Goals 2014

2013 season is over. It's time to look ahead, time to look at 2014. Last year left me with a bad feeling. That is, I had two goals: 1) be first in our local championship and 2) to get my FTP to 320 watts (on a 60 minute test). I managed to reach goal number 2 with 325 watts including a decrease in weight from 73kg to 70kg, which of course is good for climbing. I could have done better because the last 10 minutes I had a terrible road on which I had to coast a lot since there were a lot of stones on it and I did not want to mess up my bike.

Goals number 1 I did not reach. Why? Simply because a week before the championship I got ill due to a bacterial infection in my elbow (which turned up in a little wound I got when I was on holiday) . I was in the hospital for almost a week and I got antibiotics for a period of 3 weeks. Needless to say that besides resting all the time the antibiotics also completely ruined my fitness. So, no championship for me after being 2nd and 3rd last 2 editions.

Just for the feeling I tried to win an other race which was 3 weeks after my last week of antibiotics. This was just a bridge too far. I had no power in my legs in those 3 weeks of 'building' up to that race. Also in the race itself I had no power (it was uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill, etc. in a 1.3km 'triangle'). Normalised power was 309watt. I finished 3rd in the sprint, but in all honesty when I would not have been ill, I would have won it (not to brag).

What did I learn from this season? It makes no sense to just set two goals of which one is dependent on  many situations and is just one occassion in the season. The dissapointment it leaves when not achieving it is just too big and one needs something to look forward again. So this year I am going to do it differently.

I decided to do races again. Cycling just makes me feel good and something inside just screams for competition. The hurting of oneself during the race, hanging on for dear life, hurting someone else, being outside, the feeling after the race. I just love it and I need it. This of course also has an impact on my family life. We will see how it will go, but if I cannot manage it with my family I will have to do a step back on my goals.

Well, that brings me to the goal w.r.t. racing. I want to win 3 races this year of which 1 would be the local championship. The other is a time trial on a normal race bike. I do not have a time trial bike so competing against those guys is useless. O yes, the category I will be racing in will be quite mixed, sometimes amateurs, sometimes a different category for which I do not have an appropriate english term. The last race of three is one still to be decided on ;) Its only 2013 so I still have time; I do not even have the new race calender.

The other goals I have is one in the category of cyclosportives. I would like to ride the Trois Ballons Master (218 km) this year in 7.45h. What that specifically means in watts I still have to find out. Here the family / sport balance is delicate since training for long rides like this just takes a lot of time.

The third goal I have is to be able to lift my FTP to 340watt on a 60 minute test. This will of course also help me in the time trial (although that one is only 20km I think) and combined with weightloss to 68kg will pull my watt/kg on FTP to 5, which can be helpfull in the Trois Ballons. In that respect the third goal is the first goal beceause it will be the basis for the rest of my goals

So here's the summary:

1) FTP from 325 to 340 (weight from 70 to 68)

2) Trois Ballons Master in 7.45h

3) Win 3 races (local championship, time trial and one to be determined)

As is normal with goalsetting (at least ambitious goalsetting) goals can be adjusted during the season. I hope upward ;)

Now its time to make a good planning. That will take a few more weeks, but I will elaborate on that more in next posts.