Goals and 2013 race schedule
I've been reading along as everyone posts their 2013 resolutions and/or goals, and while I've been excited and inspired by all the cool things people are planning, I've felt a little aimless. 2012 was a Very Good Year. I did so many really cool things. I think I'm not really sure where I want to go from here, so for right now, I guess the answer is more of the same.
It's not that there aren't amazing things still left to tackle, but the things that call to me (expedition adventure race, 50-mile ultra) are things that realistically don't fit my life right now. My kids need to eat, and I'm pretty sure I'm not prepared to put in the training I'd need to do to be successful in anything longer than a marathon right now. So, more of the same...with a catch.
If there was a theme running through my race reports last year, it was definitely lack of training. I regularly left races that I'd gutted out wondering what I could have accomplished if I'd prepared for them. Emily at Sweat Once a Day just blogged about untapped potential (and if you don't read her blog, seriously go check it out. She's hilarious and an amazing athlete), and while her goals and ability are light years ahead of my own, I recognized myself in what she wrote.
What could I do if I tried? Part of my issue is that I'm easily convinced to jump into some crazy stuff, but I think in some ways my lack of training is a self-protection mechanism. If I didn't really work for it, than any result can be framed as a triumph of sorts. Hey, Skippo took me over 4 hours, but I finished. Well, I DNF'd at Dirty Kanza, but I rode 160 miles. Yes, I cried through most of my 2-hour last lap at Indian Camp Creek, but I didn't quit. Don't mistake what I'm saying...trying is awesome. Just finishing is awesome. Pushing yourself to new places is awesome. BUT how much more awesome would it be if I applied all that toughness and effort in training? That's the big question I'm looking to answer this year.
My biggest priority is to be able to perform well in our adventure races. If I'm running regularly, I'll be strong on the foot legs. Realistically I'm not going to do much if any paddling practice, so the biggest area where I need to improve is on the bike. I'm definitely the weakest of the team on the bike, especially on singletrack. Improving confidence and speed on my mountain bike will reduce that ability gap, so that's going to be a big target for me this year and the reason for what for now looks like a very bike-heavy schedule. I'll also be working on my navigating, but my map-impairment only affects my abilty to give route input; it doesn't slow my team down.
So, goals...
1) New 5K PR. Right now it's 26:15, set when I was running more or less regularly but with no focus on speed. I'm aiming for sub: 25. I'm not sure I can do that, but I'm actually going to follow a training plan, so we'll see how that goes. I'm still going to keep my weekend mileage up, regardless of whether or not it's a good idea in light of the PR plan, because my main reason for running (other than it's fun) is to stay in shape for the foot portion of adventure races.
2) Fall more on the mountain bike. OK, I don't really want to fall, but I do want to take more chances and push myself more instead of being such a chicken.
3) Stay fit. I gained 20 lbs between LBL in March and Thunder Rolls in August. That's ridiculous, and I could definitely tell the difference in how I felt during the races.
NOTE: As always, this is a work in progress and depends on finances and the continuing goodwill of my loving husband and is always subject to change in the event that something more interesting comes up. I'll hopefully add more mountain bike races to this, but for now I just stuck with the things I was most likely to do.
January:
1/12/13 SHivering Icy Trail Run - nighttime trail half marathon...in what at this point is forecasted to be constant rain and temps in the 40's. Yea....
February: ??
March:
3/22-24/13 High Profile Adventure Camp/Lightning Strikes Adventure Race - honestly, this is a longshot moneywise, but I'd really love to go. The location is fantastic, Gerry Vollinger puts on a great race, and I really, really need to learn how to ascend better.
April:
4/6/13 - Carnage at the Creek 2 - Team Virtus adventure non-race - good times. :)
4/13/13 Ava Brown Memorial 5K - This race is really special to me because it's held in honor of my friend Robby's daughter Ava, who passed away due to SIDS at the age of 8 weeks. The race raises money to support SIDS research. It'll also be my first go at my 5k PR, which will likely be a big fail because this is a hilly course. That's ok, there are 5ks all year long....
May:
5/4/13 Cedar Cross - 100is miles of Missouri by bike over primarily gravel roads. This race is my friend Bob's baby, and I had to miss the inaugural edition last year for Jacob's First Communion. I'm sure this year will be even harder, which will at least be good training for DK200.
June:
6/1/13 Dirty Kanza 200 - There are so many reasons not to do this race...200 miles of gravel roads in a day in the middle of the Flint Hills...still don't have the right bike...but it's just such a cool experience. I'd like to think second time's a charm, but in reality we couldn't have had any nice weather than last year. More likely, this year's going to have the typical nightmarish temperatures and wind, but suffering through it will be easier than suffering through all the facebook updates while I sit home.
6/22/13 Indian Camp Creek 12hour mountain bike race - this is tentative and could get scrapped if vacation plans get in the way. I'd like to redeem myself from last year, and as bad as the last lap was last year, the rest of the race was a good experience. The fact is that without a race forcing me to keep riding, I tend to chicken out after a couple hours.
