Author Topic: Health and fitness goals 2018?  (Read 10488 times)

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #25 on: 16 October, 2018, 01:14:34 pm »
Weight back down to 71kg (currently 76kg)
Move back up to 3w/kg training on Zwift.
Move up to the fast group in my running club
Move up to running marathon length trail events
Do an SR series
Do a trail ultra

^ manage all that whilst not being obsessive about training (ideally, keeping training below 10hrs a week), making sure my significant other and kids feel like they are vastly important than my fitness goals*, whilst all doing a solid job / trying to get promoted at work.

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #26 on: 17 October, 2018, 06:42:42 pm »
I have two, one is a continuation of a good thing which started back in September and the other is a new challenge. Neither are spectacular, but life is going to be even busier than last year and I don't want to set myself up to fail from the outset.
The continuation is that I have returned to using a longer ride into work. It's only 4.4 miles as opposed to 2.9, so not a huge distance, but it does include a serious hill and the little bits all add up. I'd like to keep that as my 'usual' ride for this year.
The new thing is that I would like to run both into and home from work on the same day. The route I use is about 6km (I'm not really sure why I track cycling in miles and running in km but there you go). I've only ever run home so far. MrsC works just round the corner so getting a lift in is fairly easy, but she finishes at 1.00. I would need careful planning about things like breakfast and carrying stuff into work but I'm sure that's all solvable. Has to wait until the light returns though. I wouldn't want to run on those lanes in the dark.
Seeing that other people are reporting back on their progress...
1) Longer ride into work. I have managed this precisely three time so far this year. Sigh
2) Run into and home from work. I have managed this once, which I suppose is what I targeted. I have also run into work once and got a lift at the end of the day. Running in meant MrsC could pick me up from work so we could go straight on to an early evening appointment.
So a success of sorts (very small sorts).
There are, however, still a couple of months left of this year. The running home has to stop when the clocks change and next week is going to be a bit difficult. I'll have to have a campaign on the longer rides though.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #27 on: 19 October, 2018, 10:37:50 pm »
A very specific goal I have is to get my running VDOT (aka VO2max) up to at least 43 (ideally beyond). I prefer to calculate it from real runs (time/distance) as my Garmin seems to also factor in HR and the watch sees my HR going over 200bpm during a 5-a-side game and thinks I should be able to run at close to that in a race (no chance!). It currently estimates my VO2max at 45, which is utter nonsense.

I like VDOT because you can calculate it for any run using just distance and time. There's nothing subjective to it. You can then factor in weight changes to see what you could achieve.

Anyway, my target VDOT of 43 gives suggested times of:-
* 5K: 22:41
* 10K: 47:04
* HM: 1:44:20
* Mara: 3:36:28

Which fits my goals of a 1:45 HM and a 3:42 Marathon (to get the family marathon record off my eldest brother).

I'm currently only about VDOT 30 at the moment, but 20kg overweight and not running fit as I'm just getting back into it, I'm fine with that. 39.53 was my best a few years ago (5k in 24:24 at 85.8kg)

https://fellrnr.com/wiki/Weight_Loss_and_Performance explains some of it and how if you can lose just fat (and maintain muscle[1]) then you can see estimate how things would improve as fat is lost:-

If I take my figures from a few years ago then I can see how much I'd need to weigh to get a VDOT of 43:-

85.8kg * 39.53 / 43 = 78.9kg.

That's good as my current rate of weight loss (0.6kg/week) just so happens to put me at 79.5kg on the day of the London Marathon which is close enough. There's a long old time between now and then though.

1. When losing weight your body would need less muscle to support the lower body weight, but doing more running would increase muscle mass, hopefully they'd balance out (or even improve in my favour, i.e. instead of losing 20kg of fat and gaining 2kg of muscle for an 18kg overall loss it'd be better for VDOT to lose 22kg of fat and gain 4kg of muscle IYSWIM).
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Health and fitness goals 2019?
« Reply #28 on: 28 January, 2019, 02:25:17 pm »
Near end of Jan update:

Weight down from 96.15kg to 93.8kg.
Lumpy 10k time down to 1h03m.
Max VDOT: 31.21
Longest run: 11.8km (full run commute)
Up to 6h30m training last week (big weeks push that up to 10h) inc 3h20 of running.

Should be able to restart doing parkrun this weekend too.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #29 on: 29 January, 2019, 02:24:54 pm »
Good goals, Greenbank.

