Training Plans 101

If you're like me, you've already gone online to find a training plan you can print out for that next big race. Yes, free is always good but those plans tend to ignore the fact that folks like you and me actually have lives. And that sometimes, I turn the alarm off and roll over. It's very hard to insert yourself into the middle of a structured training plan and expect to follow it to the letter. It just doesn't work like that.

I find it much easier to leverage the foundations of these plans and build my own.

Why?

Because life gets in the way.
Because sometimes I'm tired.
Because sometimes I've had a few too many the night before.

Here are some basic tips I've used for many years to build training plans from 1/2 marathons to 100-milers. The principles are the same, it's only the distance and time that changes.

1. Print a paper calendar. They're free online - like this one for 2016. Use it to plan out your run days and distances to help keep yourself accountable. I also note personal/family events to ensure I'm not getting yelled because of a conflicting long run!
2. Start your plan at the end. Don't try to boil the ocean when trying to figure out your weekly mileage. I use 2 steps: (1) Go backwards 2 weeks from race day and fill in what your max mileage looks like for that week. This is where those free online plans come in handy if you're not sure. (2) Come back to the present day and fill in your mileage for the previous week and the current week. This is your starting point and helps you fill in everything from today until that peak mileage.
3. Training cycle. No, I'm not telling you to cycle as part of your training. Think of your training in 4-week cycles. Ideally, you will want a training pattern that provides growth to your distance (and/or speed) while providing you the down-time and rest (e.g., lower mileage or cross-training) you need to keep your head (and feet) on straight. There are obviously variations to this so use whatever works for you...the point being, is that rest and lower mileage are important to your physical and mental stability!
Week 1: Build mileage (by 10%)
Week 2: Build mileage (by 10%)
Week 3: Rest
Week 4: Build mileage (by 20-25%)
4. Train for the race. You can't expect to do well in a race with a shit-ton of climbing if you don't train for it. Add in track workouts. Add in hill repeats. You wouldn't train on trails for a road marathon...be smart about your runs!
5. Edit the plan when necessary. The paper calendar is great because shit comes up. Move a run. Change the mileage. Add in hills. That's the beauty of pencil and paper...the training plan changes with your life. Flexibility is key if you want your spouse to still like you :-)

Example I created recently showing the build/rest cycle along with weekly mileage

I've been self-coached for over 10 years now and each year, I put together a plan just like the one above to get me through all my races. If you'd like additional advice or help putting yours together, message me on Facebook or email me at rovert.d@gmail.com. Happy to help!

P.S. I will work for beer! :-)

Shutting down 2012

Sometimes the best way to appreciate the future is to really look back and reflect on the past. This has a little bit more meaning for me this year now that I'll be entering that +40 age bracket :-) There are so many things about last year that I did not think I could do...but I did. Each year I always like taking a walk down memory lane but I also hope my accomplishments inspire others to take that leap and do something they didn't think was possible.

"Don't take the free ride in your own life"

My races for 2012 included:

• PF Chang Marathon
• Coldwater Rumble 50k
• SanTan Scramble 50k (DNF)
• Mesquite Canyon 50k
• Black Hills 100(K)
• Leanhorse 100 M
• Javelina Jundred (paced 30 M)

By no means is this a huge race schedule for the year but it all culminated with running 100 miles at the Leanhorse in Hill City, SD.

I still can't get used to saying that. People still look at me like I'm f*cked in the head too.

It's awesome.

Even better, my total mileage for the year will end up being right around 1,600 miles with just over 76,500' of elevation gain. That's equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest just over 2.5 times.

How much time does that take? Just over 263 hours of training.
How many calories did I burn? Around 185,000.

Having done all that, I'm excited for what this next year holds. I don't intend to take 40 lying down.

I plan to be on my feet.
And it's going to be awesome.

Slacker

I think it's safe to say that in most running circles, if you haven't run in 3+ weeks, you're considered a slacker.

That would be me.

I got knocked on. my. ass. by the flu a couple weeks ago. It was the don't-venture-more-than-five-feet-from-the-toilet-flu. Nothing but Gatorade for five days makes Trevor a dull boy. Needless to say, I still feel like I'm recovering from that vomit-fest and haven't really considered running until now.

My challenge in the coming month is to prepare for the PF Chang marathon on January 20. Anyone have a good 4-week marathon training plan?! I can already bet you that it will not be a PR-kind-of-race...

