Author: Crushing Iron

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My Ironman Kona Race Report

This past Saturday, I sat in a hotel room in Huntsville, Alabama and watched the live stream of Kona on my computer, and let me tell you, it felt like I was there!

Well, not really.  But it did get me pumped for the Goosepond 1/2 triathlon I was doing Sunday.

Didn’t really do that either, but it was kinda cool being in Rocket City.  Umm . . .

Yeah, so, it was me, Robbie, Corey and Wasky in two hotel rooms running back and forth with the latest gossip on the pros at Kona  all while throwing in a bit of Gordon Ramsay and Hines Ward snark for good measure.*

“Holy crap, Starykowicz is on pace to break the bike course record.”

“He’s the dude that beat us in Muncie.”

“He’ll never hold it.”

“Hines would crush you, Wasky”

“Whatever.”

“Where’s Kienle?”

“He’s around.”

I kept throwing out Ben Hoffman splits, but nobody seemed to care.  They’ll learn.

“Is that Chris McDonald commentating?”

“Yeah… he tweeted with me the other day about Spyoptic.”

Freshmen gushing at the varsity.
——————-
Robbie was basking in the sore-arm-glow of “Swimming the Suck” earlier that day.  Ten miles of open water on 5 Days notice.

Me, Corey, and Wasky were digging for energy and motivation to race Goosepond the next day.

“What’s the run course like?”

“I’m telling you, it’s PANCAKE FLAT!”

“You sure?”

“Book it.”

“I haven’t done shit since Wisconsin.”

“Join the club, brotha.”

I was NOT ready for a half triathlon but suspected Wasky and Corey, who did Louisville, were in better form.
———————-
We lounged with our laptops and watched as Frederik Van Lierde blew through the tape in 8:12:28 for his first Ironman World Championship.  That’s close to 4 hours faster than I did Wisconsin and damn near as fast as I’d do Goosepond the next day.

Well, sort of.  I did 5:35 ish.

Van Lierde’s bike was 4:25 for 112 miles.  My bike split at Goosepond was 2:36 (actually 2:40 because I got a 4:00 penalty, which I’m still steaming about . . . not really, but you can read about it here).  That 2:36 was about all I had and it felt like I was re-writing the record books.  IF I could have done that for another 56 miles (which is more than highly doubtful) I would have dismounted after 5:12, a pretty f-ing amazing time, but dude rocked a 4:25 in the crosswinds before running at 2:51 marathon?  Who are these freaks?

Then, there’s Mirinda Carfrae, who got off the bike around 10 minutes back and casually threw down a 2:50 marathon?  I’m sitting there on that comfortable ass bed in Huntsville, Alabama watching her float on air at mile 25 thinking . . . that’s the babe that tweeted at me about Brittany Spears tickets a few weeks ago.  Small damn world.

Then we gathered the backpacks and went into Goosepond for our ass-kicking.

CMWkona*  Just getting into the race is an accomplishment. Each year, more than 80,000 athletes vie for a shot to be on the starting line, but only 1,900 men and women make it.  (Source, and crappy article by the LA Times about Ramsay’s Ironman that anyone in the world with a computer could have written)

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The Dreaded Drafting Penalty #triathlon

Follow me @miketarrolly

The difference between 1st and 3rd degree murder is a big one.  One premeditated, the other absent of malice.  After some genuine deliberation over the weekend, I have decided the same degrees should be assigned to bike drafting.

I didn’t realize it until the next day, but I got my first drafting penalty at Goosepond this weekend.  I had a terrible race, so it didn’t really matter, but the ONLY thing I felt good about that day was my bike.

(Full Goosepond Race Report coming soon)

My swim sucked (not to be confused with “Swim the Suck“) so I thought, hell, let’s see what kind of bike time I can put on the books.  It was a flat and fast course and, even though I hadn’t trained much since IMWI, I felt serviceable.

I wasn’t wearing a Garmin, but my bike computer hovered around 21 mph and I wanted to average at least that for the whole ride.*  I’m not much for flat courses because, even though fast, you have to pedal the whole time . . . and my legs were burning.