Mine for 2019:

Knee recovery, so I can run and cycle again.

Chin ups - more than 20 reps at a time (last year's goal was managing 40 pushups; I do 60 most mornings now so achieved that one).

Kayaking; paddle a full marathon distance at training pace. So in under 5 hours for me. I never managed to complete a marathon-distance race when I was in my 20s, generally collapsed from exhaustion.
Knee is semi-recovered. I was trying some running and managed to do 5-7km at a time at a reasonable pace.
I'm cycling again, but woefully slowly. My cycling muscles have gone!

Kayaking - back to training, 2-3 times a week. Doing well in the interval training; I'm faster than people I couldn't keep up with last year (when I was getting into training). No good at distances yet.

Chin ups; don't have access to a bar. Will have to see if I can rig something up at the farm, there are a couple of barns so it should be possible.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #30 on: 29 January, 2019, 11:03:13 pm »
Realistically none.
I might try to lose some weight but I'm not overweight, can't take any exercise and like my cakes and chocolates.
I will turn 60 in the middle of the year and expect a birthday card from the NHS, which should be fun  ;D
Hope all that goes OK.
I my MS gets no worse and that my excellent health continues.
I'm lucky really...

I lost a little weight without really trying.
Three sorts of routine health screening were all negative, thankfully.
MS unchanged.

Can't complain.

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #31 on: 06 February, 2019, 10:53:29 am »
* Keeping entering the Ride 100 ballot as I want the London Classics medal (assuming I actually finish the London Marathon in 2019) - would consider charity place if I'm unlucky in the ballot in 2019 (no place this year in the ballot) Ballot entered, find out in Feb

Commiserations mag through the post today.

Assuming I finish the London marathon this year I'll go for a charity place in 2020 if I don't get a ballot place (maybe I'll be "luckier" in the ballot if I just need the Ride 100 to finish my London Classics medal).
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #32 on: 06 February, 2019, 03:26:52 pm »
Primary goal: stay alive until next year (at least)

Secondary goal: don't fall downstairs in mid-season

:D Weight is 3 kg less than this time last year.
:( Probably lost muscle
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: Health and fitness goals 2019?
« Reply #33 on: 22 May, 2019, 08:30:46 pm »
OK, time to update for 2019/2020.

Fat again (93kg), primary focus is the need to lose weight ( to under 80kg ideally 76kg max).

* Get back in to a regular routine (swimming, cycling three times a week, 5-a-side twice a week, 11.5km run commute once a week extended to a HM run commute once a month, intervals once a week when the weight is under 90kg, parkrun, long slow run on Sundays)
* Weight down to under 80kg by mid-November, 76kg by Jan 1st 2020. Gentler pace of 0.5kg/week with some weeks off.
* A few HM races over the next year, just to keep the long runs interesting and hopefully see some proper race progression
* Parkrun PB sometime around late October hopefully (PB is 24:24 currently) as the weight comes off. 21:59 as a longer term goal, maybe lower if speed improves lots with weight coming off
* Sub-hour run commute (1h15 last time I did it, 11.6km, 1:05:48 PB)
* 50 parkruns by end of year (currently on ~23) including a few more volunteering!
* Run all of the paths/tracks on Putney Heath, and when that's done, Wimbledon Common (introduces some nice variation to the long runs, I can get right down to the Southern end at Barham Road in about 6km from home, so should be easy to pick off un-run bits)
* Veloviewer tile bagging to keep the cycling interesting

Initial focus will be on swimming with running and cycling secondary. Once the big swims are done I'll shift to a more even focus on all three.

Events:-
* Swim Serpentine 6 mile swim in September 2019 (really enjoyed that last year despite it being cold!)
* Marathon Swims 10k swim in November 2019
* Sub 50m 10k in Fulham City-run (November 2019)
* Keeping entering the Ride 100 ballot as I want the London Classics medal (am 2/3 of the way there having done Swim Serpentine 2 mile swim and London Marathon) - might just go for a charity place in 2020
* Spring marathon 2020? (Have entered London ballot again but probably not fussed if I don't get one, could do with a year off marathon training)
* Half-Ironman in 2020? Tempting...

Some specific goals:-

VDOT (links in this post: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=106308.msg2334854#msg2334854) up to 43 which estimates:-
* 5K: 22:41
* 10K: 47:04
* HM: 1:44:20
* Mara: 3:36:28

They look like good enough target times should I get my weight down.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #34 on: 23 May, 2019, 08:08:05 am »
Good goals, Greenbank.

