. So a bit too fast. This pace felt ok though. As I upped the pace for the second 5k it wasn’t long before I started to feel more fatigued. The 6th Kilometre was 3:46 which was bang in what I wanted. But it would be difficult to maintain this pace. I could have upped the effort a bit more over the last 2k but I didn’t want to fully empty the tank. 

So the second 5k was 19:08 for an overall finish of 38:47. Happy enough with that at this stage but I’d like to return to 37 min shape by end of August. 

The plan is to race the Manchester Airport Duathlon in August, the Darley Moor Duathlon in September: then peak for the Oulton Park Duathlon 1 October. Maybe look for a decent 5k race mixed in too. As for the bike, nit sure I’ll get any TT events in there but could probably get in decent form using Zwift races. 

Let’s see how it turns out✊🏃‍♂️🚴🏃‍♂️

Re-Grouping

Hello whom ever reads this - probably future me✊. So I have had my British Triathlon qualification confirmation email for the 2024 European Sprint Duathlon Champs. So it’s all official now. Still no idea when the race will happen or where it will be. That’s quite frustrating. Odds on I won’t actually make the event but it is tempting to have a bash as it will be my best chance of getting a decent international race placing as I’m moving up to the 60-64 Age Group.  Time will tell. . . 

Since the Darley Moor race I decided to reset and nit try and race hard more and more. The danger of injury is always at the back of my mind. So I’ve reduced the bike run intensity and increased the strength and conditioning. The aim is to complete a mini cycle of conditioning and then being back the run track sessions and the bike tune up work. The goal is to have another good Duathlon race at the Oulton Park Duathlon on 1 October. This is another race circuit traffic free course.  Should be fun. I’m just not sure whether to do the draft legal sprint or the draft free standard race. Updates to follow. 

Training updates to come too ✊ Some pics from a sunny cake ride and run drills and strides session😎

View this email in your browser Dear Mark Saggers,   Congratulations On Qualifying For The 2024 European Sprint Distance Duathlon Championship!   This email contains the most up to date details which we have confirmed at this time, we will contact you with further instructions when we need you to do the next step. Please have a thorough read through and also ensure your email address remains up to date within your Home Nation membership account for us to contact you.  Team Manager – Rosemary Hayward Race Date – TBC Race Location - TBC Race Website – TBC