So, to find out later, I had been accused of first degree drafting really sucked the wind out of me.   In all honesty, I am a little salty about this situation, but am truly interested in whether or not the people handing out the penalties understand the nuances of racing.

Here is the official USAT definition of drafting:

Drafting: Drafting–keep at least three bike lengths of clear space between you and the cyclist in front. If you move into the zone, you must pass within 15 seconds. Position–keep to the right hand side of the lane of travel unless passing. Blocking–riding on the left side of the lane without passing anyone and interfering with other cyclists attempting to pass. Overtaken–once passed, you must immediately exit the draft zone from the rear, before attempting to pass again.
Penalty: Variable time penalty  (In my case this was 4:00)

This is a picture of me drafting (photo courtesy of We Run Huntsville). 2013 Goosepond Tri (185 of 585)-X2I’m not saying I never entered that “space” at Goosepond, but I was certainly not alone.  In fact, most riders creep in and out of that 3-bike-length zone at some point during a race.    Sometimes it’s just very difficult without slamming on the brakes, which can easily put the person behind you into the draft.

I like the rule, I just think “drafting” and ending up in “no man’s land” are two different things.  One is intentional, the other victim of circumstance.  It’s one thing to “move into the zone” and quite another to “end up in the zone.”

If you are tucked in aero and rolling behind someone for an extended period, that is first degree drafting.  If you come around a corner and get stuck in a tight line of cyclists going up a slight incline, what else can you do?  Draft-slaughter.

At Ironman Wisconsin for instance, there were so many people around at times it was almost impossible not to get wedged in an illegal zone for short periods.  We weren’t on each other’s wheel, but 10 – 15 people going up a long incline or descent 2-3 bike lengths apart (I believe Ironman has a 4 bike length zone) was not uncommon.  Passing that many people is just unrealistic, and probably not the best idea.  My natural tendency was to slip out of the line to the left, but then you put yourself at risk for 2nd degree blocking.

I really believe they should hand out a warning first because, not only is it that “7 meters” a judgement call, most often it’s not what the drafting penalty is really trying to stop.   In essence, what I likely did was 3rd degree drafting at the worst and should have warranted a far shorter sentence.

I’m not complaining, I’m just curious to hear about some of your experiences with drafting and the dreaded penalties that often seem so random.

*  My bike split was 2:40:26.

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Swim The Suck Race Report – Guest Blog

Swimming has quickly become the most fascinating event of triathlon for me, and this story blows off the roof.  It’s written by my coach, Robbie Bruce, and is just another example of how he pushes the limit and inspires me to do the same.  Most people train all year for something like this, but Robbie signed up on a whim 5 days before the race.  His longest swim of the year was 2.4 miles.  On this day, he would swim 10. 

How a simple “Retweet” led to me swimming 10 miles: Swim the Suck Race Report

Robbie Bruce – October 14, 2013

Almost at this exact time last Monday I had finished my first official “rest week” trying to recover from a year-long achilles injury that had me either sidelined from training or racing all together. At the most, it was allowing me to rack up not just my first DNF ever but also my second, third, and FOURTH of my career. A slight intervention from basically everyone I know had convinced me to shelve my bike and run training and just rest and prepare for 2014. So I did and just decided to swim a bit. Thats when I came across a “Retweet” from my good friend Mike. It was from Blue Seventy offering up a slot to the prestigious “Swim the Suck” 10 mile OWS race in Chattanooga if you could be the first one to answer a question:  Below is a summary of how that retweet turned in to me swimming 10 miles 5 days later. (Feel free to skip down to the bottom of the page and just read about the “race” if you like)

Mon-Tue-

I answered BlueSeventy’s contest hoping I would win. 50% because as my sister can attest I NEVER win anything. Kind of a running joke in our family. The other 50% me thought it would be pretty sweet to win and what an awesome experience it would be to be able to participate in such an incredible event. I actually  thought I had a legit chance to win bc A. I was the 3rd person to respond. B. Who would be stupid enough to do something that crazy on 5 days notice C. I live in Nashville so my travel costs, logistics, etc would be minimal compared to pretty much anyone. A few hours went by and I checked, checked and rechecked the BlueSeventy twitter feed to see if an announcement had been made. Nothing. At least I still had a chance. The afternoon came around and as I was sitting in my office I got the following message:

My first thoughts were “I can’t believe I won! This is going to be so sweet!” Then it turned into “S#*t. What have I gotten myself into. How am I going to do this” I made a few phone calls to let some people know before I responded to BlueSeventy so they could check my sanity but I had already decided I was doing it anyway. https://crushingiron.com/2013/10/07/two-tweets-lead-to-a-10-mile-swim/.

