2012 is done and it's time to figure out what's in the works for 2013. I thought I had laid down some serious miles in 2011 when I started training. I hadn't really planned for it to end up like this. I was out of shape and decided a little running would be good for me. I still remember that late January morning when I struggled to run the first mile. I think it was about an 11 or 12 minute mile and I was wheezing most of the way. I stuck with it and decided to do some swimming as well. I struggled to make the first 400 yard swim. Shortly thereafter, I started looking into bikes and found my trusty blue Trek Madone. My first ride was about 6 miles and slow. In 2011, I found a training plan on line and started to follow that. My numbers in 2011 were 85,000 yards swimming, 2.366 miles on the bike and 361 miles running. I attempted my first triathlon at the end of March. The Mean Green Sprint in Denton. I was last in my age group but I made it. Even though I was last, racing was a hell of a lot of fun. Even though I finished in the back half of all of my 2011 races, I was making progress. I really thought my workout numbers were pretty good in 2011 but I was way off. I didn't know what I was doing and if I ever wanted to be marginally competitive, I needed help.
I met Jeff riding my bike with my neighbor. Jeff took me in and got me on the right path for 2012. For me, having someone to work with makes me more disciplined. I feel like I can't let Jeff down so it provides motivation to keep me going on those days that don't go well or I don't feel like working out. Bottom line is, this is something I want to do but you do need some external motivation at times. I didn't do near the number of races in 2012 that I had done in 2011. The schedule would not allow it. My daughter was graduating from high school and we had lots of commitments in the spring and early summer. However, I made the commitment to do tougher, longer races in 2012. I did an Xterra off road race with my friend Joe Currens in the summer. I started with the Caveman race in April. It was a chance to see where I was after spending a few months working with Jeff. I was so much faster, it was amazing. I was so damn happy after that race. Things went so well, I just wanted to train my ass off. Jeff held me back and kept me on plan. After the Xterra race, I didn't do another triathlon until June. It was a small Playtri event at Lake Benbrook in Ft. Worth. There weren't many people entered but I was damn close to placing and my times were really good, especially my running. I broke the 8 minute mile barrier for a 5k for the first time. I was looking for a good challenge and settled on the TriWaco olympic distance in July. I had no idea what I was in for with this one. Initially, there was swim anxiety to get through. I had never done a mile open swim in a race without issues. I really dedicated alot of time in the water this year and was really happy with that aspect of the race. The heat, rain, and climb up the hill on the river cliffs was hard and made me wonder whether a half iron man was a good choice. After a few weeks of reflection, I decided to dedicate myself to getting ready for Ironman Austin 70.3. I really stayed completely focused on that event and did not register for anything else. Jeff sent the plans and I trusted his judgement. Once the calendar rolled to October, the training was a little more difficult with a lack of sunlight that mostly affected bike training. By then, the hay was in the barn and I felt pretty good. I don't think I have been more nervous for a sporting event in my life. The weather did not cooperate. Cold and windy. This had to be my least favorite combination. If I didn't care so much, I probably would have packed it in and tried to move my entry fee to another race. However, I had put so much time in, it was time to go. I had a brutal swim across Lake Grapevine the week before. It was really windy and the waves were killing me. I figured if I could survive that swim, this would be a piece of cake. I wanted to go under 7 hours and did the race in 6:34. I think I could have gone under 6 hours, if I really put my mind to it but it was a great learning experience and I have no regrets. I stopped swimming after the race for about a month and picked up boot camp conditioning. I have seen my running improve as a result. What isn't reflected in my distance work is the strength and conditioning work. I didn't do any S&C in 2011. I set goals on January 1, 2012 to almost double everything except the bike miles. I think the original goals were 150k yards swimming, 3k miles on the bike, and 500 miles running. I shattered all of these goals. In 2012, when all was said and done:
Swim: 263,345 yards or 150.9 miles
Bike: 3,064.6 miles
Run: 912.91 miles
I knew the milage would be higher this year so setting goals for 2012 were more workout related. Jeff believes in getting some time away in the off season and changing up the types of training so you don't get burnt out. There is one number on the list above that is tantalizingly close, the run number. One thousand miles would be nice.....so that brings me to 2013.
I am not going to be concerned with distance or mileage data in 2013 except the running. I would like to go over 1,000 miles in 2013. I will do more races in 2013. Jeff is from Lubbock and always does the Ironman Buffalo Springs 70.3 race in Lubbock at the end of June. I have told him I will do this race with him this year. It is apparently a very tough race. It is very hot, very windy, very hilly, and just damn hard. I thought about doing the Texas Tri Series last year but could not get aligned schedule wise with getting my daughter ready for her first year of college. I am interested. 6 races in the Austin area. They start as Sprints and finish with an Olympic and a half Ironman in Kerrville. I am thinking about the Ironman Galveston 70.3 in April. There are not really any full Ironman races available to me this year. I have a line on a possible entry Jeff gave me for Ironman Florida in November so I am considering that. I will do the Grasslands half marathon in March with Rich and Joe. I might consider some of these Ultra trail runs as well or pacing one of them if they do a 100 mile race. I will be faster. I will keep working. In short, at least 6-8 races in varying distances from Sprint to Half Iron and maybe a full Iron. Trail Running races are in the works. If I could gather the people, doing one of the long Xterra team off road races would be cool. They do one every year at Lake Grapevine. Well, that's what I'm looking forward to if my health stays in tact and my training goes well. I can't wait for winter to give way to spring. Oh, one more goal I forgot about. That first triathlon I ever did in Denton. I want to go back and crush that sucker. Being last in anything will eat at you. I don't need to win but I would like to do really well. Seems like something I need to do for some reason.
No comments:
Post a Comment