2008 by the numbers

Shawn set the example for me, so here it is:

All distances down this year:
Swim: 59,082 yards or 33.6 miles (1136 yards/wk)
Bike: 1660 miles (31.9 miles/wk)
Run: 580 miles (11.1 miles/wk)

Rounds of bronchitis that halted training: 3
Pukes during races: 2 that I recall (Eagleman)

5ks: 3
5-milers: 1
10ks: 1 standalone
15ks: 1
10-milers: 1
Half marathons: 4 (#33-#36) including 1 half-iron duathlon
Marathons: 0

Olympic tris: 3
Half IMs started and not finished: 2 (1 DNF, 1 turned into duathlon)

PRs: 4 running (mile, 5k, 5 mile, 15k), 1 Olympic swim split; 1 half IM cycling split; 1 Olympic 10k split

New events: 5k, 10k, 40k ITT; 40 k road race; Muddy Buddy (not counted for PRs until they're repeated and bettered)

Tequila shots: 0
Yummy margaritas: Maybe 4 or 5 this year
Pounds lost: I think I broke almost exactly even for the year

Those pesky goals (here we go again)

I had a truckload of process goals for 2007. Frankly, way too many to track and pay attention to very well. But things were going along well enough until I had a major computer crash in midsummer and lost the Excel spreadsheet on which I had been keeping my records. I think I have it back now on a rebuilt computer, but the recordkeeping ground to a halt when that happened.

I started just logging my workouts in the sidebar, and totaling them manually, which was such a pain that I developed an enormous backlog of un-summarized records that I still have to clear up. Right now I don't even know how far I swam, ran, or rode in 2007, although I believe my totals ended up lower than the previous couple of years.

I enjoyed my events this year quite a bit, and made lots of progress in my speed and fitness levels - setting a total of TEN PRs while maintaining my body weight. My 2008 season is going to look a lot like 2007, with a few more running events. I plan to complete (carpooling with my training buddy Dave) an 8-race Championship Series put on by one of our local running clubs, Annapolis Striders (at least 7 of the races, that is - I may have at least one date conflict with a triathlon, but 7 races should be enough for me to make the top ten in my age group and work up from there in the 2008 standings).

For right now I'd like to keep my 2008 process goals simple and pegged on simple weekly goals, which seems to keep me on track in continually improving my fitness and performance:

• Log my intake at least 5 days per week, striving for a 500-700 calorie daily deficit until I hit an 8% body fat reduction (from January 1st, 2008).
• Swim at least 2500 yards per week.
• Run at least 12 miles per week.
• Ride at least 25 miles per week.
• Count the weeks for each of the above, striving for 80%+ completion (42 weeks out of 52).

Those swim, bike, and run workouts should include at least one long less-slow distance workout (1+ hour swim, 2+ hour run, 3+ hour bike) and a set of high-intensity intervals (speedwork) every 7-10 days, but I'm not going to quantify that right now, just work it into the routine.

I think I'm going to start this year keeping my Excel workout log on Google docs to crashproof it and keep it in a place that I can get to from any computer.

2007 events summary

Here's a preliminary summary of my year in events. There may be one or two road races to go, we'll see.

Many thanks to all the great friends who have run and biked and swum with me and advised me along the way and cheered me on this year. You inspired me and helped me to fly.

• B&A Half Marathon (#28), 04 Mar 07: PR half marathon (2:26:38)
• National Half Marathon (#29), 24 Mar 07: (2:24? long course)
• Cherry Pit Ten Miler, 01 Apr 07: PR ten miler (1:48:52)
• Ocean City Half Marathon (#30), 07 Apr 07: (2:27:04)
• Bridge to Bridge Half (#31), 21 Apr 07: PR half marathon (2:19:28)
• Oxford Day 10K, 28 Apr 07: PR 10k (1:00:41)
• Columbia Triathlon, 20 May 07: PR swim (2:04/100 yards, 34:07)
• Eagleman Ironman 70.3, 10 Jun 07: PR half ironman triathlon (7:08:27)
• Blackwater Traverse Du, 8 Jul 07: (DNF, heat)
• Annapolis Triathlon, 09 Sep 07: PR Olympic triathlon (3:31:54, short course)
• Walt Disney World Triathlon, 23 Sep 07: PR bike (17.5 mph/36.1 miles)
• Ulman 10 Year 5K, 27 Oct 07: (ran with Lance) untimed
• Marine Corps Marathon (#10), 28 Oct 07: PR marathon (5:23:51)
• Run for Hospice 10K, 23 Nov 07: PR 10k (1:001:31, 29:10 5k split)

The best is yet to come. . . . some time in my second half century!!!