2016 By the Numbers and What's Ahead for 2017

Well that was a crazy year. Many new experiences to learn from, many great performances, some painful injuries, and a whole lot of training. How much?

2016 - Overall Mileage and Time

Cycling:

16,751 km -- Avg of approx 325km/week 
523 hours 
360,000 Kcal 
FTP increased by 50 W 
I won't go too much into detail on my bike review for the year since I discussed that in my last post. Overall, I improved immensely on the bike, and did it all riding inside safely on my indoor trainer, compared to 2015 where I did all my mileage (as soon as it was nice enough outside to ride until the winter) outside.

Swimming: 

900 km 
I wasn't swimming regularly from January to April (only 1-2 swims on weekends) since at that point I was not training for triathlon specifically, swimming was only a means of cross training. After my injury in April the day after the Race Roster 8km, where I ran 25:55 for 7th Overall on a very hilly course, then my focus switched to triathlon to try to stop the cycle of injuries and try something different. So from that point (mid-April) to the end of the year I swam 825 out of the 900 kilometers which is an average of 23 per week (with one full week off after Miami in November).
288 Hours 
160,000 Kcal 
Under Sheryl's Guidance my swim speed (including drills, kicking, and recovery swims) increased from approximately 3.6 km/hr, to 4.2 km/hr -- approximately a 17% improvement


Running 

As I just mentioned my running mileage for the majority of the year was significantly reduced due to injury. I started off the year well averaging 135 km per week from Jan 1st to the Race in April. During that time period (Jan 1st to April 9th) I ran 1750 km out of the Total of 3400 km for the entire year. 
After that injury, which bothered me throughout the entire year, my running was extremely inconsistent, in May for example I couldn't run at all (managed a whole 19km for that month which were made up of a couple times throughout that month testing out the leg if it was better or not - which it wasn't), and in July ran a grand total of 40km. Running in August was decent again, doing 344km (86 per week), in September got hit with another injury/flare up of the one from April which took me down to 200km, and then in October running was half-decent again doing 402 km (100km/week).
Total Time 247 hours 
200,000 kcal 
I had taken two weeks off right after the race in November, and since then I have been trying to be very smart about my running. My first week back I ran 41km and then have been increasing by 10% each week. So the next week was 45.7, the next was 50.1, 55.8, 61.6, and on track for 67 this week. So far it is going pretty well. I can still feel a stress fracture that I ran on for all of September, October, and November, but it is not horrible. Some days are really good where I feel it only at the beginning of the run, others it lingers throughout but it doesn't seem to be hampering my stride, and it is getting better I think each week. I have been noticeable faster so far in the last month or so of running than I was all of last year, with most runs at 4:00 min/km, and some into the high 3:50s and just last Sunday averaged 3:45/km easily right after a 2 hour workout on the bike. I am being more intelligent and have been giving more thought to my strength training which I feel has really improved my stride, and posture as I run. Overall, with the help of my new focus on specific strength training I feel much more powerful running. Not that I wasn't doing strength/core training before (I have been doing it everyday for the last few years), but I have just made some tweaks to my regimen to make it more running specific. In terms of the gameplan for running going forwards, I am going to just keep building mileage by 10% each week until I get to around 80-90km without pain and then will start doing speed workouts again, hopefully starting them without any lingering injury, and with a strong foundation.

Strength Training 
137 Hours 

Grand Total: 
21,150 Kilometers; 1250 hours; Approximately 800,000 kcal
If you're wondering why I'm reporting kcal burned it's because I think it is a fun statistic when you look at from a couple different perspectives. For example, physiologically 800,000 kcal is equivalent to 230 pounds of fat/energy in our bodies. Another way to look at it 800,000 kcal is equivalent to 1600 Big Mac's from McDonalds. Meaning on an average day in 2016 just through exercise (not counting my basal metabolic rate [what you burn without doing anything]) I burned about 4.4 Big Mac's. For distance that is more than half way around the planet! For swimming it is equivalent to 18 times across Lake Ontario!

Anyways so the game plan for training for 2017 is to work in 5-week build cycles. Meaning I will train hard for 5 weeks and then week 6 will be a recovery week where I will train about half to 2/3's the volume of the hard work weeks. In the season, as the times and intensity continues to build 5 weeks hard before a recovery week will probably be too hard to sustain without either burnout or injury so I may switch to a 4 week build cycle then recovery week, or perhaps 3 week build then recover. The 3 or 4 week build cycles will probably be necessary during the meat of the race season so I can have 3 good training weeks then recover and race on the fourth week. In terms of racing, in the spring I will be doing a few road running races to regain my speed and get back to being confident in my running ability, and then Ironman 70.3 Wisconsin on June 11th will be my first big one of the season. Assuming everything continues to go well the rest of the triathlon season will look like this:
- Rose City Long Course Triathlon June 25

- Ironman Racine July 16 

- Kingston Long Course Triathlon August 6

- ITU Long Distance World Championships Aug 27** 

- Ironman 70.3 World Championships (Chattanooga, TN) Sept 9 (assuming I've qualified by that point) 

- Ironman 70.3 Miami Oct 22 

**The World Championships in Penticton is for sure the main focus for the year. Going to be a big day with a 3km swim, 120 km bike, and 30 km run, but I'm excited for it. 

Of course the main goal of the year is stay healthy, stay healthy, stay healthy. I can't repeat this enough. Be smart, do not get too excited, and if an injury does happen, be even smarter and take recovery seriously. 

Happy New Year all, and happy training.