By Mike Tarrolly – Co-host of Crushing Iron Podcast
The last week or so I’ve been moping around and kinda acting soft, so today I had a little talk with myself.
I started the day by building a music playlist and listening to it changed my attitude. All the great old funk I used to listen to back in the day. It gave me some much needed clarity and energy.
I think it’s natural to have ebbs and flows, but sometimes you have to shake yourself out of it. No more being soft for a while. Get out and run. Feel the snow, ice and wind.
Be free in nature. Five miles of lake to explore. Go your own way.
Mike Tarrolly — Co-host of the Crushing Iron Podcast
There is an onslaught of information out there and it can really tie you in a knot with regard to living our purpose.
I’m a “victim” of overanalyzing at times. I’ll sit on YouTube, see a headline, and just KNOW that is going to solve my “problem” at the time. Invariably, it doesn’t hit the spot and I move onto another one.
I used to do the same thing with bookstores. I’d feel this insatiable urge to go get a book that was going to help me sort out my life. I’d be there in Barnes and Noble sifting through titles for about an hour and usually come back to one premise: I already know what I need to do, I just need to do it.
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YouTube is loaded with regular people sitting on their couch telling you how you should live your life. And it’s very tempting and it can definitely be a short term solution when you’re looking for some juice.
The insinuation is, we all have problems or aren’t living right or aren’t being a strong enough person. We go into it from a “less-than” mindset, but then we do a few things and suddenly we’re a badass.
But it rarely sticks.
And that’s why I’m back at square one in a sense, by listening to my gut.
We all know the answer and would be better served by cutting out the noise and paying attention to what’s important in our own lives.
Take the podcast we do, for example. If we really “tried” to make it blow up and go viral, I’m 99% sure we wouldn’t be doing it anymore. We get Skype twice a week, throw around a couple loose ideas, and go for it. No real pressure, we just talk about stuff we’re passionate about. And we treat it as therapy in a loose conversation. It could easily become an “obligation” be we both enjoy doing it.
And somewhere along the line simply enjoying something became a negative.
So, let’s take that to the next level with training.
Training is a funny word. By definition it means teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies.
The key words in that definition are “useful competencies.”
Is what we’re doing helping us get better at triathlon, or more specifically better at life?
As a coach that’s very important to me because it’s not uncommon to see athletes fall off the cliff during training. They vanish from Training Peaks only to come back a few weeks later and say they needed a break. I never judge because I do the same thing at times. The real question is . . . why?
This morning I had a plan to start Andrew Huberman’s morning routine. It’s something I think is powerful and would like to build the habit. Essentially it is this:
A glass of water with a little salt upon waking
Cold plunge or shower
No coffee until 60-90 minutes after waking up
Light activity for 30 minutes
Then dive into your work
I seriously do think that’s a good plan, and I even felt pretty good this morning. But . . . it was 0 degrees in the garage where my plunge tank sits and the idea of drinking water and sitting in freezing water didn’t make me too happy. And I sort of felt like coffee.
I was literally walking around trying to convince myself to start this program. I was moving slowly and I felt good. I felt in control of my life. I felt like, “you know, I don’t want to do this right now, and what’s wrong with that?”
Art Bell wrote a book called “The Quickening,” and while I didn’t read it all, the concept has always been fascinating to me. Modern life moves so fast and I feel like we can get trapped in the pacing. It’s like continually living in a mental Zone 3 or 4 without realizing it.
Time is running out! Don’t waste your life! Regrets kill!
All of these things are constantly shoved in our face and disguised as nurturing advice, but listen to people at the end of their lives talk about what’s important and it’s usually stuff like spending times with friends and family, not working so hard, taking more time for their hobbies.
So, I didn’t do the morning plan today and actually wrote a note next to each activity that said “ease in.” The hard core motivators will say I missed my chance, but I have come around to the point where I think the best habits are built from love.
The funny part is, I didn’t even need Huberman or science to realize this is a morning routine that will serve me well. It’s been in my head for a long time.
And that’s why I truly think all of this has to start from within by slowing ourselves down and listening to the gut. Are we fighting the current of our own body and mind because someone else told us we should do it, or are we nourishing our own instincts by giving them a chance to breathe?
