727 Days of Dedication

It is very surreal to be writing this post, but as of last weekend, my run streak has officially come to an end. A streak that started on February 7, 2022 came to an end on February 4, 2024 just short of 2 full years. After a week of internal thought and reflection, I'm ready to share more with all of you. 

The unexpected ending (WARNING: some graphic descriptions ahead)

I'm going to begin with how and why the run streak came to an end so that I can end the post on a happier note. It still stings, and probably will for a long time, but I'm certain that as time goes on the disappointment will fade and a new goal or adventure will take hold. 

After an easy 3.5 mile run on the morning of January 30th, I noticed that I had some blood in my urine (hematuria). While it has been extremely rare, I have actually had this occur a couple of times before but usually after much more strenuous or long runs. In those other instances, it went away immediately and I thought nothing of it. This time, it didn't and for the next 2 days gave me a lot of anxiety as I began to feel some discomfort in my bladder as well. I dialed back to a very easy 1 mile run each day, cut out all other exercise, increased fluid intake, and scheduled a doctor appointment for February 1. 

The doctor appointment brought on more anxiety and waiting. The urine sample that I gave had too many blood cells for them to get results from an in-office test, so we would have to wait for results from the lab the following day. The doctor narrowed it down to 4 potential issues but we would have to wait for test results to know which one. Although he all but ruled out a kidney stone, due to lack of pain on my part, he also ordered a rushed CT scan to be sure. I could not focus on anything else for the rest of the day. I got a phone call as the sophomore basketball game was about to start with an 8:30am appointment on Friday for the CT scan and was surprised by how quickly they got me in. 

As I woke up Friday morning, I felt the same. I went on a very easy 1 mile run but within 30 minutes of finishing the run I was overcome with extremely sharp pain in my lower right back and side. I have never felt pain like this in my entire life. With Erin needing to get the girls to school, I called my friend, Adam, for a ride to the ER. Erin called in to take the day off work and joined us in the ER when she was done. This is where a long line of "firsts" began for me. First ever trip to the ER and first ever IV. After they got my pain under control I was off for my first ever CT scan. I ended up in the same hospital where my CT was scheduled and the staff got a bit of a kick out of that. 

The CT scan confirmed that I had a 4.9mm kidney stone that was just exiting my right kidney. The doctor was not very hopeful that it would pass on it's own, but said there as a chance it could, so I headed home from the hospital with a variety of meds and instructions to schedule a urology appointment ASAP. Shortly after arriving home, I got a call from my doctor with my blood and urine test results showing a kidney infection so antibiotics were added to my list of prescriptions. I also managed to get an 8:15am appointment with urology first thing Monday morning. I just had to make it through the weekend. 

My parents came down with intentions to attend my basketball games Friday night, but with the pain coming and going constantly, I decided to stay home so we watched the varsity game on YouTube from the living room. The pain continued to come and go on Saturday as I did my best to rest. The ER doctor said that I could continue running as long as the pain wasn't too bad, so I headed out for a VERY easy 1 mile run Saturday afternoon. 

On Saturday evening the pain came back very strong, and was radiating around my side a lot more. I fought it for about 90 minutes but eventually had Erin take me back to the ER. This time they already knew what was up, so no tests were necessary and they went straight to pain medication. The doctor's exact words were "Don't worry, I've got more pain meds then you have pain", and he was right. After a few rounds of medicine I was no longer in pain and was very drowsy. This doctor was convinced there was no way the stone was going to pass on it's own so he did everything that he could to find a urologist that would be willing to come in to the hospital on Sunday for surgery to no avail. He left a message for the urologist that I was seeing on Monday to inform them that surgery was almost certainly necessary and instructed me to not eat or drink anything after midnight on Sunday just in case they could fit me in on Monday. Before sending me home, he instructed me to decrease the amount of time between taking my morphine tablets and to take them on schedule even if I wasn't in pain to stay ahead of it. 