I also have a feeling this will be my last road marathon...(a) I don't have any great road shoes any more and (b) running on the road sucks anyway. I'll stick with trails.

Well, enjoy this picture I found - this is one of the funniest I've seen in a long time.

Transition time

The irony of this time of year is that for the past 4-5 months, I've done nothing but complain that it's too damn hot to run.

"Arggh! I wish it would cool down", I'd say to my wife.

I get only rolled eyes, shrugged shoulders and the occasional "Wuss" when I try to explain to her why the chilly mornings just make me want to sleep in. I'm pretty sure the rest of the country laughs at my thin(ning) Arizona blood too...

My running schedule has sucked the last couple weeks. I've tried to make up for my missed morning runs by going out in the afternoon, but being on Mountain Time while my team is on the west coast breeds a little bit of guilt when I take off at 3:30 to go run.

(Just to qualify this, I start work around 4:30 am MST - which seems a little silly to be guilty knowing I've put in an 11-hour day)

Regardless, I find I'm making the transition to afternoon runs these days. It's just a matter of breaking free from the hamster-wheel and forcing myself outside in the mid-70 degree sun (yes I know...why wouldn't you force yourself out into that beautiful weather?!)

We're coming up on the holidays which means elastic pants and left-overs. Can't wait! Friends, food and drink for the next several days will need some run-intervention I'm sure...

It also means we're coming up on the North Face 50 in San Francisco on December 1 where I'm pacing a buddy of mine. Never mind him being ready...I'm more worried about myself running 22 miles and around 5k of elevation.

Guess we'll see.

Enjoy the holiday everyone and be safe out there.

When it rains, it pours

For the last couple of weeks, my schedule has looked like this:

Monday - off
Tuesday - Run 8 (or sleep in)
Wednesday - cycle
Thursday - off
Friday - Run 10 (or sleep in)
Saturday - sleep in (or recover from too much wine)
Sunday - sleep in

I've got a pretty bad case of the lazies...while I'm trying to get out at least once a week, even that is proving tough. I have the best intentions but this sleep thing beckons me back to my pillow if I get up too early. While the mornings are starting to cool down nicely, sunrise isn't until at least 6:15. This puts a serious damper on the duration of my workouts (my boy starts rustling around about at 6:30 and is ultimately up by 7). My wife usually works late so I hate asking her to get up early with him while I'm out frolicking on the trails.

I'll figure it out.

So I just signed up for Zane Grey yesterday. It's supposed to be the toughest 50-mile race in the US. We'll find out in April. As I marked this on my training calendar, I realized that I've already got quite a few things coming up and should probably get serious about logging some miles.

I committed to pace for the Javelina Jundred here in 3 weeks. I also just got asked to be on an ultra team for Ragnar Del Sol. Oh, and I'm signed up to run the PF Chang Marathon in January.

Damn. I got busy in a hurry.

Feeling the heat

In more ways than one, the heat is bearing down.

4 Weeks to Go
The last couple months have flown by and I'm really wondering how ready I'm going to be for the Leanhorse 100. While I've gotten in some consistent mileage over the last 6-8 weeks, my long runs have suffered tremendously while being on vacation, travelling and eating poorly.

In all honesty, I'm trying very hard to keep my body together and not wreck myself (or get sick) before heading to South Dakota. I have some aches and pains that I'm working through and slowly figuring out.

The Arizona Sun
I feel like I squandered many mid-60-degree mornings back in North Dakota now that I'm forced to deal with the blazing Arizona heat. After a bumpy week of re-acclimation to the heat and a very different hydration mindset, my body is starting to make sense of it all. 85F runs are starting to feel cool now...NOT!

Making it Work
When I look at the mileage I have to cover in the next couple weeks and the daunting challenge of covering that distance outside in the heat, I'm forced to consider other options...options I have loathed in the past.

Meet my new friend.

Sole F80

Something tells me we're going to get to know each other over the next 4 weeks...

The Rising Sun

In more than one way, the sun is rising on a critical time in my training for the Leanhorse 100.

I have a lot of work to do in these next couple weeks and it's going to be tough spending enough time on the trails when it's so hot.

As I get my head wrapped around what I have to do in the next several weeks, I wanted to post of few pictures of the sunrises I witnessed while in North Dakota. There is nothing more simple than the sun rising each day.

