2013 Review

In January of 2013 I had several goals for myself. 

Run	500 miles	Yes
Bike	750 miles	No
Swim	30 miles	No
Presque Isle Tri	1:15:00 or better	No (1:31:09)
Olympic Tri	complete	No

...So what happened?

The Successes

As I look back over the Past year, I am pretty stoked because I did reach my goal of running at least 500 miles.  As of December 2, as a matter of fact, I surpassed the half-century mark.  And for me, that is a major accomplishment.  Also, in the past year I ran several 5K races, a sprint triathlon, a 10K, my first ever half-marathon and first duathlon. 

While doing all of this, I was also raised money for two great charities.  I was able to raise nearly $500 to support Sebastian Riding Associates.  I also signed up with Charity Miles to use my training mileage to raise money for Autism Speaks. 

The Failures

I didn't come anywhere near my goals for riding or swimming.  Why not?  Well, because I didn't put enough priority on those two areas while training.  I greatly improved on my results form 2012 but did not even come close to the goals I set for this past year.  I also didn't improve on my time for the Presque Isle Triathlon.  That I partially attribute to not allowing enough recovery time between the half marathon and the triathlon (they were only a week apart).  And no Olympic distance triathlon for me this year either - didn't even sign up for one. 

So What Did I Learn?

1. I really think I should focus more on the duration of my training not the total distance.  This past year I only spent about 90 hours total doing some form of training (from my workout log on runkeeper.com).  In 2014, I want to at least double that number. 

2. I need a training plan

3. Recovery is critical.

4. I need to learn about nutrition - and not just race time nutrition.

5. The Six step process for reaching your goals really does work.  (I followed this process to reach my running goal - unfortunately I didn't for any other goal.

6. I need to sign up for more races. (See number 5)

Most Inspiring moment of 2013

Hands down this year it was the Im Able Duathlon.  This was such an amazing race for a great cause.  And what an awesome bunch of people too.  The IM Able foundation's goal is to "help all individuals realize the potential to go further and push harder than their preconceived limits".  Let me just say, when you are mid-race and your legs are burning and sweat is running into your eyes, and you start thinking maybe I could just pull out of this race.  I mean who cares, right? - then you see the guy next to you huffing and puffing harder than you because he is doing the same race as you with just his arms - How can you not be inspired?  Any reason you may have had to complain becomes completely irrelevant. 

Goals for 2014

1. Olympic distance triathlon

2. Presque Isle Triathlon (If I do it) 1:15 or better

3. At least 2 more sprint triathlons

4. Ride the complete Great Allegheny Passage Trail

Strategy for 2014

1. Train more consistently (follow a training plan)

2. Focus more on duration and quality of training and less on total distance accumulated

3. Work on nutrition.  Teach body to better metabolize fat for fuel.  Also, work on race day nutrition.

4. Get more experience racing (sign up for more races)

So What's Next?

I'm going all the way in with this triathlon thing.  Ok, Ok... So, maybe I'm only going waist deep.  And at first I'll probably get in just up to my knees.  I mean, I don't want to dive all the way in right away.  What if the water is cold?  What if I freeze up?   I already got my toes wet and it doesn't seem that bad.  To heck with it!  I'm jumping in!  ... Well, maybe just to my waist for now. 

Remember the classic internal debate from your childhood of whether or not to just jump into the pool.  Everyone else is already splashing around having fun.  And yet there you are, on the deck, struggling to get more than your big toe wet. 

Well that's kind of what has been going on in my head lately.  I got my toes wet some sprints and I really liked the feel.  The races were a ton of fun.  And honestly, I’ve even enjoyed the training.  Over the past two years I have seen some significant changes in my strength and endurance.  I have lost nearly 50 pounds.  I mean really, it's been great.  But I see people doing all these other races, Olympic, Half-Ironman and so on and can't help thinking - what else am I missing?  Am I just standing here getting my toes wet?

So, I have put a lot of thought into reassessing my work load, my training and my life in general.  Am I happy where I am, competing on the level that I do?  Can I commit enough time to training to train for longer race?  I have come to the conclusion that I'm ready to take it to the next level.  I have the desire, that’s never been the issue.  I just need to remember to take things one step at a time and I can reach that next goal.   

Soooo… My new goal - A Half-Ironman distance race in 2015.  What -2015?!?  ... Yeah, well I said I'm going all the way in.

... I'm just not starting with a cannonball. 

2013 Goals

One of my primary goals this year is to accumulate mileage. After reviewing my last years training, I see that I did indeed make quite a bit of progress. That being said, I think I still have a long way to go - especially if I want improve times and go farther.

