imwi

May 16, 2014

The Calm Before The Ironman Storm #IMTX

The moment that Ironman bracelet clamps shut on your wrist, you known it is real. The door is closed and you are locked outside with the beast.

The day before Ironman Wisconsin, I walked around Madison fighting to suppress the rumble in my gut. It’s hard to relax when you know your body is about to check into hell.

I suppose it’s different if you have one under your belt, but I’m not convinced that’s an advantage. Ironman is not to be taken lightly.

You must respectfully acknowledge your opponent, which happens to be yourself. You must accept, then ignore every twinge in your body. You are strong, confident, and trained — yet fragile like a child.

Every step is calculated and while you are about to cover 140.6 miles, that extra trip to the hotel lobby becomes noteworthy. Fifty four unnecessary paces for resting legs.

Sipping water and electrolytes, hoping for the perfect balance. The optimum level of pre-race hydration that will be your last minute base for the next day.

Light stretching to ease tension that is mostly in your head. Meditating in the middle of an air-attack while bombs explode around you.

How do you contain the fire? How do you balance ferociousness?

The anticipation will crush you. Your mind does back flips as it plays through everything yet to happen. It’s senseless to obsess, but impossible to let go. You are mere feet from walking onto the plank.

And oddly, once your bare feet hit that cold wood, you look over the edge and the nerves wash away. You accept your fate and focus on why you came. You no longer have to imagine how it will look and feel. It’s right in front of you, familiar, and waiting for you to join the fun.

This is where you exist. This is where you belong.

————————-

Best of luck on Saturday to everyone racing Ironman Texas. This is for you, and especially Rodney and Daniel who I have watched prepare for this monster. We’ll all be watching and pulling you toward the finish.

February 17, 2014

How I Went Sub-12 In My 1st Ironman (at 50) #IMWI

Train with People – This was crucial to me, especially in the beginning. I wasn’t fast, nor did I have the endurance, but swimming, biking, and running with people was a major motivator. It helped me get out of bed and it helped me keep going once I was there. After a few months of this I knew I could keep up, that’s when I started fading into my own world.

Train Harder by Yourself – I think training alone is critical. The internal dialogue you create on long swims, bikes, and runs can either make or break you. When it comes to racing, the more often you talk yourself out of stopping, the better. The more you get used to pushing mileage without the distraction of others, the better. The more you can face aches and pains by yourself, the better.

Practice in Open Water – I’m convinced that 90% of swimming is feeling comfortable in the water, and open water is WAY different than the pool. A lot of people I talk with are kinda weirded out by lakes in general, so there’s that factor . . . but for me the ultimate key was swimming with other people in open water. You get used to the bumping and it really lowers your freak-out quotient, especially in a mass start. In retrospect, the one thing I wish I would have worked on more was sighting. We trained a lot with the same buoy and I simply got comfortable with my direction. But it would have been very wise to work harder on sighting different trees or whatever around the lake. Nothing will screw your swim time like going off line.

Work on Your Weakness – Cycling was by far my strength. Swimming and running, were a different story. I knew from the start that swimming was going to be my key event and I worked on it harder than the rest. For me it was a confidence thing. I HAD to come out of that water strong or the rest of my race would be a nightmare. I swam a lot early, but the last 8 weeks of training I was in the water (most times the lake) 3-4 times a week, swimming HARD. I also stayed true to building my running base and getting faster. It was very hard some nights, but I kept pounding the roads with regularity. I didn’t blow off the bike, but I did fewer (yet intense) rides to make sure I was keeping my muscles familiar with the motion.

Work on Your Speed – Let’s face it, after you build your endurance to a certain point, you can “coast” forever. But running a “lazy” 22 miles is not going to help your marathon time. You have to build in speed work. I was doing “shorter” hour-long runs most of the time, then would add an hour and a half “long” run on the weekends. The short runs were always laced with sprinting intervals or tempo sections. I knew I would never build to traditional marathon training distances, so I set my sights on one thing: Making a 9 minute pace feel like a walk. That was my ultimate IM pace goal, which I didn’t hit, but I did average 10 minute miles and never ran more than 14 miles before that marathon.

Take the Hilliest Way Home – I can’t tell you how many times I was at a crossroads on a run and willed myself toward “one more” hill. I ran a ton of hills during training for two reasons, one, they force you to have better form, and two, they are harder! I honestly love to run hills now. Hills make you focus and their the easiest way to push your limits.

Embrace Bad Weather – Nobody wants to swim, bike, or run on a cold and rainy day, but if you can handle bad weather, you are miles ahead of the game. Hell, a lot of people don’t even show up for a race if in bad weather. I was “lucky” to have three races on three awful 50 degree and rainy days. I really thought I was cursed. In the end, Wisconsin was perfect racing weather, but I was ready if it wouldn’t have been.