The long road

Sunrise in the country

Impending storm

A beautiful day begins

Numb and dumber

This week's mileage has gotten (is getting) somewhat ridiculous. Yet, here I sit in denial of what I'm putting my body through and how well it seems to be responding. If all goes according to plan, I should top 70  miles this week...hell, I've done half of it already.

I should be ecstatic and elated that I've been able to push beyond the meager 25-or-so-miles-per-week I was doing not more than 60 days ago. For whatever reason, I'm fairly numb to it all. I've been trying not to think about the total distance each week because it just makes the runs (and week) seem longer. Next week is an "easy" week so I'm looking forward to dialing it back a bit.

It's weeks like this that really help bring everything back into perspective though. Sure, running 100 miles might sound dumb to most folks. But then again, these are often the people who lack the perspective to comprehend that such a feat is even possible.

I freely admit that when I started my training plan, I couldn't wrap my head around running 100 miles - let alone 100 km. It seemed like a pipe dream. No - a physical impossibility. But that's why you train. You teach the body and the mind that anything can be achieved. Guess what? Over time, it starts to become real.

Disbelief turns to confidence. Fear turns to strength.

"Impossible is not a word, it's only an excuse not to try"

Too much, too soon? (Superman syndrome)

In classic Superman style, I've been pushing myself pretty hard this week endeavoring not only to make up mileage from last week but really get a rhythm going leading into the new month.

The prescribed mileage this week was 42 miles. Naturally, I bumped this up to 54 thinking it would be no problem.

• Monday, good.
• Tuesday, fine (legs a little sore)
• Wednesday, slight tickle in my throat.
• Thursday, sustained IV-drip of Emergen-C, in bed by 9
• Friday...throat is questionable, feeling 80% and tired

I would just love not to be sick right now.

I have to travel for work next week and it never fails - either I'm sick before I leave or I get sick in the process. In either case, it makes for a sh*tty week and lost days of training.

I'm probably going to take today off in the hopes I can re-cooperate enough to do my long run on Saturday.

Have a good weekend everyone!

The first week

This first week of training I'm discovering just how challenging it's going to be to find a balance between life, weather and the time I need to spend on the trails.

What the hail?!

If I wanted to artificially inflate my weekly miles, I'd include the Mesquite Canyon 50k last Sunday...but I won't. Reality can be cruel.

If my week goes from Monday to Sunday - then I logged 35.81 miles (24.13 running, 11.68 cycling). Had I gotten in my long run yesterday, my total running miles would be closer to 37. Mother nature wasn't having it though. As you can see, hail combined with rain and wind pretty much crushed any hope of making it outside.

The silver-lining of the week is that I dusted off the road bike, laced up my new shoes and started riding again.

Hello, cross-training.

Let's hope Week 2 stays on track.

Week 2 expected miles = 54

Funky town

[queue cheesy disco music]

I'm not sure what it's going to take to get out of this funk I'm in lately. I've been reading other blogs and it seems like everyone is having a love/hate relationship with running right now. The summer heat must make our deep dark nastiness bubble to the surface or something.

I honestly just don't want to run right now. I blame part of it on the antibiotics I'm still on but who can say. I know that if I don't however, I'll continue this downward spiral of gluttony and ill-will toward my Garmin.

I think what is compounding my frustration is the recent switch over I made to my trail shoes again. They're supposed to have a special groove for the plantar facia but honestly, I think my insoles combined with the 'groove' actually push up on my arch more than my Newtons. This causes some pretty tough arch pain usually about midpoint through my recent 'trail' (e.g., gravel path) runs. Usually some walking and light stretching works it out but it still nags at me...

I've got a few more days of antibiotics left to choke down and so we'll see how that impacts my overall mental and physical attitude toward the end of the week. Hopefully we'll be able to get down to business again.

The blah-blahs

Ugh. The hot summer days and a general upheaval of our daily life has put most everything in a free-fall lately. I'm not sure if it's just the summer heat, the new schedule the kids have for school or the doctor saying to me, "yep, it looks like a strain of strep throat".

Needless to say it's been a tough week. Work combined with yet another salvo of antibiotics has only increased my desire to sleep in and put off training for another day. I've tried to force it but I've learned that these waves of  mojo-deficiency fluctuate just as life does around you. I just hope things bounce back soon. My first race is the end of October.

