With the year coming to an end soon, and my final (virtual) race completed recently, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on my 2020 season.
What started with so much promise, 2020 was going to be my year. I ended 2019 with a few great race results, and was primed for success to start 2020.
I had a mediocre race (A REAL ONE!) in January at the Maui Oceanfront Marathon. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, and didn’t push very hard halfway through, when I knew my “goal” time was slipping.
I enjoyed the race 100%, but I didn’t have any real goals or motivation going into the race. Partly, because my previous marathon was such a success (Big Bear Marathon), and partly because I was distracted by all those gorgeous views! What was planned as an early season A race, quickly turned into a B and then C race.
At the time, I knew I had 3 Ironman 70.3 races lined up, a NYC Marathon in the fall, and a few other local triathlons that I would hopefully do well in. So it wasn’t that big a deal to lose my focus during the race. Boy was I wrong.
It was a harsh lesson for me to truly appreciate each race I line up for, and not to take anything for granted. Something we have probably all learned in 2020.
A month later, as I was prepping diligently for my first triathlon of the season, the Lavaman, we started getting all the COVID news. I fought off a cold on a trip in early February, and shrugged it off as my annual 24hr bug. Who knows what it was, as “COVID” wasn’t a thing at that time. By the time March came around, I was ready to race again, but everything was flipped upside down just 2 weeks before the race.
It was a bit of a shock at the time, but seeing how it was affecting the rest of the world, I was actually not too upset. In fact, as each race started to get cancelled, I never once felt sorry for myself. Rather I felt empathy for all those in the world who were affected on a much deeper level.
In order to keep myself sane during this time, I thought I would realign my focus of 2020 to better training, rather than more racing. The past 3 years have been almost non-stop racing, so it was going to be a nice change to get in some serious training blocks.
But first, I decided to use my fitness I had built up, to tackle my first 100 mile running week. That was an interesting experience, and taught me a lot about my body and how strong it had become. That distance sounded crazy far, but because I have been putting in so much work, I was able to enjoy each step! Now I just have to figure out how I will do that in one day.
After a little bit of recovery, I joined the Purple Patch Fitness squad for some disciplined training blocks. With so much uncertainty going forward, I wanted to make sure I had a good training path so my time wasn’t wasted. I ended up with some of the biggest training weeks I have ever done, and felt great!
I also started participating in a few of Ironman’s virtual races (VR series). After the first 70.3 distance one however, I realized that it just wasn’t the same as real racing, and I didn’t want to get stuck in a VR every weekend. So despite setting some PR’s, I decided it was best to get focused again on training.
Perhaps the sport I needed the most help with was swimming. Unfortunately, due to COVID, that has been the hardest sport to train for. Whether it was beaches closing or pools closing/limited hours, getting in the water consistently has been tough. But, using swim bands multiple times a week as part of my training program, along with strength work, has helped me to maintain some of my speed when I have gotten back in the water. Let’s be honest, I didn’t have very far to fall. But I am hopeful that once we get back to a more consistent schedule, this time away from swimming will spark more motivation for me to swim harder than ever.
When it came to biking and running however, I started hitting some new numbers and personal bests. All the hard work started to pay off, as I could see my continued growth each month.
Most my races were deferred to 2021, but a few of the marathons were also having virtual races this year. Since running is easier to do logistically compared to a triathlon, I signed up for two virtual marathons.
The first one was treated like a C race, with no race build, just the same base training plan I was on. I was able to run the first half comfortably, but after mile 17, I started to fade, and motivation quickly dissipated. Self supported races are so tough mentally to stay engaged. I also chose a 7 loop flat course, that was very boring. I thought it was going to be easier, but the monotony was one of the contributing factors to me backing off and cruising in the last third of the race. My finish time was 3:27, which is by no means bad, but it was far from the best I could have done.
And so, I shook it off, and later that day added an 8 week marathon race build to my training calendar in Purple Patch. I knew I had good base fitness, but needed some marathon specific training. I was also curious to see how their marathon specific plan would work.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the PPF marathon plan, but it was nice to see the inclusion of biking and swimming each week. The intensity and duration was much less than normal, but it served as good recovery and a change from the constant pounding of running.
This time, I decided to race the Honolulu Marathon course for my NYC virtual marathon. The last time I ran it was in 2017, and this time I was able to post a Hawaii PR at 3:10 even! I still can’t believe I have run 10 marathons in my life, with 3 self supported marathons this year alone.
It was interesting to me that this race felt like a real race. Perhaps it was because I have experienced this course in a race environment and could visualize it very clearly. Perhaps it was because I was well prepared for the race, and was able to finish strong. Either way, it was one of my best races I have ever run (in terms of plan and execution), and it felt amazing to finish.
Funny story, as I was ending the race, I looked at my watch and saw I could get under 3:10 if I sprinted. I had a few tenths of a mile left, and gave it all I had. I also knew I didnt want to run too far over the 26.2 mile distance, so I was locked into my watch and barely noticed passing a lady who was minding her own business and walking like a normal person. And then I hit 3:10 and immediately stopped my watch, stopped running, and bent over dry heaving. I am sure it was quite a sight to see, and I apologize if I scared her. That is what virtual races are all about I guess!
So as I reflect on this year, the year of COVID, I think I have met and exceeded all I could have achieved. I pushed when I could have, I learned important lessons about racing, and I’ve learned about what truly motivates me.
I look forward to a new beginning in 2021, and am hopeful that all of us, not just athletes, will be stronger because of all that was endured. I know this year has taught our family how important perspective is on life and has showed us what is truly important.