Hydrate – This seems so damn obvious I almost didn’t put it in here, but I’m convinced it is far more critical than nutrition. I’ve been in races where I could literally feel my chest drying out from breathing so hard. You have to teach your body how to burn fat stores and using only water for a lot of your training is a good way to do it. If your body isn’t working right, you’re screwed — and I just really believe, that while nutrition plays a big role, if you’re not hydrating well leading up to and during the race, you’re sunk. I drank ridiculous amounts during the race (and yes, pee’d a lot on the bike) including slowing to a walk through every aid station to drink with purpose.

Meditate – I suppose this could be titled “visualize” too but either way it’s about getting your mind straight. I crossed the finish line at Ironman a hundred times in my mind before I got onto the course. Many times on hard training runs I started imagining I was on the marathon at Wisconsin. I would be in incredible pain and tell myself, “This is how it’s going to feel, practice getting through it.” And I would. I just wouldn’t stop no matter how bad I thought it hurt. See the finish line.

Write About It – Out of all of this stuff, I almost believe my journaling the entire process could have been the biggest factor. I often put myself on public display as an idiot, but it helped me work through so many things I didn’t understand. Not only that, the feedback and encouragement you get cannot be understated. Don’t fool yourself, Ironman is a daunting physical challenge, but the more I learn about it, the more I believe it’s more in the mind.

——————–

This is how the race broke down for me:

Swim: 1:20:02
T1: 7:28
Bike: 6:03:35
T2: 4:43
Run: 4:23:10
Total: 11:58:58

February 6, 2014

Ironman Wisconsin Run Course Thoughts #IMWI

I was looking at the “search terms” people used to find my blog and one was “Ironman Wisconsin Run Course Tips,” so I thought I’d weigh in with a few “non scientific” thoughts. I’m gonna do it by “feel” and a sketchy memory, so don’t take it too seriously.

It’s a 13.1 mile loop that starts with a short and slow climb from the top floor of the awesome Helix transition. You go straight at, then around the majestic capitol, before tearing down State Street where “I Run for the Party” has real meaning.

My advice here is watch your speed. There are TONS of people cheering, and it’s mostly downhill, so it’s easy to get caught up in the moment. Thankfully my legs didn’t bend the first two miles so I didn’t have a choice.

When you leave State Street it flattens out for a while and you head toward one of the coolest college football stadiums in the country. I feel like it’s a little over 2 miles before you meet Camp Randall, home of the Badgers, and a short little staircase climb that caught the attention of my calves. Then you descend onto the football field, and while I am arguably the number one fan Badger fan living in SEC country, I didn’t really feel much like looking around. What I liked most was the soft turf surface that gives your knees temporary reprieve.

After you emerge from the stadium, you hit a small downhill then flat section that eventually takes you under a bridge for a short “out and back” which I hated. I loathe out and backs for some reason, and even though this was only a few hundred yards it got in my head a little.

Then it’s back into “somewhere” before you are dumped onto a trail that rolls between a bunch of University buildings along the lake. It’s kinda cool because there are students milling about and most of them look at you like you’ve been working out for over 8 hours.

Then it’s time for first of two substantial (by Ironman standards) hills. There’s and aid station at the bottom and I highly suggest you regroup before the climb. A ton of people walk these hills and I did for a short spell on the second loop, but they are not awful unless you are from Florida, and in that case, I recommend quitting.

After that, you wind to the right and close in on your second taste of State Street where people are five deep and scream some of the happiest sounds you’ll ever hear. In retrospect, this is probably where I felt the best on the entire run. It’s right around mile 6 and I suggest soaking it in. You’re about halfway into the loop and it’s loaded with electricity, which is good because the worst part of the run awaits.

When you hit the trail again you have a 10k left in your loop. It’s nice and shaded for a while, but when you leave the dirt path it turns into blacktop and the bikeway takes you out a mile before you turn around to come back. It’s desolate and I really started hallucinating on this section. It’s a two mile trek that seems like it will never end and the one section I wanted to walk most.

After that, you have about 3.5 miles before paydirt (or the painful turn around). Slowly but surely spectators come back into your life and you will need their support. The support, by the way, is excellent. Aid stations are loaded like a buffet and on my second loop I hit the chicken broth hard on that turnaround.

You wind back past the stadium (and go down the little flight of stairs, which is painful in a different way) then back through the neighborhoods before hitting your last little climb up State Street. The party is rockin’ now and the hill is not an issue. At the top you stare at the massive capitol, turn left for a block, right for another, then right for a half block before turning left to finish.

The finishing part is great, but if this is the end of your first loop be prepared for a major mind f&ck. They lead you well into the Finisher’s Chute before sending you back out to battle. All you can really do is laugh.

Ironman Wisconsin was my only marathon to date, and I am pretty sure it will always be one of my favorite courses. It’s challenging but not unfair. It’s urban with a great taste of wilderness. And you get to see some of the finer sections of one of the greatest cities there is, Madison, Wisconsin.

