July 2014 – Page 2

July 17, 2014

Building Confidence for Ironman #IMLou

It sounds jacked up, but one of the most amazing things about doing Ironman Wisconsin last year, was just how fast that day went by for me. One minute I was floating by the ski ramp, the next I was hobbling my way around the State Capitol.

Twelve hours passed in what seemed like an instant.

It’s really a testament to why I love endurance and training in general: It keeps you in the moment.

It’s also reminds you to slow down and enjoy the process. Even when it’s painful. Especially when it’s painful. That’s the experience you will need the most on race day.

[follow_me]

July 17, 2014

The Hardest Parts of Writing About Triathlon

I’m closing in on 500 original posts about triathlon. Seems like I would have run out of fuel a long time ago, but it proves to me this blog is about much more about the human condition than simply swim, bike, and run.

It kind of blows me away . . . mainly because I have stuck with it this long. I haven’t made money, but I’ve gained a better understanding of myself and how to deal with the intense ups and downs of training for Ironman and how that impacts our lives.

My blog traffic suggests that a fair number of people have enjoyed reading about my journey, but the truth is, there are always questions. Sometimes it’s like being all alone on your run at mile 19. You question the point and want nothing more than for it to be over. But as hard as that marathon can be, you have to keep moving.

I Don’t Know What I’m Talking About

As I write about triathlon there is always temptation to “start acting like I know what I’m talking about.” That’s what they tell you . . . “be an expert.” But the truth is, I am not.

I love to get into the mind. Play with the psychology. Explore the limits of this crazy pursuit. Find solutions and somehow get to the finish line.

The answers are never obvious and my opinions/strategies are constantly changing. But, the one constant is, “My body knows if I listen.” The truth is inside me fighting its way to the surface. Some days it may be different, and, in the end, I am pouring feelings, often unclear, onto the page.

Staying the Course

I’ve watched a ton of music documentaries in my life and there’s always a point when the band is getting popular and the label starts trying to control everything. But legendary groups stick to their guns and make the music that’s inside of them without compromise. That is how I want to approach my writing.

They say, “write what you know,” and for me that is passion. Passion for the sport, the lifestyle, and the quest to become a healthier person.

Do I want people to enjoy my website? Yes. Do I want to do whatever it takes to get the most views? Sometimes, but I would rather grow organically than by using artificial tactics that lose focus of the reasons this blog is important to me . . . and hopefully you.

“Marketing is Everything”

Ironically, I am a professional marketer by trade, but the writer in me refuses to listen to that asshole. Well, he’s not that bad, but like most executives, he has a tendency to overlook one very important part of the marketing mix: the product.

In my professional life, I spend a great deal of time writing what are ultimately lies, or at best, illusionary truth. Covering up flaws with beautiful words that hope to sway your opinion about something you don’t want.

That’s exactly the opposite of what I want to do here. I am fallible, vulnerable, impossibly human, and everything in this blog is a true reflection of those flaws. Those beautiful flaws that I believe everyone can relate to.

An Authentic Voice

This is about being real. Admitting my struggle, knowing that is ultimately the best way to get through it.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a ton of talented writers and musicians in Nashville. Great, creative minds that push the envelope with their thought. But often, that innovative soul is stripped in the name of commerce.

They pour music and words from their purest hearts, only to adapt mechanical approaches to please the masses. Their original material becomes diluted in the process of chasing numbers.

They learn nuances of “getting attention” and “manufacturing fans,” but it’s often a compromise that leaves them unhappy. This is where I struggle as a writer.

If we are quiet enough and listen to our gut, we instinctively know how to deal with any situation. But when “influencers” start impacting decision making, we tend to lose our way.

Are you willing to throw away your lyrics and your soul just to get a little attention? Are you willing to stop running just because it hurts?

[follow_me]

July 16, 2014

Cycling Etiquette – Please Don't Do This . . .

Even though I am one, sometimes I hate cyclists. Especially when I’m running.

I grew up in the day when you just road your bike and didn’t run into people or in front of cars. We sort of used . . . logic. Sure, sometimes we crashed and did stupid shit, but for the most part, we just rode our bikes and it was all good.

I live near a bike path, which is more often suited for walking or running and many times I will take off on a run. It’s really pretty serene and peaceful. I rarely listen to music and typically drift into a meditative state, at one with my breath.