You cant enter a contest like this and win and then not do it. That would be bush-league. I called the guys at BlueSeventy and then got ball started rolling. I swapped emails with Blue Seventy and Karah. I spent a majority of Monday evening and Tuesday morning memorizing the Swim the Suck website. There were a lot of logistics to figure out. My first and most important issue was to find a pilot. I posted on my athletes FB page asking if anyone would be willing to pilot for me. As luck would have it (as if I had not had enough already) Ed Rusk, who lives in Chattanooga said he would do it. We swapped a few messages and he was committed to devoting his Friday night and Saturday to pilot me. We were both entering uncharted territory. I was already heading up to Chattanooga on Wednesday to participate in the Snail Dart 1 miler and we agreed we could meet there and chat for a bit. I seriously debated doing a long OWS on Tuesday as a confidence builder. My longest swim since Ironman Louisville was 4200 meters the week before. I opted for rest and figured just do the 1miler then rest again for Saturday.

Snail Dart 1 Miler

I made it up to Chattanooga for the 1miler. Before winning the entry I was determined to go up and sprint it as hard as I could. I had never done an open water race so I was excited. Plus knowing some of the COWS members I knew it would be at least a great event and a good time after. One of my junior athletes actually invited me to the swim so my real goal was not to get beaten by a 12yr old:). About an hour or 2 before the race I decided sprinting it was not the best option as I would likely still be sore on Saturday morning. 75-80% was my best bet so that was the plan I was sticking too. I hopped in the water with Addison who is probably 25lbs soaking wet. She had to sprint upstream just to stay behind the start line. I thought to myself “Please sweet baby Jesus let it be like this on Saturday.” The race started and was over in a blink. I felt ok in the water but it was far from a confidence builder. Even the ridiculous time I put down thanks to the current did not erase any doubts I had about Saturday. Bottom line. I suck at short races. I have always said- The most painful part for me is the first 500-1000 meters. After that it just feels the same. I also got dusted by Addison:). On a happier note she took home a sweet trophy featured below.

After the race I made it over the the Springhill Suites to hang out with some of the COWS and hopefully meet some new people that would give me some advice on how not to totally drown and embarrass myself on Saturday. I have to say. I was incredibly surprised at how welcoming and outgoing the group was. I am usually surrounded by triathletes at such events and they can be “a bit less friendly” to put it mildly. Everyone I met was so nice and I basically sat for an hour like a sponge trying to get as much info as I could. Ed and I sat together and discussed a little it of “strategy” but lets be honest. We were incredibly clueless. My main objective at this point in the week was “respect.” Respect the distance. Respect the opportunity. Respect the people. Respect their views. Most of these people had been training for months and spent a good deal of money to do this race. It would be incredibly disrespectful of me to take this lightly and basically undermine the experience and opportunity afforded to me. Coming from an endurance background I always know to respect the distance. I went to bed Wed night feeling much more informed and a bit relieved from a logistics standpoint. As far as covering the distance… Not so much. I can’t thank everyone for all the advice they gave me. It was truly invaluable. You guys rock.

