I'm moving!

Well, not in the physical sense. After having toyed with the idea for literally years, I've decided to change platforms and re-name my blog.

Why?

Well there are a few reasons. In no particular order:

1. First Timer Triathlete is still a catchy name but in truth, I'm anything but and there are very few truly "new" opportunities out there.

2. The Word Press platform not only offers a more versatile and more robust work space, but it is a hosting service which means I get to have my own domain name!

3. With the changes noted above, I'm hoping to offer richer and more frequent content. Clearly race reports have been among the most frequently read of my posts and I think I can spring board off of that to offer more of what folks find interesting.

So, you ask, what will the new blog be called?

As one who is nearly always finishing right around the 50th percentile of any race, I'm without a doubt a middle-of-the-packer. Therefore, I'm calling my blog:

The View From the Mop

It will probably be a few days before any posts are up but you can find it at:

https://viewfromthemop.com/

As always, thanks for reading and I look forward to speaking to you soon from my new internet home

2016 By the Numbers

A year that involved Ironman training was likely to produce some fairly significant statistics. Even with my coach’s philosophy of intensity and quality over quantity, it could not be helped that there were some very long training days leading up to the big event.

With the year now behind me, here’s what 2016 looked like:

 

2774 Miles including:

126 Swimming

2022 Cycling

626 Running

68,787 feet of altitude gain

 

All of that exercise took 178,130 calories.

 

When I was on the bike, my average power output was 157 Watts.

When I was running, my average pace per mile was 9:32(I stopped tracking it after the race).

When I was in the water, I swam at an average pace of 56.76 yards per minute.

I didn’t start wearing a Fitbit until May, but according to Garmin, I took 830,764 steps during training. 

 

Fun facts:

My total mileage would be enough to start at the corner of Tony Gwynn Drive and Park Boulevard in San Diego (outside the home plate entrance to Petco Park) and get all the way to the corner of Macombs Dam Bridge Road and East 161^st Street in the Bronx (outside home plate at Yankee Stadium). Of course, someone would have to build 126 miles of canals for the swimming portion!

 

My elevation gain would be enough to get me up Mount Everest twice (though I think it’s a little steeper than anything I rode or ran!)

 

My calorie burn is the equivalent of 316 Big Macs. 

 

With that, 2016 comes to a close and as I look at Training Peaks, I have a fresh set of workouts from my coach to start the New Year.

 

While I’m sure I’ll often revel in the accomplishment of becoming an Ironman, I’m now more focused on what’s to come and whether I still have it in my to set a personal record at the Olympic distance. We’ll soon find out!

 

Thanks for reading.

Christmas Day Run VII -- 2016 Edition

If I only posted once a year, this would be it. The tradition lives on for another year. This time it was a run on the trail along the shores of Lake Miramar. My sister-in-law joined me for the full run (we also did a hilly 4.5 miles the day before) and we were also joined by both of my nieces, my brother-in-law and my wife. Temperatures were in the low 60’s but with the sun out, if felt even warmer.

I hope your holidays were enjoyable and thanks for reading!