Crushing Iron

February 20, 2013

Swim Training

I really want swimming to be my favorite event. I have been pretty consistent at getting to the pool, but it seems like every other swim goes to hell for me. And by go to hell I mean gives me little confidence about completing the 2.4 miles.

Now, I know I will be ready and will finish the swim regardless. I did an Olympic swim in miserable conditions and was breast stroking 200 yards off shore. It took about 43 minutes (13 minutes than more than my target pace) but I made it out of the water with plenty left for the bike in run.

The one constant in my bad swims is trying to go to fast too early. It’s very difficult for me because, similar to the stationary bike, swimming in a pool just gets on my nerves sometimes. I just want it to be over. So I push and try to get out faster because the lane feels claustrophobic and I’m not a big fan of chlorine. So, I push and wind up out of breath. Unable to relax. I swim far less than I’d hoped and promise to do better the next time.

We were supposed to have a swim lesson from coach this morning at 5am. I was reticent, but made a decision to go because I need someone to correct my stroke. Unfortunately, he texted everyone last night and said he was sick, but I’d be lying if I didn’t feel relief. Still, the mornings!

It’s all about the warm up. I have to remember that. In an hour and a half swim (that’s my Ironman goal) a few minutes of light, slow, and relaxed strokes at the beginning will go a LONG ways for me. I want to get stronger, not be looking at the shore from a mile away going, “holy fuck… how will I make it?”

Drama.

I’ve made a decision that swimming will now get a higher percentage of my workout plan. I grew up running and biking. They are built into my fiber and I only have 200 days to do it with swimming. I really like being in water, but my goal is to feel completely comfortable the moment it starts. Running and biking will take care of themselves. Not being ready for the swim could break me.

Now, I realize people say you don’t lose the race in the swim, but I disagree. Less people to pass and more intensity from better racers. 15 minutes may not seem like a lot, but when you’re hoping to come in under 13 hours, that will leave a lot less margin for error on the bike and run. Just sayin…. And the debate starts now . . . .

February 19, 2013

Building for an Ironman

I believe that everything is on a continuum.

I’m not a big fan of ultimatums and don’t think people are simply one way or the other. There are at least 50 Shades of Grey. On one end is death, the other, complete aliveness. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle, and I believe that applies to training as well.

I have been striving to be completely awake. Training like never before, pushing my body to the limits in pursuit of ultimate bliss. I can honestly say that I feel better than I have in years. The workouts have been intense and often. I have been completing several of them, but not all.

The guys I’m training with are amazing inspiration. No less than 8 times I have laid in bed before a Saturday or Sunday workout and contemplated texting them with some kind of excuse. Each time I have resisted and shown up. That is because of them.

On the other hand, they are way further ahead of me and I am trying to keep up with their schedules. When I say “way further” I mean at least a year and that is a huge time frame when I look at the progress I’ve made since I started running last January.

Ironman is gonna be dicey for me. There is no question about it. I will have literally risen from the ashes in just over a year and a half to tackle one of the toughest races known to man. It is a major challenge, and I embrace every second of the pain.

But I realize that I have to do this at my pace. I am constantly thinking about Ironman and what it’s going to cross the finish line. Time is only one factor. I know that will likely be between 13 and 17 hours. I also want to do it without breaking.

Swimming, biking, and running for 13 hours was the furthest thing from my mind a year ago. Even when I finally understood what an Ironman was, I couldn’t even comprehend it. Now, I can.

At this point I believe I could complete a half Ironman. It would be torture, but I think I have it in me. That leaves 201 days to double that distance and do it in a way where I am actually happy with my time. It almost feels like I’ll need the stars to align or something, but I’m trusting the path and trusting that subtle things will change.

I need to start getting to bed and waking earlier. I need to sleep sounder and eat better. I need to build strength and confidence. I need stay focused. I need to believe.

So, when I reject workouts, I believe I am doing the right thing for my body. The last thing I want is injury or burnout. I want to build slowly, but with a tinge of pushing the boundaries. I have to build and grow. Then build and grow some more. I’m nowhere near ready, but I will be. And, the bottom line to all of this is, I really want to write a book called, “How I slept my way to an Ironman.”

February 9, 2013

Longest Bike To Date

As usual I had a tough time sleeping last night and was “this close” to calling in sick for the morning workout. On top of no sleep, I ate a terrible dinner last night and was a little worried about what a 3-hour-group-training ride would do to my health. Not to mention the 20 minute run that followed.

