Looking Ahead to 2024
I've written this post twice. This is the third iteration so far. It's not a complicated topic. I've just had it written and then didn't like the direction I was heading in. I think it was too wordy.
First a Review of 2023
I hope 2023 was just the beginning for me. I'm hedging a bit because I know how this has gone for me historically. But after a few years of difficult and an especially hard 2022-2023, finishing the year as I did was special and important for me.
A lot of people (and pets in my life died within a 6 month span. That spooked me enough to get myself checkout a bit. I got some labs, a CT scan of my heart, and learned some good and not-so-good news. Generally speaking I'm healthy. My A1C though, had been trending in the wrong direction. I was borderline diabetic and I needed to do something about it.
I picked up a continuous glucose monitor and started to learn how the food I was eating and the lack of exercise has been affecting my blood sugar. I said "fuck it" and signed up for the Mission Bay Triathlon. I found a training plan I liked and got to work. I worked out 6 days a week for 12 weeks and it was glorious.
The results from testing showed I'm not headed down the same path as my relatives. So triathlons are back into view and I couldn't be more excited for it.
Mission Bay Sprint
I was just off my goal time of 1:10 but I'm very happy with this result. I also finished 6th in my age group, 75th (out of 659) overall, and 66th (out of 384) in the mens division. Not bad for 12 weeks of training.
I learned a lot in this race that brought over to Newport Dunes race. You can read the race recap yourself. I was pleasantly surprised with the result, even if I think I could've pushed a little more.
Newport Dunes Sprint
This race was a last minute add-on. I think it's important to have a couple of races lined up to alleviate the pressure built up for a single race. This was shorter than the Mission Bay sprint but definitely a fun one. I didn't know what to expect but overall, I was pleased with the results. Again I placed 6th in my age group. Overall I was 29th and 26th for my gender. Not bad at all.
Looking Ahead
I've got a few races lined up and some that I'm eyeing but haven't yet registered for. The big one is Couer d'Alene 70.3. I'll have to write about my last half-distance race some day. Let's just say that I learned my lesson about preparing for a race like this. I won't make that mistake again.
Here's a short list of goals I have for myself for the year.
Sub 5:30 at Coeur d'Alene
I think my ride will be the biggest factor here. It's a hilly course and I'll need to get my average watts output up significantly. For the run, it's going to take time but I need to be around 8:00/mile pace. I'm working on Z2 training a bit but I'm feeling unsure about that.
I have 6 months to move weekly TSS score up 140. That's my goal at least. At the moment of writing this, the estimation is at 80 for June. I'll definitely be over 100 knowing how everything went training for the sprints.
Sub 1hr at the Mission Bay Sprint and podium for my age-group
Sub-hour is really moving. I'll be in top shape if I can stay healthy. I can shave some time on my swim and I think if I can stay consistent with the other two, I'll be right there. I'm kinda excited about training for this one. A lot of VO2 workouts coming my way
Get my weight down to 170-180
This will depend on my eating habits. I'm always working on this but I think it will help (maybe) that my workout duration and intensity will be stepping it up a bit in the first half of the year
Increase flexibility
I plan to incorporate yoga into my routine. I just need the time.
Summary
I've got a lot of work ahead of me. I'm quite excited for it. I'm thankful to be healthy enough for this. I want to live as long as possible and see my kids grow up. That's why I'm doing this. That and because I just like the punishment. I'm not a big "New Years Resolution" person. Never have been. My goals above will point me in the right direction. That's all I need.