Granted, other things in life are going great - the kids love their new school, my (5-year-old) son is reading like a champ and my daughter is becoming more proficient on the iPad than I am (she's enrolled in an iClass at school where they use an iPad2 for almost every subject). I'm just finding it hard to stay motivated right now.

On a separate but related note, I've *finally* found a primary physician here in town I like and will be trying to address a few nagging issues I've had the last couple years - namely, my recurring ear infections and what I describe as my 'dead-leg'. My appointment is next week so I'll have an update then.

I'm good

I don't think it would be fair to say that I 'talked myself out' of anything...I put quite a bit of thought into where I'm at, what I'm feeling and what I want to do next and things just weren't lining up. Aside from that, I've really enjoyed the notion of:

1. Running whenever I want
2. Running for fun

The lack of pressure to remain true to a regimented training plan or waking up at 4 am daily has been a welcome relief these last couple of weeks. Perhaps the psuedo vacation we're on currently in North Dakota is partly to blame. It also may just be that I'm tired of chasing a goal. Don't get me wrong, I love finding the next challenge but seriously, I've been chasing goals for over 4 years now.

What started with this desire to do a marathon has ended with running a 50-mile race. All the while, healing a debilitating case of plantar faciitis in the process and finding a solid well-being to accompany me through these life-changing events.

From a fitness standpoint, I'm happy with where I'm at. There isn't one thing I've set out to do that I haven't accomplished. Jill Homer, author and fellow endurance blogger, previously asked, "What are your great moments?" Here are my Top 5.

6.5-mile training run (Redmond, WA)

Though I don't remember the month, I know it had snowed and there was a layer of semi-slushy snow with a crusty frozen top on the ground. Justin and I were scheduled to do a run around the loop but the presence of snow made it slightly less-than-appealing. We did it anyway. When we finished that loop we looked at each other and said, "Let's do it again". Up to that point, our longest run was probably 4 miles. In some of the worse conditions possible, we threw caution to the wind and ran 6.5 miles.

It was my first running moment when I realized that I could do (what felt like) anything.

Portland Marathon 2007

My first marathon. Ran this with Justin and had agreed that we'd finish together no matter what. We each had our own issues which made the stories and memories even better. To this day I give Justin grief for woofing down his Cliff Bar at mile 18. I'll never forget the energy and pride I felt coming through that chute in downtown Portland.

PF Chang Phoenix Half Marathon 2009

I spend the 2 years post the Portland Marathon dealing with plantar faciitis (in fact, I remember the moment I felt my facia tear after the Portland marathon). This race was not only a fitness goal but my inaugural event back to running. My goal was to break 2 hours - which I did at 1:57. This was also the race I discovered chocolate milk as a post-race recovery drink (funny the crap I remember!)

Ironman Arizona

After multiple 70.3 Ironman triathlons, I finally pulled the trigger to do a full Ironman. 6-plus months of training taught me that nothing comes easy. The mojo required to get up at 4 am five days a week was exhausting. I distinctly remember my first 100-mile brick workout (bike followed by run). As I finished my 115-mile bike ride, I remember thinking to myself as I started my 5-mile run, "This is freaking (PG-word substituted) unbelievable! How am I doing this?!"

Black Hills 100 (50-mile race)

14 hours is a long time to think about life and your own mortality. This was (is) my defining moment as a (now) ultra-runner. I completely enjoyed the challenge and grandeur of this scenic race. 9000' of elevation gain in the Black Hills of SD was one of those moments of undeniable accomplishment and possibility - armed with the knowledge that I did this, I'm ready to tackle anything.

Admittedly, this was a long-winded way of saying, I'm good. Not in a big-headed egotistical-kind of way...but as-in, I'm satisfied. I'm at peace.

I've decided not to do any races for now.

No goals. No 4 am wake-up calls. Oh sure, I'll still be running. But just for fun.

Gaining strength

It's been a good week so far and I have kept up with my schedule. I am wrapping up this week with a 2.5 hour trail run tomorrow which should put me close to 45 miles for the week. This is up about 30% over last week and I've cut out a day from my schedule. I've decided to only run 4 days a week. Last week was just a good reminder that there is only so much time during the week. Training 5 days a week was just too much if I actually want to keep a cheery disposition and not have my wife and children hate me.