It was here, that I made the decision to not run on Sunday, officially ending the run streak. From Saturday night through Monday morning, I was pretty much in continuous pain, but it was a lot less strong. My parents came back on Sunday to be able to get the girls to school on Monday. Monday morning Erin loaded me up and headed to the urology appointment. The urologist was great and gave 2 options. We could either wait for an appointment to use a machine that would blast the kidney stone into smaller pieces that could pass on their own or schedule surgery for Tuesday to go in with a laser and remove it. Who can say no to lasers?!? Actually, the wait for the other machine would have been almost a week and both I and the urologist thought I needed relief sooner. 

So back home we went on Monday, awaiting surgery at 9:00am on Tuesday morning. I honestly don't remember much about Monday but remember feeling both anxiety and relief as we headed to the surgery center on Tuesday morning. Now it was time for my first ever surgery and first ever time having general anesthesia. I was amazed at how efficient the whole process was. The surgery did not go quite as planned, but they were able to get the kidney stone out. It turns out that the stone was embedded into the wall of my ureter and had punctured a hole. The doctor ended up inserting a stent that runs between my kidney and bladder to allow the hole to heal. I will have surgery again later in the month to inspect the hole and remove the stent. 

Reflecting on the streak

It may be over now, but that run streak meant so much to me. I originally wrote about the streak when I was 400 days into it. It started as a way to get back into frequent physical activity but grew into so much more. Each day that I ran, my confidence grew. I eventually found my way back to racing and triathlon. The run streak helped me to make more connections, build new friendships, and strengthen old ones. I certainly cannot remember ever single of the 727 runs, but there were a lot of great memories throughout. Battling weather, running while on vacation, getting up crazy early during basketball season, and just generally overcoming the desire to skip my run on occasion. 

The commitment that I demonstrated during this streak still amazes me. I wasn't sure that I had that in me. Back when I first started, I remember Bridget saying that I would be able to make it 50 days, then 100 days, then 200 days. I honestly had no clue how long I would go. There were days that I was sick and probably shouldn't have run, but I ran. There were days that it was bitterly cold or the trails were full of ice, but I still ran. There were times that my body was so run down and tired that I should have rested, still I ran. This streak taught me that I am capable of anything that I put my mind to. 

Total Runs: 727

Total Miles: 1,585.46

Total Time: 347 hours, 28 minutes, 48 seconds

Average Pace: 13:09/mi

Average Distance: 2.18 mi

Max Distance: 13.31 mi

Runs > 10 mi: 5

Runs > 5 mi: 44

Races: 18

Years: 3 (2022 - 2024)

I've talked with family, friends, and coworkers about my streak ending in the past week and I have received very similar feedback from all of them and the common thread is how much confidence everyone has that I will be back. Erin probably said it best, "Now you have a new goal!" 

What's Next?

For now, I need to rest and recover. I'm not on any particular restrictions but my body and mind have both been through a lot over the last week. I am not planning to exercise until the stent is removed and I recover from the 2nd surgery. I will miss my next race on February 17th for sure and am prepared to miss both of my races in March as well. Once I can get back after it, I plan to take things slow and adjust my racing season as needed. Patience is one of my biggest weaknesses, so all of this is so hard for me but I know that I'll get through and I'm confident that I will be back better than ever. 

Will I ever run 727 days in a row again? No one knows, but one thing that I do know is that I will try my best to get there. 

Top 10 Memories from 2023

 A year ago, as 2022 was coming to an end, I was sitting in this very chair reflecting on the year that was and envisioning the year that could be in 2023. Even in that moment, I had absolutely no clue how great of a year it was going to be. 

The year started out slowly, but by April, I was really getting after it as the miles and races began to pile up. Here is where I am finishing up the year...

• 15 races completed (most in a year)
• 1,049.42 miles running (most in a year)
• 2,165.57 miles biked (2nd most in a year)
• Over 40 hours of strength training (2nd most in a year)
• 26.04 miles swimming
• Run streak extended to 693 days

While those numbers make me feel very accomplished this year, for me, it is much more about the memories made. Below are my top 10 memories from 2023.