Here are my base and stretch goals for this year:

               Base       Stretch
Run        500mi     750mi
Bike       750mi     1000mi
Swim       30mi         45mi

I like to set a stretch goal because it gives something to keep pushing for beyond my primary goal. It sets that bar at the next level to keep me motivated and gives me no excuse to stop once I reach my goals.

I have two target races this year. I will be running other races, but these are the two i am using to measure my progress. The first is the Presque Isle Triathlon this August. My goal is to finish with a time of 1:15:00 or better. That is a 15 minute improvement over last year.

My second target race is the Blueman Triathlon where my goal is to finish the Olympic Distance course. I've never done more than a sprint distance triathlon, so this will be a first for me.

What are your goals for this year?

Six Steps to Getting Anything You Want

Do you want to reach your peak?  Your maximum potential?  I believe there is a six step process that successful people go through as they accomplish awesome things.  That's it.  Six easy steps.  This is a summary of the steps - the cliff notes version if you will.  Let me know what you think.


Stay Awesome!!

Step 1: Find Your Vision

The first step to achieving anything is to figure out what it is that you really want.  What is it that you really want to accomplish?  What do you want to be?  How do you want to live?  This step involves determining what your dreams really are.  Remember to think big; but try to find out what it is that you are truly looking for.  For example you might say I have a goal of earning a million dollars.  But what is it that you are really after.  Is it financial security?  Perhaps it's a legacy you want to leave to future generations of your family.  Think about what it is that is driving you to these thoughts.  That is what you are truly after.  Knowing the root of your vision will make it more meaningful and more motivating as you begin to pursue it.

Step 2: Set the Stage

Time for a reality check. Time to acknowledge everything in your life that is holding you back.  What?  Didn't I just say start dreaming?  That's right I did.  And if you really want to get to the place in life you are dreaming about, you better find out where you are.  If you don't know where you are, you will never know where to start.  And if you don't know where to start how will you know when you are finished.  This is about understanding the negative forces that are working against your vision; it’s also about acknowledging the positive forces as well.  You need to see the whole picture, so you can make a plan and measure your progress.

Step 3: Create a Plan

Step one says determine what you want.  Find out the end state you are trying to achieve.  Step two says figure out where you are starting from.  Step three is about connecting the dots between the two.  What is it going to take to go from where you are to where you want to be?  Your plan should be based in reality of what is reasonably achievable.  For example, if you set a goal to lose 30 pounds, don't make a plan to lose 30 in a month.  It may be possible but it’s not likely that you will keep it off.  Try to spread out the time frame.  Remember, you have a lifetime to accomplish your goals.  If you extend the time of losing that weight to 6 months, you only have to lose 5 pounds a month, or one pound a week, or 2.3 ounces per day.  Now that doesn't seem hard does it!?  It's OK to start small and take baby steps, as long as they keep you moving forward.

Step 4: Get started

While it sounds obvious, this can be one of the most difficult steps to take.  Taking that first step toward your dream can be a daunting feat.  You are about to embark on a quest that could dramatically change your life.  There is a reason this is Step four and not Step one.  That is because completing the others first makes getting started an easier step to take.  Remember by this time you have solidified what it is you want, you know where you are starting from, and you know the path you are going to take to get there.   All you need to do is begin!

Step 5: Stay Motivated

i find that successful people find was to keep themselves motivated.  When you are in the middle of working toward your goals, it can become easy to lose sight of what it is you are really working hard for.  Especially when life throws some unexpected challenges your way.  A big key to this step are setting intermediate goals during the planning stage and celebrating your successes along the way.  Remember don't celebrate by doing things that work against your goals.  If you are paying off debt, don't go out and buy a brand new TV on credit once you pay off one card.  Or don't eat a chocolate cake to celebrate losing 10 pounds.  While these may sound like exciting ways to celebrate what you have accomplished they can end up being demotivating and the ultimately work against your goal and make it that much harder to accomplish.

Step 6: Repeat!

Say what?  That's right it is critical to keep refining this process.  You may find that along the way your dreams change, or that life changes them for you.  Perhaps you now have a family and saving for college becomes priority number one.  Maybe you realize that you didn't set the bar high enough for yourself when you first started.  Maybe 30 pounds wasn't that hard to lose, or half way there you see the progress you are making and decide that 50 pounds would make you he healthier person you are striving for.  So take another look; go back to step one and go through the process again.  This time aiming higher and achieving even more than your thought you could.