2016 Quick Revew

As I am sitting here in Kauai thinking about ringing in the new year tonight all I can think is "What a year it was through all the bullshit that life has thrown at me this year."  I owe so many people a thanks many times over for their support.  Without them I truly can not tell what kind of mental shape I might be in right now verses where I am.  With that said, in case you don't know yet, this year Ashley and I came to an agreement to go our own ways and divorce which was final at the end of Sept.  I normally don't talk about my personal shit on the blog but it will put statements in context like "all the bullshit that life has thrown", the drama around that situation is what what I am referring too.  So with house keeping out of the way let's start the break down of the year with training and racing.

Training: My biggest year yet on the running front but a HUGE drop off on the bike from last year.  Not happy with the bike drop off but that just goes to show you how hard it is to try and fit everything in.  Guess there truly is only 24 hours in a day.  But with that said, still the most hours ever for me.  Here is how 2016 breaks down.  NOTE:  this data does not include Dec 31st so a few hours short.

How does that compare to the past years?  Well this is an interesting view.  Now you can see what I mean by total hours being up.  Two big years in a row, can the trend continue? This is comparing the last 8 years in total hours.

Races:
Solid year of racing with Boston being the focus at the beginning of the year and then just riding that fitness until I couldn't anymore by Run Rabbit Run.  Lots of big PRs this year on the running front and moved up a Cat in Cyclocross. You can go back and read all the race reports on the year, I am not going to get into them all here.  This was my biggest year yet racing also.  Anyways here is the list of all the organized races and/or events from the year.  Lots of great times and memories this year, I look back at this list and it just brings a smile from ear to ear on my face.  Of course the smile got even bigger when I started digging through all the photos on my phone (at the end of the post).  Damn, what a fun year it was and I am honored to have so many great friends.

2016 Races

• Red Hot 33k 2/13 (2:30:50)
• Salida Marathon 3/12 (3:46:17)
• Crossfit Open 2/25-3/28 (Good Times!)
• Boston Marathon 4/18 (2:44:18)
• Collegiate Peaks 50 Mile 5/7 (10:39:00 with Rebecca)
• Boulder Mountain Marathon 5/15 (3:28:19)
• Georgetown Pack Burro Race 5/28 (1:53:02)
• Bolder Boulder 5/30 (50:24 with Rebecca)
• Erock Sunrise to Sunset MTB 6/4 (Fun day riding with Rebecca)
• Mount Evans Ascent 6/12 (3:21 with Rebecca)
• Big Horn 100 6/17 (24:44:53)
• Pacing Hardrock 7/15 (Donald got it done!)
• Crew Leadville 100 MTB 8/13 (Rebecca got it done!)
• Pace Leadville 100 Run 8/20 (Rebecca got it done, she is a Leadwoman!)
• TVS Granite Lake CX 8/28 (3.7 miles/2 laps-Cyclocross)
• Run Rabbit Run 100 9/16 (DNF at mile 47)
• Harlow Platt CX 9/24 (7.4 miles/5 laps- Cyclocross)
• Amy D CX 10/2 (8.7 miles/6 laps- Cyclocross)
• Cross of the North 10/7 (8.6 miles/7 laps- Cyclocross)
• Cross of the North 10/8 (8.4 miles/5 laps- Cyclocross)
• US Open of CX 10/15 (10.1 miles/5 laps- Cyclocross)
• US Open of CX 10/16 (8.2 miles/4 laps- Cyclocross)
• School Yard Cross 10/22 (10.1 miles/5 laps- Cyclocross)
• Cyclo X Flatiorns 10/23 (8.5 miles/7 laps- Cyclocross)
• Monster Mash Crossfit 10/29 (Good times!)
• Feedback Cup CX 11/5 (8.5 miles/4 laps- Cyclocross)
• Colorado XC Champ 11/6 (4.1 miles in 24:08)
• Cyclo X Sienna 11/12 (9 miles/6 laps- Cyclocross)
• Deadhorse 30K 11/19 (2:22:08)
• Salty Treads CX 11/20 (8.5 miles/6 laps- Cyclocross)
• Louisville T-Trot 11/24 (did not time it but under 20 minutes)
• Barp Finals CX 11/26 (8.5 miles/4 laps- Cyclocross)
• Colder Boulder 5k 12/3 (18:09- New PR)
• Rattler Cross 12/4 (5 miles/2 laps- Cyclocross)
• Colorado Champ CX 12/10 (8.6 miles/6 laps- Cyclocross)
• 4th Solstice Grog Slog 12/18 (20 miles/7 breweries and a great time)

Books:  
Got in a solid 40 books.  Of course a bunch of them were zombie apocalypse themed books again that some guy up the hill turned me onto last year, but at least I finished both of the series this year.  Not sure where my book list will go this year but sure I will add a couple just in the first week with all the airplane time I will have in January.