The cool part about this week is that even with less running, I feel stronger than ever. I was dreading my long run yesterday (planned for 16 miles) only because it's been so long since I've run that distance. Turns out, even while lugging 2 liters of water on my back (trying to run more with the Camelbak), I managed to keep a pretty good pace (1 L = 1 kg = 2.2 lbs, by the way). I cut this run down to 14 miles due to my 2-hour time limit (have to be home before the kids get up!) but I felt like I could have done the other two miles if I'd had the time.

This morning, my calves are a bit tight but otherwise I feel great. I'm looking forward to hitting the trails tomorrow at dawn. Mornings are perfect right now in the desert and I can't wait to climb some hills.

Blog ya later...

Summer is coming

After a brief hiatus last week due to an ear infection and business travel to Chi-town, I'm back on the wagon and logging some good mileage this week. I have been mapping out my schedule over the next couple months and am genuinely starting to worry that I won't have the time to ramp up to the mileage I need to run the 50 mile race at the Black Hills 100.

If the course were flat I would design a training plan where my longest run was about 35-40 miles and call it good. The problem with that however is that the 50 mile race in June has over 9,000 feet in elevation gain. This is not trivial. I still have a strong recollection of what 4,300 feet of elevation gain felt like during the San Tan Scramble 50 km run last February...it wasn't that fun. Here is the profile of the 50 mile run in June.

Turn-around point at mile 25

This is going to take some serious miles and hill training. Oh, wait...Arizona is flat. This could be a problem. The key is making sure my long runs incorporate the trail running and hill work all at the same time. While I would love to speculate at my projected time for 50 miles, my goal is only to finish (under the 16-hour time limit of course).

One of the other challenges is going to be beating the heat of Arizona leading up to the race. Morning runs right now are perfect. Shorts and a t-shirt are all that is required to ensure a comfortable and cool run in the 60-degree mornings. You can feel it though...summer is knocking on the door and the cool morning temps are not going to stick around for long.

Have a good one and thanks for reading!

Know when to fold 'em

In my last post, I mentioned a strange 'tweak' in my knee that cropped up earlier this week. I'm happy to report that it's feeling better but I'm still a little weary of how much time to give it before it starts to feel 'normal' again. I haven't run since Tuesday and suspect that the best thing to do is to stay off it for another couple days. I would rather lose a week of training than blow out my knee completely.

Setbacks like this put me in a weird place mentally for some reason. If you could see my piece of paper that maps out my training you might chuckle, but it's the one thing that helps me stay accountable to "The Plan". When I miss a training session, it gets an "X" - seeing a few X's this week because of my knee has put me in a little funk.

I know in the back of mind, it's the right thing to do. Heal. Be well. Fight the fight another day. I liken it to playing hold 'em poker. There are hands when you know you're beat. You REALLY want to call. The disciplined lay-down is the right thing to do however.  Fold and play another day, right?

So even though my runs didn't work out this week, the silver lining is that my swim mileage dramatically increased. I figure, if I can't put the mileage in on the road I might as well get 'er done in the pool. Overall, I've put in a bit over 4.5 miles across 3 sessions -

Monday - 2.1 miles
Wednesday - 1.5 pyramid drills
Friday - 2.1 miles

I'm pretty happy with that.

Long ride on tap for this weekend. I still plan to keep it shorter than planned to ensure there is no additional issue with the knee. Talk to you next week.

Solid, tough week

This week has been one of the tougher weeks of training so far - it's that point in training where the desire to achieve this magnanimous goal trumps everything...doubt, fear and uncertainty. Each morning starts with a conscious decision to lace the shoes up or put on the helmet. As race day gets closer, it's that same thing that goes through my head on a long run or ride - "You've come so far, there's no way you can quit now"

The week started on Sunday with a long ride through the hills of Usery Mountain and Lake Saguaro. Beautiful day too - cloud cover, slight breeze and NO FLAT TIRES!!! Somehow I broke the curse and did not have a single flat over the 80 miles. Check out the ride here - note the elevation as well. A few steep grades and a loooong climb up the back of Usery Mountain.

Monday is a partial rest-from-the-long-ride-day but still requires time in the pool to stretch and put in some water mileage. Monday swim mileage was 3,000 yards (1.7 miles)

Tuesday is both casual run day as well as long-swim day. "Casual" is equivalent to a 9:30-10 minute pace for about half the mileage of long-run days (Thursdays). Today I knocked out 7 miles on the road and another 3,500 yards (~2 miles)  in the pool after the kids had gone to bed.

