Mike Tarrolly – Co-host of the Crushing Iron Podcast
What a weekend in Madison! C26 brings home 2nd Place in the Tri Club North American Championship and 3rd in the 70.3. Big shout out to our team and great racing. A year after the worst weather in IMWI history, we were delivered a perfect day and lots of amazing performances. We get into what we experienced both on and off the course. We talk about the intensity of the bike and how hard it is to get the run dialed in. We look at how slight mistakes add up over the course of the day. We get into how long you need to run before Ironman and it may surprise you. We also look at self doubt, building new gears in training, and talk about why you are capable of way more than you think. And Mike talks about overcoming his race and bike mechanical that turned a great day into a long march of survival.
Topics:
- Jam Packed Race Weekend – We had a big crew in Madison racing the 70.3 and Full, but on top of that we had a massive support system. That is always the most impressive part. How many C26 athletes who are NOT racing that show up to support the team. Add everyone’s families and it was a massive crew cheering everyone on. We also talk about Men’s world Championship in NICE.
- No more complaining, please – It’s easy to complain about little things Ironman is doing wrong, and I’ve definitely done it. The medals, the set up for check in, the this and that, but that’s really losing track of the reason we are doing this sport. We’re here to get better, stronger, and faster, along with being better humans and complaining is an ugly quality. And for the record, I love the medals.
- The “intro” t-shirt – One of our athletes from Minneapolis, who also happens to run the biggest corn maize in the US, stopped by on Saturday night to give me and Robbie a new coach’s t-shirt. On the back he had printed Robbie’s whole podcast intro. It was one of the funniest things.
- Mike’s mechanical – Going down Garfoot Rd, which is one of the fastest sections on the course, I had a flat and what ensued was mental chaos. I completely botched the situation and it was 100% my fault. I talk about how this event completely shattered my race.
- Slight mistakes add up – We make hundreds of decisions over the course of an Ironman, and many of them are on the bike. Little decisions like being in the wrong gear too often, forgetting nutrition, and not cooling down can add up and slowly dismantle your run. Today we look at the fine line between racing average and racing your best.
- It all comes down to the run – We’ve said it a million times, but no matter how you slice it, you have to get off the bike and be ready, willing, and able to run. There’s not much worse than getting off the bike and barely being able to walk, let alone run a marathon. How do we put ourselves in the position for our best run?
- On course bargaining with yourself – “Don’t believe how you feel on the course because it will likely change in 15 minutes.” That’s one of our favorite quotes and it’s so true. We have to race with a game plan and stick to it. If you’re flat, give it time. If you’re pumped and feel great early, pull back a bit. Let this race settle in. It’s an exercise in pacing and patience. There are times for upping the effort, but it has to be when you know you have it under control.
- Anxiety usually comes in the swim or bike – Most of us aren’t “scared” on the run, but many triathletes have anxiety about the swim and bike. Mine comes with the swim in the form of going to hard and getting that chest feeling. I always start the swim slow to make sure my body is adapted to the speed, excitement, and feel of the water. Once I settle in, I just try to stay there and use the swim as a warm up. I’ll always be about a solid and steady swim. And I also know the “nerves” that can surround the bike, but I have noticed that once you’re actually “on the bike” it feels much different than how you think about the bike. Breathe and be in the moment.
- Getting to the run . . . – For many it’s all about getting to the run so they can relax and finish the race. On average that takes about 8 hours and 30 minutes for most. That is a long ass time. You have to respect all of that. A long swim and a longer bike. Now a marathon? We’re putting this together for the first time all year and we cannot take our fastest training sessions and put them all together in our mind. Be reasonable with your calculations and give your body a real shot on the run.
- How long is it going to take to finish this run?? – Unfortunately most of us get to the run and it is a death march. A lot of dreams are crushed on the bike and now it’s up to us to finish the run WAY slower than we hoped. There’s a fine line between attacking a reasonable run performance and completely blowing up. It’s going to hurt bad, but not in a way that will leave you injured (most of the time). Be strong mentally and figure out a way.
- Sneaky difficult run course – I know the Wisconsin run course really well and as I started my second lap, there was nothing I really wanted to see. It’s not the most difficult course, but you have a tough section of hills in the middle of the loop, hard crushed dirt trail, and sneaky grade all over. Then there is the dark out-and-back section that can make you crumble. Not that hard, but fair. The great news is, there is a lot of support out there to cheer you on.
