IMG_0083      Now that I’ve settled into the “off-season,” I’ve often found myself thinking a lot about my 09 season.  What did I do right? What did I do wrong?  Where can I improve?  What should my 2010 goals be?  … and so on and so forth.
Without a doubt I improved and although there is plenty of room for more, I can relax, exhale and feel good about things for a while. 
    I started the 2009 season in October 2008 and concentrated solely on becoming a stronger cyclist.   Cycling was my primary limiter and I knew I needed a breakthrough in order to step things up.  The bike is also the best segment in triathlon to save some serious time due to it’s length relative to the run and swim.  It’s not that I didn’t work at the swim or run at all, but I definitely focused on the bike.  Looking back, my training would be considered “sloppy” by any coach or someone who was versed in proper training theory.  One long ride during the weekend, hill repeats on Tuesday and the rest was “filler” workouts which I would work several intervals into during the ride.  Early on in the year, recovery wasn’t even in my vocabulary as I would ride close to everyday.  I entered June with fatigue and had push up against a training ceiling where I just couldn’t squeeze much more out.  As the season progressed, I reduced my frequency yet maintained volume and intensity which really helped me keep more fresh.  Although I peaked a bit early, I managed to maintain most of my strength through Lake Geneva. 
    All in all, I’m satisfied with everything, yet I’m already looking forward to seeing what I can achieve next year.   At this point, I am pitted against myself to see what I am personally capable of.  My primary goal for 2009 was to go sub-2:20 for Olympic distance.  Had I raced Big Creek smarter, I could’ve done 2:14.  Now I’m curious about hitting 2:10, but will slowly decided over the next few weeks what my 2010 goals will be.  In summary, I’ve listed my YTD Totals as well as some comments about races, my training and other issues throughout the season.

2009 YTD Totals
Bike:   139h 55m   – 2,699.29 Mi   (2010 – 3,000+)
Run:    44h 09m    – 369.15 Mi   (2010  -  500+)
Swim:  16h 47m    – 61,116.01 Yd   (2010  -  200,000+)

Attitude:  Strong and dedicated through Hy-Vee, but became strung out and somewhat complacent through late July & August.  Need to structure and balance training more to avoid burn-out, recover better, and achieve more targeted and specific workouts.  Need to stay mentally strong the whole season.

Cycling: Managed to go from a 21mph Oly average up to 23.7mph.  HUGE!!! With more focus, improved drilling and more quality miles, I’ll be over 24mph in 2010! It also may be time to upgrade Old Blue.  Blue has fought valiantly over the years, but there comes a time were…  sniffle, sniffle.  (Weeping)

Swimming:  Plain and simple… much more volume needed.  In hindsight, I swam to cover the distance.  Laps, laps and laps.  I need to incorporate more drills and most importantly, some intervals/speed sessions.

Running: Status quo.  I have room to improve my race pace, but as dangerous and harmful as running is, I’m hesitant to push things too hard.  I’m injury prone and want to remain healthy.  Running will likely be my limiter next year.

Race Nutrition:  Simple… don’t forget it.  Have a plan and stick to it.  Big Creek was a valuable lesson that reiterates the importance of race calories.

Training:  Avoid bad workouts.  I spent many workouts without focus.  I.E. Just riding to ride.  I need to have a plan for what’s to be achieved in each workout.  If I’m training with someone else, I need to be sure I can accomplish what I need to with them or go solo to avoid the distraction.  It’s anti-social, but I’m not training in order to “catch up” with someone. 

Everyday Nutrition:  I need to expand my options for eating by learning more about “good foods.”  Sounds lame, but I’m a believer in that what you put into your body has a major impact on how you feel, think and function.  That said, I also need to limit my alcohol consumption as even a few glasses of wine can work against me the next day. 

It was a good year for triathlon.  Plenty of sweat, a decent amount of pain, some very memorable rides, intense races and for the most part, injury free. 

It sounds absurd to most, but the 2010 season is now underway. 
Let the building begin!