2016 Books Read
1. In Harms Way- Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse*
2. Because It's There
3. A Pound of Flesh- Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse*
4. Allegiance- Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse*
5. Paleo Diet for Athletes
6. Mortal- Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse*
7. Grain Brain
8. Warpath- Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse*
9. Ghost- Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse*
10. Million Dollar Marathon*
11. How Bad Do You Want It?
12. Frayed- Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse*
13. Special Operations Forces Nutrition Guide 
14. 26.2 Miles to Boston*
15. The Boston Marathon A Century of Blood, Sweat, and Cheers
16. Drawl: Duncan's Story- Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse*
17. Fire On The Mountain*
18. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
19. Way of the Seal*
20. Mind Gym- An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence
21. Ultra Mindset*
22. No More Mr Nice Guy
23. The Manuscript
24. Living with a Seal*
25. This is Going to Hurt
26. The Contractor
27. Gates of Fire*
28. Arisen Book 11: Deathmatch*
29. Training Essentials for Ultrarunning*
30. Arisen Book 12: Carnage*
31. Keep Pulling Out Guns
32. Sniper on the Eastern Front*
33. District- Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse*
34. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck*
35. Into the North Wind: A thousand mile bicycle adventure across frozen Alaska
36. In Fifty Years We Will All Be Chicks*
37. 2016 Boulder Running Journal*
38. Sixty Meters to Anywhere*
39. Racing the Rain*
40. Primal Endurance*


Review of Goals for 2016:
1. Boston Marathon (Shoot for sub 3 hours?) - shit, blew this one away, 2:44.
2. Bighorn 100 - Completed in 24:44, very pleased
3. Finish the 14ers or at least put a dent in it (11 left)- Completed 5 new ones, 6 left.
4. Visit my 100th Colorado brewery- Completed at a brewery in Steamboat
5.  Read at least 30 books- See list above
6.  Pure fall focus on Cyclocross racing, meaning actually train for it starting in August- started the season focused but Run Rabbit Run put a cramp on part of the season.  Ended the season in the top 12% of my Cat.
7.  Leadville 100 Mountain Bike if I make it through the lottery- No Go, did not make it through the lottery
8. Support a certain someone at Leadman anyway I can- SHE CRUSHED IT!  Super proud friend.
9. Get a passport, yes I have never had a passport.  I know sad.- Yep, done.  Now I need to use it.
10.  Another year of over 2,000 miles running and 3,000 miles cycling- Failed on the cycling and crushed the running.

Now on to some loose top 10 goals for 2017
1. Finish or be super close to finishing the 14ers (6 left)
2. Leadville 100 MTB if I make it through the lottery
3. Go outside the lower 48 states
4. Read at least 30 books
5. Over 2,000 miles running and 3,000 miles biking
6. Travel somewhere new for a race that I have never been
7. Sky Dive
8.  Use my passport to leave the country
9. Attend at least one concert
10. Be an active member on the MTB team I am on this year doing at least 4 MTB races

HAPPY NEW YEARS AND MAY 2017 BE YOUR BEST YET!

Some of my favorite shots from the year

 

Screw it, only live once.

So who wants to run the last 40 miles with me?

Busy few weeks...

Thought I would play a little catch up on the blog today while watching the Broncos.  Since the last time I posted a lot has gone on.  I have done 4 cyclocross races and my first Crossfit competition in the last few weeks.  On top of that there was a Tool concert with Timko, couple new breweries, and of course meeting wanker last night for beers since he was in town.  Good to be busy and active for sure. 

US Open of Cyclocross (2 days of racing)

 

Flatirons Cyclocross 

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Monster Mash at Crossfit Sanitas-  This was my first ever attempt at trying my hand in a Crossfit competition.   My only goal was not to be last which I achieved with a middle of the pack finish.  I will be doing more of these in the future.  Just a full day of trashing myself in the gym, good times!

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And of course a super mellow trail run in Golden today to try and flush out the soreness from yesterday's workouts.  Legs were pretty trashed so I joined the Denver Trail Runners on Lookout Mountain for some easy miles and vertical.

Awesome couple of weeks.  I bounce around between 15 to 20 hours a week of training so still some good volume there even though I am only running 40-50 a week now.  I have upped my game on the bike and mostly in the weight room which is my main focus right now.  One more month of playing around with whatever I feel like doing until the Boston training starts up again... sigh....