- Finding your WHY while in a race – This was probably my toughest challenge on Sunday. After the flat and huge delay I had to decide why I wanted to keep going. My goal for a podium was gone and only a genuine miracle would save it. I could have laid back and cruised in, but I decided to test myself and see what I could pull off. It came back to bite me and my run struggled, but inside all of that was a message. I didn’t give in or quit. I also have to really keep an eye on the fact that I’m 59 years old and this body can still do amazing things. If we lose track of the healthy and happy part of this sport, it really becomes an empty proposition.
- Balancing mental and emotional resilience – One of our last podcasts was called “Regret or Resilience” and that played on loop in my head. Especially on the run. My bike turned out about 45 minutes slower than I hoped and I really didn’t have much motivation on the run. But I figured out a way to keep it respectable and for me, retaining your respect is a massive part of life. It would have been so easy to walk it in, but I played a lot of games in my head to keep that from happening. “One more aid station,” “5 more minutes,” “Run for 150 steps” . . . I kept looking for answers that never really came, but somehow, despite struggling to walk off the bike I ran “most” of the marathon.
- Burning all the biscuits in training – I have been called the poster child for under training. I just don’t want to dig a hole for my body and always think health, strength, and longevity first. I’ve gotten to 10 Ironman start lines un-injured and have had decent performances without multiple century rides and/or 20 mile runs. This year I did a double loop ride at Madison, and my long run was about 11 miles. Yeah, I didn’t have a great race, but if you simply take out the 40 minute mechanical I’m at 13:20, which is pretty solid for a 60 year old and top 10 age group. The truth is, I wound up biking WAY too hard to catch up and bonked the last 15 miles. The best part of all this is that I woke up Monday with very little soreness and write this 4 days later with solid health and no pain.
- Measuring belief – I think belief is probably the biggest asset you can have in this sport. Doubt can be a heavy villain and keep you from even pursuing your dreams. The way I think about this is on a continuum. We can go from belief to doubt very quickly and I think it’s all based on effort. I usually gage this by breathing. If your breath is under control, you have belief. If you start to gasp, you’re losing that fine line and it will be tougher mentally. It’s almost like not being yourself. It can only last for so long. Find the sweet spot. Flirt with the edge, but don’t go over.
- Creating a new gear in your training – One of the things that gets harder for me with age is working on speed. I was reminded again that it is VITAL, but in the right doses. The problem with speed work is it can put you at higher risk of injury. “Too fast or too far” are usually the issues. So, while it gets harder I know I have to move the needle if I think I’m going to move up the standings. I mean, if I can only hold 8:30 for a few miles in training, how do I honestly think I can run 9:30’s for 26 miles? It’s not reasonable, especially off the swim and bike, but it doesn’t stop me from thinking I can. But I can’t. Building speed takes time and effort. I know I have to get back into that, but I honestly think it’s smarter to start on the bike with high cadence work. Pushing that leg speed on the bike is a lot safer.
- You are capable of WAY more than you think – We always talk about how Ironman is “one day” and it’s true. If you have reasonable training and a belief system in place, you can figure out a way to get it done. You have to practice problem solving in training. Work on belief and doing things that are uncomfortable, because Ironman is really uncomfortable. Building those habits in Ironman training crosses over to life as well. Little things seem like no big deal, but honestly, you have to let Ironman form other good habits in your life too. Sleep, nutrition, recovery, etc… Because I’ve also seen Ironman wear people down and have the opposite effect on their lives and relationships. Pay close attention to what comes up in your mind during Ironman training. It breaks up the rocks and shows you your truth if you let it.
- Be strong to lift others up in life – One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in this sport is that while we are doing amazing things, it shouldn’t be centered on bragging rights. It’s more about using the entire process to stay healthy, feel strong, and to be a better person . . . for others. Life is so much better when we are selfless. Opening doors to great people and better connections is what this sport can really do for you. There’s definitely power in using revenge or other dark emotions to perform better, but ultimately nobody really cares about your times. They care about your character and company.
- Stronger and faster is the goal – It sounds ridiculous to say out loud, but the stronger and faster you are, the better you will race. The problem comes when we try to make these things happen too quickly. It creates regret and anger. Ironman is a long process in two ways. One, you have to build up to the distance if you’re just starting. And two, you have to start far enough out from a race so you can build strength and speed and an acceptable way for your body. There are no short cuts to a faster Ironman.
- Self doubt is okay . . . to a point – If you are overly confident going into Ironman, there’s a good chance you’re overtrained. There should always be a respect and doubt surrounding your race. You just don’t know. But if you’ve done the work. Feel fresh. And can channel those nerves in a positive way, that is energy. That’s what you need. You aren’t sprinting, you are slowly unrolling a massive source of energy from your body to sustain the day. It’s a process of attrition. Don’t let it all out at the start. Be under control, let your body and mind open to the possibilities as the day unfolds.
Mike Tarrolly – [email protected]