10. Tri for a Cause

January 29th was an extremely cold morning. I woke up early and made my way to the Walnut Creek YMCA for the Tri for a Cause indoor triathlon with a swim wave start of 6:00am. It had been 2,295 days since my last triathlon and I was ready to go. 400 yard pool swim, 7 mile spin bike, and 2 mile run on a treadmill and I did great. I certainly wasn't in the best shape but everything felt good on race day and I was reminded again why I love this sport. This was the race that kick started everything for the year. 

9. Des Moines Corporate Games Cross Country Race - Finishing Last

I was very excited when John Deere signed up for the Corporate Games this year. Free races and a chance to connect with coworkers who share a similar passion. There were a few things in play with this race. For whatever reason, the Cross Country race was held on the same weekend as the triathlon. Even though both races were relatively short, this was still a point in the year while I was building back fitness and a bit unsure of how much I could handle. Also, there are 2 race distances offered, a 7.5k and 4.4k held back to back on the ISU cross country course. I knew that most of the slower runners would opt for the shorter distance and figured there was a chance I could finish last. That is exactly what happened. 

In spite of my last place finish, I received a silver medal in my age group (obviously only 2 racers in the group) to score points for John Deere and I actually raced pretty well. To my knowledge, this is the only time in my life that I finished last in a race.

8. Ames Triathlon

The Ames Triathlon was memorable in several ways, both good and bad. For starters, I got a chance to race along side my friend and training buddy, Adam. This was his first ever multi-sport event as he competed in the duathlon. I also was blessed to have my wife and daughters drive up to support me on race day. 

The conditions for the race were horrible. 20+ mph winds which resulted in slow times on the 750 meter swim and the 15.5 mile bike. However, once I got off the bike and onto the run course, I absolutely flew. I had only logged 2 sub-12:00 miles prior to race day, but at Ames I was able to log 3 consecutive sub-12:00 miles finishing with a 5k time of 36:32 surprising myself and everyone there who was watching. 

Things turned sour quickly after the race when we realized that someone had broken into Erin's car and stolen her purse. Here we are over 6 months later and still dealing with the fallout from that. 

7. IMT Des Moines Half Marathon 

I think I agreed to do this race all the way back in March when trying to convince Adam to do a half marathon. At that point, it was so far away that I may not have fully considered the consequences. Either way, I began training for the race in late summer and for the first time ever, actually continued to drop my average mile time while increasing distance each week. 

As race week approached, I got sick. This has only happened to me a couple of times over the years but for some reason this time really got me down. I had been running so well all summer and fall but knew that I wasn't going to be at my best. I made sure to spend as much time as possible recovering and taking care of myself throughout the week and altered my race plan and expectations for race day. 

I ran really well until the start of mile 13 when the wheels came off a bit. I managed to keep my legs moving and got across the finish line faster than when I ran the race back in 2015. This race was both a reminder at what I'm capable of as well as a reminder that 13.1 miles is a lot longer than it sounds. 

6. Making connections at work

The running and triathlon communities are generally great to be a part of. Training for and completing a race takes a lot of time, effort, and determination no matter what the distance. When I meet someone else who has completed a race it tells me a lot about them and can often be a shortcut to building trust. It just so happens that 2023 not only rekindled my racing career, but it involved a shake up in my professional career at John Deere as well. I took on a new role in May and early on discovered that one of my new coworkers, let's call him Brad (only because that is his real name) is a triathlete as well. We have had many a conversation over lunch or on Teams about training, past races, gear we like, etc. and it has actually helped me get through some very tough days at work. Brad has also become a big cheerleader for me and is always interested in hearing about my most recent race and the next one I have planned. I also made a connection with another coworker, let's call her Kati (again, only because that is her actual name) because Brad happened to share my blog with her. Kati has completed several triathlons and other races in the past that we have chatted about as well. 

Other connections have come through racing directly. One of the engineers on my team took up road racing this year and completed his first half marathon and triathlon. He has enjoyed it so much that he is planning bigger things for next year. We talk about it a lot in our 1x1 meetings. Another engineer on my team has been running for years and we discovered that both of us ran the Bix and Capital Pursuit this year without even knowing it beforehand. The Des Moines Corporate Games and John Deere Employee 5k led to other similar connections as well. 

