Wednesday, October 30, 2013

New and improved

Since the finish of my "season" I have slowed down a lot on my training and was taking it pretty easy.  This week kicked off the winter training.  I have decides to go back to what I was doing last winter to train.  My three best performances last year were my first three events I did.  I know after those event I was basically racing to train and that is where I went wrong.  Instead of doing things to improve I was just maintaining and as the year went on things slowly trickled off. 
So now with a refocus of what I want to accomplish next year and a new plan to truly improve my run....I'm ready to tackle the winter training season head on.  First event will be DC rock n roll full marathon in March.  After that it will be a smaller amount of races at longer distances.  2014 will get me my last two stickers...then 2015 will be the run for a legitimate shot at qualifying and performing well at nationals.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

2013...That's a Wrap

It has been a fun year for a lot of different reasons.  We are settled into the DC metro area nicely and have no intentions of leaving.  My son is in school and loves going there and we couldn't be happier with what it has done for his little personality as well as seeing him grow in what he knows.  The lights are starting to shine brighter for 2014 as it approaches with work and school and everything else going on in our lives that keep us busy.

As for The Every Man Triathlete aspect it was an up and down year but what a ride.  I started the year off with an age group win at Westfield's Sprint and ended it with a decent showing at Waterman's Half Ironman. All the races in between have been good and bad for many reasons, but I am glad I did each one of them for one reason or another.  Raising money for a good cause, meeting training partners and friends along the way, and bettering myself as a person I feel.

Waterman's was a really good time.  There were only about 200 competitors on a very dreary and rainy mid-atlantic morning at Smallwood State Park.  The swim was chilly but not unbearable and the water was choppy.  It was a two lap course around Lake Matawoman which had some challenges but overall a fun swim.  The 56 miles of country bike course was gorgeous but also changed the outlook of the race.  At mile 40 I blew a tire and was forced to stop and get some patch work done.  Around mile 44 I looked down and saw it was nearly on the rim again so had to start over from scratch.  I managed to limp it back in after that to transition and it was almost done by the time I got there again so that was definitely 40 minutes of my bike I wasn't hoping to have.  The run was great.  A three lap half marathon around Smallwood State Park.  The run had some challenging hills but made up for with some very nice terrain to run when you got off the roads.  All in all I am glad it was the race I ended my year with and it definitely showed me where my weaknesses and my strengths are.

The goals for 2014 and 2015 are set in my mind but I will keep them to myself as for the end road for both those years.  The one thing I will tell you is that I am ready to RockNRoll again...This time, DC style!!  :)

Friday, October 11, 2013

70.3!!!

8:00 am tomorrow the horn blows and swimmers start.  This will be the final race of the season for what has been a fun year of endurance sports.  The weather looks gloomy which will actually make for a good run day.  It's supposed to rain all morning so the bike portion could be tricky.  Guess I will just show and see how it all goes!

Monday, October 7, 2013

Saturday Ends this years journey

As the rest of the triathlon world focuses on Kona for the Ironman world championship on Sunday, I will be competing in my first HalfIronman event down in Marbury, MD.  Watermans Half has been where the end of the road for this season has been set.  It has been a lot of fun this year and so I have decided to end it just that way.  I am going to go down and  have fun with it.  I don't want to worry about my times and worry about how fast my splits are.  I will of course try to do my best for personal reasons but just finishing in a respectable time will be all that I am looking for.  The weather isn't looking good for the event so the morning of may decide the fate of my season's end but we will see.  After HalfFull yesterday which was a blast, I am excited to hit the end of the road for this year.  My next goal isn't until next march when I will tackle my first marathon and after Philly I know there is plenty of work to be done for that one.  Thank you to all who have supported my adventure this season and I hope next year will be just the same!!!

Friday, October 4, 2013

A Rev3 weekend!!

Well its Friday...two days away from Rev3's HalfFull triathlon.  Olympicish distance (6.5 mile run) and basically it will be the ultimate brick workout in prep for the final event of the year...Waterman's Half Ironman distance on the following Saturday down in Indian Head MD.  The same runcl course that tore me up back in July at General Smallwood Olympic.  This time I get to run the same course...TWICE!  Should be interesting.  I have been feeling a lot more fluid in the water and my runs this week have felt better than they have in a long time.  Hopefully that's a good sign.  It will be a good way to end the year out.  I will have accomplished my 13.1 and my 70.3.  Then I can take the winter to regroup...regenerate...and plan for bigger races next year!