2013 - The Plan, The Schedule, The Goals

For those who don't know, I'm a planner. Yep, I'm one of those that likes (who am I kidding - NEEDS) a path to follow. I like structure, I like routine (might have been a good military man). So I'm planning out all of my activities and events for 2013, and building a training plan around them. I'll work backwards from the first one, and from that first event forward I'll be kind of winging it. You'll see why in a moment.

2013 PLANNED ACTIVITIES/EVENTS

April 20th - Glow Run (5k) 
June 1st - Dam to Dam Run (20k) 
June 9th - 1/2 Ironman Kansas 
June 23rd - Copper Creek Triathlon (Sprint) 
July 14th - Iowa Games Triathlon (Sprint) 
July 27th - Warrior Dash Aug 3rd - 1/2 Ironman Boulder 
Sept 1st - Hy-Vee Triathlon (Olympic) Oct 4th - Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler (tentative) 
Oct 20th - Des Moines Marathon

Events I did in 2012 are in italics. I did the Des Moines Half-Marathon in 2012, so technically running the full marathon distance this year will be new for me.

For those who don't know, the following is a breakdown of triathlon distances (in miles):

               SWIM    BIKE      RUN   
SPRINT       .47        12       3.1

OLYMPIC     .93        25       6.2

1/2 I.M.      1.2        56      13.1

IRONMAN    2.4       112     26.2


THE SCHEDULE
So, now that I've got events planned, I need to figure out how to best train. Two things that I'm doing this year are Insanity workouts for cardio/strength training, and a 1/2 Ironman Training Plan compliments of BeginnerTriathlete.com. 

As I write this, I am starting Week 5 of 9 in the Insanity series. Luckily it's a recovery week before it ramps up for the final 4. This coincides perfectly with my 'officially' starting the HIM (Half-IronMan) trainng, which is 19 weeks. I planned it backwards from the Kansas HIM, which is the first major event of the year for me (the Dam To Dam will serve as a final tune-up the week prior).

A potential problem: Insanity workouts are 6 days a week, with Sunday being a recovery day. Some training days on the HIM program require me to work on two disciplines in the same day. This may be a challenge. Up till now, I've been working on one discipline in the mornings, and doing Insanity once I get home prior to dinner. I may have to modify this by moving Insanity to the early morning, allowing me more time after work or in the evenings to get in anywhere from 1 to 2 hours of HIM training. Guess I'll have to wait and see what works best.

The larger question is: How do I incorporate all this into a family and a full-time job? Well, the first one is the important one: family. Luckily I have the support of an amazing wife and understanding daughter, both of whom I hope will be inspired to the point that they someday give a triathlon a go (another post for another time). As for working around my job, the best way is to get up early (like 4:30am kind of early) and get in at the gym before getting to work around 6:30am. Between driving to the gym and showering afterwards, plus the 20-minute drive to work, it really only leaves me about an hour. So I'll have to time my workouts accordingly, and save the longer ones for after work. As noted before, I'll have to figure out what works best with my schedule.

THE GOALS
I'm going to have different goals for each individual event, but my overall goals for the year are pretty simple, but will still require dedication, discipline, and commitment:

1. Finish all events.
2. Be as injury-free as possible.
3. Inspire others.
4. Have fun.

For events that are new to me this year, I hope to finish in the top 1/3 in my age group in most of them. On the events I participated in previously, my obvious goal is to improve year-to-year in all disciplines. 

The third goal is really the one I hope to achieve. Whether it be my daughter, wife, another family member, a friend or a complete stranger that I'll never know; if I can inspire one person to do ANYTHING to improve their health or fitness, that will be the best accomplishment of all. Better than winning an event, even. 

So there you have it: those are my lofty activities, plans, and goals for 2013. Are they all achievable? In short, yes - I believe they are. I'll keep you all posted along the way. Thanks for following!

-JW