Crushing Iron

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.

January 29, 2013

Sometimes it Feels Overwhelming

It’s days like this when I worry about burn out.

Last night I hit the pool to attempt 40×50 hard laps and barely got off the edge of the pool. I spent most of my time working on form and couldn’t catch a good rhythm. The total swim time was about 35 minutes and instead of beating myself up, I felt good about even showing up.

After the swim I added another notch in my string of cluster-fuck sleep attempts. It’s just crazy because I was definitely tired after the swim, but then ate a little and drank a bunch of water and I felt like I was ready for another workout while I tossed and turned in bed. I woke up three separate times and finally got up for good about 6:40 to go do my leg workout.

When I got to the gym I wasn’t feeling it at all. I explained my woes to Daniel who was already in the middle of his workout, and he was gracious in his understanding. I did a couple sets of walking lunges and my knee gave me some funky feedback, so I stopped. I meandered a bit, then did some upper body stuff, before calling the workout a fail.

It’s such a strange feeling preparing for an Ironman. There is still over 7 months left, but you always wonder if missing a workout is going to haunt you later. How do you know? I don’t, but I know enough to realize it is a long road and I believe it’s more important to build and keep your energy than burn it to the ground.

I’m not in the mood for the bike workout tonight, but we’ll see how I feel after my writing class. I feel very busy right now with work, training, and all of my other interests. My next focus is on simplifying my life so I am not bogged down or distracted by extra baggage. I’ll keep you posted on that process.

January 28, 2013

Bucket List Race

Admittedly, I am getting a little ahead of myself considering I haven’t completed one Ironman yet, but turning a race like this into a sweet-ass vacation sounds amazing. Not to mention the scenery is amazing are my people! Ironman Austria.

January 28, 2013

Couch to 5K Progress in One Year

Today was right around the one year point from when I started my Couch to 5K with the Nashville Running Company. I am honestly shocked by how far I have come and 90% of me is putting this out there in hopes of inspiring other people to push their limits.*

Coach and Mike — This is me culminating my Couch to 5K training

I have been in a serious contemplation mode for while now and something else happened today that reminded me that life moves fast and you should spend it doing the things you love. (Or as Charles Bukowski put it, “Find the thing you love and let it kill you.”)

Around 2:00 this afternoon I found out my best friend from childhood’s father died. I was very close to his dad when I was young, but hadn’t seen him for years. I immediately felt guilty that I didn’t stop by when I was home for Christmas. Another missed opportunity in life and all the more reason to “just do it.”

I tend to beat myself up for stuff like that, but we are human and can’t do everything. That said, most of us can certainly do more than we do. Death is a powerful motivator and as you grow older the reminder comes far too often.

In reality, I have made huge strides in the last year and am following through more often. I immersed myself in becoming a healthier and better person. The catch is, often we are too close to the process and don’t realize the progress. Yes, one year ago today I couldn’t run a mile. Today I did a tempo run (with Jim pushing my ass again!) of 5 x 5 minute splits with a one minute jog between, plus a 20 minute warm up and a 30 minute cool down. Here’s the breakout:

Warm Up – 20 mins at around 9:30

1st 5 minute split pace – 7:37
2nd 5 minute split pace – 7:26
3rd 5 minute split pace – 7:18
4th 5 minute split pace – 7:25
5th 5 minute split pace – 7:47

30 Minute cool down at 8:44

Total running time around 1 hour 20 minutes.

I feel really good about that performance, especially considering we did a bike/run brick yesterday and at least two of those splits were on a legitimate hill. Next month I will be running the New Orleans Half Marathon and am pretty confident I will hit my goal of 1:45. That would be a 1/2 hour faster than I did the Country Music 1/2 last April.

As my legs burned during the cool down today, I was talking with a woman in our group about how a lot of people tell her she’s “lucky” she likes to run. And how she’s “lucky” she’s good at running. I completely understood her point because a year ago I would have told her the same thing. Not only did I hate running, I didn’t think I could do it.

The truth is, we can do almost anything we set our minds to and my mind is now set on an Ironman. I haven’t come close to swimming 2.4 miles, the most I’ve ever biked is half the distance, and I’ve never ran a marathon. But now is the time to live and push the limits of what life has to offer. It’s free and anyone can join.

* The other 10% is ego.

January 25, 2013

What Ironman Wisconsin "Feels Like"

Sometimes I’ll sit here watching Ironman Wisconsin videos and get chills. It’s surreal to think I will be on that course in seven months.

I can already see the eyes of the Fab Five as we enter the water, a symbolic beginning to the end of training. Five guys focused on the same goal for over 8 months – and it all comes down to this. Once the swim starts, I may not see them for the next 10 – 12 hours, but in many ways we’ll be connected as one.

Tonight, I am there. I hear the screams from hundreds perched on balconies overlooking the water. I hear the encouraging words of athletes floating around me. I hear the cannon explode, sending me into mystery.

I feel the water splashing in Lake Monona. . . the mass of humanity pounding me with no regard . . . the serenity of a place humans weren’t meant to go.

I feel the slippery shore as I exit the water . . . my bare feet slapping concrete as I climb the winding road to the top of the transition helix.

My ass hits the seat for the first of many times that day. My thighs burn as I roll through picturesque farmland. Cheering fans slap my back while they hug the narrow climb in Verona like a Tour de France.

The loop through Camp Randall stadium, home of my favorite football team, takes me back to players I idolized as a child. A gauntlet of familiar faces wave signs and give high fives as I recall college memories from State Street.

My ankles ache as I turn the final corner and feel the rush of the finish line. I glance at the majestic state capital, embrace the tunnel of fans, and culminate the biggest physical accomplishment of my life.

It’s in my bones and won’t release me.