Mine for 2019:

Knee recovery, so I can run and cycle again.

Chin ups - more than 20 reps at a time (last year's goal was managing 40 pushups; I do 60 most mornings now so achieved that one).

Kayaking; paddle a full marathon distance at training pace. So in under 5 hours for me. I never managed to complete a marathon-distance race when I was in my 20s, generally collapsed from exhaustion.
Knee is semi-recovered. I was trying some running and managed to do 5-7km at a time at a reasonable pace.
I'm cycling again, but woefully slowly. My cycling muscles have gone!

Kayaking - back to training, 2-3 times a week. Doing well in the interval training; I'm faster than people I couldn't keep up with last year (when I was getting into training). No good at distances yet.

Chin ups; don't have access to a bar. Will have to see if I can rig something up at the farm, there are a couple of barns so it should be possible.
Hmm, interesting to see how I'm going with this.

I'm cycling regularly, not quickly, but riding, without knee issue. Even able to do squats. Tick that one off the list.

Still no access to chinup bar.

Won my last race, 13km, so I definitely I'm getting better at distance paddling. Not tried further than 25km yet. Training has focussed on being able to sprint at the end of a race; that is how I won my last race, sprinting the last 500m.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: Health and fitness goals 2019?
« Reply #35 on: 22 September, 2019, 01:26:58 pm »
Another update.

Fat again (93kg), primary focus is the need to lose weight ( to under 80kg ideally 76kg max).

Still fat (95kg) mostly because of bad ankle sprain at the start of August meant no running or 5-a-side since then. Unlikely to be able to start either until November (next Physio appt is 28th October - may get the all clear then to ease back in). I can swim and have got the all clear to do cycling now.

After that the goals will remain to be:-

* Get back in to a regular routine (swimming, cycling three times a week, 5-a-side twice a week, 11.5km run commute once a week extended to a HM run commute once a month, intervals once a week when the weight is under 90kg, parkrun, long slow run on Sundays)
* Weight down to under 80kg by mid-November April 2020, 76kg by Jan 1st June 1st 2020. Gentler pace of 0.5kg/week with some weeks off.
* A few HM races over the next year, just to keep the long runs interesting and hopefully see some proper race progression
* Parkrun PB sometime around late October March 2020 hopefully (PB is 24:24 currently) as the weight comes off. 21:59 as a longer term goal, maybe lower if speed improves lots with weight coming off. Daughter now has Saturday mornings free so I can take her to parkrun regularly
* Sub-hour run commute (1h15 last time I did it, 11.6km, 1:05:48 PB)
* 50 parkruns by May 2020 (currently on ~23) including a few more volunteering!
* Run all of the paths/tracks on Putney Heath, and when that's done, Wimbledon Common (introduces some nice variation to the long runs, I can get right down to the Southern end at Barham Road in about 6km from home, so should be easy to pick off un-run bits)
* Veloviewer tile bagging to keep the cycling interesting

Initial focus will be on swimming with running and cycling secondary. Once the big swims are done I'll shift to a more even focus on all three.

Past events:-
* Swim Serpentine 6 mile swim in September 2019 (really enjoyed that last year despite it being cold!) - Tick - done! 3h41
* Marathon Swims 10k swim in November 2019 - Fail due to chest infection did 1k and bailed
* Sub 50m 10k in Fulham City-run (November 2019) - might not even be back into running by this point due to ankle - Fail - Still no running due to ankle

Future events:-
* Keeping entering the Ride 100 ballot as I want the London Classics medal (am 2/3 of the way there having done Swim Serpentine 2 mile swim and London Marathon) - might just go for a charity place in 2020
* Spring marathon 2020? (No London ballot place, could do with a year off marathon training, will aim for 2021)
* Half-Ironman in 2020? Tempting. Possibly Weymouth 70.3
* Swim Serpentine 2 mile swim in September 2020 - aim for under 1h (PB is 1h10)

Some specific goals:-

VDOT (links in this post: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=106308.msg2334854#msg2334854) up to 43 which estimates:-
* 5K: 22:41
* 10K: 47:04
* HM: 1:44:20
* Mara: 3:36:28

They look like good enough target times should I get my weight down.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

simonp

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #36 on: 22 September, 2019, 03:44:29 pm »
Get FTP > 250W, rowing 5K closer to 19m, 2K closer to 7m, do well in some head races and regattas. Weight under 80kg (currently 82kg).

