Category: Ironman

I may have mentioned this before, but one time I heard a Zen Master guy say, “Exercise is meant to give you energy, not take it away.”

That has always resonated with me, and it will be firmly planted in my conscience as I tackle training for IRONMAN Wisconsin this year. Do you want to spend the year exhausted, or energized and looking forward to your next workout?

I choose the latter.

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I realize it’s cliche’ to make a writing comeback on New Years Day, but this “resolution” has been building for a long time.  It took two very long drives and a week of laying around getting fat to realize that I fallen prey to one of life’s most destructive forces:  Negativity.

As a lot of us know, IRONMAN is a daunting task in its own right, but when you start seeing the negative side of daily life, you might as well hang up your lycra because racing is the least of your problems.

The worst part about negativity is that it just sort of starts and snowballs until it’s out of control and you’re left staring at the ceiling saying, “what the fuck just happened?”  And I did that a lot.

You start asking the question, “What’s the point?” a lot, too.  Why do I want to do this Ironman stuff?  I’ve done it, it hurts, I get it.

So, I went home to Wisconsin for a week and the first night I ran into an old friend who told me point blank, “I think what you’re doing is kind of asinine to be honest.”  He said it in such a way that I could tell he was “looking down” on me for doing it and something inside nearly exploded . . . in a good way.

I kind of laughed it off, but couldn’t ignore the look on his eyes.  He seemed tired and I didn’t think he really meant it, but it felt a little personal.

The room itself was filled with guys I grew up sitting around playing cards like they often do. Sometimes it’s tough to get out of those situations, almost like kids from a ghetto.

I truly love these guys but similar moments replayed throughout my visit.  Then I was at a physical rehab clinic shooting a video for a client and saw a kid who looked to be 15 or so come in on crutches without a left leg.  That’s the kind of stuff that crushes me. Here I am, fully capable of swimming, biking, and running, but bitching about “what’s the point?”

So, on my long drive back, I “remembered” the point.  The point is to quit complaining, be alive, and surround yourself with people who will remind you to do just that.

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Obviously I’ve been MIA, but wanted to thank all of you for the support and inspiration.  It’s been a tough month or so and I’ve been trying to find my triathlon groove.  It hasn’t been easy.

Everything’s fine, and I still plan on crushing Ironman Wisconsin, but the energy level for training has vanished.  What’s left has been going into my video business and upcoming documentary on Street Art.

I did get onto the treadmill last night, and while it wasn’t pretty I feel the burn coming back.  I’m sure I’ll be writing like a madman soon, but in the meantime, feel free to step in and guest post.

Happy Holidays . . .

Most of my training for Ironman Chattanooga was of the meandering sort.  I didn’t really have a schedule and more or less did what I was feeling on the day.  But about 6 weeks out, I started getting nervous.  That’s when I sent a random tweet to pro triathlete, Jim Lubinski.

I’d been thinking about doing some pro-interviews for Crushing Iron while at Chattanooga, so I asked Jim if he’d be up for it.  He replied with a “Hell yeah!”

He’s also a coach, and after a couple emails, I decided to ask him if he had any interest in “guiding me into Chattanooga.”  I told him I was loosely eyeing Kona and he was all about it.

He asked a bunch of questions about my current fitness, then put together the first week’s plan. One of the things I mentioned was that I was not a fan of super long bike rides, so he said he’d keep that in mind.

I also told him I didn’t use a power meter or heart rate monitor (which I’m sure was great for a coach to hear) so he was forced to use intuition based on my feedback, and if you read my blog, you know my mind can be a little murky.

He was patient, smart, and crafted a plan that gave a lot of bang in a short period.  The workouts were purposeful and I found myself doing a lot of relatively short (2.5 max) trainer rides with power or intensity. They were almost always followed by a run off the bike.

Slowly, my belief came back and I was feeling confident about Chattanooga.  I wasn’t sure if I could get to Kona, but knew if everything fell right, I could be in the ballpark.

Jim had me on a great plan, and I followed most of it to the letter.

One place I slacked was in the pool.  Jim laid out some pretty intense workouts, but I couldn’t rise to the occasion.  I kind of went through the motions in the water, mainly because I was anticipating an “easy” downstream swim.  What I got was a much slower current and by taking the swim for granted, I burned way too much energy in the water.

My longest bike ride of the year was 67 miles.  Chattanooga was 116.  Probably not the best idea.

I’m sure Jim would have beefed up the bike a little, but I was at a point where I was more interested in being “ready” than burned out.  His trainer workouts all included form, technique and mental training.  I built an astonishing amount of confidence in 4 weeks.