Corporate Games Triathlon Crew

John Deere Employee 5k

5. Capital Pursuit

A warm up race for the half marathon a few weeks later. A smaller race held in the heart of Des Moines and one that I've thought about doing for several years. Looking at the race results from the past few years I quickly realized there was a good chance I could finish in last place for the 2nd time in a year. I signed up with Adam anyways and was coming off a great 10 mile training run the previous weekend. I set a goal pace of 12:30/mi and as the miles ticked by, I kept track of how far ahead of my goal pace I was. The hills were brutal but I handled them all very well. After Adam finished he tracked back and joined me for my last mile. I ended up crushing my goal and managed to average sub-12:00/mi coming in under 2 hours and avoiding a last place finish. Erin and the girls were at the finish line to cheer me on as I crossed. 

4. Bix 7

A challenging 7 mile course in the heat of the summer. One of the biggest races in Iowa each year and one with which I have a lot of history. I was racing the 7 mile course while my mother-in-law, Mary, Erin, and the girls were set to complete the 2 mile Quick Bix. Erin ended up having a medical procedure the day before and was unable to race but both Abs and The Bridge still did the Quick Bix with Grandma Weiler. 

This race made the list for 2 reasons. The first was the joy of getting to line up and celebrate after the race with my daughters. After the race they both said they want to come back next year and make this race a yearly tradition. The second was how consistent I was throughout the entire course. Even late in the race I was still attacking the hills while those around me walked up them. The race was a huge confidence builder for the rest of my season. 

3. Turkey Trot - Surpassing a stretch goal

It wasn't just the race itself, but all the hard work that went into it during the month of November that made this such a great memory. I stayed consistent with my training while down at the cabin deer hunting in early November and got my running in extra early once basketball practices started in the middle of the month. 

Mary and her sister, Lisa, were walking the 5 mile route, Erin and the girls were walking the 5k, and one of my employees was running the 5 mile route with me. It was a cold morning but the sun was shining and I was ready to go. My goal was simple, I wanted to average sub-11:00/mi for the 5 mile race. I knew that everything had to go perfectly to make that happen but I had been running so well throughout the month of November so confidence was high. 

As the miles started to tick by, it became apparent that I was going to easily reach my goal. The final mile, which included a large downhill, I was able to log my fastest mile of the year at 9:49. I finished with a time of 53:11 which was just over 10:30/mi. 

2. Racing and training with friends

The one probably could have been 1b instead of  2 on the list. My favorite part of this year was all of the time spent with friends. Not just training and racing together, but sharing our goals and celebrating each others successes. I have some of the best friends a guy could ask for and there is no way that this year would have been possible without them. There are probably too many details or examples to go into with a single post so I'll just leave you with some pictures. 

1. Quad Cities Triathlon - The moment I knew

On the surface, this race really doesn't stand out from any of the others this year. It isn't the race itself that made this my number 1 memory for the year but instead the feeling that it gave me. Erin and Mary came out to watch me race and cheer me on. I absolutely love having a cheering section at races and I always race better when I do. The race was hard, and I was not in great shape, but I just kept on going. I felt so much joy throughout the race as I faced each struggle. During the run I made a new observation of myself. Although my physical fitness is nowhere near where I want it to be, I have never been more mentally tough than I was during this race. As I crossed the finish line, for the first time, I knew that I was officially back. This race made me remember who I am and why I do all of this. To this point, I had lived each day in fear that I would stop and it would all go away again but in this moment, I finally felt the confidence that it wasn't going away. 

What an amazing year it was! It wasn't perfect, nothing ever is, but it was the year that I needed. I'm eager and excited for what 2024 has in store and can't wait to get started when I wake up tomorrow. 

2024 Racing Schedule

This is such an exciting time of year! I absolutely love reflecting on the past season to celebrate my successes and to identify ways that I can do better. It is also the time of year where planning for the next season begins. Below is my tentative racing schedule for 2024. 

