Category: Ironman

It’s 17 days away, but I am feeling the chill of a Wisconsin September.  There’s really nothing like it.  Hooded sweatshirts at night and crisp clean air in the day.  I can’t wait to walk around downtown Madison for a couple days as a lead-in to Ironman Wisconsin.

I’ve tried, but can’t imagine a better Ironman experience.  Sure, Kona has Hawaii and its beaches, but for the old-school Wrigley Field party-in-the-middle-of-a-city, Madison is perfect.

10 Things I Love About Ironman Wisconsin 

1.  The Setting – Stay downtown and eat it alive.  A short walk to the expo, transition, and swim start.  The Saturday Farmer’s Market on the Square.  The sidewalk cafes, record stores, and art shops on State Street.  There are nooks, crannies . . . and you’ll eventually run into a lake if you keep walking.  For me, the Ironman Finish Line starts on State Street and winds around 3 sides of the majestic State Capital before you hit the Chute.  The downtown buzz collides with a year of isolated training to blend the perfect mix.

2.  The Timing – Ironman lands on the University of Wisconsin at the beginning of the school year.  I love the youthful energy of over 40,000 students milling around the Square and campus during the race.  As a student, it was my favorite time of the year and that fresh-start-atmosphere fills the air.  Also, while unpredictable, the Wisconsin weather in September is as good as it gets. Likely a cool morning, with a moderate to warm day and crisp night.

3.  Lake Monona –  Wisconsin has 15,074 documented lakes and I suppose this is why they give me such a good feeling.  In some way the minimalist in me would prefer to have a quaint lake house and a pier than a place on the ocean.  There’s something serene and comforting about being able to look out at a lake and see the lush green tree line on the other side.  Big enough to explore, yet small enough to manage.  Take a few minutes and walk to the top of Monona Terrace and gaze out at the lake.

4.  The Hospitality – I’m certainly biased on this note, but I’ve lived in many places and people from Wisconsin are as friendly as it gets.  I think it has something to do with a genuine work ethic and tendency to cooperate.  You will likely see this in action with the awesome 3,000 volunteers.  Last time I raced Wisconsin we stayed at the Ruby Marie right across from the swim start.  There’s a little restaurant inside the hotel and when I went to the counter for a coffee refill the guy working said it would be a minute but “I could go behind the counter and fill it myself if I wanted.”  Life’s pretty simple if you think about it.

5.  The Bike Course –  The Ironman Wisconsin course is still my favorite bike ride ever.  It’s hilly with a lot of turns, but to me that added excitement and broke the pattern.  I just can’t imagine wanting to do a long flat Ironman course.  Add the wacky spectators and an iconic Americana barn/silo mix and you have a near perfect equation to distract you from that ass pain.

6.  The Voice of Ironman – The fact that Mike Reilly keeps hand picking this race as his appearance schedule thins should tell you it’s quite the spectacle.  I’ve watched video of this race from several years and you can always hear his humbled voice in the background marveling about the breathtaking view of the swim start.

7.  College Football  – The Badgers always have a home game the day before the race and there’s not much like a Wisconsin football weekend in one of the greatest college sports towns in America. I probably won’t even go, but it’s nice to know it’s going on and we all get to run in the echoes of the game the next day as the marathon takes us onto the turf of Camp Randall.

8.  The Other Racers –  I have no idea if this is true or not, but I’m willing to bet the reason Wisconsin sells out so quickly is because so many locals do it year after year.  There’s an underlying nature about athletes from Wisconsin.  They tend to be overachievers, but they never forget that competition is supposed to be fun.  It’s a “serious” race with a party atmosphere and that sorta keeps you grounded to the fact that (even though it seems like it at times) Ironman isn’t the only thing in the world.

9.  My Friends and Family –  Last time my entire immediate family came up and I felt like it was one of the best bonding experiences we’ve had.  My uncle and cousin also showed on the bike course (even though they had no idea what was going on) and I saw them two minutes after they parked.  I thought for sure they’d jump in their truck and head home, but I saw them at again at the end of the first loop in Verona… then AGAIN on the second lap.  My uncle, always the craftsman, was so into it he even grabbed a can of spray paint from his truck to mark pot holes on the road!  My good buddy Pete and his wife also came not knowing what to expect.  They watched the swim, then got hooked, hanging around to watch me finish 12 hours later.  It was awesome.

10.  The Spectators – I’m willing to go out on a limb and say as many people are in the crowd for the Wisconsin Swim start as there were watching Michael Phelps paint himself in gold.  Thousands of people line the shore, the helix, and the roof just to watch you swim!  Hell, half the time I feel like the lifeguard isn’t watching me in the pool.  Look around and soak that in.