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #37 on: 22 September, 2019, 04:44:31 pm »
Good point, need an FTP goal.

I'll start off with 3W/kg as a target. At 95kg and my Garmin currently estimating my FTP at about 220W I've got a while to go. With weight down to ~75kg I only need to stay roughly where I am, but I hope to push it up to 3.5W/kg eventually and see how much I'd need to do to see 4W/kg.

Hoping for a Ride London place next year but it clashes with a family event so unlikely to be able to do it even if I did get a place. Will try for 2021 via the ballot or fall back on to a charity place if that fails.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #38 on: 09 October, 2019, 02:50:21 pm »
No London Marathon place for me in the ballot, which is good as I wouldn't be ready for it anyway.

Time to get fit without having to push myself through marathon training. I can happily run a half marathon every week but going further than ~30k even occasionally takes its toll.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

simonp

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #39 on: 09 October, 2019, 03:10:42 pm »
I’ve improved to 3.03W/kg yesterday. And my HRmax is higher than I knew. I hit 199 yesterday.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #40 on: 09 October, 2019, 03:40:17 pm »
Interesting.  I don't judge my fitness by W/kg but by average watts/ave bpm.  Tends to be rather sobering at times.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Health and fitness goals 2020
« Reply #41 on: 10 January, 2020, 02:11:44 pm »
A new year and seemingly the same old goals as the last few years, this - in and of itself - tells a tale.

Primary goal is to lose weight. Still ~95kg and I want to be 12st (76.2kg) at most, probably more like 70kg if I want to do some proper running. Classic yo-yo weight profile from the last few years. Got down to 83kg whilst training for a marathon, did marathon, marathon sucked all enthusiasm out of me, weight slowly piled back on to 95kg. Another attempt, got down to 83kg again, got out of the routine (summer holidays this time) and weight back up to 95kg.

Audax used to be great for weight loss for me but I don't have the time for it now, weekends are for family time.

So, main goal IS TO BREAK THIS YO-YO WEIGHT CYCLE. GET WEIGHT DOWN AND KEEP IT DOWN.

In order to do this:-
* Finish recovery from jiggered ankle, will be through C25K by mid Feb
* Get back in to a regular routine (swimming two/three times a week, cycling three times a week including one 2h+ ride, 5-a-side twice a week from mid-Feb, running 3 or 4 times a week)
* * Parkrun with MiniGB from mid-February (this will be a recovery run for me as she'll be aiming to get down to somewhere below 30 minutes, currently 40 mins)
* * 11.5km run commute once a week from April (extended to a HM run commute once a month from June)
* Weight down to under 80kg by September 2020 and 76kg by November 2020.
* A few HM races over the next year, just to keep the long runs interesting and hopefully see some proper race progression
* Parkrun PB sometime around July 2020 hopefully (PB is 24:24 currently) as the weight comes off. 21:59 as a longer term goal, maybe lower if speed improves lots with weight coming off.
* Sub-hour run commute (1h15 last time I did it, 11.6km, 1:05:48 PB)
* 50 parkruns by end of 2020 (currently on 25) including a few more volunteering - didn't do a single parkrun in 2019!
* Spin class at the local leisure center once a week - will add a separate intervals session after Easter when I've built up fitness
* Veloviewer tile bagging to keep the cycling interesting once we get to Spring

Future events:-
* Entered the Ride 100 ballot as I want the London Classics medal (am 2/3 of the way there having done Swim Serpentine 2 mile swim and London Marathon) - if not this year then charity place in 2021
* Swim Serpentine 2 mile swim in September 2020 - aim for under 1h (PB is 1h10) (entry not open yet)
* Marathon Swim 10k swim in November 2020 (entered) - finish it this time, had lurgy last time

Had thought of a half Ironman but I'm only entering anything like this (or another marathon) once I've actually got my weight down. It's easy to have good intentions and plans but it's no fun slogging around something like this when too heavy. When properly fit I'd be aiming for sub-6h and then a sub 12h full IM.