Thur-Fri

Thursday was more and more “planning.” My biggest fear was nutrition. How in the hell was I going to fuel for this. Outside of the distance. I knew nutrition would be my biggest obstacle. I had no idea how long I would be swimming, what my effort would be or how many calories I should take in and when. I let Ed know my “loose” nutrition plan but I figured it would change. Friday rolled around and I woke up more anxious than I have the day before any race I have ever done. I will readily admit that I was fearful. I cant remember the last time I entered a race just “hoping” to finish. I packed up my truck and headed to Chattanooga. Registration was at 5 and then the pasta dinner and mandatory meeting at 6. I usually skip both of these at races because it is usually just bad food and nervous energy. But as one of my friends put it , “Its a  good thing you are going. This is more a “life or death” kind of meeting.” I totally agreed. I also thought it would be disrespectful to just grab my packet and jet.  Ed and I both checked in and we were lucky enough to sit at a table with not only some familiar faces and friends but some Swim the Suck veterans. I can come off a bit “chill” sometimes but the longer I sat there, the more I felt like an impostor. Karah rattled off a list of names with swimming resumes that seemed like fairy tale. I felt totally out of my element. On the plus side, the food was wonderful and the company was great. If it hadnt had been for that I probably would have just driven back to Nashville. The meeting and dinner concluded and it was time to get some rest and prepare for the day. I made it back to Ed’s house and got settled in. The last thing I thought before I closed my eyes was, “If someone dropped you in the middle of the ocean and you HAD to make it 10 miles to shore. Could you do it?” The answer was “yes.” 

Race Morning-

“Fear.” That was my first thought when I opened my eyes. My heart was racing and I was incredibly anxious. I barely ate anything. I was too nervous. I piddled around quietly in the kitchen while Ed was totally under control. He had done probably a years worth of research in 3 days. Turns out Ed and I think a lot of like but in different ways if that makes sense. I hopped in my truck to follow Ed the the start line. I was still fearful and questioning myself. I spent the next 20mins trying to distract myself with my nutrition strategy. That didnt work. As we rounded a corner close to the start I saw this:

My fear was gone. My anxiety disappeared. I have always felt more at home in the water than on land. I looked at the landscape that awaited me and thought, “How can this be scary.” It was beautiful. I was in amazement. I knew at that moment I would finish. I just had to swim. What an incredible opportunity at an amazing venue. I felt incredibly lucky and blessed. I parked my truck and Ed and I met to scope out and grab our vessel for the day. Ed had made a sweet “08” fin for the back of our kayak. Here was Ed’s home and my escort for over 4:00.

After I got body marked I just meandered around. Talked with some friends. Met some new people and just tried to stay as warm as possible.

It was quite chilly.  I spent a lot of time just standing around alone looking around. It was a pretty cool scene. I had told myself I would take this as slow as possible. It was uncharted territory and failing was not an option. As the start time drew nearer my competitive side came out and I started to look at it as more of a “race”. If anything it would be a race of attrition against myself. I thought to myself, “do not let this opportunity go to waste.” We all lined up as the kayaks seemingly colored the water like a bag of skittles:

We all stripped down and got in line. It was straight up freezing. Rebecca grabbed this shot of me standing in line (very sneaky by the way) preparing to get in the water. I was not focused on the race right here I was merely focused on not shivering:

We finally hit the water to prepare for the start. Thank GOD!! It felt like a warm bath compared to the chilly air I had been standing in half naked for 10 mins. I took a few strokes to warm up and positioned myself at the very very back. I would let everyone else get out in front so I could just chill. I figured it would be easier to find Ed that way and also keep me from getting caught up in starting to fast.  The countdown started at 1:00…..

