Tis The (2013) Season

It's the time of year where I start thinking about the next year.  While I've been resting on my laurels for the past several weeks with a reduced training volume, it won't be long before I'm back at it for reals.  I've been starting to think about the races I want to do in 2013, and season planning starts now as I have officially begun signing up for events.

So far most of my plans are pretty tentative.  There will be some multisport events of course, and I also want to do some running races to help work on my run.  I'd like to do a half-marathon this spring, and the only one that seems to work with my schedule at this point is in Vancouver on March 17.  I'm putting that under the "maybe" category as we're going on vacation the next day, so I'm not sure if I want to go to the mainland for the race.  However, that may be a positive as it would be nice to have a little break after a half, and a vacation is the perfect time for a bit of reduced run volume!  I'm going to do the Victoria Times-Colonist 10km (April 28) and really want to work towards breaking an hour.  I've never done it but feel like 2013 will be the year!

Obviously I love cycling, and I have a few events in the works that will have me spending lots of time on my bike(s).  A couple in particular:

• Seattle to Portland (July 13).  Coco and I did the 2-day version in 2011.  This time we want to do the single day... 323 kms of road riding.  Hopefully we'll make it in before dark!  Jason wants to do it too, although he'll be way up the road from us.  I'm hoping I can hold onto Coco's wheel for the whole thing!  Plus, it's a great excuse to spend a couple of days in the super-fun city of Portland.  Voodoo Doughnut here we come (fun to see them parodied on last week's episode of The Simpsons!)
• TR3 (July 27-29).  This is the 3-day version of Trans Rockies, a mountain bike stage race.  I've always wanted to try a stage race, and three days seems like a gentle introduction.  I have really neglected my mountain bike skills over the past couple of years, and now they're almost non-existant.  This is great motivation to get them back!  Truth is, I signed up because some dear friends of mine are doing it, and I figured it's now or never in that case.  I've already registered for this one, so there's no changing my mind.  Gulp.

I want to support some local events in my community this year as well.  The Cowichan Challenge triathlon is an amazing, grass-roots race, and is one of the most well-run events around.  It's been eons since I've done that one, so that's definitely on my list for July.  July is shaping up to be a busy month!  I am also thinking of doing the Shawnigan Lake Tri on May 26.  Another local one is the Shawnigan Half Marathon (Oct. 27); I haven't done that one since they changed the course from a really hilly road run around the lake, to a gentle and scenic gravel path.

A marquee event for both Jason and I on the schedule is Boise 70.3 - that race has been on my to-do list since I learned it has a noon start!  That's my kind of event!  This is going to be my big event as far as what I'm working towards.  I'd like to PR the half ironman distance, and I will be training with that in mind.  I'm also hoping the weather won't be a repeat of what they had in 2012, where they had to shorten the bike course as a result.  Although that's one way for a PR I guess...

Finally, and on the big-time-tentative list is the Leadman (125) in Bend, OR (Sept. 21).  I'm super-interested in this triathlon format, as it emphasizes the swim & bike over the run.  Yep, sounds like it's a perfect Alison event!  The 125 distance is 2.5km swim, 106km bike, 16.5km run.  Nice.  The reason it's a huge maybe is it all depends on Jason... he will either do this one (actually the 250, so double all the distances), or the Vegas 70.3 World Champs in early September if he gets a spot in Boise.  If we don't end up going to Bend, I'm sure I'll be on the start line again for Ryder Hesjedal's Tour de Victoria that weekend instead.

That's my schedule at this point.  I'm always open to new ideas, so anyone has a race or event to add to my must-do list - definitely drop me a note!