IMWI 010 – Breaking Down Ironman Wisconsin Swim Course

I raced Ironman Wisconsin in 2013 and spectated (and made a tribute video) in 2014.  Today, I break down the swim course with race video to show:

– How much time you need to get into the water pre-race
– The mysterious HELIX transition
– Sighting
– The energy of the crowd

Till this day the Ironman Wisconsin swim is probably one of the favorite memories of my three Ironman races.  I loved the energy, the fan support, and the spectacle of a mass start.

This video also reveals the first guest in my upcoming podcast series and offers you a free t-shirt.

Follow Crushing Iron on Facebook and @crushingiron on Twitter for tons of Ironman training updates.

IMWI 009 – Getting Back Into Swim Shape

The swim at Ironman Wisconsin can be daunting, but not because of the distance.  The mass start offers tons of unwelcome contact and the lake water can be very choppy.  I also found it tough to sight.

With that in mind, my swim shape goal is to be 100% confident with swimming for an hour or so.  As I get back into shape I’m totally focused on time in the pool.  I’ll work up to three times a week for an hour.  But for now, I’m not even close, so I have to make compromises to get there by adding breast stroke intervals to lower my heart rate.

Over time I’ll likely improve my pace, but that won’t be a focus.  It’s very hard to become a faster swimmer and the effort (for me) isn’t necessarily worth it. I’ll move that extra time to the bike.

Feel free to follow Crushing Iron on Facebook or @crushingiron on Twitter.

 

IMWI 008 Push-ups, Planks, and Carbs

If you like to watch TV, use the commercials for push-ups and planks so you core is crispy for Ironman Wisconsin.  I more or less pay $150 a month to watch Badgers’ hoops and an occasional Seinfeld re-run, so it’s the least I can do to get my money’s worth.  Other than that, I’m climbing back on the pasta train with my sights set on some bike-trainer-intensity a couple times a week.  Following Ironman Chattanooga, the first thing I said to myself was, “That marginal run I just put in was all about the bike.”  Yeah, the bike felt decent, but my hamstring and hip-flexors were too tired to run.  Follow Crushing Iron on Facebook or @crushingiron on Twitter.

Here’s my list of 50 Ironman Wisconsin race reports.

IMWI 007 – Staying Optimistic When Your Diet Crumbles

I’m starting to wonder if this video series is a good way for people to learn how NOT to train for Ironman Wisconsin.  Today was a snow day in Nashville and it didn’t do much for my training or diet as I wound up running around the block and eating stuff like chips, salsa, PB&J, and soup.  BUT, I’m still optimistic about the race and have added a couple new things to the video including a preview of the new triathlon moving called “TRI” and an invitation for you to claim your free Crushing Iron t-shirt.  Please follow Crushing Iron on Facebook or @crushingiron on Twitter for the latest low-tech triathlon gadgetry.

IRONMAN WISCONSIN RELATED CONTENT:  My thoughts on the IMWI Run Course

IMWI 006 – Falling Off The Diet Wagon

I’m telling you, the Super Bowl can really jack up a guy’s flow.  This basically covers my weekend and a major fail on the Ironman Wisconsin game plan.  The weekend itself was a wake up call for my overall strategy and I’m doing a little more regrouping.  This idea of combining theories from multiple people is never easy.  And neither is avoiding nachos.

To stay on track for this video series, please like Crushing Iron on Facebook and/or follow @crushingiron on Twitter.  Tell your friends, it’s a long road to Madison.

IMWI 004 – Beet Juice As A Supplement

As I continue my quest to perfect Ironman Training, I have learned that Beet Juice can be a tricky subject.  Yeah, it’s just a vegetable sitting there on the counter, but when you decide you want to juice the entire thing, it does a number on your digestion.  To say it caught my attention a couple days later is an understatement.

Stay up to date on this journey by liking the Crushing Iron Facebook Page, or following @crushingiron on Twitter.

IMWI 003 – Hydration And A New Diet

IRONMAN WISCONSIN, or not, I have always been super curious about hydration.  Like most things there are many schools of thought, but I tend to think many people are chronically de-hydrated and it’s a huge reason why people get sick and even wind up with disease.  The theory is really quite simple.  Our bodies run on mostly water and each cell must have a proper amount. If there’s not enough to go around, the critical organs like the brain and heart are protected. This can mean the liver, kidney, digestive system etc. get the short end of the water stick and start to fail.  But hydration doesn’t just mean water and many times that’s where vegetables (and fruit) can help fill a deficiency.  Anyway . . . I’m far from an expert on this stuff, but even though my diet is leaning more green, I felt tired this afternoon and 3-4 glasses of water changed that tune almost instantly.

If you are racing IRONMAN WISCONSIN here’s 20 things I learned last time I did it.

Be sure to follow Crushing Iron on Facebook and @crushingiron on Twitter.

IMWI 002 – Adding Body Weight Strength Training

After my first video, I did a strength workout last night that kicked my ass!  It was simple push ups, planks, pull ups, and squats. Two sets of each with ample rest in between.  I found out what I suspected . . . while I may be in decent triathlon shape, I’m pretty “weak” in general.  Especially (and oddly) with the squats (which were just body weight).

That actually happened yesterday, and tonight I had an easy 40 minute run with some decent hills.

The diet thing was pretty good today, but it’s reeking havoc with my body in some ways.  I’ve been starting with a huge (alkaline) green juice and I believe it’s slowly reorganizing my gut flora and/or bacteria because I have for the most part had no desire for sweets (although I did cave and have a cookie at one point which left me noticeably bloated).  I’ve been mainly eating/juicing greens, eating assorted nuts, and eating eggs and small portions of meat.  The carbs are coming from sweet potatoes and vegetables (namely carrots).  What’s most exciting is that I haven’t had bread, pizza, or pasta in over a week and feel like my mood is starting to stabilize.  Please join our Facebook Group and follow @crushingiron on Twitter.

IMWI 001 – New Diet/New Training Plan Thoughts

I’m a little tired of writing these days, so this is the first in what will hopefully be an ongoing series that chronicles my Ironman Wisconsin training thoughts.  This one focuses on my new diet/training outlook courtesy of Mark Sisson and the Joe Rogan podcast. Mark is 62 years old and used to race at KONA and do a lot of endurance back in the day, but his body started falling apart.  His words really hit home because I’ve been feeling that way for the last 3 years of training.  My goal is to find some sort of hybrid between his plan and one that feels right for my mind and body.  Follow our Facebook Group and on Twitter @crushingiron