2013 Goals - Triathlon, Running, and Biking

I have had these written up for awhile, but I forgot to post them.  I write them on a white board, in the bedroom, with the reasons that I want to do these things that I do.  I have them on the board so that I can see them everyday.  My reasons are pretty similar from year-to-year, and are listed right next to my goals on the board.

2013 Goals
23.5MPH+ Ave Bike Speed for 10+miles
10K off the bike less than 48min
Open 10K in under 46:30
3mi\5K open or off bike less than 21:30min
Olympic Tri in under 2.5 hours

Reasons
Sunrises
Feeling of accomplishment you can only get from racing
The challenge
It is fun!

I had to adjust my 5K/3mi running goal for the year.  Originally, my goal was less than 22:00min, but I did my first 5K in 22:03, so I decide to move it down to 21:30.  I am not sure I will be running an open 10K this year, but I decide to put a goal for it right now.  I think that I am doing a better job with my run intensity than I did last year.
I don't think I did the running last year to meet my goals, so I was not even close to my goals last year. 
At the moment, I am not sure about the bike.  Last year I did not hit this goal, not sure about this year.  I tried some different training earlier in the year, more intensity, not sure I did enough. Hopefully, I have done enough, and the Tuesday Night TTs help me out.
Still trying to bust that elusive 2.5 hour mark at the Olympic Distance.  I think it all comes down to the run for me.  I have been close.  If I can get a solid swim and bike, with a run around my goal time, I can get under 2.5.  I only have a couple chances this year, and they are back-to-back Maple Grove, which has a slightly longer bike and a challenging run, and St. Croix Valley, which has run that is not as bad as Maple Grove, but I would say the bike has more hills.  Last year, St. Croix Valley was my worst race of the year.  I am hoping to make a comeback this year.
  

2013 Manitou Sprint Triathlon (Duathlon) Race Report

I woke up and it was raining and windy.  I ate my usual breakfast of yogurt, fruit, and granola, with a banana, along with OJ.  I debated switching from my Sub-9 Disc to my 808 on the rear.  Decide to stay with the disc.  Loaded the car and headed off to White Bear Lake.  As usual, I stopped to get a donut, a coffee, a couple bottles of water, and small Gatorade.
As I drove to White Bear Lake it was raining and windy.  When I got to the race site, it was windy and raining.
Typically, a portion of the parking lot is the transition area.  When I got there, there was nothing but empty parking lot and some cars.  For a moment I thought they weren't even setup.  I sat in the car for a bit and then went out in the rain.  The temp was about 55 and the wind was blowing, and it was raining pretty steady.  This was the story of the day, except for after the race, when it stopped raining.
The transition area was setup in the grass on the other side of the beach house, between the beach and the beach house.  Interesting. I got my number and chip, hung-out outside for a bit, and then went back to the car to organize and stay warm.  Rumor had it, the swim would be cancelled.  There were white caps on the lake.  The concern was the wind, not as much the rain, or the temp.
After I sat in the car for awhile, I put my bike in transition.  I hung it by the seat on the rack.  After seeing it bang around on the rack for awhile I decide to rack it in on the bars.  This was much more stable.  I should have checked the wheels before I went out on the course.  More on this later.
At about 7:30 the official call was made to cancel the swim and turn the race into a duathlon.  The wind was too bad and there was concern for safety on the swim, and that the swim markers would not stay in place.  The wind was bad, I may have mentioned that already.
The run would be 2 miles.
There were only 3 waves.  It was a small race, 75 individuals, and then some relay teams.  The previous two times I have done this race, 2010 and 2012, there were over 300 individuals competing.
Before starting, I put on a thin long-sleeve shirt on underneath my one piece tri-suit.  I also put on my 2XU calve compression sleeves.  I debated leaving on the CEP compression socks.  I am glad I did not leave the socks on, the sleeves were soaked through, and if I had left the socks on they would have been soaked through and 2-3 times as heavy.
We started, the run out is mostly uphill, and I think I split the first mile at a little over 7 minutes.  I came into transition at 15:03.  I was pretty happy with the time.  I had spent the previous 10 days in Hawaii, on vacation, and I had not done much training.  The Tuesday before, I had done the Tuesday Night Time Trial and I had one of my slowest time in years.  I was not sure how I would fair on this day.
The bike was one of the most uncomfortable and miserable rides I had ever done.  It was really windy, raining, and the road was pretty rough.  Additionally, I decided to wear my sunglasses for protection.  I thought they would help, but they did not.  I spent time making sure they were low on my nose so I could see over the top.  Also, I was getting some rear wheel rub.  Probably from the bike being bounced around on the rack before the race.  I did not stop to adjust.  I didn't think it was worth it, so I just lived with it. I was a little nervous with the weather and road conditions.  Typically, I am not that nervous on the bike.
My bike split was pretty low.  One of my slowest splits in a duathlon since 2008, this was also probably the worst conditions I have ridden in.
When I got off the bike, is started running and pushing the bike by the seat towards transition, but a gust of wind came and almost sent the bike out of my hands and flying off. The disc was acting like a sail.  I had to carry the bike with two hands into the transition area or it would have gotten away from me.
Once I got the bike in transition and my shoes on, I started to haul myself uphill.  The first half-mile to mile was rough, but I actually felt pretty good after that.  My time was not that bad.  Considering everything else that day.
I would have preferred to swim, but doing it as a duathlon is better than canceling the entire event.
After the race I hung-out and had a couple of hotdogs, every race that is sponsored by Gear West, and when the owner Kevin O'Connor is at the race, he grills hot dogs for everyone, and I stayed for all the awards.
I was supposed to do Lake Minnetonka Sprint next weekend, but I am going out-of-town for a wedding, so the next race will not be until Graniteman on June 23.  This will be the latest in the season that I have done a triathlon in MN.
Below are some pictures and my results for this year compared with results from the previous two time I had done the race.  I figured I would compare the du to the tris, since the times are so close. There is some difference in the distance for the bike and the run.  The run is true, this year they cut a little bit out, so I believe it is 3 this year, and 3.1 the previous years.  The bike is reported as 14 miles, but it 13.5 miles according to my GPS, and that is what was reported in previous years.  I adjusted my speed to correct for this, the distance used to calculate the speed in the results is 14.  So my speed is a little slower than I would have liked, but, again, it is what is it and it was a crappy day.

