This Wasn't The Start To 2018 That I Expected

Training for the 2018 race season started in early December but since the start of the new year, I've been knocked out due to illness.  The last 5 days have been largely a blur while on the couch and on Instagram.  I've started following athletes from around the world as additional inspiration during the next 12 months as we are all working towards our respective finish lines.  Seeing triathletes in Australia and South America enjoying time outside riding makes me long for the summer.  This week was one in which the East Coast of the US froze from Florida to Maine so I know I can't be the only one wanting warmer weather.  My body needs a few more days before I'll be ready to get back to my training plan and I'll push to make up my milage by the end of January.  Given that it feels like -18 degrees outside, perhaps it was an appropriate time to get sick.  I'll tell myself that is the silver lining.

Why I'm doing this

I started triathlon in 2010 at the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Syracuse.  I had never done a triathlon at that point but I was not going to miss the opportunity to be a part of the first race in my city.  Over the years, I'd take on the Syracuse race and then eventually added a few shorter races to my summers but it was definitely a seasonal sport for me.  In 2015 I had a satisfying summer of racing and was in the final weeks of training for two September races in Chicago and Westchester when I had an accident on my bike.  As I was in the ER, racing again was the furthest thing from my mind.

As I recovered in 2016 I did line up for a few races and felt like I wanted to give a bigger race schedule a try again in 2017.  I did that and was successful in hitting the finish line at a few 70.3 races and was selected to race at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship.  It was at this race in September 2017 where it all fell apart.  The upriver swim in Chattanooga got the best of me and my day ended so much earlier than I had hoped.  At the time it felt like it was the biggest disappointment that I had ever experienced.  As I was packing up my gear I got a nod from one of the pros that also appeared to end the day early.  I'm not sure who he was but that nod was reassuring and a reminder that you can lick your wounds and move forward.  

For the 2018 season, I'm trying to go a bit further and get a little faster.  I'm shooting for my first full Ironman this season and want to get a little faster for the 70.3 races.  I have a small chip on my shoulder from the DNF and some visible scars from my crash but this year I wanted more to show for this season of racing.  This blog and the social sites will be my training log, thoughts and race experiences for the year.  I'm shooting for one post a week through the year as a record of what I'm up to.