The swim is one thing, but as a friend told me before I raced Wisconsin last time, “You will be stunned by the amount of support on the bike course.”  He was right.  It felt like there wasn’t a five mile stretch where I didn’t see a group of people cheering us along.  I’ve done Half Ironmans where the only spectator was a guy mowing his lawn.  Of course, this year’s course won’t have 2 of the 3 “Tour de France” type hills, but I’m sure the fans will get creative to make it just as exciting.

I’ve seen a lot of running races and feel like the Ironman Wisconsin run would be one of the better attended stand alone marathons.  The minute you leave transition, they are lined up around the capital, then down State Street cheering you on.  There are certainly some dry sections, but you get State Street 4 times and that alone is enough to keep you going.

If you have any doubt about finishing this race, rest assured the people on the way will give you the energy you need.  I can’t wait to see the friendly faces.

It’s never too late to get your swim dialed in before Ironman Wisconsin. Check out the video below for the C26 Coach’s Eye Swim Analysis. Simple and fast way to fix your stroke.

In today’s Ironman Wisconsin training news, some white trash family stole my backpack while I was swimming at the lake. I’m out there helpless and it’s just like the that old travel checks’ commercial. Total BS by them.  “Hey, how about we take the kids to the lake today and steal some shit?”

Anyway, I hope they put my extra goggles and paddles to use to change their lives for the better.  In the meantime, if you see some loser wearing my glasses around Nashville, feel free to punch him in the nose.

Correction from yesterday’s post: I’ve been informed by Steena at Swim, Bike, Run, Roar, the new hill at Ironman Wisconsin is not “Barton” road, but “Barlow Road,” and have made the change in my previous entry, but still stick to my point that I’m more worried about the lack of fan support there than I am the hill grade.  Not that I’m taking the grade lightly, but you know what I mean.

Now, onto the meat of the Ironman Wisconsin post.

TOP THING I’M EXCITED ABOUT:  The Madison Vibe

I love getting to Madison on Thursday to enjoy the city and the pre-race hoopla.  It’s so cool just hearing the stories.  2700 racers in town that have all been through the same grinding work schedule to get there.  All these people with the same goal.  It’s just a celebration of positivity.  Not to mention my Badgers play on Saturday, and while I’m not going, I love the energy a football game brings to that town.

2nd TOP THING I’M EXCITED ABOUT:  Seeing the lake.  

It’s quite possible I think about Lake Monona more than anyone in the country that lives outside of Wisconsin.  I’ve watched so many swim videos from Ironman Wisconsin over the years and the very sight of the water gives me chills.  I remember when the put out the buoys on Saturday.  It was my first Ironman and I’d never seen how f*cking far it actually looks from the shore.  I was kinda blown away and a little intimidated, probably because you can barely even see the farthest buoy when you’re way down by that bike shop, which is also a pretty awesome place, but they won’t make this list other than right in this little part.  That said, they were in full swing and super helpful giving my bike a last minute tune up.

3rd TOP THING I’M EXCITED ABOUT:  Laying out gear.  

Something about laying all the gear bags out in the hotel room kinda makes it real.  I say to myself that I’m going to keep it simple, but in the end, I always load up extra crap I don’t seem to use.  Especially in Special Needs bags.*  I put like sandwiches, pizza, Tums, a salad, etc.  And it always seems to go to waste because the last thing I feel like doing at Special Needs is stopping to have a meal.  That said, for the Run Special Needs bags, I’ve put extra socks inside and actually stopped to change them because the other ones were so wet from dousing myself with water for 13 miles.  And, you guessed it, the new dry socks were wet in exactly one mile.  Not to mention I could barely get up off the curb after changing them.

4th TOP THING I’M EXCITED ABOUT: The Race Meeting.

Not really excited about the race meeting, but I’ve been missing a lot of important information at my races this year, so I think I’ll be checking it out.  Wait, do they have these for Ironman?  I think they do.

5th THING I’M EXCITED ABOUT:  The Race Expo

To me, this is sort of like hanging out in the clubhouse before a round of golf.  Everyone checking out the gear and thinking trying something new that day will make them better.  There’s shirts and about 8 million other Ironman Branded items you can take home and give to friends that don’t give a rat’s ass about Ironman.  “Hey, I got us an Ironman door mat and candle holder!”  It’s kinda crazy how much stuff they sell, but some of it is cool and it’s sort of the last place you can talk shit, but don’t, really, because you’re more anxious than cocky at that moment.

