Plotting a spring-time PB

I have previously discussed whether I am still capable of a PB and decided that it should still be possible for me to get PBs next year and for a couple more years to come.

I am now a member of a running club, I am enjoying my running and I want to give it a real go to see how fast I can be given a bit of dedication.

Firstly, what PBs am I after? Well the most important to me are:
- parkrun (5km) - I'd love to knock another 10 or 15 second off my 17:28 PB.
- 10km - It's just a logical step up from the 5km and with a PB of 36:47, I do still think it is possible for me to beat this.
Those are the two distances I have raced the most and therefore they are my best PBs. That also means they are going to be the hardest to beat, but probably the most rewarding.

And then to a lesser extent I'd also like to get a PB at:
- 5 miles - I have only done one of these (30:07), but as my club runs a 5 mile race each summer, I'll certainly do another next year and would like to improve to a sub 30 minute time. My 5km time suggest s this should be well within my capabilities. My 5km PB was run at 5:38 per mile, so for less than 2 extra miles, and with 22 seconds per mile to spare, it should be well within my capabilities.

And then I may even consider:
- half marathon - I believe that my PB is still well over 1 hour 30 minutes, and this really doesn't fit with my 5km and 10km PBs, so this is one I think I would like to address. If not next year, then sometime soon. But I think the time has come!

So now I just need to work out how I am going to go about getting those PBs in spring 2013 and beyond. I can't just say I'm going to do it and expect it to happen, I need a plan.

I have previously looked at the factors that can and can't be controlled when attempting a PB.  So now I need to work out how to address and control the factors that can be controlled.

My plan needs to take into account many things:
- Training: how often, what quantity, what type, level of intensity, which days, which time of day, how I'll fit this into my life - being realistic about when I can actually train and when I'll want to train and take time off.
- Targets: I'll need training targets and I'll need race targets. Targets focus the mind and will keep me on track.
- Injury prevention: I absolutely have to avoid injuries. With my injury history, I know that even a minor injury is likely to set me back many weeks.
- Prevent burn out: I have to make sure that I do it in an enjoyable way, don't peak too early and don't do so much that I don't want to do it or fall out with my training plan before my target races.
- Enjoyment, fun: It has to be fun. It therefore has to be varied. If I don't enjoy it I won't want to do it or do it properly.
- It MUST NOT become a chore!

So all that is left to do is to work out what training I am going o do and how to fit it in.

My next blog post on this subject will be about how I aim to fit this training into my life without annoying my wife, still seeing the kids and not affecting everything that we want and need to do as a family. Time is going to be a key factor here, so my plan will need to be inventive but realistic to work.