• January 28 - Tri for a Cause
• An indoor triathlon at the Walnut Creek YMCA as a fundraiser for Girls on the Run
• 400 yard pool swim, 7 mile spin bike, 2 mile treadmill run
• I did this race for the first time in 2023 and love it
• February 17 - YMCA Red Flannel Run 5k
• Put on by the downtown YMCA and run on the streets of downtown Des Moines
• Walk, run, or a little bit of both. I will be doing this race with my wife
• March 2 - Time to Paddy 10k
• The race starts and finishes at Big Creek Creek State Park
• I did the 5k last year and enjoyed the smaller early season race
• March 16 - St. Paddy's Day Half Marathon
• This race is held in downtown Des Moines
• I ran my current Half Marathon PR at this race in 2019 (2:08:14)
• April 13 - Live Healthy Iowa 5k
• Held on the bike trails in Bondurant
• I ran this race in 2021 and enjoyed the flat and fast course
• April 21 - Drake Road Races 10k
• I absolutely love racing at the Drake Road Races, this will be my 7th time racing and my 3rd time racing the 10k (2019, 2023)
• My first primary/A race of the season
• I ran my current 10k PR at this race in 2019 (59:49) and have a goal of setting a new PR this year
• May 11 - Market to Market Relay
• I'm still working on putting a team together, so this one is definitely tentative at the moment
• 75 miles from Jefferson to Des Moines divided between a group of 6 - 8 runners
• May 19 - Des Moines Corporate Games Triathlon
• Held at Big Creek State Park
• Sprint triathlon - 400 yard swim, 20k bike, 5k run
• This will be my 3rd time competing at this race (2018, 2023)
• May 25 - Clear Lake Triathlon
• Held in Clear Lake, I've wanted to do this race for several years
• Olympic Distance - 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run
• My second primary/A race of the year with a goal of setting a new Olympic Triathlon PR (current PR is 3:09:46)
• June 2 - Pigman Triathlon
• Held at Pleasant Creek State Park just north of Cedar Rapids
• Sprint triathlon - 500 meter swim, 25k bike, 5k run
• I competed at this race in 2018 and didn't race well, looking for some redemption
• June 8 - Iowa Trail Run - Ledges
• Held at Ledges State Park, this will be my first ever trail run
• Although there is a 10k available, I think I will be sticking to the 5k course as I'm sure that will be more than enough of a challenge for my first time
• July 13 - Des Moines Corporate Games Cross Country Race
• Held on the Iowa State Cross Country Course in Ames
• This will be my 3rd time competing (2018, 2023)
• I'm unsure if I will run the 8k, 4k, or both!
• July 20 - Des Moines Corporate Games Road Race
• This 5k race is run in conjunction with the Clive Running Festival and is held on the Clive Greenbelt trails
• I also ran this race in 2018
• July 27 - Bix 7
• 7 mile race held in Davenport
• This will be my 6th time running and I will be hoping to improve on my time from 2023 (1:29:44)
• August 10 - Adel Sweet Corn Festival 5k
• Held in Adel
• I also raced here in 2022
• August - Hero Hustle Triathlon
• Held in Manchester
• I raced here in 2023 and absolutely loved the course and the community support
• Sprint triathlon - 400 yard swim, 16 mile bike, 5k run
• September - Gateway Challenge Triathlon
• Held in Marengo, which means I get a chance to visit my friends, Maureen and Nick (along with their adorable girls and dogs)
• I raced here in 2023 on a very foggy morning
• Sprint triathlon - 500 meter swim, 16 mile bike, 5k run
• September 22 - Quad Cities Marathon
• Starts in downtown Moline, but crosses the bridge and includes portions on both the Iowa and Illinois side (including a run through Arsenal Island)
• This will be my third primary/A race of the year
• I have run the half marathon twice before (2015 and 2016)
• My second attempt at the full marathon distance with a goal of setting a new PR (current PR is 5:57:12)
• October 6 - Iowa Trail Runs - Annette Nature Center
• Held at Annette Nature Center in Warren County
• I'm unsure if I will do the 5k or 10k
• This will be my 2nd trail race of the season
• October 20 - IMT Des Moines Half Marathon
• Held in Downtown Des Moines
• This will be my fourth, and final, primary/A race of the year
• I have raced the IMT 6 times previously, 2 of those were at the half marathon distance (2015 and 2023)
• My goal for the race will be to set a new half marathon PR (current PR is 2:08:14)
• November 28 - Turkey Trot
• Location and distance TBD as I'm not yet sure where we will be next Thanksgiving