Of course the race itself excites me, too, but the entire experience is the gem.  It’s Spring Training and everyone has high hopes.  It’s friends, family, and teammates.  It’s a Super Bowl pre-party and, on this particular Sunday, you’ll be out on the field in front of 75,000 fans.

* Special Needs Bags are “extra things” you can have about halfway through the bike or run.  Usually it’s stuff like extra tire tubes or water bottles full of your favorite nutrition drink so you don’t have to use the Gatorade they hand out.  I’ve heard of everything from Advil to Beef Jerky.  It’s also a place where people give themselves a little treat or something . . . kinda like an incentive.

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We’re 20 days out from Ironman Wisconsin and I have committed to publishing my thoughts every day up to the race, so follow along if you’ll be jumping in Lake Monona with me September 11th.

BIGGEST CONCERN:  The swim. 

I always think about the swim and have been working hard to make sure I’m ready.  I’ve also watched a lot of videos to see if I can figure out where I’ll start in the water.  It’s a tricky decision because I’m not a fast swimmer, but don’t consider myself slow.  The start line is about a hundred yards wide and the only truly clear water will be in front.  So, do I start in the first row again and get swam over by a dozen people, or take a more conservative approach?  I’m leaning toward the former.

SECOND BIGGEST CONCERN:  The bike.  

There’ve been a lot of rumblings about the bike course changes, specifically the new Barlow Road hill (what is it with these streets called “Barton or Barlow?” . . . see Ironman Chattanooga run) which is allegedly steeper than anything on the course.  I have to be honest, my biggest worry isn’t the hill itself, it’s the fact that they’ve taken away two other “fun” hills in the process.  Those missing hills represent the first two of the 3-Bitches and were an amazing source of spectator energy.  One of the main reasons I love the Wisconsin race is the fans, so I hope they rally and figure out a way to make the new bike course even better.  Knowing how my Wisconsin countrymen (and women) like to party, I have faith they will still bring the energy.

THIRD BIGGEST CONCERN:  I have to wait three weeks to do this race.

I don’t know about you, but there comes a time you’re just ready to get on with it.  I’m feeling anxious now and will be in overdrive the next 20 days.  I’m still doing hard workouts this week, but after next weekend, the TAPER will really crank up the emotions.  You start to feel those creaky phantom injuries, you start to question simple things like . . . will I remember how to ride a bike?  I’ll worry about every stupid little thing until I finally just lay on the couch stare at the ceiling.  This is no longer fear, it’s all about the energy that wants to release itself on that course.

FOURTH BIGGEST CONCERN: Sleep

I’m really bad at falling asleep (which I realize means I’m an ego-maniac) so I’ve been practicing by getting in bed earlier, which typically means I just spend more of my waking hours in bed.  I’m not looking for recommendations here because I’ve tried everything and know the ultimate solution, but I think the only real strategy I have here is to get up at a crazy early hour on Saturday before the race.  Resist caffeine and spend a very long, uneventful day with my eyes open.

SUMMARY:  I’m not really concerned.  

As a blogger I’m obligated to write semi-organized entries that, to some degree, make relevant points.  While I acknowledge these “concerns” I should also point out that they could just as easily be “My Biggest Exciting Challenges.”  What I’m really most concerned about is staying in this moment.  Being here with the workout today.  I can plan and plan, but if I don’t address what’s here in front of me (much like the unexpected situations that will face me on race day) all of this obsession will be for naught.

 Follow Crushing Iron on Facebook for more updates on Ironman Wisconsin, along with Louisville, and Chattanooga.   

Ironman Wisconsin is less than a month away, and I’ve decided all of these crazy thoughts, this obsession, and this excessive planning can only mean one thing: Ironman makes me feel like a kid.

I’ve heard the average 4-year-old laughs 400 times a day.  They have no pre-conceptions, they just feel and respond to life around them.  What a beautiful thought.

That’s exactly what happens to me when I’m swimming in the lake these days.  It’s just so free and in touch with the core elements of life.  The oxygen, the water, the sunshine.  What is purer than that?

Ultimately, that’s what I love about the Ironman experience.

The other day I listened to a podcast with Tony Robbins and he was on this rant about the difference between achievement and fulfillment.  He used the example of Robin Williams, who was arguably loved by most people.  Williams achieved everything he set out to do as a comedian and actor, but in the end, for some reason, he wasn’t fulfilled.

Robbins also spoke about growth in the context of, if we’re not growing, we’re dying. Sometimes I struggle with how that relates to money and business, but ultimately his point was the more you grow, the more you have to share, and for me, that’s the driving force behind my Ironman training.

When I decided to start training, the ultimate goal was to find a more consistent, healthier self. To be able to be free with love, healthy, and laughing like a 4-year-old.  I wanted to figure out what was important and share with those around me.  It comes in waves, but ultimately I think I’m on the right track.

