2012 Recap and 2013 Preview

It is a new year and I have a ton of things to look forward to in 2013.  First, let me do a quick recap of 2012.  As an engineer, I'm as analytically inclined as they come - I like numbers and analyzing data.  So here is a breakdown of my 2012 training data:

The above table is rather simple - you can see totals for both time and distance for each discipline as well as some additional time I spent walking or hiking.  Dividing these values by 12 for monthly totals yields

Dividing the yearly totals by 52 for weekly totals reveals an "average" week for 2012.

Now, it is not exactly fair to average the annual totals by month or week because there were multiple periods in 2012 that training volume was drastically reduced.  Because I log all my workouts on the Slowtwitch Training Log, I can generate fantastic reports that present monthly or annual totals for all the activities I performed during a specified period.  A report for the whole year of 2012 includes the following graph, a telling reason for the paltry averages produced above.

This graph displays three important reasons for the above "averages".  First, I did not swim once until July.  Moreover, no part of my body was even submerged in water at any point (e.g., hot tub, dunk tank, trial by drowning, etc.) until mid-year.  Second, a drastic reduction in volume occurred in June when I determined, along with the help of a medical professional, that I was suffering from a tibial stress reaction.  The obvious culprit being run volume from January-April; dangerous are those 200mi months.  As soon as I finished my race at the end of May, it was no more running for me in June.  Third, I hardly rode a bike in January or September for no real reason, I think I was just tired of working out.

Overall, 2012 was eye-opening and pleasantly capricious.  After relocating from MI to NY at the beginning of the year I was forced to meet new training partners, find new routes, develop a new routine, and focus on multisport races in which I had never competed like duathlon and aquathlon.  I did not compete in a triathlon and I had my first serious training related injury (I use "serious" here rather loosely).  I took an overall win, received prize money, lost a race by seconds, DNF'd, relayed from Saratoga to Lake Placid, and placed "100something"-th among some of the best runners in the Northeast.  I began my first job as an engineer after graduation, promptly quit after 6 months, then started my current job.  I moved in with my girlfriend and we have been successfully cohabitating for over a year.  In essence, 2012 was wonderfully unlike any other year in my life and I'm excited for what is to come in 2013.  Here are a few pictures that can try to sum up 2012:

New Bike! Thanks tax refund.
2010 Felt DA, Zipp 808s, Quarq CinQo Power Meter

Another new bike, the training beast -
1980's Centurion LeMans RS w/ PowerCranks

Stereotypical shot after climbing the escarpment to Thacher Park

I was in a magazine with hardly any clothes on. In fact, I think
I had more material below my knees than anywhere else.

There is some beautiful riding out here.
Erie Canalway Bike Path

Christmas morning run with Chad (human) and Charlie (dog).
Ft. Custer, Augusta, MI

Running up the White Mountains.  The camera is not angled.
Franconia, NH

 The new year brings new changes for my training style and schedule. My "A" race will be Ironman Mont Tremblant in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada on August 18.  The Patriot Half on June 15 and the DoubleMussel 88.7 on July 13-14 will be my two "B" races to prepare for IMMT.  I will be defending my title in the Delmar Duathlon and going for a podium spot at the American Zofingen Long Course Duathlon. 

I will be coached by my good friend John Paul Severin, a wildly successful triathlete who writes a hilarious blog and had a wonderful coaching debut by coaching another friend to a 2hr PR at IMAZ in 2012.  Not to mention, we have similar body compositions, similar opinions on training styles, and we are both about as mature as baby orangutans.

Maturity levels are questionable in these two...

We will work out a demanding schedule that I am confident will deliver exciting race results this summer.  For now though, it is base training, base training, and more base training.  Aerobic base and muscular endurance are going to be key for my races this summer.  So, that means long aerobic runs and low cadence, muscle building bike rides where I monitor heart rate to keep it below a certain % of my maximum.  Once I get into a groove on this training, I will update again.

Until then, listen to this excellent tune from Ben Howard - Old Pine.