My alarm went off at 6:15 and I laid in bed through a couple snoozes, calculating my next move. I reasoned a dozen excuses and promised I would do the ride later that morning. Surely, after a little more sleep and a solid breakfast I could breeze through this workout. But, something gave me a last minute push and I waltzed into the YMCA around 7:15.

I had already made the decision I would only ride 2 1/2 hours instead of three. My apprehension was two-fold. One, I didn’t really see the point of such a long ride, and on top of it a full hour longer than I’ve ever gone. And two, I am continually worried about wearing down, especially on low sleep and bad fuel.

About 2:15 minutes into the ride (that included a progressive scale spin class) I decided I would ride until 10 o’clock, which would have been about 2:40, but the group laid on the guilt.

“Why would you quit 20 minutes away from the goal??”

I responded with the logic outlined above, put my head down and kept peddling. Before I knew it, 10:00 was there and, and while reticent, I decided to go the extra 20 minutes.

Someone said quitting then would be similar to scaling Everest and going back down a few hundred feet from the top. “Would you do that?”

I said it would depend how many cameras were on me 🙂 It’s the journey, right?

But, seriously. Sometimes I think that this early in the training (over 200 days out) I will benefit from going a little less on some of these heavy workouts. Especially in situations like today when I know I can make it. For me, that’s 90% of the battle. If I have confidence in the distance, that counts for a lot.

But I know that races are won and lost on these cold and early Saturday mornings in February. I used to spend hours on non-glamorous baseball drills that made me a far better player. I think today was a great example of that, and I’m happy to report, I feel great. In fact, it’s about 3:30 now and I almost think I could do another 3 hours if I wanted. But, I’ll just save that energy for tomorrow’s 10 mile run.

February 8, 2013

Butter My Balls

Warning: This post is pretty tame, but if you’re easily offended by jokes about bike chaffing and all that goes with it, you probably should go over to this site.

Well, I’m catching a lot of heat from my training partners these days. Why? Because I am reticent to partake on occasion.

Tomorrow, we’re slated for a 3 hour trainer ride and my “plan” is to show up an hour late because, frankly, that is an hour longer than I’ve done in my life on a stationary bike. And while they are calling this the “building phase” I feel like I have a little more work to do on the basement before putting up the framework.

Even mild mannered Kevin got involved in the skewering with this text: “That’s alright, Mike. I hear all the greats skip the base period of training. They jump right to peak workouts.”

He has a great point! But you know what? The greats will be sucking my d*ck in September!

Okay, sorry. I had a brief stint of cocky-ridden angst, that I will try to control for the rest of this post because it involves a slippery subject, butter.

Yes, ass butter has changed my life! (When’s the last time you heard that sentence?).

I finally got on board with “Shammy Butter” last night and am praising the heavens. I relayed my enthusiasm to Jim and he said, “You should try that butter when you’re riding.” Ha. Good one!

I was getting a little concerned because the bike is my “strong event” and I was really having trouble peddling for more than an hour, but mainly because of that undefined sensitive area has to really wonder what the fuck I am doing to it every time I jump on this bike!

But now . . .

I rattled off a nice 1:30 ride last night and barely noticed my “spot” (though it might have been partially due to the captivating lesbian-art-film I cued up). So, yeah, it was a power gear session and I felt incredibly strong (almost like I could have gone for 3 hours), which of course gave me confidence again.

Speaking of confidence, it really takes something to walk up to another dude in a bike shop and talk about spreading cocoa butter on your ass and balls. It’s a little disturbing how comfortable these types of conversations are becoming.

“Hey man, how’s your rash?”

“Fucking awesome, I lubed up a muddling tool and rolled it around my nuts for an hour.”

“Sweet, that sounds amazing!”

“It was!”

Anyway . . . So, the jury is still out on the morning bike. I guess I’ll make that decision after TONIGHT’S bike workout. I am also contemplating an outdoor ride tomorrow, but I know my training partners are too wuss to ride in cool weather.

February 7, 2013

Motivation from Our Coach

Going from a 5K to an Ironman in a year and a half is tough work. So much of it is mental and, while our coach offers an excellent training plan and workout advice, one of his best assets is his ability to motivate. Here’s the latest edition of “Coach Speak” that he posted on the Fab Five Facebook page:

Last week I addressed the team as individuals. This week as a whole.

The Fab Five (occasionally with a +1) is not merely a group. I believe it’s a following, a journey. They follow each other as individuals, they follow the group as a whole, others follow them as individuals, and most follow them as a team.

