2013 was definitely a year of firsts, injuries and illnesses for me.
My first DNF
My first Olympic Triathlon
My first Half Ironman
My first Century Ride
My first ER Visit
I busted my butt all year to reach my goals and made it thru many obstacles. From quiting a race to stay with a fallen teammate until medical arrived to spraining my ankle just a few weeks out from my triathlon season started. Getting sick just days before major races, spring and fall half and my marathon. Plus having my first fall on my bike during the ACC. I overcame them all and finished the best that I could.
Yes there are things I would've changed but there also things I would've kept the same. I now know what I need to focus on for 2014 and what my goals will be. Keeping my race load low to focus more on training and avoid injury will be my top priority. Plus this helps with keeping my sanity during long training days/weeks.
I had a great support team the whole way and that I would never change. Rich helped where he could, doing long rides with me or the team. Even providing nutrition and a cold pool (thanks to Payton) for our long training day. The team stuck together as well, working with everyone, even if they weren't racing. We had Nancy join us on runs/rides to just be there, and Helen as our food/drink sherpa during out long runs in the early season runs. All in all, this season was great.
So my yearly review consisted of:
| # Events | Event Type | Distance Covered | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 133 | Runs | 680.01 miles | 138:10:27 |
| 127 | Bike | 2,382.52 miles | 152:14:39 |
| 79 | Swim | 77.26 miles | 46:26:57 |
Of which some of these miles were completed during the following events:
Spring Spring 10K(NDF)
Shamrock Shuffle 1/2 Marathon
Wisconsin 1/2 Marathon
Ride the Rock
Leaning Tower Triathlon - Sprint
Soldier Field 10 Miler
Bike the Drive
Color Run 5K
Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - Olympic
Racine 70.3
Gather Race The Lake - 90 miler
DeKalb Corn Classic 10K
Naperville Trails 1/2 Marathon
Marine Corp Marathon
Apple Cider Century
I do have to say that the real hardest part of all of this was not training or competing in my first half Ironman, but more the events after that and the training for it. I still have a century along with a marathon to get ready for. My body never had proper time to recover from all the other training that it just started to shut down on me. I got really sick before the Naperville's Trails racet that I ended up in the ER for dehydration. Even with being so sick, just 4 days out from the race, I managed to PR and run the whole 13.1 without any walk breaks.
Then just before the MCM I was sick again, no ER visit, but ended up losing over 6lbs just days before the race. Plus recovering from my fall at ACC, it just made for a bad marathon, I never reached some of my longer mile runs and when I pushed for it I would end up crying. I did finish the MCM, but at mile 23 I hit a wall and couldn't move forward. I cried and had to walk. I felt so bad but the support from the spectators and Marine's on the route I was able to push forward and keep moving, even finding the strength somewhere to run up the last hill and run thru the finish. I was so happy to finish and I cried when my Marine gave me my medal. It was definitely an experience, and as our shirts said ... "Always Earned. Never Given" that held true for this race. I earned this one because I pushed thru it all and made it across the finish.
2014 is a new year, with new challenges and new obstacles
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