July:
7/6/13 My family always plays in a mud volleyball tournament over July 4 weekend. If I'm feeling it, I'll also race in the Hannibal Cannibal 5K the morning of the tournament.
August:
8/24/13 Thunder Rolls 24 hr Adventure Race - Another race I've been thinking about since leaving the last one. Hopefully this edition with have fewer yellow jackets and faster ascending. I went into last year's race in pretty lousy shape and felt like the weak link; this year, I'm going to make sure I stay fit and go into it strong.
September:
Wild Trak Bikes' Superprestige Cyclocross series - I loved my first cx experience last year, and even if I continue my last-place streak it's a great workout.
9/28-29 Berryman Advenure Race 24 hour
October:
10/19 Perfect 10 Rogaine
More cyclocross
November:
Skippo 30k - I'd like this to be terrible because I'm running so hard rather than terrible because I can barely hobble like last year.
December:
1/7/13 Castlewood 8-hour adventure race - either racing or volunteering...I definitely don't want to miss it!
Pere Marquette Endurance Trail Run - I'll be looking for a new PR and a better running experience than this last race.
It's not that there aren't amazing things still left to tackle, but the things that call to me (expedition adventure race, 50-mile ultra) are things that realistically don't fit my life right now. My kids need to eat, and I'm pretty sure I'm not prepared to put in the training I'd need to do to be successful in anything longer than a marathon right now. So, more of the same...with a catch.
If there was a theme running through my race reports last year, it was definitely lack of training. I regularly left races that I'd gutted out wondering what I could have accomplished if I'd prepared for them. Emily at Sweat Once a Day just blogged about untapped potential (and if you don't read her blog, seriously go check it out. She's hilarious and an amazing athlete), and while her goals and ability are light years ahead of my own, I recognized myself in what she wrote.
What could I do if I tried? Part of my issue is that I'm easily convinced to jump into some crazy stuff, but I think in some ways my lack of training is a self-protection mechanism. If I didn't really work for it, than any result can be framed as a triumph of sorts. Hey, Skippo took me over 4 hours, but I finished. Well, I DNF'd at Dirty Kanza, but I rode 160 miles. Yes, I cried through most of my 2-hour last lap at Indian Camp Creek, but I didn't quit. Don't mistake what I'm saying...trying is awesome. Just finishing is awesome. Pushing yourself to new places is awesome. BUT how much more awesome would it be if I applied all that toughness and effort in training? That's the big question I'm looking to answer this year.
My biggest priority is to be able to perform well in our adventure races. If I'm running regularly, I'll be strong on the foot legs. Realistically I'm not going to do much if any paddling practice, so the biggest area where I need to improve is on the bike. I'm definitely the weakest of the team on the bike, especially on singletrack. Improving confidence and speed on my mountain bike will reduce that ability gap, so that's going to be a big target for me this year and the reason for what for now looks like a very bike-heavy schedule. I'll also be working on my navigating, but my map-impairment only affects my abilty to give route input; it doesn't slow my team down.
So, goals...
1) New 5K PR. Right now it's 26:15, set when I was running more or less regularly but with no focus on speed. I'm aiming for sub: 25. I'm not sure I can do that, but I'm actually going to follow a training plan, so we'll see how that goes. I'm still going to keep my weekend mileage up, regardless of whether or not it's a good idea in light of the PR plan, because my main reason for running (other than it's fun) is to stay in shape for the foot portion of adventure races.
2) Fall more on the mountain bike. OK, I don't really want to fall, but I do want to take more chances and push myself more instead of being such a chicken.
3) Stay fit. I gained 20 lbs between LBL in March and Thunder Rolls in August. That's ridiculous, and I could definitely tell the difference in how I felt during the races.
NOTE: As always, this is a work in progress and depends on finances and the continuing goodwill of my loving husband and is always subject to change in the event that something more interesting comes up. I'll hopefully add more mountain bike races to this, but for now I just stuck with the things I was most likely to do.
January:
1/12/13 SHivering Icy Trail Run - nighttime trail half marathon...in what at this point is forecasted to be constant rain and temps in the 40's. Yea....
February: ??
March:
3/22-24/13 High Profile Adventure Camp/Lightning Strikes Adventure Race - honestly, this is a longshot moneywise, but I'd really love to go. The location is fantastic, Gerry Vollinger puts on a great race, and I really, really need to learn how to ascend better.
April:
4/6/13 - Carnage at the Creek 2 - Team Virtus adventure non-race - good times. :)
4/13/13 Ava Brown Memorial 5K - This race is really special to me because it's held in honor of my friend Robby's daughter Ava, who passed away due to SIDS at the age of 8 weeks. The race raises money to support SIDS research. It'll also be my first go at my 5k PR, which will likely be a big fail because this is a hilly course. That's ok, there are 5ks all year long....
May:
5/4/13 Cedar Cross - 100is miles of Missouri by bike over primarily gravel roads. This race is my friend Bob's baby, and I had to miss the inaugural edition last year for Jacob's First Communion. I'm sure this year will be even harder, which will at least be good training for DK200.