This will be my fourth Ironman and I may be more excited for this one than any before.  The first was great, but there was a major fear factor.  The next two felt like something I “had to do.”  This one has renewed my enthusiasm.

It’s a learning cycle in so many ways.  The newness perks you up, the reality bites for a while, then you start to do it naturally.

The other night I watched a ton of Ironman Wisconsin Swim videos in effort to figure out my starting spot.  From the outside it probably seems like the dumbest thing ever, but for me, it was fun like playing whiffle ball with high school buddies.

Mostly, I think I’m excited about this race because I have been working hard (and it gives me legitimate reason for massages).  I feel like I’m ready to take it to a new level.  And that’s the kind of thought I want to translate into life, work, and relationships.

In the end, Ironman is a very long race on one day, but it’s the preparation and patterns we create along the way that are most important.  My implementation of those patterns has been intermittent but I feel like this long, 4-year-journey is starting to make sense.

So, as I think about floating in the cool Madison water on the morning of September 11th, I also think about today and what comes after the race.  Will I continue to put myself through this grind?  I don’t know, but if I keep feeling younger than I did yesterday, I’m pretty sure the answer will be yes.

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Tomorrow I’ll embark on a new race: The Lake Logan Half, which is just outside of Asheville, NC.

I stayed in Knoxville last night at my Rev3 headquarters and will soon be heading to fine city of Canton, NC, which is conveniently 30 minutes away from the race site, and let me tell you there’s nothing I like more than waking up 30 minutes away from a race site!

Not really, I hate it.  I’m a huge fan of rolling out of bed and walking over to transition.  But my bitching will get me nowhere and at least it forces me to wake up earlier and get blood pumping before the race.

From what I can tell about Lake Logan, we have a cold-ish wetsuit swim that goes clockwise (which is good for a right breather like me).  Then we get on the bike for a hilly 56 mile ride, the first 20 miles of which appear to be downhill, then hit the toughest climb around mile 40 just when we’re getting warmed up.  The run is a two loop course where the first 3 mile are uphill, then we return on a downhill slant and do it again.

My strategy is undetermined.  With Ironman Wisconsin 5 weeks away, the last thing I want to do is crush myself to the point where I need a week off.  On the other hand, it is a race.  The way I see it, I have 3 options.

Option 1:  Create an organized training day and race at my desired Ironman pace.  This will give me some confidence going to Madison, but in reality, training is supposed to make you stronger and faster.  What sense does it make to race at a pace I think I can already do?

Option 2:  Start each segment at Ironman pace, then pick up the effort for the second half of the swim, bike, and run.  This will force me to be patient, loosen up, then test my limits.

Option 3:  Go after it like I want to win my age group.  This means taking what I get when I can get it and the first half of the bike seems to be in a giving mood.  As much as I want to stay under control, there’s no chance of winning my age group if I don’t take advantage of what appears to be mostly downhill out of the gate.

The reality is, it usually comes down to how I swim.  If it’s a crappy swim I typically go crush the bike to redeem myself (if I can).  If I swim well I feel like I can be a little more patient, but I typically go out and try to crush the bike.

So, I guess I’m gonna swim as well as I can, try to crush the bike, then run as hard as I can. Which is option 4, and usually how I race.

I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting lately–mostly on how things have changed since the decision to do my first Ironman.  It’s been a rocky road, but ultimately it was exactly what I needed to loosen the rocks inside so I could discover what’s truly important.

I was digging through the archives of Crushing Iron and found this (which was one of my first posts) and it’s interesting to note how I felt at the time vs. where I am now.  It’s a reminder to be patient in life because (though I could “see” the future) I genuinely feel like I’m only now starting to understand what is possible.  Ironman training can be a pain in the ass, but it’s a long, slow grind that can have a major impact on many areas of our lives.

Ironman Wisconsin: Registration Day  (first posted in 2012) 

Let me tell you, if Ironman Wisconsin is anything as stressful as “registration” for Ironman Wisconsin, I am in deep shit.

Registration opened the day after the race at noon and I was reading stories around the web that said it could sell out in as fast as 15 minutes.  There were five of us signing up and I was a wreck thinking that I might be the only one to not get in.  It didn’t help that my boss called an 11:00 am meeting out of the blue.

Like most bosses, he is a big fan of hearing himself talk and this strategy session had me glued on the clock.  I thought I was good, but he opened a can of worms at 11:47.  It wasn’t much of a stretch to act like I was sick and run out of that office at noon, because I was getting queasy.

