Old Goals Achieved, What's Next - Set New Ones

 Let's have a look at my 2022 goals (and later stretch goals):

1. Win NCTS Series for Age Group - ACHIEVED!
2. [STRETCH] Win SCTS Series for Age Group - ACHIEVED!
3. [STRETCH] Get All American Status -- {wah wuh} NOT achieved.

Here were my 2023 goals going in to the season:

1. Qualify for Team USA 2024 - ACHIEVED!
2. Qualify for Team USA 2023 (new goal after rule change) - ACHIEVED!
3. Win NCTS Series for Age Group - First place AG in first 2 races, think this is achievable
4. Win SCTS Series for Age Group - First place AG in first race (worth the most points). Achievable.
5. Get All American Status -- Currently at 96.483. This SHOULD be sufficient but won't let up.

So I've had a good start to 2023. First the swim:

I feel like I never get comfortable in the swim. So this off season I hit the pool hard. Covid was no longer a concern so I went at it hard. Last summer, I would do a 15:52 for 900 yards and not think much of it. I was enjoying great success in races including my first 2 outright wins, but still putting up times in the mid to upper 15's. As I closed out the Fall, I started to consistently see times in the 14's. After the season ended, I knew I had momentum and decided to hit the pool extra hard in the winter. My times went from upper 14's down to mid 14's. my the time I go to Spring, I was seeing low 14's and even dipped down. Since I have seen a few times in the upper 13's. This is after maybe 10 years being in the low 16's to upper 15's. I also invested in some upgraded equipment in the offseason. I got a Roka Max Buoyancy wet suite (which does help my dragging long legs) and a Roka tri suite (after being torso nake for 14 years). These help in the water. Strangely, the bike was my weakest leg last year.

Even though (maybe because of the fact?) I trained a lot on the bike last year, my bike times would often be my weakest leg. BTW, my transition times have gotten to be elite whereby even the elite folks at Nationals had comparable transition times. Any rate, everyone who does triathlons excels in bike, not really me. I hit the bike about the same in the offseason but have adopted a new strategy (that I eventually found mid last year) which was NOT biking or doing any leg work the week of races. The results have been dramatic. It turns out I needed more rest. A lot of it. So now during race weeks, I'll swim, I'll do core and yoga, but that's it. Leave it for the race. Surprisingly, I've had only positive results from that (in terms of conditioning, race results, etc). I guess I'm old, I'm realizing it, I'm adjusting. I also made a few bike equipment mods in the offseason. I got my dream helmet (Rudy Project Wing) which I swear cuts through the wind and propels me forward somehow. I also got new aero bar pads that are super thick and comfortable. I used to feel bumps, now I don't. Finally, had some 105 pedals and upgraded those to dura ace. Not to even mention I had to go out and buy a dang road bike for the Nationals and ended up getting good value with a S-Works SL6 that had disc brakes so I could use my 303 wheelset. Embracing wide tires on that bike and lower inflation values got me to 25 mph so I'll forever trust the Zipp calculator. But I'm a runner and I found something that I didn't think was possible.

My wife said, "You hear about these carbon shoes?" It was January this year. Of course I had. But I have bad knees and I had forever put myself in a special needs type category. Wear Brooks Glyerin's, don't get hurt, move on. BUT, I thought 'what the hell. I'll spend up[like 250 bucks?!]' My first training run, my first mile was 5:50. WTF?! That was 20-25 seconds faster than the week before. I ended up with something like an 18:15 3 mile for my hilly course. I was sold. Since then, I've been in love with these shoes. And my body had some initial protests, but I think I've figured out a winning formula. My experience so far is that it gives me 10-20 seconds per mile. My choice is 100% validated at Nationals when I look and see around me nearly EVERYONE wearing not only the same sneaker but same color. Training wise, I got into the 6:30-6:45 range early and often in the off season (rather than taking a little 7 minute mile break like I usually would). Body holding up so far so good. But the result has been an improvement on what is my best leg and something I haven't improved in years. My first race this year, had a slow, soggy, horrible bike but then did a dead on 6:00 pace for the 5k. As I have gone harder on bike, that has gotten harder, but I think I can settle in on a sub 6:30 pace after killing a bike leg. That is going to help me this year. 

SO, looks like all the goals are squarely in the "achievable" or "achieved" category. My true feelings are actually that I would be SHOCKED a 96+ doesn't get me All American (in the 40-44 let alone the 45-49 age group). Just looking at historic numbers, I think I'm good as of now. As far as NCTS and SCTS, I feel like I'm beating the "Advanced" folks at my age group right now. Something may change, other's may step up, I may get injured, but there isn't anyone right now in my age group that is killing it (there is someone in the 40-44 age group in SC that may be a problem in a couple years though). So not spiking the football, but I need another goal. Something bigger. 

My current score would have me ranked as the #3 triathlete in my age group in 2022. Of the two guys who would have beaten me last year, 1 is moving to the 50-54 age group. I had a look and there is no one who moved up with me to 45-49 that had a higher ranking. So just looking at the numbers, I could be top 2 in the state. So, new stretch goal......... to be the #1 triathlete (all distances) in my age group in the state of North Carolina.

6. [STRETCH] Be the top ranked triathlete in North Carolina for my age group