The Race-

“Everyone has a plan till they get hit in the mouth.” That is one my favorite quotes. Funny thing is that I had no plan when the gun went off. I actually thought that was an advantage. I would not know if anything was going wrong or off. I started off VERY slow. I wanted to pace myself very slowly the first 2ish miles I thought and just get in a slow “lets just finish” groove. I only had one thing on my watch, that was average pace. I did not want to know time or distance. Just swim until it was done. The only instructions I gave Ed was to let me know when 30mins was up so I could decide to feed or not. I went about 500 yards, took a breath and spotted Ed. I yelled out at him and kept swimming until he found me.  I was taking it very slowly. He let me know when 30mins was up and I turned over and called out what I wanted as I backstroked. Rolled back over and kept swimming until he came up with my nutrition. I went for some Perform drink and gel. Lets just say my first feeding was a total debacle. I tried to drink, spit it out. Tried to take in my gel spit it out. Then I peed. So basically my first feeding was a net calorie loss:). I looked to my right (towards the start), into the sun and could not see anyone. I thought, “dude. Your are in last place….”. So I went on. I began to pick up the pace around what I thought was about an hour in. I felt pretty good but was scared to pick it up to quick. The current was going strong so I thought just go slow and let the current do the work because if the current stops or slows and the wind picks up I will need the energy to just finish. Every so often Ed would pull up and point to his watch and I would either let him now the fuel I wanted or shake him off like a pitcher to a catcher and keep swimming. I packed solids, gels, and liquid for the swim. I ended up only taking in Perform, gel and coke. No solids and did not take in near as much as I thought. All in all I think I nailed my nutrition. I swam for about what I though was 2.5hrs. I popped up for a feeding and finally looked at my watch “1:09” You have GOT to be kidding me!! Ive only been swimming for a freaking hour and nine minutes. Ahhhhh. This is average pace. Thank the lord. Ed informed me we were a little over half way through. That was a big relief. I knew then I would finish. I looked ahead and saw what look like a fleet of kayaks and then back and saw about he same amount. I asked if I was about the middle of the pack and Ed said yes. I told him to aim for that pack in front and I would try to catch as many as I could. Now it was a race. My arms, chest and shoulders were on fire but I knew it could not hurt any worse than it already was so lets just get it over with already. I pushed very hard for the next hour and began to pass people up until I think mile 7-7.5. I could tell the current had slowed and the water began to get fairly choppy. I shook off Ed for a feeding bc I was trying to stay even or pass the guy next to me. Plus the water was choppy and feeding would be hard anyway. The chop died a bit and I stopped for some more coke. Thats when Ed said “Yea. The current died.” I knew the last 2.5 miles would be grueling. He told me my time and I knew I had a chance to break 4hrs which was my goal. I put my head down and just swam. Then I began to feel incredibly lonely. Breathe right. No Ed. Breathe left. No Ed. Backstroke and look behind…. No Ed. I thought well, he has either bailed on me to watch the Kona coverage or mother nature had called. Luckily enough I had a guy right in front of me with green kayak and bright green life vest so I followed him until Ed returned. I felt I was getting pretty close and kept chasing the kayaks/balloons in front. Let me just say. I love and hate those balloons. It gave you something to chase but they always seemed about 200 meters closer than they actually were. I rolled over on my back and called for what would be my last feeding. I was gassed. Totally. I almost didn’t stop in fear I would not be able to get going again. I snagged some coke and thats when Ed informed me “The finish is just right there.” Music to my freaking ears. I asked for time and he said 3:30. I decided to sprint all I had to the finish. I was determined to crack 4:00. Ed guided me on a perfect line towards the finishing buoy. 400. 300. 200. I could see the orange clearly. I was still trying to catch the balloon in front of me. Every time I took a breath and I would see Eds face. I could not tell if he was smiling or laughing at my futile attempt to catch the kayak in front of me. 100 meters.

Done. It took every bit of energy just to get my arm out of the water to slap the buoy. 3:46. I did it. I was absolutely toast. I looked on land to see all the finishers before me and thought, “All of you people are freaks of nature. Crazy and ridiculously athletic. ” By far the most difficult race I have ever done. Anyone that does that race regardless of time is an absolute stud. It is physically and mentally incredibly challenging. Finally made it out of the water to towel off and get warm. Sat around for about an hour. I cant thank Ed enough for volunteering his time to help me out. Ed. You are the man.

Cheered on fellow swimmers and talked about the experience while admiring the beautiful landscape. Here is the view from where we finished.

My Take:

One of the best sporting experiences of my life. The backdrop was incredible. The people were amazing. The course was majestic and the event itself was run perfectly. I told myself before the race this would either make me want to do more races like this or never do another one. Doing this race only once in the manner in which I lucked out this year would be like an inexperienced poker player sitting down at a high stakes poker table, playing one hand, getting lucky, then getting up and cashing out big. Thats the definition of bush-league. So having said that, I will be back next year to race for sure. Hopefully with a full deck of cards.

