Mission Accomplished...sort of

I set out in 2009 to take a break from racing sprint triathlons. I was tired of all the speed work and focus on each and every second of a race, not to mention driving all over the state.

Over the years I've mixed in other kinds of events and distances, but for the most part, the base of my season revolved around the same 8-10 sprint triathlons each year. It was starting to get old.

Last year, I went in a different direction. I bought a road bike and left my tri bike on the trainer in the garage. I decided to race less and slow things down a bit. Instead of setting goals around how I placed in a race or series, I set four simple goals for 2009.

• Enter a crit (cycling)
• Enter a road race (cycling)
• Ride a Century (100 mile bike)
• Complete an Ironman

I entered a crit in Columbia in March and a road race in April. Technically, I hit my goal, but I finished horribly in both events - dropped in both and finishing alone. My grand entrance to the cycling scene was humbling, to say the least.

As for the Century, I never actually entered one as planned, but I did log two 100 mile bikes in training for the ironman, then of course, the 112 miles in the actual race. So, that sort of counts, sort of.

One thing is certain. I did complete my first ironman, and that effort definitely makes up for my shortcomings with the other goals. I enjoyed the long slow distances in training. It was simple, stress-free training. Not that preparing for an ironman isn't stressful, but when your goal is to finish, and you just want to enjoy the event, your attitude changes.

And now, just like I had hoped, my battery is recharged. I actually miss the intensity of fast racing and plan to jump back into to mix - racing around 12 sprint tris this year. I'm excited about the season. And that's the way it should be.