Peter's 2016 Goals
Since Patrick laid it all out there, I guess I can too.
I am going to have quite a different 2016. I need to take a step back from Triathlon to spend more time with my family. I have two young children and training all 3 disciplines is just too much at this time. Additionally, my youngest son who is only 4 months old has some congenital heart defects and is going to be having open heart surgery within the next few months. His official diagnosis is Tetrology of Fallot. Thankfully his condition is correctable. Shaun White actually had the same thing as a baby. Since I am not a Doctor and I feel pretty helpless going through this whole process I have decided to do what I can and use running to try and raise money for children with congenital heart defects in impoverished areas where they lack proper treatment.
For 2016 I have three big races all leading up to the AC 100 in August, which is a tough 100 mile run right in our backyard here in Southern California. The first race is the Avalon 50 miler, which is really just punching my AC 100 card because you need a qualifying race. My next big race is the Boston Marathon where I really hope to go Sub 3:00. And finally for the AC 100 of course it will be a big accomplishment just to finish, but the dream is to go Sub 24 hours.
I am going to have quite a different 2016. I need to take a step back from Triathlon to spend more time with my family. I have two young children and training all 3 disciplines is just too much at this time. Additionally, my youngest son who is only 4 months old has some congenital heart defects and is going to be having open heart surgery within the next few months. His official diagnosis is Tetrology of Fallot. Thankfully his condition is correctable. Shaun White actually had the same thing as a baby. Since I am not a Doctor and I feel pretty helpless going through this whole process I have decided to do what I can and use running to try and raise money for children with congenital heart defects in impoverished areas where they lack proper treatment.
For 2016 I have three big races all leading up to the AC 100 in August, which is a tough 100 mile run right in our backyard here in Southern California. The first race is the Avalon 50 miler, which is really just punching my AC 100 card because you need a qualifying race. My next big race is the Boston Marathon where I really hope to go Sub 3:00. And finally for the AC 100 of course it will be a big accomplishment just to finish, but the dream is to go Sub 24 hours.
I am trying my best to optimize my time and make running as transparent to my family as possible. For example I have shifted the training plan by 2 days which means I run to work on Thursdays as my long run, and I will always take Saturday off. Sleeping in and making pancakes with my kid is really important to me. (I also really love pancakes). My family has gotten behind me with my fundraising effort, a bunch of them are going to run a Turkey Trot, and I think my wife might try her first half marathon.
Anyway, 2016 will sure be an adventure!
(Look out for me in 2017 as a triathlete again)
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We mix it up, sometimes even waffles! These days we have been experimenting with pumpkin pancakes. Also lots of toppings: nuts, granola, banana, honey, syrup.
Meanwhile, I know that everyone in the haus will be praying your son's surgery goes down as smooth as those pancakes!
Best wishes with the upcoming surgery for your little guy, and hope that all goes well.
Sounds like you are going in a great direction for 2016.
Peter - I was gonna say, "You've got your head screwed on straight." Making pancakes for my kids Sat AM, in the shape of the first letter of their names, was something we loved in our house.
But then I noticed you are planning to run 100 miles non-stop. Seriously, that's crazier than an Ironman.
Aside from that, great insight, great execution will follow.
As far as Boston....enjoy it. Racing there is second to none. I had one of my worst times ever there (30 minutes off my qualifying time) and despite that it's the most enjoyable marathon I've ever done. Nonstop crowds for 26.2 straight miles. No doubt you have what it takes to go sub 3.
As far as the uktras....that's a whole different beast. No doubt it's a tremendous physical endeavor but at that point it's every bit as much mental to keep pushing through the fatigue and sleep deprivation. I've followed along with two highly accomplished ultra athletes closely that I have connection with and it ceases to amaze me what the human body is capable of. Harvey Lewis is from Cincinnati whet I lived for 15 years and won Badwater last year. Dave Haase is a local guy here in WI who just finished 2nd in RAAM.
I've always want to run Catalina and look forward to your race report. With your run ability, you should be in there with the lead dogs.
Please share any fundraising URLS as you move through this next year. Keep going
Do you plan to do any biking or swimming for crosstraining purposes or go run-only? FWIW you may recall I took 18 weeks off of biking entirely during my first marathon build and came back stronger than ever on the bike, so I don't think you need to worry about the impact of becoming an ultramarathoner on your 2017 triathlon season.
Please let me know if I can help during the AC 100. Late night pacing (only a few miles), aid station support, shoulder to cry on, whatever you need....
I hope I know what I am getting into with this 100 mile distance. The good news is I know several people who have done it, and I can train on course. Ultra running is a whole new world. They use different nutrition, different gear. Apparently hilloween is a thing and I missed it. I also learned that you need to pin the bib to your shorts, never the shirt.
I signed up for a 50k in a month, and it has 6000ft of gain. I am really nervous about it, but it should be a good test for Avalon which has the same elevation but over 50 miles.
We are definitely stressed about the looming surgery. The Doctors have been really good at explaining everything, and we have always had immediate test results. We are just taking it one day at a time. Everett is really strong right now and acts just like any other baby. The only symptom he has is that he gets sweaty. We got a 2nd opinion and that Doctor gave us the exact same diagnosis and treatment plan, which comforting in that there really is no decision for us to make. Our job is just to take care of the little guy.
Thanks Dino!
I can't even wrap my head around 6k of gain over 50k! Really excited to watch your prep for AC 100 and cheer you on from afar! JW will have to share his secrets for the World's Best Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes with you! :-)
Thoughts are with you and your family during the tough times ahead with Everett. This will only be a blip on the radar and he will live a normal healthy life moving forward.
On the other hand, you are crazy! Best of luck on your Ultra's in the coming months and hoping that you finish with at least one toenail still intact!
Chris
All the best Peter.
100 miler. Whoa. A couple of local triathletes who have done it say it is way harder than an IM. The crazy is a given. LOL
But most friends I know who run these races seem to spend weekends running back to back double digit runs, so that might be something to figure out to fit in your life.