His can of worms was flying right over my head, and at 11:59 I stood up and declared the meeting over.  He looked at me like I was crazy (I probably was) and asked where I was going.  I said I had something to do and I was confident the rest of them were more than qualified to finish the meeting.

It was a bold move and I’m sure there was probably enough subordination to get fired, or at least a red flag in my file, but I didn’t care.  I would have quit at that moment and, as it turns out, still might.*

It’s not just the Ironman that has me thinking about walking from the corporate world, it’s what the quest stands for.  Getting to the point where I actually believe I can do a full Ironman is a major change in my thought patterns.  I am turning into a different person, and that person is me.

* I finally left corporate America about a year later.

Follow Crushing Iron on Facebook for an upcoming onslaught of Ironman Wisconsin and other triathlon introspections. 

The closer I get to my race, the more I look at Ironman videos.  Here are a couple from Ironman Wisconsin that I’ve done with the help of my brother.

The first one was made as trailer to promote a documentary with the the Fab 5 on our journey to Ironman Wisconsin 2013, but with training and some life detours the project hit a wall.  Lately, I’ve been energized to make something happen with the footage, so we’ll see.

Please follow Crushing Iron on Facebook if you’d like to see more of this type of thing.

In 2013 I did Ironman Wisconsin and drove the bike course the day before.  That was a mistake, but it definitely convinced me not going to take the course lightly.

Hills always seems worse in a car for some reason and while I’m sure there are some flat sections, I don’t remember many.  Just up and down up and down.

There were also lots of turns, which I wound up liking as a distraction.  There’s nothing worse to me than laying in aero for hours on end.  In the end, that hellacious bike course treated me to my favorite ride of my life.  Here’s why.

Warning: I don’t wear a Garmin and describe most of this by memory and feel.

The Stick

The “stick” is roughly 13 miles and takes you out to the “lollipop” or loop of which you circle twice.  The loop is where the hills are, but the stick plays an important part, especially on the way back.

When you wind out of the Helix, you ride along the lake for a few minutes, then roll onto a bike path (which I believe is a no-pass zone) for a short stint.  Then you’ll pedal through the Colliseum parking lot, cross over the Beltline and weave your way to a country road around mile 5.  This is where (according to elevation maps) you’ll start your first climb of the day, but honestly I don’t remember it being a big deal.

Around mile 10 you’ll hit the top of that climb and this is the point when you should make a mental note of what the backside of that hill will look like when you’re closing in on home.  In some ways it felt like the toughest 3 mile stretch of the course around mile 100.  The wind was right in my face which I hear this is common for that point of the race.

The Loop

Before the race, a friend of mine promised that the crowd support on the bike would shock me . . . and he was right.  As soon as you hit the loop, you’ll start seeing little parties all over the place.  People sitting in front of their homes grilling out and allegedly sipping beer.  Then you’ll experience small towns like Mount Vernon, Mount Horeb, Cross Plains, and Verona, all with with people lining Main Street.  You’ll also see the swarm of spectators lining the sides of the “3 bitches.”

The 3 Bitches is the nickname for the three big climbs on the course, of which you do twice.  These hills are genuinely in the middle of nowhere and it amazes me how many people come out to cheer you up the climbs.  They dress in crazy costumes, run alongside you, and party with you all morning.

After the 3rd Bitch you’ll be ready for some relief and Verona will satiate that demand.  It is genuinely packed 4 deep for two blocks and it’s your moment in the sun . . . enjoy it before you head out for loop two.  Rejoice as you go through the second time knowing you’re almost back to the stick for your return to the Helix.

Aside from the great spectator support, the course will offer classic farm country including a lot of barns, silos, and cows to calm your nerves.  It will also offer a lot of turns, short and long climbs, and screaming descents.

The day I tackled it I was having trouble with my big chain ring and literally rode the entire course in my small front ring.  I think it may have hurt my time a little, but in retrospect I also think it saved my race, especially the run.  The truth is, the small ring actually felt fine, especially because I coasted most of the downhills in recovery.

Many have told me this is probably the one course that could be ridden just as successfully with a road bike.  At the time I was terrible in aero and Wisconsin kind of lets you get away with riding in an upward position more often.  The climbs for sure and the fast descents had me a little nervous about not being close to a brake.

I’ve read anywhere from 3500 – 5,000 feet of gain on this course.  And most grade estimates range from 1.5 – 2.2 % on the big climbs.  I suppose that seems about right, but I in general be ready to gear, be ready to climb/descend and be ready to enjoy incredible support from my home state people who come out like it’s their very own Tour de France.

Here’s a link to the Map My Ride I used.

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Fix Your Swim Now with C26 Coach’s Eye! See video below.