Some specific goals:-

Get VDOT (links in this post: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=106308.msg2334854#msg2334854) up to 43 which estimates:-
* 5K: 22:41
* 10K: 47:04
* HM: 1:44:20
* Mara: 3:36:28 (Family record is 3h43-ish so I'd love to beat this to annoy both my brother and the sister-in-law who has my wife's family record of a similar time)

They look like good enough target times should I get my weight down.

FTP:
* Currently something around 2.3W/kg (222W @ 96kg) but no great surprise given my lack of fitness
* 3W/kg by September 2020 (e.g. 240W @ 80kg)
* 3.5W/kg by December 2020 (~260W @ 75kg).

We'll see how realistic these are as I keep going at the spin classes, doing other riding to support it, and the weight loss.

Swimming:-
* Top the local pool leaderboard each month from February (requires 26-40km a month)
* Swim CSS (equivalent to FTP) to be 1:30/100m (i.e. sub 1h 4km time)
* Sort out technique
* * Use the pull-buoy less
* * Do proper structure training sessions with fins/paddles/floats/etc rather than just bashing out long slow distance swims
* * Sort out bilateral breathing again (being too lazy and breathing every 4 strokes always on the same side - at least alternate sides if sticking to every 4 strokes)
* * Sign up for the "Swim For Tri" coaching at local pool for April-June block

Other:-
* n-2+1 (Colnago and Aravis to be sold, TT bike to come in - prob Planet X Stealth)
* That would leave me with: Commuting bike, Carbon Wilier road bike, Condor Tempo fixed, TT bike
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #42 on: 10 January, 2020, 11:19:03 pm »
- Get blood pressure down from the marginal range.Currently around 13x/9x. On a good day it will drop below 130/90.
- Weight to sub-80kgs.
- Win the Canadian national kendo champs. (I'm eligible for the master category this time, so it might actually be a realistic goal!).

Weight loss and increased fitness should take care of #1.  This is also the first time I'm confident about losing weight. Now, I know how!.

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #43 on: 13 January, 2020, 11:01:05 am »
  • walk 1000 miles
  • cycle 1000 miles
  • improve plantar faciitis
  • improve flexibility
  • lose weight
  • solve hip pain

Quote from: Kim
^ This woman knows what she's talking about.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #44 on: 13 January, 2020, 04:58:11 pm »
I might attempt to lose a little weight. I don't want to be too heavy to be lifted/pushed but my padded rear reduces my chances of getting a pressure sore. I can't/don't turn over in bed a D wants to get a firmer mattress. I'm fine with the current one (pocket springs, firm for him, softer for me, memory foam top) but he's getting back pain for which he blames the bed.

I seldom get much pain, my blood pressure is fine, my BMI <25.

I am lucky, if immobile.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #45 on: 13 January, 2020, 05:29:18 pm »
May I suggest to mods that a new thread is started with the necessary posts transferred? It looks a little odd for people's 2018 health and fitness goals still being updated.
The loss of humanity I could live with.

Re: Health and fitness goals 2020?
« Reply #46 on: 31 January, 2020, 12:43:56 pm »
[ Moved to last page for ease of update ]
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #47 on: 31 January, 2020, 01:08:15 pm »
As long as I exercise tonight (iffy as we're going straight to the pub after work) I'll have managed to exercise every single day this month.

I'm especially pleased as last year I had a nasty cold that prevented the same plan and this year my partner had one but I managed to avoid catching it.
Miles cycled 2014 = 3551.5 (Target 7300 :()
Miles cycled 2013 = 6141.4
Miles cycled 2012 = 4038.1

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #48 on: 31 January, 2020, 03:29:53 pm »
New year, new goals

Club time trial sub 60 (managed 60m 16s last year but I've lost a lot of fitness since then).

Finish in top 3 in a div 5 race.

Marathon distance in sub 4hrs 30m

This is all kayaking of course.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: Health and fitness goals 2018?
« Reply #49 on: 31 January, 2020, 08:07:39 pm »
With special thanks to Greenbank - I would never have thought of this

Monthly progress:-

Month   Max weight   Min weight   Max VDOT   Longest Run   Swim Dist   Run Dist   Cycle Dist   Parkruns   Min Resting HR
Jan 2020   86.9   95.65   30.01   6.01km   11.2km   68.39km   121.92km   2 (27)   49bpm
Feb                           

Goals:
* Weight down to 76kg
* VDOT up to 43
* Swim dist at least 20km/month
* Longest run up to HM distance each month
* Run dist up to 120km/month
* Parkruns up to 50