2012 Review and 2013 Preview

This is the beginning of what I hope to be a long running blog. I plan to document all that happens to me as I pursue a triathlon career. 2012 was a great year for me; I accomplished many of my goals, came close on some of them and overall just had a great year racing and traveling with friends and family. I qualified for my pro card and this time around I decided to take it. The main factor in my decision was that I want to focus on the ITU draft legal style of racing, and my best opportunity to do that is by accepting my elite licenses. This will be my final year of eligibility to race as a U23 as well. So I guess it's time to go for it!

But first let's take a fun look at 2012. A big year, I graduated from the University of Iowa and sort of searched for graduate schools but more on that as the year goes on. Here's a look at my total mileage from last year. Always something cool to look at in one sitting or to compare to other things...

Swim: 99,600 yds, about 3 times the length of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge
Bike: 5100 miles, equal to the longest ever migration undertaken by any mammal
Run: 1065 miles, the distance from Phoenix, AZ to Dallas, TX (no cool article for this one)
240 Hours: Roughly the amount of time spent driving to and from races in 2012, this isn't even counting airport layovers!

My  attempts at CX racing didn't always work out...but when else would I be able to see if my helmet really works!?

The 2013 has started with many races having already taken place and many athletes either giving it full gas or starting to stir from their winter slumbers. I'm currently somewhere in between the two. My season started off with a small setback, an inflamed medial epicondyle on my right knee. This was probably due to a combination of 5 days in a row of skiing moguls in Colorado and then going straight into hour long run sessions. Regardless, this was only a temporary setback and allowed me to really focus on my swim skills. I was able to actual start regular training about the second week of January. Since then, I've been able to add on some intensity and really get into a good groove, especially these last two weeks.

This season has also already started off with some amazing developments. I've managed to pick up a few sponsors for the year. Discount Tri Supply and Kyle's bikes have provided me with a sweet Jamis Xenith T2 bike with Di2 on it. Di2 is the greatest thing to happen to tri bikes since aero bars! Shifting out of the saddle is an amazing advantage.I will be racing for the new U23 branch of the Z3 Elite Triathlon Team, and through the team I have received a funding scholarship from the DSM Triathlon Club. These funds will hopefully go a long way in paying for plane tickets and other costs associated with racing a heavier and more varied schedule. Embarking with me on my first pro year is my long time coach JJ Bailey and Zoom Performance. With the relationship we've developed over the years, I couldn't imagine anyone else guiding my workouts but him.

Post ride breakfast, by Kelli Putnam!

With less than two weeks to go until my first race, things are going great on the home front. Kelli and I have both graduated allowing us to live life without the stress of school and with the added stress of being two graduates trapped in a quarter life crisis. It's an adventure! Luckily I have Kelli's support along with many other training partners and advisers who are an integral part of the overall team that makes my performances possible. This is the first of many posts to come, check out the rest of the site and my race schedule (it's a work in progress). Let me know your thoughts and thanks for reading!