HUGE thank you to BlueSeventy for the entry and all the free gear. Thank you to Karah and everyone who put on Swim the Suck and all the COWS who made me feel right at home and gave me so much great advice! Last but not least Ed Rusk for piloting me!

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A Half Marathon, 10 Mile Swim, and 1/2 Triathlon Weekend

This weekend will be action packed.  I’m sitting in a Murfreesboro hotel preparing to shoot video for the Middle Half Marathon in the morning.  Robbie is in a hotel in Chattanooga resting for his 10 Mile Swim.  After that ridiculous feat, he’ll drive to Huntsville to meet with me, Wasky, and Corey where we’ll spend the afternoon watching a live stream of the Ironman World Championship in Kona. Then Sunday, it’s Goosepond.  

This will be the second time I’ve shot a video for the Middle Half.  The first was two years ago and I was stressed beyond belief because running was foreign to me.  I was amazed that these crazy people were actually running a half marathon.  Sunday I will do that after swimming 1.2 miles and riding 56.  In two years I have not only overcome my fear of running, but blown it out of the water.  

The thought of swimming 10 miles blows my mind, and I’m totally stoked Robbie is doing it.  I never even heard of such a thing.  He’s a great swimmer, but ten miles?  Damn.  And it’s not like he trained for it, he signed up this week.  I don’t know what the equivalent would be in running.  I’m thinking at least two marathons?   You tell me.

Kona.  I am so stoked to watch it online.  I’ve never done that before, but hear it is awesome because the commentators know what they’re talking about and it’s not a bunch of personal stories.  More about the race.  It will be a great way to get jacked for Sunday.  

I’m very curious to see how Goosepond will play out.  I haven’t really done much of anything since Wisconsin except sleep and drop in an occasional swim, bike, and run.  They certainly weren’t long, although I did run 10 miles last weekend and can still feel it.  I haven’t decided if I am going to go after this race or let it come to me.  I guess I proved I have some patience in Wisconsin, but one of my faults (or strengths) is that I don’t do well with going slow.  It’s almost easier for me to go fast and just get it all over with, so I just hope my body feels strong on Sunday.  

The other thing that’s different is two years ago on this night I was in the hotel lobby sucking down beers the night before this video session.  After videotaping I went back to the Pub and drank the rest of the day away.  Now I’m blogging a good friend and coach who will swim 10 miles in the morning and my HALF TRIATHLON on Sunday.  I guess I really am impatient.   

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5 Winning Insights for Kona from My Neighbor James

If you follow the blog, you know that my neighbor James has been a huge inspiration in my triathlon “success” over the last year, especially leading up to IM Wisconsin.  He always knows how to cut through the BS and get to the real point.  Last night, we were hanging out front and I asked him if he had any advice he could pass along to the athletes doing the Ironman World Championship in Kona.  He didn’t miss a beat. 

Guest Blog – by my Neighbor James

Look, Mike, I ain’t never been to Fiji or whatever, but competition is always spelled the same..  I been through it, bro… basketball, street fights, spellin bees, winnin ova my lil lady…  Ya feel me?  I got 5 things I always tell people like yaself and you can pass em to ya friends on the internet or Twitter or whatever the hell you do when u ain’t mowin’ ya yard.

First thing you gotta know is who you is….  If you Michael Jordan, everybody gonna be watchin.  If you John Paxson, they gonna fall asleep on u.  If you Jordan, you gotta do what you do, and shit gonna come all natural. but if you Paxson, you gotta be patient… that shot gonna come… just make sure ya ass ready.

Two.  Like dude said in Hoosiers… a Basketball court is a basketball court.  Rims the same height and you playin on wood.  Unless u grew up in my hood… and I ain’t lyin, Mike, we played on grass… but no matta… you all got the same damn court so quit talkin bout the track.

Three.  Man, I been on the beach before and u got young women all up in ya face wit them bikinis tryin to get you off ya game.  All I got to say to that is, the beach still gonna be there after u run that damn race.

Four.  Mike, I don’t care who you is, you gotta understand the game.  Man, Yogi Berra said 90% of the game is half mental and dude himself is mental, but he right as hell.  Hear me?  Cause when you up against dudes you know as good as you, talent ain’t got nothin’ to do with it.  Everybody get tired, and feel that pain, but if you don’t stop at the drug store, u gonna get home faster.