They follow their dreams and goals as individuals. They are not merely “Crushing Iron.” They aren’t merely training for an epic day of human strength, will power, courage, and endurance in September. They ARE following their destiny and we are all privileged to be engulfed in the first few chapters of this novel.

When we are done reading this life altering novel. We won’t put it away. Well leave it on our coffee table, where we can see it. That way we can relive this journey many days and years after.

Good day.

It’s always great to read words of motivation from someone who has been there and understands the process. When he’s not throwing quick witted jabs, he is really quite insightful.

Feel free to carry his words with you as well. We’re all in this together.

February 4, 2013

A Strong Weekend in the Snow

This was a pretty big weekend on the Ironman Wisconsin train. Saturday we did a two hour ride, followed by a 25 minute run, then shot some more footage for the documentary over at our home away from home, Nashville Running Company. Sunday morning we did an 11.2 mile loop through Percy Warner Park, which is a beast of a run and my furthest distance since I did the Country Music 1/2 Marathon last April. The training is clearly making me stronger and I will cautiously admit that this weekend has built my confidence a bit.

I had a little Super Bowl party tonight and 4 of the 5 guys were here. We had a good time speculating about our potential Beyonce’ sponsorship and we were very proud of her performance.

Tomorrow is a light run in the morning and a swim at night. As Daniel was leaving this morning he said, this is a “build week,” and I was like, what the hell are you talking about? We just hammered a two hour bike with a run brick then ran 11.2 through the trecherous terrain of Percy Warner (home of the infamous Flying Monkey).

I guess tomorrow’s swim is an hour and a half and I can pretty much promise you that won’t be happening. Truth be told, I don’t think I can actually do it. We’ll see how it goes, but if I can get an hour out of this aging body, I will count that a success.

Here are a few stills from our video shoot at Nashville Running Company.

This is a Jim working on our “I Dream of Weenie” sponsorship. This is Lee Wilson, owner of Nashville Running Company reacting to our first sponsorship request. It was a lifetime first. Me, at the YMCA, before they opened, ready to ride at 7am on Saturday. Me, later that day, ready for my big interview.Mark, filling us in on the training and sponsorship possibilities.

Daniel does an interview while Jim photo bombs. Season, Ironman Wisconsin Finisher, and NRC badass, gives us the lowdown on Wisconsin.Lee Wilson, owner of NRC, at the end of his rope with our sponsorship requests.

February 1, 2013

Beyonce' Knowles, Meet the Fab Five

So, I know you’re thinking this is a cheap ploy to seduce blog views with track backs, twitter trends, and story tags, but in this age of “integrity in journalism,” it is my responsibility, and my promise, to create a cohesive weave and relevant connection between the Fab Five, Beyonce and Ironman Wisconsin.

Ya see, I used to live in Rockford, IL, which is where Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child is from, and the tv station I worked for did an interview with her. We held it back as a special “sweeps story” but I don’t recall it being very compelling. Certainly not as compelling as Beyonce doing the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which is evidently sponsored by . . . Beyonce???

Hmm . . . this may be a long shot, but since Beyonce is spending big bucks to be the Super Bowl Halftime Entertainment, maybe she is ripe to a little niche marketing with a few triathletes training for Ironman Wisconsin? The Fab Five is a charismatic bunch, and since this blog is the universal voice of the team, I am quite sure we’d would be open to wearing a bike jersey with Beyonce’s face on our backs.

I mean, these guys are pretty laid back about stuff like that, and since Beyonce seems to be intrigued by producing video games, we’d be more than willing to let her use our likenesses for triathlete characters in a new X-Box release.

With all great marketing partnerships there are “added value” components and we would definitely let her set up a booth for her beauty products at the expo or just outside of the transition area.

But the true value for Beyonce would be in the personality of the characters.

Personally, I would totally be down with wearing her first official fragrance, “Heat,” or third official fragrance, “Pulse,” as I cross the finish line and hug hundreds of supporters. This is some serious grass roots shit that she really needs to be thinking about. We’re meeting the people where they walk (or run as the case may have it). Not to mention I will gladly pull some seaweed from Lake Monona for testing in skin cream prototypes.

We have a guy like Jim Schwan, who is prime real estate for a new hair care product. Beyonce has been working with L’Oréal since she was 18, and while I’m sure pretty sure she targets African American females, imagine the cross-over possibilities if a future line infiltrated corporate middle aged white men. They’re everywhere these days, and Jim Schwan is their new spokesmodel!