October 11, 2013

50 Ironman Wisconsin Race Reports in One Place #IMWI

Hopefully you will enjoy this compilation of Ironman Wisconsin 2013 Race Reports, race videos, and podcasts. I combed Facebook, Google, and other groups to find (and read) as many as I could. I have pulled an excerpt from each so you may have an idea of what you’re about to read. I plan to add more as I find them, so bookmark this page and look for the latest. Also, if you have one and I missed it, please let me know. As always, please follow me @miketarrolly on Twitter for all my updates. Thanks!

Official Ironman Wisconsin 2013 Race Day Video

Pro recap video from Ironman Wisconsin 2013

Finish line streaming video of Ironman Wisconsin 2013

Ironman Wisconsin 2013 Statistical Analysis with photos

“I could also cite my tire pressure, crash, bumpy roads, steep hills, just a litany of reasons that could have contributed to my less-than-stellar bike time. I just know I got owned!” – Christina from The Jerk Store Called . . . (Best blog name ever)

“I settled it as much as I could w/the choppy conditions and found myself behind some feet that were just swimming all over the place!! We did not swim straight AT ALL…BUT it’s pretty crazy how swimming alone in a straight line is just way harder and no faster than drafting easy on some feet that just happen to be swimming a little whacky.” – Women’s winner, Jackie Arendt from Jackie Arendt Racing.

“Within 30 seconds people were kicking my head and beating on my legs . . . and I was loving every second of it. Rubber bodies were everywhere and keeping good form was nearly impossible. My arms were tangled and my feet felt like they were tied by rubber cords. Good thing Robbie made us practice this shit.” Mike (me) of Crushing Iron

“As long as they didn’t intentionally do anything to me I let them go. I didn’t pull or push anyone without good reason. However, if you did things on purpose, and Mr. D. Head next to me found out, I do retaliate.” Kevin for Crushing Iron

“The race started off well with my kind of swim—a hard one. Well it would have been better without wetsuits, but at the very least we got tough and choppy conditions and had to work for that swim finish!” – Hillary Biscay from HillaryBiscay.com

“On Observatory Drive where the worst of the run course hills are, a guy next to me started to tell me what a disappointment the whole day was. I had no room in my mind for negativity, so as soon as we reached the top of the first hill I wished him luck and took off running. I wanted to be so far away from the negativity that I actually ran the second hill on Observatory Drive, where everyone else was walking.” – From Finding My Happy Place

“On the first loop I had made it about 30 miles or so into the ride and was reaching the fun rollers of Witte Road when things got exciting. A motorcycle cop whizzed by and a little bit after that came the first pro, Romain Guillaume, a Frenchman who we dubbed the “Little Guy” at the expo. He was booking. It wasn’t long before other pro riders were whipping by.” – Chris at I Am Tri

“I headed out on the run, and had seriously wobbly legs. The first two miles, I felt like I had no control over them. I had never felt that before. I thought, I DID race the bike!!!!” – From Katie at Triing for Pro

“I lined up along the buoy line, plan to take she shortest path & prayed for clear water. When the BOOM sounded, we swam. It was instant madness. If you have never swam an Ironman mass swim start & if you have not witnessed one in person, there really is no way to describe it & do it justice.” From Robyn at Sunrider Tri

“Well we were churning and a burning till mile 17……..Then a bear jumped on my back and the thing people call “The Squatch” jumped on my front side. I had developed a blister on each big toe and those MF’ers would scream out loud with every foot strike.” From the legendary Carl Noftsger of Endurance Nation

“Midway through, I unfortunately managed to increase the number of “one things” in my quiver. I lost my wedding ring to Lake Monona. When I realized this, I knew I needed to add “better make this race count” to my “one thing” thoughts, because I wasn’t sure how my wife would react.” – From Ian at Endurance Nation

“I kept pushing until the end, skipping the last 2 aid stations. I saw JT at the EN tent on State St, gave him my fuel belt (which was empty anyway), pushed on the finish. Coming around Capital Square with about ¼ mile left, I spotted a guy in a race kit that I recognized from the bike leg. I felt I could pass him, so I gave it one last push.” From Bruce at Endurance Nation

“I use a 2-mile lap as my “box” while on the bike. When I hear the beep for a lap, I start a new interval on the Joule so that I am not working too hard to hit a particular number. When a new lap starts, now it is time to concentrate on that lap and that lap only.” – From Joe at Endurance Nation

“There were people…everywhere. I really wish I had my GoPro mounted on the bike for this as it’s hard to explain. It felt like I was climbing into a crowd of people and the path literally unfolded in front of me as people peeled away to clear the space.” – Jeremy at Endurance Nation

“Oh Madison, WI. the best “Irontown” in the U.S. for sure. If you are considering Ironman, in my opinion, Wisconsin is THE one to do. Forget the amazing course, it is the people there that make the race truly iconic…The volunteers and the spectators are simply UNREAL. Tour de France-style support along the bike course, screaming (often drunk?) fans all along the run- truly one-of-a-kind.” – From professional triathlete, Beth Walsh

