2023 Training Year in Review
This year in training has been an exciting journey, filled with rewarding races and travel that surpassed my expectations. Despite frequent instances of illness early in the year, I was fortunate to avoid any major injuries. It’s also worth noting that the year was also characterized by numerous challenges in my personal life.
In this post:
- Race results
- Reflecting on my journey
- Main learnings
- Year overview and totals
- Next steps
Race results
C Race: Island Race Series, Multiple Dates.
In January I signed up for the race pass with the Island Race Series however, in the end, I only ended up being able to race at 3 out of the 8 events due to sickness and travel.
- January 8, Harriers Pioneer 8K (Race Report) for an 8K PR 30:52 average pace of 3:52/km.
- March 12, Hatley Castle 8K (Race Report) for 4th in my division, 26th overall out of 443 participants at 31:31. I don’t mind hills.
- April 23, Synergy Health Centre Bazan Bay 5K (Race Report) for 18:18 at an average of 3:39 /km for 11th in my division.
Events I was unable to attend;
- January 22, Cobble Hill 10K (Sick)
- February 12, Cedar 12K (Travel)
- February 26, Westcoast Sooke River 10K (Travel)
- Sun., March 19, Comox Valley RV Half Marathon (Sick)
- Sun., April 2, McLean Mill 10K (Skipped)
I also signed up for the TC 10KM on April 30 but was sick for this event too.
C Race: Victoria Ironman 70.3, May 28
- In 2022 I went into this race knowing I would DNF due to a quad injury, so I had no goal this year. I was just happy to be on the start line injury-free. I managed to pull off a PR at 5:01:41 and earned the nickname 501 Dan. This is the race I qualified for a spot at the World Championship in Lahti, Finland.
- Race Report.
A Race: Ironman Thun, Switzerland, July 9
- This felt like an early-season full-distance Ironman with only one 70.3 under my belt this season. I would have liked to go for under 10 hours 30 min, but the heat was punishing. I had bike computer issues that led to nutrition issues. I still managed to pull just a tad under 12 hours and cross the finish line at 11:52:49.
- Race Report.
C Race: Elk Lake Standard, August 6
- Following a full-distance Ironman, this felt like a nice sprinty distance. Finishing in 2:34:39 as 12th overall and 2nd in my division it provided solid motivation and a good base for Worlds.
- Race Report
B Race: 70.3 World Championship Lahti, Finland, August 27
- Broke the 5-hour goal and crossed the line at 4:52:30 in chilly and rainy conditions.
- Race Report
B Race: Royal Victoria Marathon, Oct 8
- Thrilled to break the sub-3-hour marathon. Crossed the line for 2:59:21 coming 6th in my division and 50th Overall. Average pace was a clean 4:14/km. I used this result for a guaranteed slot at the Chicago Marathon in 2024 and (fingers crossed) a Boston Marathon spot in 2025.
- Race Report
Other Results
Pending the January 11 announcement, I’ve achieved AWA Silver status for the first time in the Ironman All World Athlete rankings. This ranks me 13th in Canada in the 40–44 age division. My global position stands at 457th with 8,514 points.
Although I’m aware that the AWA status is essentially influenced by how much you spend at Ironman events, I still value the recognition and see it as an acknowledgment of dedication.
Reflecting on my journey
Looking back at 2023, it’s been a blend of adventures, challenges and personal growth. Here’s a snapshot of some of my key moments:
- Confronting Challenges: It’s been a year of really testing my limits and pushing through barriers. I found myself digging deep, both in training and life, and came out surprised by what I could achieve, especially in my races.
- Unexpected World Championship Qualification: Securing a spot for the World Championships at the Victoria 70.3 was a surprise. The trip to Finland, a place I never planned on visiting, ended up being one of those great life surprises. Switzerland was just as incredible, filled with lots of memorable experiences.
- Owl Attack: Early in the year, a surprising encounter with an owl during a run turned into quite the story. It made the local news and got me a spot on a Vancouver radio show. It was a bizarre, yet entertaining, start to my year. (Chek News)
- Amsterdam Cycling Adventure: After the World Championships, I stopped over in Amsterdam and went on an epic 75km bike ride. Teaming up with, Leon, a friend I met in Switzerland, we toured classic Dutch sights, tried local apple pie and fish and chips. It was an amazing way to decompress after the race. (Strava Link)
- New Connections: The friendships I made during my travels have been a big part of this year’s story. I’m especially grateful for Kylie and Jasper from B78 — their support and those fun “neighbour Dan” shoutouts kept me going even when things got tough.
- Turning 40: Turning 40 was a big deal for me. It was also the first year in a long time without the looming threat of COVID messing up my race plans. I felt more in control and ready for each challenge, thanks to the extra experience under my belt.
- Health and Longevity: Inspired by Peter Attia’s book “Outlive,” I completed my first DEXA Scan and bloodwork to establish some health baselines. The DEXA scan revealed a need for more weighted resistance training to improve bone density, given my plant-based diet and extensive cardio. Balancing this with everything else was challenging, so I’m making it a priority to incorporate more consistent strength training into my 2024 goals.
- International Competitions: Racing abroad was a whole new world for me. It’s one thing to travel for work, but racing is a different ball game. Balancing this with family life back home wasn’t easy, especially with all that was happening personally.
- Love & Support: The support from everyone — from texts to phone calls and helpful advice on all fronts (not just training) — has been incredible. It’s been a lifeline, keeping me grounded and focused through a rollercoaster of a year.
