Overall, it was a fabulous 2010. What stands out for me is the quality family time, awesome travel experiences, business stabilization, and sporting triumphs. I could write about any one of those topics, but it was the endurance sports accomplishments that define the year. Fortunately, all of the events involved family and many involved travel, so the combination made the sports all the more enjoyable.
Ironman was the theme. I have had a special focus on triathlon the past two years. It has been a steep ramp. I went from first learning to swim competitively in January 2009, to competing at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in October 2010. With Debbie’s blessing, I increased my training for the first time in more than ten years. I achieved my number one objective, which was to get in the best shape of my life. I knew that if I did that, the other objectives would be easy to meet. Now that I have gotten fitter than ever (and since lost some of that fitness), I know that I can get to an even higher level with even more focus and planning.
I reached my strategic fitness goal by nearly achieving my tactical goal, which was to average 10 hours of exercise (e.g. swimming, cycling, running, hiking, etc.) a week. Some vital statistics explain the kind of year I had:
- 31 Races (8 triathlon, 1 duathlon, 1 cyclocross, 2 road bike, 2 mountain bike, 10 road running, 7 trail running)
- 788 miles of racing
- ~461 hours of training and racing (that is shy of my 10 hour/week goal, but still a lot more than recent years)
- 90 bicycle commuting segments including 40+ 27 mile-round-trips to/from work
The bicycle commuting is a major highlight. When I commute, I have a better day. More people should experience the joy and fitness of commuting. As for the races, the triathlon highlights were Ironman World Championship, Ironman Brazil, Timberman 70.3, Niantic Bay Triathlon, and the Pat Griskus Sprint Triathlon. Other great races included Brian’s Beachside Boogie Duathlon, the Manchester Road Race, the Bobby’s Run, Quabbin Reservoir Classic bike race, Gate River Run, the Northern Nipmuck Trail Race, and the Martha’s Vineyard 20 Miler. Really, I loved all of the races that I did in 2010.
Debbie offered amazing support at many of these races. I returned the favor as she tackled several ultramarathon trail races including the Traprock 50K, Bimbler’s Bluff 50k, Vermont 50K, and Upchuck 50K. She will be going longer again in 2011. She was tremendously supportive, which is a critical part of the equation. You can’ embark on these adventures alone.
I also had some great workouts. Most were solo, but several included friends, which made the long rides/runs even more enjoyable. This year, more than others, people have asked me why I do what I do. It is a simple answer. I do it because it gives me energy. One might think that it takes energy to do this stuff. That is true, but in terms of net energy gained, I come out way ahead. It is hard to describe the positive feelings that result from exercise, endurance sports, and competition. If you haven’t tried it, you should.
I’m looking forward to 2011.
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