“Around 4:30 the volunteers with the most experience are keenly aware of time running short; a helpful one said to me and the couple gentlemen I was riding near (it’s a no-drafting rule, but it’s hard to avoid some proximity), “You can still make it, but you need to stay focused. Fifteen miles in one hour – you can do that!” Yes, I could do that – but it was WINDY! We were riding straight into the wind, it seemed like; you’d have a brief respite, then there’d be a turn and it would be brutal headwind again.” From Jenny Davidson

“I’ll tell you I felt fine the whole race until the second loop of the run. As I turned around, I said to myself ” you don’t want to do this but you have to.” – From Matt Amman

“The Ironman Wisconsin bike course is no joke. It’s known for being a hilly beast. I had come up to Madison to ride a portion of the course one time in July this past summer and was very glad that I had the opportunity to preview the course. The preview helped me gain some confidence and made me feel like I would definitely be able to finish the course on race day.” – From Rachel at Triathlon Girl in Training

“The entire population of Madison, volunteers and spectators. What a freaking incredible place to race. The volunteers were perfect. The spectators were out of hand. You guys made the experience. While were here, a huge shout out to fellow geophysicist and maybe-turning-pro triathlete Summer, who absolutely nailed restaurant and spectating recommendations.” – From A Siegfried Runs

“There were times when I felt so tired, I felt like I could just fall asleep standing up while walking. In my desperation to try and figure out what was going on with my body, I started eating all kinds of stuff being offered on the run aid stations. I ate bananas, energy gels, defizzed coke, chicken broth, and lots of potato chips.” – From Loco Runner

“Saturday, Sept 10 – Woke up to a farmer’s market right on the capital square! Walked around a little, had some breakfast and realized that the weekend was heating up. I had high hopes for a low-80s kind of Sunday. Oh well. I forced myself to drink lots of water on Saturday and kept my bottle close by as I did the last few Ironman tasks before Sunday – needed to drop off my bike and my transition bags at Monona Terrace.” – From Kelly at There Had Better Be Oxygen

“I knew that I had pushed the bike a little harder than I had planned to, but I still felt pretty good starting out on the run. I paced my first 3 miles at a 7:15 pace and began passing a good number of people, including a few female pros.” – From Eric at Ironman Diary

“Before even starting the race I reminded myself of a question that was suggested by a renown Ironman coach on a podcast I listen to. He suggested that before making any decision during the race, you should ask yourself, “How will this decision effect the last 10k of the run?” – From Iron Dad Triathlete

“I didn’t take five strokes when the panic set in. F%CK ME!!!! I had perfect swims all season and here I was acting like I had never been there before. Each time I tried to force myself to swim the breathing was too short and labored to let me swim.” – From Eric in Cleveland

“Miles 23-25.5 are long, dark and sparse of spectators. So close, yet so far away. Then you hit State Street and that is what this race is all about. Music bumping, beer flowing the crowd shouting you up the hill towards the capitol. I teared up a little turning that corner. It had been a long week and I had my moments doubting whether I would make it here or not. I looked around, picked up my turnover a bit and soaked it all in.” From Angela in Chicago

“It’s become a September tradition. Take the second weekend of the month, head down to Madison and cheer on athletes as they tackle the 140.6 miles of the Ironman Wisconsin course.” – From Badger Girl, on Spectating IMWI
“The first goal in our family is always to start. It’s a good goal, and it’s one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Injuries and accidents happen; I know this too well. On race morning, after a fitful night of sleep, I rolled over and looked at my watch. It said 6:35.” – From George in Atlanta

“I decided that I would try grapes instead and drink water. That worked like magic. I keep the energizer jelly beans and ate them slowly to try and see if that would be able to help me maintain some sort of an energy level.” Tri Fuel

“We all have many roles in life, and I have been trying to juggle being a supportive partner, loving mother, daughter, sister, nurse, friend, and ironman. I want to stress that I am just like everyone else, and if you have a dream and put the work in, that many dreams are possible.” – Team Luna Chix

Rich and Scott discuss his race, his first Ironman, including a 15 minute negative split on the run!! – Endurance Nation Podcast

I gashed the bottom of my foot open on a rock, almost got puked on 4 times by athletes, was picking seaweed out of my hair for hours after, and nearly got seasick. AND. IT. WAS. AWESOME!!!!!! – Observations from a Volunteer

“This race will be the closest I will ever come to knowing what it’s like riding in the Tour de France. The fans lined the hills cheering and ringing their cow bells, which made for a great experience” – From Kristen Lodge

“I really can’t believe that this was the 12th year that I have raced Ironman Wisconsin. I thought about it in the water before the cannon sounded; some of the first races I did here felt like they were yesterday. Each year proves to be a time when I learn something else that I can apply to future races, with this year being no exception.” From pro racer and Madison resident, Blake Becker

