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If you're not that interested in reading about my training and racing you might want to sit this one out. If you find us athlete types strangely fascinating read on. Just remember you have been warned.
Well I finally ran my last In Season race for this 09 year. It's the Discover Assonet 5K and it helps to benefit St. Bernards church. It was my slowest result of the year at that distance but it turns out I entered the race slightly injured. Earlier in the week I did a speed workout and felt my left Achilles tighten up. I gave it an extra day off but during the race I could feel it. It was the start of Achilles Tendinitis(AT). If you recall I battled that last year and it wasn't until I went to the Acupuncturist that I got over it. This time I caught it very early and have already started treatment so I expect to be back at it by Nov.
RUN
Since we're on the subject of running let's start there. I'm a minute and change faster then last year and my new 5K pr is 20:32. This comes with very little off season training due to the above mentioned AT in the right heel. I want to get back in the 19s for the 5K and to be perfectly honest I know I can do it if I do a number of things.
1. Keeping working on my core.
2. Lose more weight - I"m shooting for 190 by June. I'm at 196-198 right now.
3. Get a better base in where running 5 miles is easy.
4. Get speed work in much earlier.
BIKE
It's very hard to complain about the bike given I didn't really train during June given all the rain we had. Yes I "snuck" a few rides in here and there but nothing of value. I honestly believe it was my early season riding that got me through the month of June. When July arrived I rode but because I didn't have a solid base I really couldn't do much speed work. Even so I matched (in wet conditions) or beat last year's Tri bike split times. As for the century, I had one of the best rides in recent history. Looking back it was a near perfect ride. Pushing when the body let me and recovering when I was getting gassed. I finished in 5:25 which was way below my predicted 5:40. So, do I think I can do better next year? Yes.
1. Lose more weight - Notice a pattern developing here? ;-)
2. Get more core and leg workouts in the off season.
3. Go for as long as possible on the road in the winter, and start as early as possible in the spring.
4. Get some quality speed workouts in with the Tri Bike.
SWIM
Ah yes the swim. I'll admit it I have a love/hate relationship with the pool. This year saw me greatly increase my early season weekly distance but cutting back from 3 to 2 days. The pool I use is at my old college which is 25 minutes away. That means to get a 1hr workout in I was spending 2 hours. Under horrendous conditions I matched '08s time in the swim and was only 15 seconds behind in my other Tri. I know it was my fault for that time because I followed the person who went off course. That means I don't really need to swim three days a week to maintain what I have. I also know for a fact I burnt myself out by mid July. Looking back at my logs I was just going through the motions and I need to avoid that next year.
Swimming is not like running or biking where volume will automatically improve your times. Swimming, at my level is all about technique and unless I pay someone (not likely) to coach me, I won't get any faster.
1. Start swimming about a month later.
2. Don't up the distance so fast.
3. Try swimming for time rather then laps. I notice when I
try to keep track of lap count I let my stroke go.
4. Optional - Get someone to watch me swim. This should help me identify
my problems.
5. To Try - Doing speed workouts with my zoomers on. I've read that if you wear them you'll go faster then if you didn't. This in turn exposes any issues you have with your stroke. Can't hurt so I'll give it a try.
GOALS for 2010
If Lucy ever reads this she'll get annoyed because at this moment in my life I'm the fastest I've ever been as a triathlete. Yup I seem to have finally balanced (somewhat) out the run and bike. But I want to get even faster. I don't know how many years I have left that the body will allow improvement so I gotta take it while I can. Eventually Age will become a limiting factor. So here goes.
1. In 2010 beat all of 2009 times for 5Ks and Triathlons.
2. Get down to 190lbs or close.
3. Break the 20 minute barrier and run a 5K in the 19s.
4. Avg 22 or better in at least 1 triathlon.
5. STAY INJURY FREE.
Well if you've made it this far, bravo to you. Yes as you can see us Athletes are never satisfied and always want to get better. As evidence of that, a parting story. The night before the Dartmouth Tri my wife asked me what the ultimate result would be. I told her that I have always wanted to place (1-2-3) in my age group. I have placed in my age group as a Clydesdale (200lbs and over) a number of times and even won it once but I had never placed in my pure-with-no-help age group. Well at Dartmouth I took third and even got a medal. Supposedly I passed the guy who had 3rd place with less then 1/2mi to go in the run. Pretty cool stuff given I had never beaten this guy ever before. But by the time I got home I was already wondering how I could improve next year in an attempt to maybe, just maybe have a chance at 2nd in my age group. Needless to say Lucy is right, I'll never be satisfied.
Thanks for reading and God Bless.