June:
6/1/13 Dirty Kanza 200 - There are so many reasons not to do this race...200 miles of gravel roads in a day in the middle of the Flint Hills...still don't have the right bike...but it's just such a cool experience. I'd like to think second time's a charm, but in reality we couldn't have had any nice weather than last year. More likely, this year's going to have the typical nightmarish temperatures and wind, but suffering through it will be easier than suffering through all the facebook updates while I sit home.
6/22/13 Indian Camp Creek 12hour mountain bike race - this is tentative and could get scrapped if vacation plans get in the way. I'd like to redeem myself from last year, and as bad as the last lap was last year, the rest of the race was a good experience. The fact is that without a race forcing me to keep riding, I tend to chicken out after a couple hours.
July:
7/6/13 My family always plays in a mud volleyball tournament over July 4 weekend. If I'm feeling it, I'll also race in the Hannibal Cannibal 5K the morning of the tournament.
August:
8/24/13 Thunder Rolls 24 hr Adventure Race - Another race I've been thinking about since leaving the last one. Hopefully this edition with have fewer yellow jackets and faster ascending. I went into last year's race in pretty lousy shape and felt like the weak link; this year, I'm going to make sure I stay fit and go into it strong.
September:
Wild Trak Bikes' Superprestige Cyclocross series - I loved my first cx experience last year, and even if I continue my last-place streak it's a great workout.
9/28-29 Berryman Advenure Race 24 hour
October:
10/19 Perfect 10 Rogaine
More cyclocross
November:
Skippo 30k - I'd like this to be terrible because I'm running so hard rather than terrible because I can barely hobble like last year.
December:
1/7/13 Castlewood 8-hour adventure race - either racing or volunteering...I definitely don't want to miss it!
Pere Marquette Endurance Trail Run - I'll be looking for a new PR and a better running experience than this last race.
I can't believe you're willing, even eager, to return to the yellow jacket scene. Cynthia and I were talking yesterday about how tough you are. That sort of experience would scar me for life.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a great year for you. I absolutely believe you can get that 5K PR and have it easily be sub-25.
I also hope this is the year I get to meet you at some point.
I think your A destination race should be Jingle Bell Hell in December. A trip to California would be a nice Christmas present :)
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have a solid year planned out Kate! I'm confident you can hit sub 25 for a 5 k given the right conditions (and you run consistently). I look forward to following along again this year!
ReplyDeleteOnce you do your goal post you don't fool around. I like that you put the races in it you are doing. I didn't think of that and I am not sure yet what ones I will do.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that 5K. At one point my goal was to be under 25 but I am going in the other direction. My best time is 25 something which I hit a few times.
I gained 15 pounds in an amazingly short time. I am finally on track to lose it. My son and I are doing our own competition mainly to encourage each other. I won the first week but we both had good weeks. This week has been good too. My problem is when I go off I am terrible. So one of my goals is to not do that and another is to weigh myself each week and not get so far off again.
That's a pretty full calendar, methinks! Good for you. Looks like fun, but challenging fun. And you can run a sub 25 5k!
ReplyDeleteYou really are super aren't you superkate!! Where's your cape? Maybe I should make you one.?
ReplyDeletevery nicely organized and I know you'll do amazing (again) this year. I don't see the Tour De Donut though...are you giving that one up?? :O)
yes - we were talking about you yesterday over breakfast - in a good way. ;)
ReplyDeleteI will say there is something to be said about being competent during a race situation instead of just finishing or beating the cut-off. I've been in both situations and much prefer the former. BUT everyone is different. I hope you find the right balance for yourself.
I never heard of the Dirty Kanza until I starting reading your blog last year. Even tho I'm a singletrack snob - I was looking at the website and seriously considering the race. There's also a remote endurance running camp the following week in WY. I wonder if i could do both...hmm...now I sound like someone else, eh???
Cynthia, I have no doubt that you would do great a DK200! And for being a "road" race, there's some challenging gravel and farm roads for sure. I think you should sign up!! 200ish spots left.....
ReplyDeleteLooks like a very solid 2013 for you. I will see you at the September CX races. But I am not seeing the July Tour de Donut?
ReplyDeleteI forgot Tour De Donut! Yes, I'll be there as long as we're in town.
ReplyDeleteOh, I feel you on all of this. I'm slowly but surely working my way up from the "finished" category, but as someone who still considers herself a Noob there is some slack in the rope.
ReplyDeleteYou're so Super, Kate.
:-)
What Terzah said - that you are down with trying that race again after getting stung my a gajillion yellow jackets just proves once and for all how epically tough you really are.
ReplyDeleteI can't WAIT to see what 2013 has in store for you!
Dear SK
ReplyDeleteas a loyal reader I think can make a request a la XLMIC...
so this schedule needs to have a CALIFORNIA race.
let me be specific
a SOUTHERN CA race.
you have a place to stay right here.
You're no longer aimless. Could also see these '13 goals as the first steps towards training for the adventure races and ultras! Earn that braveness and fall a lot - but don't break anything of course
ReplyDelete