“I went to Wisconsin with the sole goal of erasing those doubts in my mind. Of proving to nobody but myself that I could run a respectable marathon. I didn’t care about my place or my overall time, those things were all secondary. I just wanted to run well. I NEEDED to run well.” From the Trail of Miles

“The plan was to do one shot blok every 2 miles and drink Ironman Perform at every aid station. The first six miles went well. I ran through the Badger Stadium and screamed “WE ARE PENN STATE” which I am pretty sure was heard by no one.” From Alexa Harding

“This means I had to stop at the next penalty tent, write down my name and some details, sign a form and then go again.. About 45seconds worth but this is an age while you are watching the group ride away through the hills.” – From Simon Cochrane

“Things kept going from bad to worse, and I wondered if I might have to walk the rest of the race. I knew if I could at least keep jogging, I would still get a PR, but I saw my goal of a 3:40 run quickly slip out of reach.” From Luna Chick Runs

“I had a dream that I accidentally brought my mountain bike (which I don’t actually use in real life) instead of my tri-bike. And my dad and I had to build it minutes before the race started. And then a huge lightning storm came in and delayed the race. Other than that, I slept well.” – From Go Run Some

“Alarms were going off at 3:45am to the song I get knocked down but I get up again! It was time to race and the day I was thinking about for a year was finally here.” From Angela’s Antics

YouTube Report from Amy Friese

“The bike course was brutal. Hilly – up and down and quick turns – and never ending. And did I mention we had headwinds the ENTIRE 112 miles?!?! Ugh. I stopped at mile 56 at special needs to grab more sports drink and use the porta potty. The hills were brutal but the steepest hills were full of spectators and people cheering and on drums – it was like being in the Tour de France – I felt like a rock star and was having a blast!” – From Susan at I Am Tri

A story on the amazing Brent and Kyle Pease

“I am not simply surviving…. I am thriving. I have found a way to give back, to help, and really help. For this, I am eternally grateful. I am a cancer survivor, but I am much more than that. I am an athlete. I am an activist, an advocate.” – From Team Strutz – Wilkerson

“The main problem I had was that I couldn’t see the buoy’s very well. Because I started so far to the right of them, it took me a while to get close to them – and once I did, I actually ran into one of them at one point.” From http://spabbo.blogspot.com/

“I believe in triathlon. I believe it has transformative power, and I know that behind goals linked to the time of day are more important motives: it’s the expression of our best selves that make this day sacred.” From Iron Love

“We said some not so nice things to each other (we determined that on ironman day, all was said with love) and there were times that she kept going and I had to play catch-up as I was stopping to talk to a lot of people and giving hugs when I should have been running with her.” – From Beyond the Boobs: My Journey to Ironman Wisconsin

“Today I got out there and gave it a go at my 7th Ironman Wisconsin. Living only 1 block from the finish it is tough to miss this event, and it is the only opportunity all year to sleep in my own bed for a pro race. Leading up to the race I kept a steadfast line that “I was tired” and that was the truth.” From Thomas Gerlach, pro triathlete.

October 8, 2013

My Private Predictions for Ironman Wisconsin #IMWI

This is a blog I wrote about a month away from Ironman Wisconsin, but never posted because I thought it might jinx me. I also thought it was outlandish, especially because I had covert designs on being a long-shot for a slot at Kona (10:37 was the magic number in my age group). As it turned out, Kona was silly talk, but considering I finished in 11:58, I don’t feel as bad about actually “saying” this stuff and never beat myself up for aiming high. Following are my unedited predictions and actual times at Wisconsin.

SWIM PREDICTION FOR IMWI

I swam Muncie 70.3 in 37 minutes and felt like I took awful lines. Hopefully it won’t be so confusing at Wisconsin (it was and more). I think the Muncie set-up was nice and anxiety free because everyone was so spread out, but Wisconsin should offer more swimmer-ahead-of-me sighting and less chance that I will get way off course. I also hope to get caught up in the man-made-current.

37 minutes at Muncie and I felt good at the end. I believe I can be a little under double that, especially since I have swam a lot more since then and feel like my swimming is much stronger now.

Swim Prediction: 1:10 (Actual IMWI swim time 1:20)

BIKE PREDICTION FOR IMW

I know the bike will be tough, but I feel like I am going to rise to the occasion. I’ve done 110 on Natchez trace in the rain in under 6 hours. I really feel like 95 miles in isolation on the Trace will be about the equivalent of Wisconsin. Add the crowd, etc and I’m thinking I can have a pretty good bike split. My ass is more prepared and as long as the conditions are right, I’ll be ready to attack with wisdom and not go over my limits.

Bike Prediction: 5:45 (Actual IMWI bike time 6:03)

RUN PREDICTION FOR IMWI

At Muncie 70.3 I really did feel pretty strong on the run. First and second half paces of the run were 8:12 and 8:35, but thought I could negative split if it weren’t for the burning feet. If my feet hold up, I really think I can fight through the rest of the pain and run a decent marathon. I could be completely fucked up on this thought, but I think on a perfect day I can hold a 9 minute pace. I think 10 is probably more reasonable, but also know that anything can happen out there. I’m gonna side in the middle of that and go with a 9:30 pace.

