End of Q2 Review

So my targets for the year can be found here but they are not easily translatable to here so I am just going to cover them on a 'by exception' basis.

Here is the Q1 version of this review. 

The graphs this time come in two versions. One showing the whole year, and a zoomed in version showing just Q2.

Swimming 

Since starting my new job I haven't managed to get out to Knockburn for midweek swims, and I haven't done a steady job of replacing them with anything else. Hopefully going into Q3 I can come up with a plan to address that.  

I am still high on swim miles, and way ahead of my target but not making as much progress on swim speed as I had hoped. My continuing back and shoulder problems seem to be costing me the top end performance that I am looking for. I 

I have swum twice inside my 750m race target, but both times in open water races. I don't really like to count them as the distances are not particularly accurate, and the wet suit helps too much. My fastest pool 750m so far this year is 12:28 from Peterhead. I am still fairly confident that my 12:15 target is possible in a pool.

I haven't raced a 400m or a 1500m yet this year but from the times I am doing in training I think both of those are in range as well. 

Biking

Biking has improved slightly during Q2 but I was behind on miles right up until this last week. I have only really got back to the target line by commuting and I shouldn't really be taking credit for those as they are 30 minutes of stop/start riding that doesn't really bear much resemblance to my races. 

I really should have seized the opportunity and done more cycling while I was out of work. 

Also, like my swimming the speed is just not there. My TT times have all been down on last year and I am really struggling to make any improvements on my bike speed. Commuting regularly should hopefully add a bit of power as I have to treat it a bit like a rep session to deal with traffic and lights. Also having a mountain bike should remove some of my weather excuses for skipping riding on bad days. 

I have a 25-mile TT planned for the evening before my birthday to cross that off my list, if my quad recovers enough in time. And I still have one more shot at a 10-mile this season. 


Running

Running is still a big success story but has tailed off slightly. I am still very close to my stretch miles target but my performances since my 10k PB in Elgin seem to have struggled. I may just have been training too much or it may be that I am still too focused on the mile numbers and not enough on the speed I am running.

I had my race targets set for a 10k under 42 minutes, which I smashed, and then a second 10k under 42 minutes, or a 5k under 19:30, which I still need to get. I also had stretch targets to 'run my age' for 10k which I just missed at Elgin, and to run sub-40, which I have made.

Still some things to aim for here, but I don't have plans to chase any of them until September, and after triathlon season finishes. 

Triathlon

I have taken part in an ETU qualifying race so I can definitely tick that target off the list. I am pretty pleased with how I raced there as well. I need to wait till next week before I can tick off my qualification spot for next years ETU Age-group Sprint Champs.

I won't get a chance to qualify for the ETU Standard Champs as the qualifying dates are all too close to the wedding. 

Other

I have a target to do 80 yoga sessions this year and I have done 60 already. 

And I have a target to do 80 weights and core sessions and I have done about 12. (I think I have done a few more than this but forgotten to fill in my training diary spreadsheet with them).


So, some things are going quite well but there is still plenty that I could be doing better.