Besides becoming wiser as my last blog examined, I did become faster. Looking back at my workout history (my gym has a kiosk and online portal through FitLinxx that allows me to record my activity), I think there was a direct correlation in the effort I put into training. But it’s not just the quantity of workouts – in fact, I actually had fewer number of workout sessions in 2012 versus 2011. It’s also about what you put into each workout, and on that account, my records show I burned over 15,000 more calories and put in 29 more hours.
In my first season in 2011, it made sense to have more workouts. I was trying to build both strength and endurance and to learn new technical skills. On a given day, I often did a 30 minute cardio / strength workout in the morning and a swimming session in the evening. In those early days, a swimming workout was totaling a quarter mile, or 450 yards. I had to laugh as I re-read a blog about my second swimming lesson when I couldn’t do a 4 x 50 yard set without breaking into breast stroke and gasping for air. A recent swim session with my coach Matt was a 3 x 400 yard set followed by a 4 x 100 yard set. (Actually, we set out to do 8 x 100 yards but we cut it short after my shoulder began hurting. I had plenty of endurance left, but my body was probably telling me enough after my last swim workout 48 hours prior had been 1800 yards). So, as the graph shows, in 2012 I got a lot – actually twice as much - more swimming miles in versus 2011.
With the yardage came speed. Early in 2012, I was able to get my fastest times on short distances – 47 seconds on a 50 yard in-pool start sprint; 1:47 on a 100 yard in-pool start sprint. I had trouble meeting those times later in the season likely due to slower wall turns with my knee situation. But, I have been able to continue building speed over long distances. I can consistently swim ¼ mile in under 10 minutes. And, I cut a full 10 seconds on my pace per 100 yards on my mile swims. On Jan. 7, 2011, I recorded a one mile (1800 yard) swim at 46:19, or a pace of 2:34 per one hundred yards. On Dec. 3, 2012, I recorded a one mile swim at 42:51, or a pace of 2:24 per one hundred yards.
On the cycling front, I did put in 31 more miles despite having to cut back on my cycling for a couple months after my July injury. I was happy cutting 1:36 off of my cycling time in the Independence Triathlon, and coming in with an 18mph pace for the Montauk race which included a pretty long uphill at the end.
On the running front, it’s not surprising I did log fewer miles but when you consider my 2012 miles only represent one half of the year, I was running more (and perhaps that is what contributed to my injury). I worked more on my speed this year and that had as significant impact on my 2 mile run in the Independence Triathlon, which was 3:27 faster. I logged a 5K personal best in the Memorial Day run in Oak Bluffs at 26:28 with a pace of 8:31 per mile, which improved over the same route I did in the 2011 Columbus day run when I came it at 27:52 with a pace of 8:58.
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