Tuesday, October 26, 2010

2011 Race Schedule

1/23/2011 Carlsbad Half Marathon
2/13/2011 San Dieguito Half Marathon
2/19/2011 Tritonman Triathlon
3/27/2011 Superseal International Triathlon
4/17/2011 New Orleans 70.3 Half Ironman*
5/1/2011 Spring Sprint Triathlon
6/12/2011 Boise 70.3 Half Ironman*
6/28/2011 San Diego International Triathlon
7/17/2011 Vineman 70.3 Half Ironman*
9/11/2011 Ironman 70.3 World Championship
9/17/2011 San Diego Triathlon Classic
10/2/2011 Mission Bay Sprint Triathlon

*Shots to qualify for the 70.3 World Championships

2010 Is In The Bag

Well folks the 2010 race season is over now and it has been a hell of a year for me.  When I really got into Triathlons last year never did I think that I, in any way, could be competitive, at all, in this sport.  In my prior four years as a runner I had completed 5 marathons, 4 half marathons and 1 ultra marathon.  Let me be honest here.... I sucked, I sucked really bad at distance running and I wasn't much better at 5k or 10ks either.  Triathlon though is strangely different for me, I am not amazing at any of the three sports but in 2009 I found that in my first full season I was some how better than more than half the people out there.  I thought, well if I can do this well and have no clue what I am doing that means when I learn something about swimming and biking I might have a chance of doing something.

That's when I found my amazing coach, Darcy Eaton.  With her, in the last year and a half, I have raced more than 8 sprint triathlons, 2 Olympic distance triathlons, 1 half marathon, and 3 Half Ironman distance races and set MASSIVE personal records at all distance, and collected more than my fair share of hardware.  I am 100% proud of my 2010 season and wouldn't change a thing.

Moving into the off season I am working with my bike sponsor, Synergy Sport and Grey Cycling, to really help improve my bike times next year with a set of new road and tri bikes.  I really need to get off my four year old heavy ass cervelo and on to something a little lighter and a little sleeker.  I have also decided to start training a little smarter out on the roads.  I am now a proud owner of a powertap wheelset and while I haven't had them to long I am very sure that they are going to make a huge difference in the 2011 season.

As I have talked about before, my run is my weakness and unfortunately I have been out with an injury the past three weeks but tomorrow I will try running again.  I am nervous to say in the least.  I would hate for my hopes of going to worlds next year to die in the off season. 

My motivation is higher than ever though.  This week I had the pleasure of seeing some of the most inspirational athletes in the world.  The Challenged Athletes Foundation is an amazing charity.  Imagine you were living your life as the athlete that you are today, or even as the one that you have always dreamed of being.  Imagine the joy you feel when you are out there doing your thing.  Now think about how it would feel if you could no longer do it because it was ripped away from you because you were hit by a car driven by a drunk driver, born with defects, or your body just shut down on you.  I don't know about you but just the thought of it destroys me.  The desire to compete and be competitive is in all of us and the Challenged Athlete's Foundation helps the people who want to be be active in any sport do so and after hearing some amazing, inspiring stories I can't help but want to suffer to the limit that both my mind and body can handle.
2011 is going to be a great year!