21 races in 10 months may seem a little ambitious, but I have put a lot of thought and planning into this race schedule. I wanted to continue to build on the success and enjoyment that I found in 2023 but I also wanted to challenge myself. I had 2 primary concerns when planning this schedule. 

1. I didn't want my racing to completely disrupt my family life
2. I wanted to find a good mix races to really challenge me as well as provide the opportunity to race often without worrying about injury or burn out

I was able to accomplish the first by scheduling mostly local races that will allow me to race on either a Saturday or Sunday morning but keep the rest of the weekend for family time or trips to the cabin. Of the 6 races that aren't local 5 are in locations that allow visiting family or friends as part of the trip. The only exception would be the Clear Lake Triathlon which we will probably turn into a mini family vacation for Memorial Day weekend. 

The second was accomplished by scheduling a couple of races each month to keep me engaged and working hard. I have an early half marathon in the schedule to help me get my mileage up early. A fall marathon will keep me busy all summer and by following it up with a half marathon again a few weeks later, I will be taking advantage of the fitness I've already gained. I also added a couple of trail races to the schedule. Nearly everyone that I know who has run a trail race absolutely raves about them. Several have completely switched to trail runs over road races because they enjoy them so much. It will be a good challenge and change of pace throughout my season. 

I also want to touch briefly on what isn't in my schedule. I spent a lot of time thinking about signing up for the Des Moines Ironman 70.3 in June along with a full Ironman in the fall. I still really want to complete a full Ironman at some point. I remember just how grueling the training for the 70.3 in 2017 and 2019 was and my heart just isn't in it enough right now to go through that without risking burn out. I have no doubt that my body would be capable of taking the abuse, but there isn't a point in doing it if I can't mentally commit. 

Now let's talk a little about what IS in my schedule. I learned this year that I love to race a lot and that I can fit frequent shorter races into the training schedules for my longer races without being too disruptive. Just like this year, I want to gradually progress throughout the year so that I'm at my best when those late season races hit. In the spring, I am hoping to set a new PR at the 10k distance as well as the Olympic Triathlon distance. Both are attainable if I continue to work hard and build some speed over the winter. I think the hardest part of these early season goals will be in good enough shape swimming in the open water as well as on the bike. Late season I'm going for some redemption at the full marathon distance. I've got a new training program to use and am confident that I will be able to better my time from 2019. Originally I was going to try for a sub-2:00 half marathon at the IMT in October, but I've changed to going after a new PR instead. If sub-2:00 happens, then I'd be good with that but it seemed just a little too ambitious at the end of a long season. 

I think the hardest stretch of races for me will be May - June when I race on 5 straight weekends. It does seem like a lot, but most of the races are modest distances and due to some family obligations in June, I needed to fit my June races in early. I will have a full week off of training after finishing up that cycle before diving into training for the late summer/fall races. 

I'm super excited to get after it again! In season training starts on Christmas day and I'm looking forward to it. 

Thanks for reading!

Turkey Trot and 2023 Racing Season Recap

YMCA McCarthy Bush Turkey Trot - 5 Mile

Thanksgiving included a family trip to the Quad Cities this year and an opportunity to race in the Davenport YMCA Turkey Trot for the 5th time. It was a family affair this year as Erin, Abigail, and Bridget signed up to walk the 5k while my mother-in-law, Mary, and her sister, Lisa were walking the 5 mile course. Additionally, one of my employees was visiting family in the Quad Cities as well and joined me for the race.

