2017 Season Reflection

It’s about time I evaluate this past season, it’s mid-October for Pete’s sake! The 2017 multisport season was different than all of my other past seasons, in both positive and negative ways. So, I think I will just give some holistic and general reflections and then give race-specific reflections…

I started training A LOT later than I would have liked to. School was very busy for me all last year, and this took away nearly all the time that I would have liked to devote to swimming, biking, and running. I started my planned, structured, and actually legitimate training on June 4th.
Because I started training late, I didn’t start racing until July 8th. In a typical season, I would have had 4 races or so under my belt heading into July.
July consisted of 4 races, once each weekend from the 8th through the 30th.
I took nearly all of August to prepare correctly for my first Half Ironman distance race on August 27. This training was longer higher volume and less intensity than I do to prepare for sprint races. As it was in June, it was weird not racing in August.
I raced 7 times including a duathlon in May, and 2 of these races ended up as DNFs.
Swim: I started my swim training for the season on June 13. This year I swam for North Suburban Aquatics club, the same club that I’d swim at in preparation for high school swim season. It was GREAT to be given sets and to have OTHER PEOPLE to push me in practices. It was also nice that Chris Tatton swam at the same club. Once the training actually started, I did between 6000 and 10,000 yards/week consistently. The results of this great training started to show towards the end of the season. So, for the season in general, I’d call my swimming a success.
Bike: Didn’t start consistently training until June 4th. Its hard to judge my training and racing, as I had two “phases”. The first 2 months consisted of my regular training in preparation for sprints. Then, all of August was devoted to long course training. I’d say my short course training and racing (June + July) was lack-luster and not quite up to par with previous seasons, especially 2016. August training went great on the bike, but I only have results from 1.5 races to back this up (yes, 1.5 because of my DNF at Superior Man).
Run: Didn’t start consistently training until June 11. My running was a lot like my biking: Two “phases”, fine in the sprint training, and then good in the long course training. Running started feeling REALLY good with my long course training.

Well, lets get to some race specifics. I have race reports on each race, so these will be some quick and broad reflections. I’ll also “grade” what I think about my race as a whole:

Cinco Du Mayo Duathlon
- D+
- Didn’t train at all. I was already tired on the 2 mile run, I got my ass kicked on the bike, and I just tried to survive the last 2 mile run.
- Literally nothing was good about this race.
- Lesson learned: Train for a race before you do it you fool.
Timberman Sprint Triathlon
- B-
- Gorgeous race venue, and a well put-on event
- Swim was comparatively good, but not up to where I’d want to be.
- Bike felt good, but hard to keep up the effort towards the end as my conditioning hadn’t come around yet.
- Died on the run. Only 3 miles and I got passed with 200m to go by someone who started over a half mile behind me.
- Still got 3rd overall
Heart of Lakes Triathlon
- Ended in DNF, pulled-out on the run because of a painful blister on my foot
- C+ for part I did
- Swim was slow-ish. Yes, it was a wavy day, but in relation to other athletes I was trying to come out of the water with, I was still kind of slow.
- Bike was challenging. I didn’t have the speed I hoped for. Hard to “push it”.
- Run felt great for the .5 miles I did, then quit.
Buzz Ryan Sprint Triathlon
- B+
- Well-executed race, although not the fastest I’ve ever gone
- 1st overall.
- Out of the water slower than my competition, but I was the only person not in a wetsuit, so I guess it was a fine swim.
- Bike was well executed. I was able to push it, catch Nate Bich at the turnaround, then create a gap on the way back. Speed was actually decent, 24mph if I can remember correctly.
- Speed on the run, at least initially, was good (for me) too. I was still feeling good during the run.
Chisago Lakes Sprint Triathlon
- B
- My “hometown” race that I’ve done every year of my career. With ideal conditions, I was a couple minutes slower than previous years.
- Swim was GREAT. Beat Matt Payne, Nick Klonne, and Chris Tatton out of the water. First out of the water actually!!
- Bike started fine but I wasn’t able to stick with “the guys” as they started passing me. Tired towards the end. Still a 24.5-24.8 (I think) mph average, but not as fast as previous years.
- Run sucked, I was tired, I stopped once, and just wanted the day to be over.
Superior Man Half Ironman
- Long course debut
- DNF from a flat tire at mile 22
- A (for the parts I did)
- Swim was RIGHT on my goal time, but was more importantly not feeling tired at all. Swim felt easy and I was holding back.
- Bike: Well, I crashed at mile 4. By mile 20, with the crash time included, I was still at my goal mph of 22.5. Flat tire at mile 22 made my be done. I was feeling good (mentally and effort-wise, not good from my crash). It was easy to keep my goal pace!
- I was REALLY looking forward to the 2 lap, gorgeous run course. Obviously didn’t get to it.
Hopkins Royal Triathlon
- A
- Still scraped up the crash the week before
- Swim felt great and fast. I veered off course, adding (I’d guess) 50 yards. Still the 2nd fastest swim.
- Bike was a super cool 3 lap course. Very technical. Despite the multiple 90 degree turns and short, steep climbs, I had a fast 23.5 average (good for that course)
- Run was great. Fastest (tied) 5k I’ve done at the end of a triathlon
- 3rd overall, 36 seconds back from Brett Lovaas and 26 back from Scott Myers