I think we often have this quest for perfection but don’t really even understand what that means. Everything is perfect, even when it’s kinda fucked up. And, most importantly, it’s okay to simply feel good without putting yourself into a pain chamber to prove it.
By Mike Tarrolly — Co-Host of the Crushing Iron Podcast
On a frigid night in Central Wisconsin I explore a few thoughts about chronic fatigue as it relates to training and especially long term participation in Ironman.
This kind of stuff is very important to me because I live by the mantra of feeling younger as I get older. It’s a mentality on many aspects, but I do sometimes wonder if 11 straight years of Ironman has taken more toll than I realize.
It’s the simple signs, really. Bending over to pick something up (often lately that is my 50lb dog that can’t get up anymore) and even simple things like moving up and down stairs. That little bit of a feeling that I don’t have total command of my legs due to soreness.
Should we be working in more days off or adding super low impact activities? I even wonder about too much stretching as well. It seems to reason that stretching already sore muscles will not make things better.
I talk it through and also look at the thought of whether or not it makes sense to take the Ironman bike easier if it means you’ll be on the course for another hour.
Let me know if you have any thoughts, and as always, these ideas are not backed by science.
Mike Tarrolly – Co-host of the Crushing Iron Podcast
Lately I’ve been fascinated by a few guys on YouTube who have decided to give up the hustle. It’s all a quest to get more in touch with nature and their true selves.
I never fully trust YouTube videos but the question is something worth exploring and there is a lot of comfort in realizing someone else has the same thoughts as you.
Yesterday was a genuine gray blanket in central Wisconsin and I wasn’t motivated in the least, but when the gray turned to sleet, then snow, I felt a very real desire to get “into it.” It wasn’t inspired by a book or video but a yearning to feel.
I was already wearing a hoodie and just grabbed a pair of gloves and went for it. The water is 40 degrees and the temperature was around 29. It was cold, but I took a 15 minute spin and felt that cold
I have often felt that the way a lot of us live life is really messed up. We sit in front of computers endlessly and type in numbers or words to fulfill tasks or solve problems that often seem empty.
We rush around to hit artificial deadlines only to move onto the next. That pressure never seems to go away and it seems to cloud our ability to enjoy our lives.
This is the time of year to reflect. and sometimes I feel like I’m running out of things to say.
The more I simplify my life, the less that needs to be spoken. The complex abyss we create seems to lift like a fog and all that’s left is what’s in front of us. The moment.
Mike Tarrolly – Co-Host of the Crushing Iron Podcast
I think one of the most important things I discovered during this video was how we work through soreness or discomfort. I came to the conclusion while trying to start throwing a baseball again after many years of shoulder pain. What I discovered is that maybe the way through the pain is through the pain?
The more I threw the ball against this rebounder, the less my shoulder hurt. But I started really slow and stayed patient. I find this fascinating because I think many of us deal with this on a low level as we get older. Not just shoulders, but our back, knees, ankles, neck, whatever. Maybe that’s just part of the process and our real power lies in the action of working through it.
It’s true with most of my runs. The first mile or so can feel almost unbearable at times, but as I loosen up, I feel much better. Then at the end, I feel great. So, my new mantra (especially in the morning) is don’t believe it and get moving.
Here are some of the topics raised by my athletes in Training Peaks over the week that fuel this discussion:
Zone 2 and why I feel like it’s so important to be working on at this time of year.
Head colds and how to beat them before they get you down
Mike Tarrolly – Co-Host of the Crushing Iron Podcast
Mike explores new technology and goes back to his first Ironman at Wisconsin. He talks about the experience of a mass start and re-visits the idea of pursuing a documentary on the journey he took with 4 others that year.
I have long been a proponent of “under training” for Ironman and it’s mainly because of longevity. I’m over 60 now and dealing with multiple long rides and runs is just too hard on my body.
BUT, that said, I feel like I’m in a good spot. I stay very active in general and while I’m not doing a ton of traditional long stuff, I’m supplementing with little things like push ups, the rower, a hydro bike, and treadmill walking. This will actually be an interesting experiment.