I raced the bike on perceived effort and used his race-day-strategy to turn in a 15 minute PR (5:45) on a course 4-miles longer.  There were several things he told me during training that kept me right in the pocket and while I knew I was out of Kona contention at that point, I was ready to tackle the run.

Jim gave me a detailed, yet simple, run strategy and I was running better than I ever had.  I was anxious to execute.

He had me do a bunch of bricks, so the transition was smooth and for the first six miles or so I stayed patient while trying to find my run legs.  I felt “okay” but unfortunately couldn’t find the next gear.  I laid down a decent run (4:20) but never really found my stride.  It was more weakness than pain, and in retrospect I know it’s because I didn’t put on enough bike miles.

This sport is a never ending search for answers and training under a pro triathlete really opened my eyes.  Jim and I finally got to meet in Chattanooga and he was a waterfall of information.  My buddy Corey and I sat with him in Starbucks for about two hours and soaked it in.

His nutrition advice alone was priceless and I believe it was a huge reason why I actually ran the entire marathon.  Not only that, he had a level, yet intense approach that I really liked.  He started triathlon after playing other sports and has proven himself as a top athlete as a coach.

Like me, he’s also a sponge for information and wanting to get better.  I look forward to seeing how our future unfolds.

You can find Jim at www.jimlubinski.com or @jimlubinski

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Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity. – Hippocrates

I feel kinda bad because I haven’t been writing lately, but I think I needed a break.  And what better way to lose your enthusiasm for writing, training, and life, then to get poison ivy!

I’m telling you, God must have been in a bad mood when he laid that plant under our feet.  I mean, seriously, I don’t even have it that bad and there’s been a few moments when I’ve felt like permanent scars may not be a bad option.

The last week has been especially tough because I don’t “have” to go into an office.  It’s been very easy to sulk and feel sorry for myself.

Things can be going just great, but if you get poison ivy, every thought in your brain is laser focused on how to get rid of it.  I’m telling you, I was in the downtown library flipping through medicine journals from everyone from Hippocrates to Ben Carson.  Most of that shit was over my head, but Hippocrates was a smart dude.

I’ve taken baths in apple cider vinegar, gone to psychics, and spread baking soda paste over my body.  Nothing seems to work, other then time, and occasionally Witch Hazel.

I ran a few times, but it kinda flared things up, so I started to think of my plight in terms of a mandatory rest.   Maybe it’s just time I need to chill, sit in meditation, and realize that there are much worse things than a little itch in your life.

Workouts have suffered, but I did get my tires and bike trainer set up tonight, so maybe tomorrow is the day.   There’s nothing like a little time off to get your juices flowing again.  Maybe all of this is what they mean when they talk about God’s mysterious plan.

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I will never claim to be an expert because triathlon is a deep and confusing bag of tricks.  I have been writing about Ironman training almost daily for 3 years and can still be baffled by what it takes.  But, I have nearly 1,000 posts directly related Ironman, and –aside from the fact that Ironman hasn’t followed me on Twitter– it’s been an awesome ride.

I started running in the Spring of 2012. I’ve done four Half and three Full Ironman since then. It’s been a long road of hard knocks, so I thought I’d reflect on what I’ve learned so I don’t keep making the same mistakes.

Thanks for reading and sharing over the last few years!  As always, please follow Crushing Iron on Facebook for the latest in overthinking triathlon.

1.  THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE FOR ENDURANCE RACING? – One of my friends ran distance in the epicenter of college track and field for the University of Oregon.  I continually pepper this Guru of Run for tips, and every time he simply gives me a sly smile before saying something like, “The only way I know how to be a better runner is run more.”  It’s like something a Zen Master would say to his student, so I’ve sat in contemplation many times with that thought.  I knew he was right, but wanted something more, so one day when he peacefully stood next to me in his robe and sandals, I begged him for the secret to running.  He gazed into the sunrise and without looking at me he said, “You must stay relaxed.”  At that moment, I felt enlightenment. 

2.  ENDURANCE SPORTS AREN’T AS HARD AS THEY SEEM – For 48 years of my life I thought running a marathon was impossible.  It was the furthest thing from my mind.  Now I honestly feel like I could “jog” forever.  My first half-marathon (3 months after I started running) pretty much put me in a straight jacket, but I’ve run three full marathons, all after swimming 2.4, then cycling 112 miles since then.  I’m no spring chicken, but the truth is, I was remarkably resilient during and after those 140.6 mile workouts.  The difference?  The body and mind adapted and began to view it as normal.  It takes time, proper rest, nutrition, and most importantly, belief.