An unscheduled rest day tomorrow (Wednesday). I'm feeling stretched a little thin - lots of stuff going on at work and the many hours training are taking its toll. I still have some time off that I might take to recharge briefly before making the final push throughout October.

Still have a big run on tap this week (20 miles) as well. We'll start things over again on Sunday with the same 80 mile ride through the hills.

Thanks for reading - good night.

A Sleep Crime

It's a crime that my body no longer recognizes the phrase "sleeping in".

I purposefully did my long swim yesterday afternoon so that I could reep the benefits of a nice relaxing morning of sleeping in. But here I am blogging at 5:15 am on Friday morning...

Still happy that I can now take this day off from training. Even more happy that I have a massage this afternoon.

It's been a good week for training - I've pushed myself to places I thought I couldn't or wasn't ready to go.

Cycling - 35 miles
Swimming - 3 total miles (1.2 TT, 1.8 long)
Running - 13 total miles (6 miles @ 9:37 pace, 7 miles @ 9 pace)

I'm happy with that showing even though the volume of workouts as high as they normally are.

Looking forward to mixing up the workouts starting next week. Headed to the Black Hills of South Dakota to visit family and friends...going to definitely get some hill workouts and trail running to make things interesting.

Soon, the real challenge begins

If you're married and/or have kids you know that finding the time for training can be difficult. At any given time there are activities, classes and carpools all layered with anything related to life or your wife (mine teaches after-school art classes, volunteers, etc)...so needless to say, planning a training schedule each week has been a constant in my life for some time. You might say it's like working out a T1 plan for the family...ha!

I bring this up because as challenging as it can be sometimes to make time for all the things in your life as well as this little thing called an Ironman, you make it work. We don't have the option to just train all day at the expense of our sponsors, so we make do and do what we can.

This mindset is important because I realized this morning that June is basically here - and that means my training schedule just got a bit more interesting. Let me tell you why -

1. We leave for Disneyland on June 8 through June 10 (we won the trip, imagine that). Three days and two nights of magical bliss with my wife, her sister and child along with their mother and my own 2 kids. Happiest place on earth? That depends on how well the mini bar is stocked...
2. June 21st we fly to Rapid City, SD. We'll be staying for about 2.5 weeks until...
3. July 5th, we drive from Rapid City to Minot, ND to visit my family for a couple weeks.
4. July 18th, we drive from Minot, ND to Cour d'Alane, ID for my family's grand reunion that starts on July 21 through July 24.

I'm exhausted just writing it all down.

First, the good news - I'm taking my bike and every piece of gear I own so that training does not fall behind. I'm looking forward to the scenery of western South Dakota and getting in some rides with my old college buddy. It will be slightly more challenging to find interesting scenery in North Dakota, but at least it won't be as hot!

So what's the big deal you might ask? I have no doubt that I'll get in some workouts - it's not the frequency, it's the quality. I have yet to figure out when and how often I'll be able to do long rides or bricks. Slogging to the local YMCA for swims  We're talking about small towns with fewer resources than Phoenix metro...compound that with the likely diet that comes along with being away from home. Let's just say I can already see the dietary temptations that lie before me - something I must resist and conquer.

Lake Stevens 70.3 is August 15 - just enough time to get back from travelling, bust out one last brick and then taper. It will take every ounce of strength and mental fortitude to stay on track - making time to train and eat right. The workouts themselves will be the easy part.

Training guide and race goals

I spent some time last night trying to put together a monthly training schedule for January and February. I honestly think that aside from actually doing and Ironman, the second hardest thing is actually planning your training.

If you're like me, family, work and life must be balanced with the total number of hours you hope you can spend training. I learned from last year as well, that a training plan should really be considered a training guide. Let's face it - life happens. Keeping everyone in the family happy is what it's all about.

I also went through the exercise of capturing my goals for each race - something that was key to my mental 'success' in 2009. This is what they look like:

1. Tempe: Under 3 hours
2. Bismarck: Improve Tempe time by 20%
3. Lake Stevens: Beat Mikel's (a friend) time of 5:46:56
4. Branson: Under 5:30:00
5. IM AZ: (1) Finish (2) Under 13:00:00

These feel very realistic and will help push me along throughout the year.