The funny part is, despite being “undertrained” I was absolutely shellacked this week. More than once I said this would be my last Ironman. I was very short, and frankly kind of an asshole with people this week. That’s when I know I’m going down the wrong path.
How much is enough? That’s the question I ask myself over and over while scrolling through training peaks for positive reinforcement. The activity that shows up the most is SUP boarding and, while I think it’s awesome for the body, I’m not sure how well that will translate to the hills in Wisconsin. We can hope.
Sometimes I feel a lot of pressure to perform well because of the podcast. It’s just one of those things where you think athletes will judge your performance and question your coaching.
I’ll admit that I am a pretty non-traditional coach. I’ve been through 10 of these things and at least that many 70.3’s since I turned 50 and I ALWAYS put my well being above training. I did that with my corporate job as well.
I’ve seen people absolutely demolish training and flop in the race and I’ve seen the exact opposite. I just don’t believe there is one way to get this done.
We talk a lot about happy and healthy on the podcast and it’s a very murky area when it comes to training for Ironman. The doubt and anxiety quotient is usually very high with athletes. Either they don’t understand how they will finish or they have lofty goals. I really believe that if you’re “in the ballpark” physically, your mind is the ultimate weapon.
I rarely swim or bike the distance and don’t even come close to a marathon before Ironman. This year my long training run will be around 10 miles. That sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it’s about the same as usual and while I haven’t podium’d, I have raced multiple sub 12 hour fulls.
And here we go again. I’ve spent most of the last week or so focusing on sleep and eating like a horse. I have been staying active, but am leaning into the “be fresh” bucket more than anything. My ultimate goal is always to feel the best I have all year on race day.
I think it was Jan Frodeno who said, “If you’re feeling over confident on race day, you’re probably overtrained.”
Sure, I may take things a bit to the extreme the other way, but who am I to argue with a guy like Frodeno? It’s just one day and I know I have the fitness to get it done, I just hope I have the patience to pace it right and rebound from tough races at Wisconsin the last two years.
It never fails, the beginning of taper is laced with emotions. I am tired, uncertain, and frankly, unenthusiastic as I sit here 14 days from the race.
The Ironman taper is like painting your house the day before it rains. You want to throw in the towel, but know you can’t. The only option is to take a deep breath and keep painting.
In my last post I talked about Ironman as a spiritual quest, and as I think about how that can pertain to a “goal” for the race, I know I need to get right in my mind.
The questions about did I do enough, or too much or can I hold this pace or that, really need to be thrown out with the trash. The two weeks leading into Ironman are much more mental than physical.
The corn is in the silo and now we have to figure out what do do with it.
If I live in Iowa, my answer is lobby the government to get corn subsidies, then sit back and watch the Hawkeyes struggle to score 20 points a game at Kinnick Stadium. But that’s not us so we have a pressing question of, how will we deal with our stored energy?**
Doing an Ironman every year is kind of like going to the same diner every Sunday morning. It loses a little luster along the way and we tend to try ridiculous things to ignite the old flame.
My goal is to be excited about the race and it may take a few mind tricks to get me there.
I’m a regular at the Ironman Diner and these conversations tend to get a little old. I’ve doubled down on the strategy talks, argued with the locals about whether or not I should go by feel or power, I’ve even tried the latest and greatest rhubarb corn biscuits with no satisfaction. To me, the only actionable solution is to stop going for a while.
I have to create a hunger for mystery.
This is really simple to understand. You can be totally sick of something. Stop doing it for a while. And the palette is cleansed.
It’s easy to become obsessed with our race. There must be something NEW out there. The triathlon equivalent of rhubarb corn biscuits. Maybe it’s aero socks, or a new helmet or a consumer grade hyperbaric chamber that will flush our inflammation. Just one tip or trick that’s going to give me a PR.
And believe me . . . I fall for this shit like Manti te’o fell for a fake person.
But this time, I am driving my enthusiasm by omission.
Less is more.
And, of course that is the definition of taper, but it can’t be just physical. We have to unload our brain from the information seeking obsession as well.
I think the best way is to forget about ourselves for a while. Get interested in other people. Help them get through their issues. Release the silly burdens we put on Ironman results.