3.  IT’S TOUGH TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME – I played baseball from the day I was old enough to walk and even though I haven’t picked up a bat or glove in years, I could probably outplay 97% of the population.  Baseball is deep in my fiber.  But that’s not the case with endurance sports.  People who haven’t swam, biked, or ran in the past have to work much harder to be competitive.  If you don’t believe me, ask someone who has swam since a kid, but hardly trains before laying down a sub-hour Ironman swim.  I’ve seen this with runners, too.  That said, from day one in this sport I’ve been an above average cyclist because of my mountain biking background.  But that hasn’t made me great and I’m sure many people who don’t have a cycling history kick my ass.  No matter how good or bad we are at something, hard work will win in the end.  Most people didn’t grow up training in all three sports, and that’s one reason Ironman is so intriguing.

4.  MOST PEOPLE OVERTHINK TRIATHLON – Nutrition this, gear that.  It goes on and on.  And believe me, that stuff matters, but I can honestly say that whenever I want to blame my race on something like gear or nutrition, it’s just a cover up for not being in shape.  I remember when I first started running, I would be ridiculously thirsty after a couple miles.  Like dying in a desert kind of thing.  But now that my body is more efficient, I don’t need as much fluid.  That doesn’t mean I neglect it, I’m just saying stronger and more pliable muscles respond on their own without gobs of water or sugar.  Breathing right, embracing pain, and working hard are far more important during a race then the latest training tools.

5.  PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR WORKOUTS OR RACES – When I started, I was really jacked up and thought everyone would be just as pumped to hear about my two mile run at a 9:57 pace!  Not only did they not want to hear it, it pissed them off.  I can’t tell you how many people have slowly backed away from my quest to tackle life!  People are just more comfortable being around someone like them.   And I totally get it.  I thought you people were weirdos, too.  But, occasionally I hear from people I thought kicked me to the curb who tell me how I have inspired them to get back in shape.  So, the more accurate title of this section would probably be “People don’t want to hear about your workouts or races . . . until they’re ready.”

6.  YOU DON’T GET FASTER GOING FARTHER, BUT . . . –  I put this one in here, but I’m still not sure about what’s right in regard to racing Ironman.  My theory has always been: Try to make your goal-race-pace feel easy in training.  For example, I wanted to make 20 mph feel easy on the bike this year in hopes of holding it at Ironman Chattanooga.  Well, I did hold it, but I didn’t have the long distance training on my legs, so my “easy run pace goal” of 9 minute miles wasn’t attainable.  So, in a nutshell, to me it’s becoming more obvious that my theory is right, and speed work is essential, but it won’t do you any good if you haven’t built strength through long-slow-mileage.

7.  CYCLING IS WAY HARDER THAN PEOPLE THINK – I hear it all the time . . . “I could never swim, or do the run, but I could do the Ironman bike.”  Oh, is that right?  Before getting into triathlon, biking was my only history.  My biking “claim to fame” was completing the Fat Tire Festival, a forty mile off road jaunt in northern Wisconsin.  That kicked my ass and cycling continues to give me the same feeling.  But, after 3 Ironman races I’ve finally realized that being incredibly strong on the bike is the crucial to have a good run.  Cycling is really the weirdest sport of the three because your body remains relatively stiff.  Many times my neck and back give out before my legs.  But what a way to build your run engine without all the pounding.

8.  NOBODY KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED BETTER THAN YOU –  You can always read and learn, but there’s a lot of crap out there (including this blog a lot of times).  There’s a million ideas on how to train, but only you know what works best for you.  The catch is, you really have to be honest with yourself.  What’s “best” doesn’t mean easiest or most convenient.  In Ironman training, there’s simply no substitute for work.  If you’re putting in the effort and miles, you will be fine.

9.  FINISHING AN IRONMAN ISN’T AS HARD AS IT SEEMS – I’m not saying the road of training isn’t hard, but for most, the hardest part of training is motivation . . . and putting in the time. Rarely have I seen anyone finish a long workout and crawl back to their car.  More and more people finish Ironman every year and when you see someone “just like you do it,” you start to believe. Belief is the battle.  Especially your first time.  I honestly didn’t know if I could finish that first time.  But I did it in 11:58.  That’s 5 hours from the cut off.  The range of Ironman finishers is incredible.  Old, young, tall, short, overweight, slim, sick, healthy, anxious, confident.  Ironman’s tag line is, “Anything is Possible,” and while I can’t speak for your desire to do “anything,” I can certainly say, without a doubt, that if you put in the time, you will be able to run through the finish line and hear those incredibly sweet words, “You Are An Ironman.”

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Here are a few more still shots from IRONMAN Louisville.  We’re currently working on the Tribute Video.  Please follow Crushing Iron on Facebook to make sure you don’t miss anything.

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Coming soon:  An interview with an Ironman Louisville Kayaker about what he saw in the water.