It’s very quiet and I can normally hear a cyclist coming up behind me if they coast a bit or change gears or talk, etc . . . Sometimes you’ll even get the guy or girl who is hammering away at 17 mph and they just cruise right by you in peace.

I have no problem with any of those scenarios because I am just running on the right side of the path and for the life of me can’t remember the last time I suddenly made a direct left turn to chase a squirrel or pick a mulberry. I just go straight and if the bike goes straight by me on the left, it works just fine!

What I do have a problem with is the guy or girl hammering away at 17 mph who suddenly feels the urge to shout “ON YOUR LEFT” 10 feet away, subsequently scaring the shit out of me and forcing a quick right cut to the far side of the black top and further putting my tender Achilles tendon at risk.

Why???

Just make a little noise, coast, or shift your gears 20 to 30 feet back. Now, if I have a dog or a child or something, it’s different. But in that case you should really slow way down for your pass and use a normal conversational voice. Please don’t be this guy!

July 15, 2014

Why Are You Doing Ironman?

Seriously, why are you doing Ironman? To prove something? To be a better person? To be in a community? To post pictures in skin tight clothing?

I think it’s really important to understand or you can get caught up in the spectacle and make the entire process counterproductive.

This morning I was swimming in a lake at 6:15 am. It was overcast, sprinkling rain, and there were two other people in the water. It was desolate, peaceful, and once I started breathing right, incredibly rewarding.

It was all I could do to relax as I plowed through the choppy waves and passed the lonely buoys one by one. The day started as Ironman training, but morphed into a positive experience for my soul. 1500 yards later my bare feet walked through the sand and I toweled off.

It wasn’t about the distance, but I was intensely in tune with the motion. My brain and body felt measurably different at the end of that swim.

I continually tell myself it’s not about the race, but it’s hard not to make it about the race.

Ironman is a big and exciting event. You train because you want to perform. Your day is on the clock and you want to cross that line in the fewest amount of ticks. But, training for Ironman is a condensed example of why life should be about the journey.

Man, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to figure out my perfect pace and ultimate goal. It becomes consuming, agonizing, and packs pressure on your bones that doesn’t deserve to be there.

There’s no time for premature optimization in life. What are you doing today?

This is why I’m not a fan of goals. It’s one thing to have a target, but to obsess over goals is a waste. 40 or 60 or 100 days from now doesn’t matter. What matters, is today.

Living with right intention, right action, and right mind will carry you to the right place. If all we think about is a goal time, we lose the moment.

Training is training. It’s teaching your body to respond better to difficult situations. It’s slowly pushing your limits so you feel better and more alive.

Ironman isn’t our job, our family or our life. It’s a vehicle to get better at all three.

In the end, it is simply a stage on which we perform for one or two days a year. The reward ceremony at graduation.

By the time you toe the line, you have done the important stuff. You’ve done the work and regardless of what happens that day, if you truly believe in your effort, you can self-define yourself as an Ironman. Whatever that means.

PS. I wrote this for myself.

[follow_me]

July 15, 2014

My Ironman Secret Strategy . . . Exposed #IMLou

Dealing With Guilt

I take a lot of shit for “sleeping in” and “milking” my recovery. Frankly, it riddles me with guilt and that’s not good when your big race is only 40 days away.

Monday I took a long look into my red eyes and made a firm commitment to increase pool time by getting up earlier. It’s the first event and a body adjusted to early morning water is a prepared body.

I’m calling it “Forty Days of Floating.” This will be a daunting challenge and require more recovery discipline than I’m used to, but sometimes you have to man-up with the fact that Ironman is a sacrifice.

The honest reason, of course, is that I want to have a solid tan for Louisville. Not only will my skin wrinkle sooner, the sexy race medal will pop in my Finisher’s Photo.

Another small benefit will be added exposure to heat and reduced odds of sunburn. We all know how sensitive skin can tangle a run to the podium.

And what’s a good plan without accountability? That’s right, a failure. So, I’m graciously including a daily selfie (see below) that will help document my aggressive recovery and changing skin tones.

Ongoing Nightmare

So recovery is settled, what about rest?

I’ve been on this planet for 50 years and still haven’t figured out the trick to waking up early. Patience is wearing thin.