Get away from social media, especially triathlon groups. Use the energy to do projects around the house and balance your life.
Being a tri-calc scientist at 1:00 in the morning is not going to help your race.
There’s nothing better than going into race weekend with a genuine excitement to be on the course. It should be like a high end restaurant reward for the money you saved by taking a few weeks off at the diner.
**I’m just having fun with words. I’m sure some of my Wisconsin farmers do the same thing.
In two weeks I’ll be on the Ironman Wisconsin course for the sixth time — my 11th Ironman since I turned 50 years old. I feel pretty decent for feeling like shit.
As usual, I am technically undertrained for this race. Looking at my Training Peaks is quite hilarious considering a large portion of my work has been done on a SUP board and Hydro Bike.
I’m not exactly sure why I keep doing Ironman, but this week I came across a clue that may explain things.
I was listening to a podcast and the guys were talking about intermittent fasting and how essentially it’s putting the body in starvation mode. One of the points made was that fasting is much more reasonable for younger people. Their bodies are more equipped to handle the stress. But as you get older, it can really mess with your hormones, ability to heal, etc.
This is especially true for very active people.
Then he said it, “I think the biggest problem with fasting is that people do it for physical reasons, when it has much more power as a spiritual practice.”
That resonates with me on a deep level, and I immediately made the Ironman association.
If you pinned me down, even as someone who makes his living on . . . and races Ironman frequently, I would probably admit this probably isn’t the healthiest approach to life. It’s insane amounts of training, pounding, fatigue, sleep troubled nights, personal conflicts, etc. But, there’s also a lot of beauty in the suffering if you approach it as a spiritual practice.
I’ve often referred to my Ironman races as a “compass” and on a surface level that meant it “keeps me out of too much trouble.” But, when you look at it as a sacrifice of the easy things you might normally do, it really takes on deeper meaning.
I remember growing up and hearing about how religion had mandatory fasts at certain times of the year. I thought it was the craziest thing, but it fascinated me. Why would someone suffer on purpose? Now I understand.
David Goggins has talked about how there is multiple years of learning within an Ultra Marathon. He must go through so much pain and suffering that his mind experiences a master class on life.
Ironman is similar.
Every single time I’ve done one I have openly professed it will be my last. Sort of like someone saying I’ll never drink again after a long night of shots.
But eventually we come back. Is it an addiction to the pain and suffering? Is it the spiritual learning? Is it a search for love of self?
One of my favorite things about Ironman is the absolute power it has to bring you into the moment. It’s very difficult to think about silly life problems when you’re swimming for over an hour or 80 miles into the bike or 18 miles into the run. You are right in that moment with all the pain, suffering, and desire for it to be over. No one forces you to stay on the course, but there is a majestic power that won’t allow you to quit.
I’ve often referred to Ironman training as “breaking up the rocks” in my body. It’s like going through intense therapy that loosens the pent up tension we’ve held inside for years. It can be painful and certainly emotional, but nothing good ever comes easy.
Even though it can really suck and probably isn’t the best way to feel good on a daily basis, Ironman training, when kept in perspective, will build strong layers of armor for life. It’s not easy to see in the moment, but when I look back over the last 10 years I can see how I’ve changed.
The physical benefits of being able to do something like this at the age of 60 are obvious, especially when I look around the room at reunions. But it’s the mental change that may be the most powerful.
Not many things overwhelm me like they did back in the day. I look at pain, suffering, and illness totally different. They are now indicators not ultimatums. I accept them in the moment and move through them without giving them power.
I have also become more comfortable with the concept of death.
The thought of watching my dad die was something that would have made me run and hide in my younger days, but when he slowly left the world right before the world left us in 2020, I leaned into it. I was there with him in the moment. He showed me it was nothing to be afraid of.
It was right after Christmas and he finally gave me the gift I’d been wanting since a child, peace of mind with the biggest mystery.
None of us are immune to the anxiety of facing Ironman. It’s the elephant in the room of a house of horror that for some reason we have paid to tour. We are never at peace with the Ironman mystery until we actually show up and walk the plank.
We must go face to face with the challenge to see our potential. It is not about the time or the accolades, it is a spiritual laboratory that is building us into a stronger soul.