We also graciously offer Kevin Gammon. He’s a master of changing from running gear into jeans and a corduroy jacket he keeps in the trunk of his ride. He looks damn good, but frankly I’m not sure how often his trunk gear gets to the dry cleaner. Beyonce has a fix for that, it’s called Deréon by Beyoncé and is sold in Brazil. Sure, the collection includes tailored blazers with padded shoulders, little black dresses, embroidered tops and shirts and bandage dresses, but, if Kevin can meet Brazilian women, the couture itself, is a non-issue.

Mark Scrivner is widely known as an entrepreneurial badass in some sections of East Nashville and his acumen will certainly appeal to Beyonce’s business instincts. Mark is always open to new ventures and, his company, Snap Shot would totally build her an online video resume at cost. I’d imagine he’d even shoot her next Pepsi commercial if he could squeeze it in around Chamber of Commerce commitments.

And, Daniel Hudgins could be her gold mine in waiting. This guy is sellable! Hell, speaking of hair care, he made over 3,000 bucks just shaving his head. A wig patterned after his original hair would sell like hotcakes on Gallatin Pike. “Excuse me ma’am, do you carry “The El Daniel?” He is a personable, likeable guy, and I’ve seen firsthand how he can drive blog readership by simply sharing a post on his Facebook feed. I’m almost positive he would put a gold grill on his teeth to help Beyonce publicize her philanthropic efforts.

So now we just have to wait. The idea is in the universe, and the ball is in Beyonce’s court. In fairness to her, I have compiled a quick reference list of the advantages and potential pitfalls of a marketing partnership with the Fab Five:

Potential advantages

– Daniel is in a Barbershop Quartet with a lot of traction

– A gorgeous black woman is occasionally attracted to average white guys

– Oprah’s dad lives in Nashville

– Connections with the Titans could get her a halftime gig at LP field

– Plenty of extra bikes to ride when she gets her Inglewood’s confused

Potential Pitfalls

– Beer Drinkers don’t always translate in fashion industry

– Potential Cussing on live TV

– Marginal dancers

– In bed before Hollywood parties start

– Tend to spend a lot of time acting like big shots at Nashville Running Company

February 1, 2013

The Road to Ironman Sponsorship Has a Light Coat of Gravel

I have a confession. Last night was the first time I’ve completed the FULL bike workout . . . and honestly, I feel pretty damn good about that.

10 Min Warmup
10 x 1:00 (:15 fast, :45 moderate)
Then 3 x 18 min as 6min Steady, Mod/hard, Threshold
Cool down to 1:30

Then my Episcopalian Guilt set in and I took my dog for a nice little mile run in the sleet to complete a brick.

While I was on the bike I watched Bill Maher’s “Religulious” which is, in large part, him having fun at the expense of stupid people, but it’s pretty entertaining. And, it proves that my memory is shot because about halfway through it I realized I’d already watched it last year. I don’t know, I’m a little bit of a basket case these days.

On a positive note, I actually went to bed early (around 11) and got up at 6 to complete a missed leg workout with Daniel. I also got to meet the woman I referred to in an earlier post for reading email while doing the pigeon pose. It was quite exciting.

In other good news, it looks like the Fab Five is on the cusp of gaining a few sponsors (though said sponsors don’t realize it yet). At the very least we received a large donation from a guy who is sponsored by PowerBar and that has my brain churning a bit.
Well, most of Nashville is shut down today because we got a 1/2 inch of snow, but I am looking forward to a light 45 minute run after work and a brick tomorrow and a tempo run on Sunday! Well, I’m sorta looking forward to all of that.

Last night, I stumbled onto a 24 weak training program for Ironman Wisconsin and I’m not sure if I’m happy about this, but we are way ahead of that particular schedule and it doesn’t start until March. I’m thinking at this pace, by the time race day comes, we’ll be at the point when someone asks, “Hey, what’s the workout tomorrow?” And I reply, “It’s an Ironman.” And they say, “No sweat.”

January 31, 2013

Gambling on Ironman?

Endurance sports are intriguing because the competition is typically with the individual. Our competitors are the course and the clock. But, whenever guys and girls toe the start line in any sport (even with friends), part of us wants to win.

That said, this is meant to be (at least for now) a light-hearted post about the guys I’m training with for Wisconsin and others who have taken a financial interest in our demise or success. Our training is serious, but thankfully it’s usually laced with absurdity and nowhere is that more evident than our Crushing Iron Facebook page.

The other day, I gave posting clearance to our coach, Robbie Bruce, and he wasted no time stirring the pot. Here is his first edition of “Coach Speak.”