The whole crew ready to go

Austin and I before the race

It was a brisk morning with a cold wind but the sun was shining and there were close to 2,500 runners and walkers. I last raced here in 2016 but haven't done the 5 mile course since 2015. While not as widely known as the Bix 7, this race essentially includes the same famous hill as the Bix, just 1 block over on Main Street instead of Brady Street. The course is mostly an out and back, but after going up the hill, we do get the opportunity to traverse Vander Veer Park before heading back down and to the finish line in front of the YMCA. 

I had been working hard all month at increasing my average speed with the goal of running a sub-11:00/mi average on race day. Training had been going even better than expected so my confidence was very high on race day. The race started off very well and I kept a very stead pace over the 1st mile, which included the Main Street hill, with a time of 11:12. A little behind pace but with the hardest part of the course behind me I picked up the pace and logged times between 10:30/mi - 10:40/mi for the next 3 miles. Just before mile 4, I passed the girls after the 5k turnaround and got some much needed cheers and encouragement. I really used the hill coming back down and my last mile time was 9:49. My fastest, and first sub-10:00 mile of 2023! With those splits, I was able to absolutely crush my goal for the race, finishing with an official time of 53:11. 

Austin was at the finish line cheering me on, then after I finished I waited around to cheer everyone else on as they finished the race. 

Bridget running hard to the finish

Erin and Abigail finishing shortly behind Bridget

Mary and Lisa done with their 5 miles

2023 Racing Season Recap

A racing season that was never meant to be. At some point early in the year, I quietly set a goal of doing 8 races this year. To be honest, I never thought I would actually do 8 races but I really loved the idea of getting back into racing. With the encouragement and accountability of a few friends I got started and my March I was working out and training consistently. For me, getting started was the hardest part and after getting the first couple of races under my belt I just knew that I was back. The joy, confidence, and feeling of accomplishment that I got from each race left me hungry for more. I often found myself dreaming about all of the possibilities now that I was officially back into racing. 

In the end, I ended up completing 15 races in 2023:

1. Tri for a Cause Indoor Triathlon (January 29)
2. Time to Paddy 5k (March 5)
3. Drake Road Races 10k (April 23)
4. Quad Cities Sprint Triathlon (June 17)
5. Ames Sprint Triathlon (June 25)
6. Des Moines Corporate Games Cross Country 7.5k (July 8)
7. Des Moines Corporate Games Sprint Triathlon (July 9)
8. Bix 7 (July 29)
9. Rexy Run 5k (August 19)
10. Hero Hustle Sprint Triathlon (August 27)
11. Gateway Challenge Sprint Triathlon (September 16)
12. Capital Pursuit - 10 Mile (September 24)
13. John Deere Des Moines Area 5k (September 30)
14. IMT Des Moines Half Marathon (October 15)
15. Davenport YMCA McCarthy Bush Turkey Trot - 5 Mile (November 23)

2023 Race Recap Video

Earlier this week I was asked if I had a favorite race this year. I thought very hard about it and can confidently answer that I do not. The year was full of so many great memories that it is impossible to pick a favorite one. My fitness and speed had a consistent progression throughout the year and I was doing my best racing at the end of the year. I just kept signing up for races, setting goals, and crushing them. Below are just a few memories from the year. 

• My friend, Adam, coming with me to the Drake Road Races to cheer me on
• Erin and Mary cheering me on at the Quad Cities Triathlon
• The feeling of calm confidence that I felt during the QC Triathlon 
• My amazing run at the Ames Triathlon
• Competing alongside Adam for the first time at the Ames Triathlon (he did the Duathlon)
• Finishing dead last in the Cross Country race but not caring at all and feeling great about how I raced
• Meeting new coworkers at the Corporate Games Triathlon
• Bridget and Abigail doing the Quick Bix with Mary and finding them at the finish line after I finished the Bix 7
• Getting to race with my Uncle Mike again at the Rexy Run 5k
• Enjoying getting back into triathlon so much that I sought out and found both the Hero Hustle and Gateway Challenge triathlons to do later in the year
• The incredible sense of accomplishment I felt when crossing the finish line in under 2 hours at the Capital Pursuit
• Racing with coworkers again at the John Deere 5k
• The consistency in my splits at the IMT Half Marathon, especially coming off a week of being sick

