Your sporting achievements of 2014, and aims for 2015?

[CMOTDibbler]

What have you managed to do this year that you thought you couldn't, or hoped you could?

And what do you hope for 2015?

I ran further and faster than I could before, did two triathlons (a miracle as this time last year I couldn't swim freestyle at all and could barely cycle), rode in a number of cycle events and did my first proper sportive. I'm planning on more triathlon, Velothon Wales, and getting a lot faster on the bike now I have a road bike.

DH couldn't cycle 3 miles in March 2014. He's now done just under 3000 miles since then and cycles at 17mph. He's planning on doing Ride London in 2015 and starting to swim.

DS(8) has done a childrens triathlon, a good number of cycle events, and ridden up to 40 miles in one morning. He wants to do more sportives, and ride consistently at 13mph so he can join the C ride of our local bike club.

I'm really proud of us all, esp DH who has lost a lot of weight but still needs both knees, and probably his hip replacing and is in constant pain.

orange! is good to see you, I remember calf strain chat - how is it now?

talking of horse goals I think I might take the rodeo pony out to do some jumping this year - nothing too awe inspiring but nobody wants him so might as well find stuff for him to do!

I've had a full year of various fitness orientated endeavors with no injuries or illness.
Have increased training volume/load mostly gradually but with no ill effects.

I hope to do the same in 2015, right now I'm focusing on running but that may change, I'm going with the flow:)

hold on, I tell I lie I sprained my ankle somewhere near the start of the year and so was unable to run until a few months ago.
Carried on cycling and weight training as normal though so it wasnt really any kind of an hiatus

No achievements like the rest of you here! Ds1 and I got to week 5 of c25k and then I got meningitis. Pretty much ruled exercise out for the rest of the year unfortunately.

This year I aim to complete it and maybe take part in a 5k race in the summer.

I did my first HM in 2014, although to say I enjoyed it would be a stretch! :) I'm thinking of doing another one but I should probably leave it a while until my toes have recovered. They look pretty grim still.

Last year I also went under 20mins for my 5k time - big achievement for me seeing as I couldn't even finish 5K a few months before that. One of my 2014 new year's resolutions was to be able to do 10 pull ups which I did, but then stopped trying and lost a lot of strength, so maybe I should repeat that as a 2015 goal.

Otherwise I'd like to get faster over shorter distances, and build up my explosive power through strength training. I'll have a think about what a sensible target would be.

Good thread idea though - we'll have to check in come December to see how we've all got on!

Wow Cockadoodledoo I think you have a very good excuse for not doing much! I hope you are fully recovered now and good luck with the running.

Hi Mitchy ?? Calf is ok now thanks. Did have a problem with it a couple of months ago though. Keeping fingers crossed it's got stronger. How are you doing?

Below 20 mins is a fantastic time for a 5k IronMaggie! Do you prefer shorter races to longer ones?
I took up running seriously just over a year ago when I joined a club. I did a lot of 10k races (46 mins), half marathons (1h42m) and trail races in 2014. Managed 4 podiums (more by luck than anything as there aren't many women competitors in the muddy trail races).
Goal for 2015 complete first marathon before I turn 50 in November (am signed up to the Rome marathon in March). And to stay injury free.

wonder if it truly ever goes away am about to prepare slightly secretly for a spring marathon, am just very conscious of it once I reach a certain volume of road miles, it sort of blinks away in the night when I'm trying to sleep

working with a rehabilitative PT though who is supportive but can be a bit negative at times

A physio that I used to go to told me that if you have had an injury there will always be a weakness in those tissues.
That said it's surely not possible to get through life with no accidents or injuries if you also want to be physically fit and active. ?
I guess it is a case of finding the best way to deal with our individual quirks and vulnerabilities.

Although I'm not especially ambitious when it comes to races I've thought about entering some sort of running event.
There is surely some sort of group consciousness thing happening at these things which transcends the everyday solo running experience?
gotta be just too cosmic to miss out on? ?

Ran 5K in under 30 minutes (Parkrun pb is now 29.20) and ran 10K for the first time.

This year I want to get faster at 5k (under 29) & enter a 10k race, hopefully managing to get as close to 1 hour as I can.

Got stronger, reached pb's weight lifting, managed several unassisted pull ups in a set instead of collapsing after one.

Managed a whole year of regular yoga (as opposed to less than class a year any year ever before that) and feel fantastic for it.

