Well, I'd have to say it's been a very successful year for my racing career. Every single long-distance race I have ever competed in was in 2013. My summaries are as follows:
Running:
I ran my first marathon in March, setting a benchmark time of 4:08:58. By the end of the year I was able to cut that time down by more than 40 minutes.
I've progressed to a point in running that I don't really even feel like I'm running until about 5k into the race, which is interesting because the split pace for my first ever 5k and my most recent marathon are surprisingly similar.
Biking:
First things first, I bought a bike! It's worth noting that I've only had a bike since the start of June, and race my first Half Ironman with only 3 months of bike training. Since then, I clocked over 1100 miles on my Kestrel Talon, and have not yet learned to enjoy it at all. Hopefully next year I will actually be able to enjoy my rides. Until then, I can be satisfied with the fact that I finished the bike legs of my two Half Ironmans at around 18.5 MPH, despite them being my two longest rides all year.
Swimming:
I learned to swim! Okay, not really, but I did learn how to breathe while swimming. Actually, I think I have a knack for it. In 4 short months, I progressed from not being able to swim 2 laps without stopping to setting a faster split pace than the winner of my first Half Ironman, which is particularly impressive considering he finished the race in 4:38:42, more than an hour and 15 minutes faster than my overall time. Unfortunately, this reinforces my belief that the swim portion of the triathlon is largely irrelevant to overall time. Oh well.
I also learned that I cannot swim in a wetsuit. I almost did not complete my second Half Ironman due to seasickness and inability to move my arms during the swim.
My goals for next year:
I've been cursed with not being at all photogenic during races. This, coupled with my firm belief that every long-distance runner should look a little ridiculous during races has left me with these abysmal photos which I will now share
Running:
I ran my first marathon in March, setting a benchmark time of 4:08:58. By the end of the year I was able to cut that time down by more than 40 minutes.
I've progressed to a point in running that I don't really even feel like I'm running until about 5k into the race, which is interesting because the split pace for my first ever 5k and my most recent marathon are surprisingly similar.
Biking:
First things first, I bought a bike! It's worth noting that I've only had a bike since the start of June, and race my first Half Ironman with only 3 months of bike training. Since then, I clocked over 1100 miles on my Kestrel Talon, and have not yet learned to enjoy it at all. Hopefully next year I will actually be able to enjoy my rides. Until then, I can be satisfied with the fact that I finished the bike legs of my two Half Ironmans at around 18.5 MPH, despite them being my two longest rides all year.
Swimming:
I learned to swim! Okay, not really, but I did learn how to breathe while swimming. Actually, I think I have a knack for it. In 4 short months, I progressed from not being able to swim 2 laps without stopping to setting a faster split pace than the winner of my first Half Ironman, which is particularly impressive considering he finished the race in 4:38:42, more than an hour and 15 minutes faster than my overall time. Unfortunately, this reinforces my belief that the swim portion of the triathlon is largely irrelevant to overall time. Oh well.
I also learned that I cannot swim in a wetsuit. I almost did not complete my second Half Ironman due to seasickness and inability to move my arms during the swim.
My goals for next year:
- Finish Ironman Texas in less than 12 hours
- Finish the Woodlands Marathon in under 3 hours
- Run more than 1000 miles
- Bike more than 2500 miles
- Learn to enjoy bike riding
- Actually get some good race pictures
I've been cursed with not being at all photogenic during races. This, coupled with my firm belief that every long-distance runner should look a little ridiculous during races has left me with these abysmal photos which I will now share