Run: 4:09 damn… we’ll see… I’d sure like to get that below 4. (Actual IMWI run time 4:23)

So… with transitions that brings me in around 11:15 or so, which would be phenomenal, but not Kona…. I would need to cut about 30 minutes off to be in that discussion and it will obviously have to happen on the run. When I think back to Muncie I know I could have done an 1:46. Times 2 that is 3:32 for the marathon. Yikes… I would need a 3:40 to be in the Kona discussion. This seems unreasonable, but like I said, I think my legs will hold up, it’s just the other things. Or, I could be totally crazy. I’m way over thinking this.

The End

Predicted time 11:15 (Actual IMWI Time 11:58:58)

—————-

POST RACE THOUGHTS

I was a little ahead of myself with these predictions, but shit happens. In all honesty, a 45 minute miss isn’t as far off as I think it would have been had I hit my swim time. Right or wrong, that 1:20 swim put me in “play it safe mode” because, as the race progressed, a 12-hour goal seemed most “reasonable.” A 1:10 swim raises the stakes and likely would have made me take a few more chances on the bike to get that number closer to 5:45. That’s a reasonable 28 minutes right there and may have had me focused on sub 11:30 versus sub 12. The run was a wild card, but in retrospect I believe I could have knocked off another 10 minutes if I had the 11:30 target in front of me.

It’s easy to sit here and say these things, but talking it through has been a major key in my progress. I like to learn and keep pushing for higher levels. In retrospect, I think I ran a smart race. I could have pushed bigger gears on the bike and cut some time, but doing my first Ironman in sub-12 is a huge accomplishment. I am very happy with that time, but far from satisfied.

October 1, 2013

Ironman Wisconsin Swim Start 2013 – Video #IMWI

This was the moment I thought about a thousand times, the Ironman Wisconsin Swim Start. The thought of being in that water with nearly 3,000 swimmers just blew my mind and it was everything I expected. Here’s a short trailer for the documentary I hope to finish sometime before I die. Special thanks to Roger Jokela and my brother, Chris Tarrolly for shooting this video and saving the film.

More Crushing Iron video can be found here.

September 30, 2013

How Triathlon Changed My Life

Ten years ago I moved to Nashville and my goal was a new beginning. I didn’t know anyone and wanted to change some harmful patterns I had created. I wanted to “clean up” my act and actually do things, not sit around and talk about them. It only took about three days for me to get derailed.

My new company put me up in the Marriott Vanderbilt for two weeks while I looked for a place to live. The new job was stressful and every day felt like it could be my last. I had jumped over 100 market sizes, which was pretty rare in the television business, and most nights I needed a release. Luckily the general manager of my temporary hotel residence had a key to the fast lane.

This guy was a bad ass. He was dialed into everything and surrounded by the hottest women in town. One night he asked me to join him and his friends at Happy Hour and I was hooked. From knowing nobody to being connected with everyone overnight.

There is a major lure in being popular and I got sucked right in. Suddenly I was going out 4 nights a week. Women, wine, and song lathered me like a hot shower. I couldn’t get enough. My new friends were throwing huge parties and made me feel like the guest of honor. The problem was, I wasn’t fully vested and couldn’t always fake that fact.

Some nights were great, others were rough. I drank a lot and felt worse than ever. I was even drinking on off nights at home while surfing the net looking for ways to escape the world. It wasn’t a happy time, but I’ve always been good at projecting content.

While I would go on short stints of sobriety and even attended ACA meetings, the overall pattern continued. I was in my 40’s, living in the heart of Music Row, and frolicking in dangerous territory on a nightly basis.

Eventually I moved to East Nashville and thought I might find another new beginning, but it was just a new world of isolation. It was a quiet neighborhood and I was bored. Fortunately there was a new bar gaining popularity just up the block and it became my “Cheers.” I got to know more and more people. A fresh start with new faces. I was engaged and once again loved the excitement of building a new “life.”

It was a different vibe than West End. East Nashville is loaded with creative people. Artists, musicians, photographers. The conversation was different. My level of engagement rose, but I was tired. Tired of using beer to lift my energy only to fall back into the cracks. It was getting harder and harder to get up for work and exercise was an afterthought. I was putting on weight and my energy level was non-existent without loads of caffeine.

Something had to change.

Jim and I had been friends for years, and I knew he was doing triathlons, but never thought much about it. He’d even done Ironman, and as much of an athlete as I had been, and as much as I’d marvel while watching Kona on TV, his accomplishment didn’t click. It was other-worldly-shit and I never let the reality settle in my mind. Till this day I still feel bad about not going to watch him in Louisville.