My loose goal at Louisville is to be in the swim line by 6:45 am sharp, but with my current sleep habits, I am in serious jeopardy of missing the race. I’ve had nightmares of running down that pier alone and jumping in the water as they’re pulling up the timing strip. Risky business, but it would certainly go viral, and we all know that’s the key.

Screw Your Fancy Toys

Everyone says there are 4 disciplines in triathlon: Swim, bike, run, and nutrition. I am here to tell you there are six, and the blue-haired step children, Rest and Recovery, are screaming for my attention.

So, today’s Crushing Iron lesson is: Instead of dishing out big bucks for a power meter, you may want invest 400 in a real success tool, like this beauty below.

[follow_me]

July 12, 2014

Tracking Ironman Muncie is a Letdown

I don’t know why Ironman doesn’t have tracking splits on their bike and run at Muncie but they are making a big mistake. Not only are they letting down “spectators” they are leaving a lot of money on the table.

For the spectator, tracking Ironman is an event and the more splits they create on race day means more value in their back catalog of products. I’m sure I’m not the only one who obsessively tracks past race results.

Ironman Results live forever as a great way to make passive income long after the event. Seems like it would be easy to find a sponsor and build a robust catalog of statistics for a rabid group of triathletes to sift through for hours.

Not only that, tracking is one of those things that gets fringe players interested in your game. My mom, for example was all over tracking me last year at Muncie and Wisconsin. I think it really helped acclimate her to the sport and till this day she spreads the Ironman gospel to anyone who will listen.

Before MLB TV I literally used to sit at a computer and watch the Brewers on ESPN Gamecast. It seems ridiculous, but there is something riveting about the anticipation. Of course Gamecast was the segue to being able to stream games live. And perfecting triathlon split tracking is the logical stepping stone to having more sponsored live cameras on the course.

I know that Full Ironman races are the main focus, but the most people with true triathlon “fever” start with a half. These are the people who want to feel like pros. They are the gateway to building the sport and bringing new fans along for the ride.

Here’s a shot of Andrew Starykowicz after crushing the bike at just under 28 mph. Photo credit Allie Miles.

July 10, 2014

6 Ways I've Improved My Swim

I am not a fast swimmer, but I think I have finally figured out ways to make swimming easier. Over the last few weeks I have been focusing on things I can control and not obsessing over the intricate and often overwhelming details of form. I think our bodies instinctively want to figure out the most efficient way to move and it’s up to us to create the right environment, then get out of the way. Here are 6 things I’ve been working on, that I really believe are paying off in confidence and less exertion in the water.

1. I take warm up seriously. Whether it’s circling my arms on the side of the pool or taking a long time (500 meters) to ease into my workout, I do not underestimate the power of warming up. It’s like reminding my muscles what they’re in for and allowing them time to wake up. I re-establish the fundamentals and, as the swim unfolds, “my best form” becomes instinct.

2. I’ve relaxed my water entry. For the longest time I was “coming out of my body” with aggressive attacks that sent my hand too deep and created more drag by taking my shoulder with it. It was also much harder to pull back through the water from that depth. It felt like I was working harder, and I was. Now I “let” my elbow stay higher and it keeps me more under control.

3. I sight less. I’ve gone around and around on sighting, and while it is obviously key, I also think it’s important not to be all consumed with a landmark. Lately I’ve been swimming to a general area. I sight, then mentally concentrate on the target (without looking) while I swim. It’s amazing how your body will guide you in the right direction. Sighting too often interrupts my momentum and there is nothing worse than slowing down or losing cadence.

4. I focus on rhythm. I literally think in terms of swimming as a dance and swing my hips to an imaginary beat. I’m also thinking about the cadence of my strokes and imagining the sound of my arms hitting the water right on time, over and over. The dynamics of the song and tempo may vary, but my overall goal is to stay in the pocket of the current groove.

5. I engage my lats. There’s a reason you can dead lift or bench press more than you can curl, and this is important to think about when you’re swimming. It’s all about consciously engaging the core and the lats. It not only saves your shoulders, it pulls the synergy of your stroke together.