Main learnings
After every race, I make it a practice to put down notes about what went well, what was tricky, and what I should consider doing differently next time.
These reflections form the basis of my race reports and are crucial for identifying areas of incremental improvement. Here are some of the key learnings from this year, based on this process:
- International Travel Strategy: For international races, I’ve learned it’s best to focus on the race first and save any sightseeing for afterward. This approach helps maintain my focus and energy for the event. This sounds obvious but for some reason, I struggle with this in practice.
- Gear Preparation: The off-season is the ideal time for experimenting with and fine-tuning my gear. It’s a period without the pressure of upcoming races, allowing me to make informed decisions about what works best.
- Nutrition Strategy: I’ve noticed that I tend to veer off my nutrition plan during the run segment of a full-distance Ironman. Going forward, I need to develop a more robust strategy and stick to it.
- Trains, Planes and Automobiles: Traveling in Europe with a TT bike case on trains isn’t practical. It is possible, but not enjoyable and made parts of my trip unnecessarily tricky. In the future, a better approach would be to store my bike and pick it up later as I head home.
These points are a few, distilled from my race notes and highlight the areas where I can tweak my approach to gain an edge and make things more enjoyable in the future.
Year overview and totals
Below is a summary and breakdown of my training data and physiological metrics, utilizing platforms like Strava for workout tracking and HRV4Training for monitoring my recovery and stress levels.
As the year progressed, I switched from manually tracking my HRV first thing in the morning, to the Oura ring which integrates with HRV4Training.
The insights from daily HRV monitoring have been interesting in guiding my training and recovery efforts, ensuring that my workout intensity and recovery are carefully balanced which I attempt to surface some insights from below.
My “Fitness & Freshness” chart for the year indicates my fitness, fatigue, and form over time. This is based on Power and Relative Effort. Fitness peaked at 99 during the week just before Ironman Switzerland, suggesting I was at my optimal performance level.
The chart reflects a gradual increase in fitness leading up to this peak, followed by a natural decline as the racing season ended and my training volume decreased.
According to Strava, I logged a total of 569 hours of training, covering 9,484.6 kilometres over 553 activities throughout the year. This includes cycling, swimming, running, strength as well as hiking and walking activities.
The most intensive training occurred in May and June, with 75 and 80 hours, respectively, while October was the lightest with 19 hours.
Breaking down by disciplines:
- cycling accounted for 7,189.3 kilometres with 47,419 meters of elevation gain over 168 activities in 246h 59m;
- running comprised 1,696.9 kilometres in 160 activities with 13,813 meters of elevation gain in 140h 10m;
- swimming totalled 247,441 meters across 110 sessions in 88h 11m.
On average, I trained 1.56 hours per day, following a periodized training schedule that varied in intensity to align with my race preparations and recovery periods.
January began with 46 hours, and the year closed with 30 hours in December.
Some observations and an attempt to try and find some correlations between my HRV and life.
- Occurrences of illness and unexpected travel interruptions, as noted around certain races, coincide with irregularities in HRV data, likely reflecting the direct impact of stress and disruption on my physiological state.
- Personal bests and strong performances in key events throughout the season seem to align with peaks in HRV, suggesting effective training peaks and recovery practices.
- The absence of performance pressure in certain races appears to correlate with an optimized physiological response, potentially contributing to personal records.
- Recovery from intense races, like the full-distance Ironman, is indicated by subsequent HRV trends, demonstrating a balance between exertion and recovery. I was also travelling during this period.
- Consistent training and race performance, even amidst personal life stressors, show a level of resilience, with HRV data reflecting an adaptation to ongoing stress.
- Ending the season with a significant goal achieved at the Royal Victoria Marathon, yet observing continued HRV fluctuations, underscores the influence of persistent personal stressors on metrics beyond the racing season.
Next steps
As I reflect on my notes from this past year, there are a few experiences and plans that stand out that didn’t make it anywhere else above and feel worth mentioning:
After my marathon in October, I had the privilege of guiding Kyle Coon, who is fully blind, on weekly runs. This was more than just running; it was adding a new dimension to the sport for me. Working with Kyle, who has now returned to Colorado to pursue qualifying for the Paris Olympics, was not only rewarding but also gave me a fresh outlook. I’m cheering him on and hope to find similar opportunities to continue this kind of guiding in the future.
In the virtual world, I’ve ramped up my involvement with Zwift and became a part of the SISU Racing team. Diving into new tech, I learned how to live stream (Twitch) and started sharing some of my rides and races online. This new experience has been a great motivator and a unique way to keep my training engaging.
Looking ahead to 2024, there’s a cloud of uncertainty regarding how the year might shape up, which is making it challenging to set firm goals. While a part of me is keen on having specific targets for focus, I’m also conscious of the importance of not allowing these goals to become a means of distraction from other important life aspects. I plan to take things one step at a time.
To maintain focus and accountability, I’m going to start a training log, with weekly updates throughout 2024. This practice will keep me aligned with my training but also serve as a reflective tool for my journey. Last year, I attempted a similar log on Twitter, but it became unwieldy. I’m hoping that a more structured log will be more effective and easier to review in the future.
About Dan: I’m an entrepreneur with experience in various industries, including fintech, real estate, and performance marketing. Most recently, Co-Founder and COO at Billi Labs (exit), and VP Operations at Pretio Interactive (exit).
I am passionate about endurance sport and exploring the intersection between technology, health, and performance.