Coach Speak:
This is my first weekly installment of “Coach Speak- A more in depth look at the Fab Five from the outside looking in.’ I will keep this first one simple with giving you an insight into how I see each of these merry men. Buckle Up. You are about to know your neighbor better.

Marcus, “Im already down 15lbs” Scriver- This will be Mark’s first full Ironman. But I have been assured he is not going just to complete it but he wants to compete. He also says he hates the other 4 guys, which I thought was weird. But whatever.

Jim “I’m more than just my hair” Schwan- Schwannie is the seasoned vet of the group. A blistering runner I am looking forward to seeing him own this race. Which he will.

Kevin “Im there one minute and gone the next” Gammon- I like to refer to Kevin as an “enigma riddle”. Its hard to wrap my head around the atmospheric pressure that is Kevin. I do have this feeling that he is on a ninja mission to crush the other 4. Which I applaud obviously.

Daniel “Im so freaking happy all the time” Hudgins-I dont really care about his training right now. Im just glad he is injury free and finally cut his hair.

Mike ” The Darkhorse” Tarrolly- The Crushing Iron founder I believe. I consider Mike a major Darkhorse among the Fab 5. With his athletic background in college and his overwhelming desire to sleep in. He is a threat. He told me so too one night at 3 Crow. I think.

Next weeks post will be about training. Possibly. – Coach RB

Coach has observed with a keen eye. His post generated a lot of discussion and ultimately led to the following addition by Jeff Stokes, who can often be found knocking out 3-4,000 meters in the downtown YMCA pool in preparation for “Swimming with the Sharks” in the Alcatraz Classic. Jeff swears he got this information from Vegas, and I have no reason to doubt his connection to the underworld.

This just in from the MGM GRAND Sports book!!! Opening odds for the Fab 5…. Currently Daniel Hudgins is a strong 3:1. What Vegas says ” this kid has it all … youth, heart, passion…plus the fact that vegetables make you fast…and with his current aerodynamic haircut strong headwinds down the finish could work in his favor”
Jim Schwan 4:1. What Vegas says ” this crafty veteran has experience and a mean stache on his side, some people say his power comes from his hair… He is not called the Silver Fox for nothing folks”…
Kevin Gammon 4:1 What Vegas is saying ” after a strong marathon finish after his struggle on the bike at IML, he is a force to be reckoned with… rumor has it he has tweaked a knee recently and Dr. James Andrews was seen at Nashville International yesterday ”
Mark Scrivner 5:1 What Vegas says ” this guy is a wild card and has kept a low profile in the tri world but his Running experience is a strong factor, plus the freakish fact that nobody has ever seen Mark and Batman together in public is worth noting”
Mike Tarrolly 5:1 What Vegas is saying ” don’t let his ‘ just happy to be here attitude fool you’ he is competitive…a recent investigation has revealed a large donation to the Live Strong Foundation, and multiple sources have noticed a lot of UPS Deliveries at Tarrolly Hills recently… this guy could be your winning Lotto ticket”…. More updates as the Season begins this spring!!!

Now, it should be noted that both Robbie and Jeff’s insights were heavily edited for punctuation and spelling, but at that crux of all this discussion and prognostication, is a brewing competition. Who will be the first of the Fab Five to cross in Wisconsin. Do they really care or is it all about racing our individual bests? Time will tell and we’ll be watching Vegas closely to see if sports books are paying attention to how oversleeping is causing me to miss many of the workouts.

January 30, 2013

Possibly The Most Important Part of My Training

I had to make a quick note about this, because at my age the only way i remember anything is to write it out.

This is the simplest thing, and we have all known it forever, but unbelievably, I forget it every day.

It’s important to eat.

Now, that is the most obvious statement in the history of mankind, but it’s often tricky because we are fooled by our reserves. Or, at least I am.

Some mornings I will get up, start running, and feel great. I’ll eat like a pig afterwards, take a nap, and wake up fresh. But, some mornings I am running on empty before I start. Like today. I had been grazing this building in a state of malaise and confusion. Then I went to lunch and I’m a different person. I mean that literally.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

I have probably heard or thought that 10 thousand times in my life and I either, don’t remember it, or forget the reason WHY it is the most important meal of the day.

And why is that? Because breakfast stabilizes your body chemistry.

I know this! I believe this! But there is one problem. It’s not the best feeling to eat a big meal then workout, which means . . . I have to get up even earlier if I’m going to put this practice to work.

At the very least I just need to eat. If even just for my sanity. I’m telling you, there is something pretty cool about feeling comfortable in your own skin.