I wouldn't have probably said this even 2 months ago, but I can say with some level of confidence that 2023 turned out to be the greatest year of racing that I've ever had. I spent a lot of time in past blog posts talking about the comparisons I constantly draw to 2019 and while I wasn't breaking many records this year it truly was a year where I consistently progressed from start to finish and enjoyed it the whole way. By late in 2019, I was burned out and ready to be done. This year, is the opposite as I just want to keep going. I'm already formulating my plans for 2024 and am excited with how my season plans are coming together and can't wait to get started in about a month. 

Thanks for following along this season! The support and encouragement that you all provide means so much to me. 

Training Updates and a New Goal

Training Updates

I'm not quite sure how it is possible, but the month of November is upon us and I am staring down the end of my racing season. Right now I am trying to stay focused as the seasons of my life begin to change. Deer hunting season is upon us which means more time spent at the cabin and fitting in my training runs around my morning and afternoon hunts. Next week will be a true challenge as I will be at the cabin all week and will need to head into town for some of my longer runs. 

Mid-day run around the big field

Running along the river in Ottumwa

In addition to the start of deer hunting season, the weather has been changing as well. Days are much shorter and my morning runs are 100% in the dark again. The temperatures have dropped and I've had to start wearing my running tights and gloves when I head out to run. The trails and sidewalks that were full of morning dog walkers and other runners just a couple of months ago are now mostly vacant. It can be a depressing time of the year, but I actually find joy and peace in the silence and darkness of early mornings. 

Another change that is just around the corner is the start of basketball season. I will once again be coaching high school boys basketball at DCG, but this year I will be working with the sophomore team instead of varsity & JV. My primary motivation for making this move was to keep coaching but have a smaller time commitment. This new role will allow me to continue to train throughout the winter and will also allow me to spend more time with my family. Speaking of my family, Abigail started her first Jr. High basketball season last week. Sophomore practices are mainly in the morning before school which will allow me to attend her basketball games in the evenings (except for when I have games as well). I still have to work on my training schedule for basketball season, but I've been forming a general idea in my head. 

Despite all of the changes that are happening, I have been running extremely well lately. My training run last Sunday was just a little over 10K and I averaged 11:35/mi. My fastest 10K of the year, and it wasn't even close. In fact, I have averaged sub-12:00/mi for every run this week. 

Crushing it this week

I have a very challenging goal of running the 5 mile Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving at a 11:00/mi pace. I think it is attainable, and I'm certainly headed in the right direction but I think I will need a combination of luck and having a good running day to accomplish it. I am up for the challenge. 

A New Goal

It has been no secret that I have an active run streak going. As you can probably assume, along with training for races this year, my mileage has increased as well. On my quest to catch and surpass 2019 Patrick, I continually monitor my progress over time through the reports in Garmin Connect. Last week I made a few observations that made me start to dig a little deeper. It turns out that I ran 123.3 miles in the month of October. Not only was that the most miles that I have run in a month this year, it is my 2nd highest monthly mileage of all time. If that isn't enough, I discovered that I have logged more than 100 miles each of the last 4 months. All 4 months fall in the top 10 for my all time highest mileage months. 

It has been an impressive summer and fall of running

That led me to another observation. As of today, November 1st, I have run 865.8 miles in 2023. Just last week, surpassing the 840.67 miles that I ran in 2019 and pushing me into 2nd most miles in a year all time with 2 months remaining. The only year of my life that I have ran more miles was in 2017 when I ran 1,020.95 miles. 

Now I officially have that record in my sights and have decided that I'm going for it. My new goal is to run more miles in 2023 than I have in any other year of my life. While this goal seems 100% attainable, it won't be easy with the unpredictable Iowa weather, basketball season, and holiday celebrations but with just under 80 miles to cover each month, I'm confident that I'll get it done. 

Thanks for reading!