I'm dubbing 2012 as a year of learning and growth which I think will be crucial for my development in the future. I tried to be a sponge and soak up everything about training (what works and what doesn't), recovery, nutrition (a biggie for me), racing, technique, and taper. I'm fortunate to have a very good teacher in my coach and close friend Torsten Abel. I tried to focus on paying attention to all the inputs and outputs and plug into my brain for future use. A smarter athlete makes for a better athlete and also makes it much easier to provide feedback to my coach and make adjustments as necessary. Looking back on the 2012 training season the focus was really on building my base and stronger foundation. After running some lactate threshold testing with coach Torsten in early December 2011, it was clear I needed to spend the entire year building a stronger base and aerobic capacity. I had good speed but my aerobic capacity was lacking and my ratio of fast twitch to slow twitch fibers needed improvement. This meant alot of training in zone 1 which I grew to enjoy. We also learned (the hard way) that b/c of my larger frame and muscular build that I take longer to recover than other athletes from key training sessions and especially races. Unfortunetly, the only way to figure this out was through trial and error which meant a few sub-par race performances but also vital data for the future. I've been able to piggy back off the end of the 2012 season as I start my 2013 base build period and the numbers I'm starting with this season are shockingly better then where I was at this time next year. Very exciting stuff!!
2012 Training totals Jan '12 thru Nov '12 (does not include races):
Bike: 5,800 miles
Run: 1,300 miles
Swim: 480,000 yards
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
2012 Season Re-Cap
I'm reviving the blog now that baby Colt is 4 months old and we are hopefully done with the crazy town of the last few months. It has been a learning experience to say the least but it is so much fun watching him grow every day.
Last year was a bit of a doozy and honestly coach Torsten and I were pretty disappointed with quite a few of my results early and mid-season. I underestimated the toll Celiac Disease took on my body over the years and the amount of time it would take to re-build and recover my digestive system (8-12 months). I was diagnosed in April and really didn't start to feel recovered until Sept just before the 70.3 World Championship race in Vegas. Needless to say, it was a frustrating year up until that point, especially at Syracuse 70.3 and Vineman 70.3. The training numbers were just not correlating to race results and there was no good explanation other than my body was still recovering nutritionally. I owe alot to nutritionist Dr. Dina Griffin who worked with me after an absolute disaster of a race at Syracuse 70.3 (which I now refer to as "the poop parade" - trust me it was bad) to totally overhaul my daily and race nutrition. During the 70.3 World Championship race I began to feel alot better and I was finally able put it all together at Augusta 70.3 three weeks later to have a breakthrough race and 2nd overall amateur result. It was probably one of the most overwhelming moments of my life conquering a disease that had pretty much debilitated me for over 12 years while almost winning a big race. The 37 seconds I lost by at Augusta for the overall win will be a good motivational tool this off season. It was a huge confidence booster to end the season strong which has carried over very well into my off season training and 2013 prep. I'm starting with a much stronger base level of fitness and foundation to build upon.
Season Highlights
Last year was a bit of a doozy and honestly coach Torsten and I were pretty disappointed with quite a few of my results early and mid-season. I underestimated the toll Celiac Disease took on my body over the years and the amount of time it would take to re-build and recover my digestive system (8-12 months). I was diagnosed in April and really didn't start to feel recovered until Sept just before the 70.3 World Championship race in Vegas. Needless to say, it was a frustrating year up until that point, especially at Syracuse 70.3 and Vineman 70.3. The training numbers were just not correlating to race results and there was no good explanation other than my body was still recovering nutritionally. I owe alot to nutritionist Dr. Dina Griffin who worked with me after an absolute disaster of a race at Syracuse 70.3 (which I now refer to as "the poop parade" - trust me it was bad) to totally overhaul my daily and race nutrition. During the 70.3 World Championship race I began to feel alot better and I was finally able put it all together at Augusta 70.3 three weeks later to have a breakthrough race and 2nd overall amateur result. It was probably one of the most overwhelming moments of my life conquering a disease that had pretty much debilitated me for over 12 years while almost winning a big race. The 37 seconds I lost by at Augusta for the overall win will be a good motivational tool this off season. It was a huge confidence booster to end the season strong which has carried over very well into my off season training and 2013 prep. I'm starting with a much stronger base level of fitness and foundation to build upon.
Season Highlights
-2011 and 2012 USAT All American Honors
-2012 and 2013 Ironman 70.3 World Championship qualifier
-2012 Best of the US qualifier – Team Alabama
-2012 4 x M30-34 age group wins (5 podium finishes)
-2012 Ironman 70.3 Augusta 2nd amateur overall
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