Got my blue belt in kickboxing. Brown then black next!

Go Mnetters! Every acheivement is brilliant

Suzanne - I'm not fast at all, but I really enjoy events as a target to train towards, and from being with all these people. A charity run event is nice as people often have stories as to why they are in it too.

Yousoul - not riding as much as I was as we've had some time out after selling ds's pony. I did achieve my riding targets for last year though!

Wow some amazing achievements & goals on here. Yes CMOT first Tri for all 3 of us

I'm always astounded by you triathletes, I can't imagine ever being disciplined enough to train for one properly.

Anglaise, you're doing brilliantly well - much faster than me. I did a couple of timed 10K runs last year but haven't gone below 47 mins yet. I think I'm built for shorter distances / sprints, so I struggle mentally towards the end of long races.

And hello sleep! I didn't realise you were a champion kickboxer! I did martial arts as a child and would love to get back into that, or boxing. Maybe that should be my goal for this year, rather than running - hmmm...

Totally in awe of triathletes. I'd love to do a Tri and would be fine with the running and cycling, but the swimming would let me down. I can only do breaststroke, would need to learn the crawl but really don't enjoy swimming enough to make the effort. Maybe a goal for 2016, but only after a lot of swimming lessons.

Hi Maggie, opportunities to bang on about kickboxing etc on the other thread are pretty rare . I think that sounds like a great idea though, I like the mental focus aspect of martial arts, concentrating on new skills, as well as the opportunity to get some aggression out, in a way you don't with running .

Anglaise I probably sound like a stuck record on this as I've posted on the subject once or twice (ahem) before - but swimming is all technique. I couldn't swim crawl at all. I did an amazing one-day learn to do front crawl course. By the end of the week after I could swim 1k+ of crawl at a time. Since then I have swum once or twice per week (I need the practice in the other disciplines more) and whilst I don't think I'll ever be right at the front, it's enough to see me comfortably in the top 10-20% of swimmers at most tris. And now that I can swim with good technique, I really enjoy it. I didn't find it any fun before.

There are plenty of people who do shorter tris (e.g. 400m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) who do breaststroke. Female-only events often have a good atmosphere and can feel less intimidating - Have a look at events like the Women Only Shock Absorber triathlon at Eton Dorney, or the triathlonpink.co.uk

I'm a reasonable swimmer and I keep thinking about getting back into it but it's such a palaver compared to running and cycling.
So many of my swimming sessions were ruined by the pool being too busy that I gave up on it ?.

There does seem to be an increase in the popularity of extreme endurance events!

Long front crawl sessions also interfered quite badly with upper body strength training, my shoulders just felt unstable and I became very cautious with the weights while I was swimming.

Pootle thanks for your advice on swimming - what is the longest distance you've swam in your tri events?
I don't live in the UK but will see if there are any women only tri events in France. I could handle around 500m of swimming breast stroke at current level but not the crawl. My biggest problem is that I find swimming so boring - one of the reasons I love running is because it is outdoors and the scenery changes all the time, if I'm on my own I can listen to audio books or chat if running or training with friends. Not possible in a swimming pool!

I am another who likes running and cycling but not swimming. My local pool only does lane swimming at random times that don't really fit in with my work, the other times it's full of kids. Plus I hate the time taken to drive to the pool, get changed, the smell of chlorine.....
My swimming is limited to breaststroke too, and a pretty shoddy breaststroke at that. I would definitely need lessons if I was going to attempt a triathlon. Might try and duathlon though.......

No real achievements in 2014 - did less running and got slower! New Year's resolutions are to get a Parkrun PB (my current PB of 28:16 was a couple of years ago) and to run my first half marathon. I have just signed up for one - A trail half around beautiful Coniston Water in the Lake District.

Triathlon! I'm like pootle - learnt front crawl at a ripe age of 42 ish - could do breast stroke prior to that. Lots of people learn it as adults and it is totally doable.
I started running aged 40, and now do triathlons and running races. I think triathlon is a fantastic sport and I didn't know what it was 5 years ago !

I would say tri clubs are more inclusive than running clubs, with tri having 3 disciplines you get more variety of standard and less elitism. The running club I belong to is comprised largely of very good dedicated runners. At the tri club, some people are great swimmers but pretty average runners and vice versa.
Training for 3 is more varied and unlike training for running, if it's raining you can go to the pool or a spin class !
The downside is the cost - you need a bike and a wetsuit and that's just the start.