2013 Manitou Sprint Triathlon (Duathlon) Results
Run 1 (2mi) = 15:03 (7:31/mi)
T1 = 1:01
Bike (13.5mi) = 41:02 (19.7MPH)
T2 = 0:50
Run (3mi) = 23:36 (7:52/mi)
Total = 1:21:30
Overall = 18/76
AG = 5/9
Pace = 4:24/mi

2012 Manitou Sprint Triathlon Results
Swim (880 yards) = 15:26 (1:46/100yds)
T1 = 3:14
Bike (13.5mi) = 38:34 (21MPH)
T2 = 0:54
Run (3.1mi) = 23:37 (7:38/mi)
Total = 1:21:43
Overall = 76/308
AG = 5/27
Pace = 4:47/mi

2010 Manitou Sprint Triathlon Results
Swim (880 yards) = 15:22 (1:45/100yds)
T1 = 2:18
Bike (13.5mi) = 37:49 (21.4MPH)
T2 = 1:34
Run (3.1mi) = 23:40 (7:38/mi)
Total = 1:20:41
Overall = 100/345
AG = 13/38
Pace = 4:43/mi

May 2013 Racing and Training Summary

This May was a little lower on time, like last May, and for good reason, like last May.  Last May I got married, this May Jackie and I went on our honeymoon\celebrate 1st anniversary \celebrate Jackie graduating\celebrate Jackie passing boards\celebrate Jackie getting a job trip.  We went to Honolulu for 3 days and Kauai for 7 days.  I did not do much training for that 10 day span.  Some running and some time on the elliptical trainer. 
As far as racing goes for the month, I did on 5K, one Tuesday Night Time Trial (TNT), and the Gear West Duathlon.  I was happy with my 5K results (7:08/mi pace) and my first TNT was pretty good.  For the hilly 11 mile course I went 29:53, which comes out to about 22.09MPH.  I will take that as a pretty good start to the year.  I was fairly happy with the GW Du.
I have a lot in June, a 5K, two TNTs, and 3 triathlons.
Since April of 2007 I have swam over 1.5 million yards.  That seems like a lot.  That is an average about 20,000 yards a month.
Below are the usual comparisons of May from year-to-year.  You can see this is the lowest since 2007, and close to last year.  I put in a whopping 30+ hours in 2008 and 2010.

Comparisons of May from Year-to-Year

Totals and Averages Since 2007

YTD Totals and Totals Since 2007