One day he told me he was coaching a Couch to 5k program and challenged me to try. Deep inside I craved being a runner. I lived on the Country Music Marathon route for years and always went out for a jog after the race. It never panned out. So after reading about the walk/run strategy Jim’s plan included, I decided to give it a shot.

I made a pledge to myself to follow the program to the letter. No more, no less.

On the first night we gathered at Nashville Running Company and set out to do a 5 minute walk warm up, 6 sixty second runs between ninety second walks, and a five minute walk cool down. It was all I could do to run 60 seconds.

Eventually that 60 seconds built to 10 minutes, then 20, then 30. I was ready for my first 5K and ran it in around 27 minutes. That was just the beginning.

I signed up for a 5 miler, a 10K, then the 1/2 marathon. I truly enjoyed my new challenge, but it was never easy. I kept putting races on the calendar to make sure I stayed the course. My muscles were in a constant state of ache, but I always felt great when a run was over. I kept going and trusting the process to change my health, habits, and outlook on life.

By that summer Jim had convinced me to do a triathlon and that’s when everything fell in place. I did the Music City Sprint and it was the first time in years that my body screamed, “Yes!” I was on my way.

Next thing was to watch Kevin compete at Ironman Louisville and that’s when heart skipped a beat. I knew I had found my next challenge. I would sign up for Ironman, but not before struggling mightily in the NashVegas Olympic.

Shortly after NashVegas, the Fab Five agreed to sign up for Ironman Wisconsin and the rest is history. Well, not quite, but the intensity of the training and team was the new beginning I had been searching for for 10 years. I was now on a genuine path that would change my mind, body, and hopefully my meaning of life. It has.

It’s hard to understand until you do it. I’m sure it’s like jumping from a plane or scaling a mountain. You’re not really sure why you’re doing it until it’s over. But, Ironman training is real progress. It isn’t the end, in fact, it’s always the beginning. The new beginning I seem to crave. Fresh, new starts that activate my enjoyment of life. New people, friends, challenges. New attitudes, new accomplishments, new love.

And while all of this is moving the right direction, it is far from complete. My body will shiver, my thoughts will waiver, and my actions will be inconsistent. But endurance training is a metaphor for life. The perfect stroke, spin, or stride is rare. You have to practice the motion thousands of times before it becomes natural. Before it flows free and easy. And it’s the same with life. Bad habits don’t just stop, they are pushed out by better ones and it’s up to us to make sure that momentum continues.

September 28, 2013

Looking for Motivation? Read This

September 26, 2013

Catching Up After an Ironman #IMWI

In the fury that was the week of and week after Ironman Wisconsin, many amazing things happened, but sort of fell through the cracks. One was my selection as East Nasty of the Week, which is a high honor doled out by my running club. I was very grateful, but had a difficult time enjoying it because of the race and recovery period. I just sat down to read the article again and am especially humbled by what the guys I trained with for IMWI wrote about me for the article.

Daniel Hudgins, “Mike has been a key supporter for Ironman as the “Fab Five” has been training. He is so much more than your average athlete, though. He is tenacious, and I think we’ll see him continue to improve throughout the years. When we first met last year, I remember him coming to a triathlon I was also doing to watch Jim. He was so interested and the best way I can describe his demeanor was quietly excited. As time went on, and he decided to do Ironman Wisconsin, we became closer and closer as friends. Mike and I battled for who would show up last for our morning workouts in January, and he often won. We joked that he’ll write a book “How To Sleep Your Way To an Ironman”, and it will probably be a New York Times Bestseller. After seeing his consistency, his success in racing, and his talented writing on his blog, it’s much less of a joke now. He’s one of the first people I called when I had a bad ride or something was bothering me. I’d also call him after a great workout or a successful race. I knew he would listen and want to talk about it in detail – and at the same time, he’d provide some comedy in the reality of all the craziness we were putting ourselves through. I’m so proud of him, and I know after this Ironman, he will continue to excel at whatever he pursues.”

Jim Schwan, “Tarrolly is truly an inspiration. Watching the transformation he has made from his first day at the couch to 5k program to his completion of an Ironman has been astounding. From the first day I met Tarrolly I knew he was someone I wanted to associate with. I mean, he was wearing cool shoes and seemed like he really had it going on. This was years before either of us attempted any kind of endurance sports. Little did I know we would one day end up training together for an Ironman. He is one of the most creative people I know. He has won film-making awards and authored several fantastic blogs. His chronicling of his training via Crushingiron.com, as well as the upcoming documentary, will cement his legend. If you don’t know, act like you know.”

Kevin Gammon, “I’ve had the pleasure of training with Mike for the past nine months. During those nine months, I’ve watched him change his entire life style and dedicate himself fully to reaching a goal. It has been one of the most profound changes I have seen in the three years I have participated in running and triathlons. He has become a strong athlete and person. I constantly seek out his advice because I have nothing but respect for him and what he has accomplished. I anticipate we will see some great things from Mike, both athletically and in other areas. I will also say I look forward to kicking him during the open water swim in Wisconsin.”