And Five.  If I was gonna look you in the eye and tell you, or James Jr. what it take to win, it would be this…  You know how sometimes you get to the place you goin and forget how you got there, or why you there in the first place?  Don’t do that shit.  Remember, man.  You came all this way and just gonna show up on some sand and forget bout that time you was in the rain thinkin bout the sand?  Man, think about the rain cuz that’s how you got ya ass on the sand.

So drop that in the bank and leave it in there till you ready to retire ya ass on a beach for a different reason.

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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

Ironman Wisconsin, State Capitol, Finish line“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.

 

Posted on

The Emotions Leading Up to an Ironman

@miketarrolly

Following is a burst of writing 10 days before Ironman Wisconsin, that I never published.  I wonder if any of you can identify with these emotions?  The kids in Kona?

How Do I Really Feel 10 Days Before IMWI?   (Originally written August 29, 2013)

I’m pissed.  That’s how I feel.  I’m anxious, paranoid, impatient, angry, unsettled.

I just want to be out of this office right now.

I want to be swimming, biking, or running.  I want to be cleaning my bike, packing my clothes, driving north.

I want people to stop being stupid.  I want to punch something, or someone.

It’s 10 Days out and the world feels like it will explode.

As I type, I feel a good angst.  Like I am ready to crush it.  Not scared.  I want to roll it out and let it ride.  I feel strong and ready to burst.

Posted on

Why I Don't Watch the NFL

I used to love the NFL.  I was an improbable (and scorned) Vikings’ fan growing up in Wisconsin.

My best friend had just moved in from Minnesota and we spent hours upon hours running around in the backyard impersonating Fran Tarkington and the Purple People Eaters.  We were purple, man.  And maybe that’s why I love Prince so much, too.

I had all the gear.  The jersey, helmet, blanket, slippers, you name it, and I could not wait until Sunday.  It was easier for me to like the Vikings because they were good.  Back then the Packers stunk.

But, as good as they were, the Vikings lost sometimes.  It would crush me.  I would be so bummed I’d sit in my room the rest of the day.  It was bad.  And, you may know, the Vikings have lost FIVE Super Bowls.  I wouldn’t come out for days after those losses.

Eventually, I realized this was not a healthy practice and started questioning why I would care so much about an NFL team.  It didn’t make sense really.  I didn’t know any of the players, they didn’t call Minnesota (or Wisconsin for that matter) home, and they all made tons of money to play a game I played all weekend for free.

As I got older, I watched how other grown men acted watching their team.  They were just so vested in the games, and a loss seemed to literally take a piece of their souls.  I’ve even heard the mood in our nation’s capitol, the home to leaders of the free world, is dramatically affected by a Redskin’s win or loss.  People obviously care about their teams!

I still like college sports, but have to admit even that is waning.  Triathlon has had a direct impact on what I find important, and I’ve decided wasting my entire weekend celebrating corpse pose and watching football isn’t one of those things.  I still care about the Badgers, but the fact that they already have two losses has far less bearing on my mood.

Essentially it’s the difference between a passive and active life.

I haven’t always led by example, but truly believe the purpose in life is to learn and grow.  Without a goal or passion driving that process it’s easy to get caught in the trap of fading away; and for me that means living with guilt.

Today, I was flipping through the radio on my way home and landed on a sports talk station.  Some guy called in and was asking a question about the Titans, but he prefaced it by saying how depressed he gets when they lose.  “I stumble around the house for three or four days all bummed out.”  The hosts, and even he, started laughing, but I thought it was sad.  The Titans should have nothing to do with him, but the outcome of their games dictates how he feels.

So instead of watching football this Sunday, I will be swimming, biking, and running for 70.3 miles, and it will likely hurt.  But I will be alive.  I will be surrounded by people who would rather push their limits and “feel” life instead of sitting on a couch getting numb.

That said, I will likely spend a good chunk of Saturday in front of the computer watching the Ironman Kona World Championships, but I’m pretty sure that will have a different impact on my attitude.