6. I refuse to believe it’s hard. Most people probably can’t swim one hard lap in a pool without sucking wind. I was one of those people not too long ago. There’s an anxiety trigger that flips when you’re in a body of water and your flight response goes into overdrive. But once you can learn to relax and glide, you realize that swimming is a lot like running or biking. In all three sports you can find that pace where you are simply churning and it feels like you can go forever. Trust the flow and truly believe you are a strong swimmer.

For more stories like this and others that border on ridiculous, please follow me on Twitter @miketarrolly

July 10, 2014

It Felt Like Swimming the English Channel

Talk about surreal. We started this morning with a gorgeous sunrise and by the time I got out of the water (50 minutes later) it felt like I was swimming in the English Channel. I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty damn cool, even though I felt like the Loch Ness Monster was ready to pounce at my first sign of weakness. In a nutshell, you become a faster swimmer when cryptids share the water.

Please follow me @miketarrolly for more on the Loch Ness Monster and occasional triathlon related content.

July 9, 2014

10 Reasons I'm Doing Ironman Louisville

1. It was the first Ironman I watched and the catalyst for me doing IM Wisconsin last year. I honestly couldn’t believe people were doing it, now I will be in the asylum.

2. I’ve spectated twice and really like the courses. Cool swim, challenging bike, and a downtown/big city run.

3. The challenge of the heat. I’ve seen some tough people wilt under these conditions.

4. Louisville has turned into one of my favorite cities. Lots of cool little places downtown, alive but not overcrowded, and really nice people.

5. It’s close to Nashville and I love that I can easily stay within a few blocks of the finish line and transition. In fact, I may stay there a week or two after the race.

6. I love swimming under bridges. I actually think there are only two, but the town is full of huge industrial iron that gives the swim a bit of intimidating flavor.

7. There’s a cool cycling shop with a freaky basement that you have to see to believe. I believe it’s Bike Couriers on W. Market.

8. Since I’m not spectating I won’t have to eat cold cheeseburgers in La Grange. BUT, I highly recommend street fair atmosphere to watch the bike loop.

9. Because two of my training buddies talked me into it and moved out of town 3 weeks later. Now I’m putting the guilt on them in hopes they come to watch.

10. The Finish Line. It really is a party and will be a sight for sore eyes, ankles, and hip flexors.

[follow_me]

—–

Here’s an IRONMAN LOUISVILLE VIDEO I made while spectating last year:

July 9, 2014

A Zen Lesson at the Pool

[follow_me]

I slid over to the YMCA for a quick 35 minute swim at lunch and when I’m getting out, who do I see? The Cyrus of East Nasty!

Most of the blame for my triathlon addiction goes to Jim, but Cyrus was a huge influence on my running. He has the kind of poise and confidence that could convince you to warm up for a half marathon with somersaults.

So, he’s climbing in the pool as I’m sitting on the edge and I cannot resist tapping his genius with a few questions about my sore Achilles.

“You training for something, Cyrus?,” I pried as a set up question.

“Yeah, I’m gonna do a little sprint,” he answered with no sign of weakness.

“That’s cool, you ready?,” I asked knowing he was.

“Well, I haven’t been on a bike since Ironman,” he replied to my disbelief.

(To my best recollection he did Ironman Louisville at least 3 years ago).

“Haven’t seen you out at East Nasty lately,” he scorned while pulling on his swim cap.

And the table was set!

“Yeah, I’ve had some problems with my Achilles.”

“Oh, yeah, seems like I fight that once a year. Always when I haven’t been running much, then go too far.”

Aha! That is exactly what I did, so I am inching closer to him on the edge of the pool in full suspense of his magical remedy.

“Uh, so, what do you do about it?,” I asked with a casual face, but a beating heart.

“Well, I do a little ice, and roll it out with my stick, but honestly . . . ”

And this is when I knew the good stuff was about to flow.

He tilted his head in kind of a way that says, “I hate to tell you this,” then calmly admitted, “I usually just run through it.”

And there it was, the answer I was hoping for. Well, kinda. I quickly told him my latest remedy for a nagging bout of Plantar Fasciitis was to “Refuse to acknowledge its existence.”

He shook his head in agreement, pulled down his goggles and said, “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease,” before disappearing under the chlorinated sky.

The whole conversation felt like a random meeting with my Zen Master. I stared at the ripple of his waves, then slowly climbed to my feet and went about my day.