Mark Scrivner, “Mike? What can I say about Mike? Dude is gonna crush it. He’s a beast. Started running last year and now you can’t contain him. He’s extremely focused and sleeps more than anyone I know. I can tell you this much, the only thing stopping him will be himself. Dude shoots video, plays drums, eats PowerBars and blogs. It’s been a pleasure training with him, when he actually shows up.”

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

I spent a TON of time with these guys over the last year and every minute was inspirational. Each of them connected with me in different ways and it was truly a blessing to meet them and train together for a goal I thought was impossible.

I’ve said it many times before, but Jim is the reason I am in triathlon . . . and for that matter, not a whale laying around on the couch. He patiently led by example until I figured out that I should probably follow in his footsteps. Jim made many sacrifices to make sure I stayed engaged with endurance sports, and I will forever be indebted to his efforts. Maybe one day I too will be getting up at 3:45 every morning.

Kevin’s gutsy performance at IM Louisville 2012 was the final straw that lured me into Ironman. Watching my first IM was an emotional and motivating experience. I barely knew Kevin at the time, but I was so moved by his effort that day, I knew I would sign up to race sooner than later. We didn’t bike or run together often, but our lake battles were undeniably the catalyst to me becoming a confident swimmer and rejuvenating my competitive nature.

Daniel is one of the most positive and compassionate people I know. He overcame a lot to get where he is today. His passion for triathlon shined bright all year and his results proved it. He embraced every experience like it was his last and smiled before, during, and after each competition or workout. Ironman was a first for both of us and we loved to speculate about how it would feel to compete, then finish. We dove into every detail along the way and I think it made us both better racers and people.

Mark showed more guts than just about anyone I’ve ever known as a competitor. It seemed like he was injured the entire training season, but he kept pushing on. And I’m not talking about hang nails. He had a double hernia and a torn bicep, but didn’t let either get in his way. Despite these setbacks, having a family, and owning a business that was exploding, he kept his eye on the prize and peaked with a great performance at Wisconsin. He showed a lot of confidence in me and that became a big source of motivation.

It was, is, and always will be the Fab 5 I think of first. We committed to a journey and each other. We followed through with a major challenge and came away with far more than medals. We are great friends who shared deep and meaningful experiences that no one can ever take away.

September 26, 2013

Running The Asylum

The last two days I was in Knoxville for a great social media workshop and wanted to get in a run. I stayed at the same hotel I used for my early season Rev3 race, so I thought I might slide down to the river and run the course for old times sake. My coach had a better idea.

“You should hook up with some of the Knoxville athletes and run at Old Lakeshore. Some nice hills.”

Oh, he had me at hills, but little did I know what else was waiting.

I agreed to meet Elyse, who I met at the Muncie 70.3, and qualified for the Vegas World Championship that day. She lives in Knoxville, is training for Ironman Florida, and hadn’t run at Old Lakeshore either . . . but knew much more about its past.

As I pulled through the cyclone fence that surrounded the complex, I was immediately captured by the drab structures. I felt like I was literally driving onto a Stephen King set. The buildings were brick, with faded white paint, and one was charred black from fire.

Old Lakeshore was a mental institution and many refer to it as a “haunted asylum.” You can read about its “complicated” history here.

I weaved up and down narrow roads with no idea where I was going. I landed on a gravel parking lot next to an abandoned building and decided to change out of my work clothes.

I can’t explain how strange this situation felt, but about halfway through the change I realized I was in my car, naked, smack dab in the middle of an insane asylum. I kept waiting for glass to shatter and a security guard, dressed in all white, to yank me through the windshield and put me in a straight jacket for a long walk up the hill into a lifetime of obscurity.

Safely in my running gear, I eased from the gravel parking lot and looked for anything that seemed like a normal place for runners to meet. I finally spotted an empty soccer field and parked next to a long line of about 20 cars. Cars everywhere but I didn’t see a soul, other than what appeared to be a man in a powder blue jumpsuit leaning halfway out an open window of a rundown building simply labeled “The Cottage.”

A chapel rose on a hill in the distance, surrounded by an endless sea of sterile buildings and zero life. The sky was gray and the entire scene was eerily quiet.

I called Elyse and she was coming toward me as we spoke.

“This place is creepy.”

Yes it was, and I was fascinated!

We took off on a slow jog and finally found the path which was a 2 mile loop around the grounds. I’m not gonna lie, my eyes were on a swivel as we rolled up and down steep hills, and in and out of buildings. It felt like at any minute a stray patient in a flowing robe could have toppled us into deep brush.

There was also a deserted concession stand and I stopped to use the restroom while she waited. When I came out I told her there was a guy dressed like Jesus in the bathroom handing out cologne samples.

We ran about 7 miles, all surrounded by history and mystery. I kept trying to talk her into exploring some of the facility, but she would have none of it. And after watching this video, I’m glad we got the hell out of there, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to gather a group and do a night time run at Old Lakeshore.