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October 6, 2013

Thanks God it's Swim, Bike, then Run

Whoever invented triathlons did me a huge favor, but if someone ever gets a bright idea to reverse the order to run, bike, swim, they will be on my short list of enemies. I was rudely reminded of just how painful starting with the run can be.

Wasky ran over to the house (he was two miles in when we started) and we just took off in true Wasky fashion.* I woke up exactly 21 minutes before he showed up and we galloped along at a 8:15 pace right from the start. I knew it was a mistake, but I actually felt good . . . for a while.

We hit the greenway, then made an awesome discovery (which I have sworn to secrecy) that lifted my spirits in sort of a paradise meets the burning fires of hell sort of way. A new training spot that will be a game changer.

Then more greenway and more 8:15 pace. Six miles later we’re climbing out of Shelby Park and my legs start screaming like a raging bear that’s been jostled from hibernation.

A fierce run that is my longest since Ironman. Up and down Riverside until we exchanged a very low five and went our own ways. He ran close to 13 and I probably got in around 10. Ten miles and I literally feel worse than I did after 140.6 in Madison.

The point here is that swimming first is a godsend. Tired or not, it always wakes and warms me up in just the right ways and this whole thing reminds me to remind myself of the goals I set for the off season:

1. Get to sleep earlier. (Challenge of a lifetime)
2. Wake up earlier. (Mainly so I don’t go from the bed to the pool, bike, or road . . . oh and just so you know, this morning’s run started at 9 am)
3. Strengthen and balance mind, body, and life. (meditation, weights, writing, a social existence)
4. Hit the pool hard. (Now is the time to build swim confidence, which I really think translates into overall race confidence for me)
5. Hit the trainer hard. (Biking is my strength, but I am far from a strong biker in these races)
6. Increase flexibility and pliability (long, strong muscles that recover faster).
7. Increase (regain) running speed. (explosive muscle training)

* Wasky truly knows one speed, “all out.” Not many know this, but he was so fired up at Ironman Louisville he swam the entire length of the upstream channel underwater. And coach Robbie has acknowledged more than once that Wasky’s walk is a sub-8 pace.

October 4, 2013

Life Lessons in Training

Occasionally I will pop across the street to the convenience store and invariably get into a discussion with June, the woman behind the counter. She deals with truckers all day, and has made it clear to me she would prefer a different lifestyle, but I find our short conversations fascinating because she has what I like to call Southern Intuition.

All I have to do is throw a little bait and she launches into diatribes that seem so much bigger than buying a Coke or Snickers.

Me: What in the world is going on these days?

Her: “Ya know… my mom, she’s dead now, but she always used to say… and this was 20 years ago…’this country is goin to the dogs’…. and you know what? she was right… she was right… (whisper)…she… was… right. Honestly, I always thought she was a little crazy… I was young… I didn’t get it… she was an RN… a registered nurse… and she’d say… (now June was whispering everything)… this country is going to hell in a hand basket…. I never understood it… but I do now… I should have listened…woulda been a lot easier… your parents always know.”

I love hearing her talk in that deep southern twang. She always adds something to my day and while I’m not totally sure I agree with her about the country going to the dogs, I like her point. Wisdom goes a long way and life can be a lot easier if we truly listen.

But why don’t we listen to people who have been there (including ourselves)? Why do we run too much when our coaches or legs tell us not to? Why do we overextend ourselves or eat like crap before a race? Why don’t we sleep when we’re tired? Why do we make out with sledge hammers?

I saw a tweet the other day from @wisemanphil that I think sums up life (and training) pretty well:

October 3, 2013

10 Mistakes I Made at Ironman Wisconsin #IMWI

As a first time Ironman participant, I searched for any tip I could find to make it a better experience. In the spirit of passing it forward, I thought I’d point out a few little things I wish I would have known before, during, and after Ironman Wisconsin 2013.

1. I didn’t study the swim course. This will gnaw at me for a long long time, so don’t make the same mistake.

The water was very choppy and sighting was difficult. In retrospect I should have floated out to the ski jump (maybe even walked up it for a better view) the day before (after they laid the course) and really concentrated on finding a sighting landmark. The minutes before the race are filled with jostling and talking out nerves. I sort of guessed at sighting the bridge, but it didn’t work out that great. I started 50 meters to the right of the buoys and that’s where I ended up at the turn.

The second thing I should have done on Saturday was take a short bike ride along that path and peered down the long back stretch of the swim course to find THAT sighting point. When I turned the corner in the water, I felt naked. Sighting the buoys seems obvious, but it didn’t work out for me.

2. I started in the middle of the swim pack, and too slowly. The middle adjacent to the ski jump, in and of itself, is not a bad place to start. The guy next to me said it was only 9 more meters from that point to the first turn when compared to starting on the inside buoy line. My problem was I started too slow and got mauled.

The minute I chose to start in the front, I should have realized that treading water for 20 minutes was a decent warm up and gone out fast for a few hundred meters to get some space from the crowd.

3. I didn’t pay attention to the wind. We had the wind at our backs for the first 20 miles of the bike and I probably could have used it a little more. I just didn’t think about it, and when I came in on that same 20 miles I wasn’t mentally prepared for it being in my face. I hear this is a common wind pattern at Wisconsin.

4. I didn’t use my big ring. I had been consistently throwing my chain (many have called this user error) in the weeks leading up to the race, and it happened the first time I tried to go into my big ring. I got paranoid and opted to conserve by spinning up and recovering down. It didn’t turn out to be a “terrible” decision because I was shooting for 5:50 and did a 6:03, but I could have gotten a little better momentum on some of the MANY downhills.

5. I didn’t wear a Garmin on the run. I was all over the place in my head, and even though I had fairly consistent splits, I think I could have done better if I knew my pace along the way. Again, I don’t think it “really” screwed me, but my average pace was 10 minute miles and I think seeing that on my watch all day would have annoyed me enough to push it into the “nines” a little more often.

6. I didn’t study the run course and take advantage of the right sections. There were certain places loaded with fans and others with slight descent that could have jolted my speed if I knew exactly where they were.

7. I didn’t have warm enough clothes waiting at the end. Even though it was beautiful weather, it didn’t take me long to start shivering. A hooded sweatshirt would have sealed the deal. After an hour, I limped back to the hotel to warm up and, after sitting for a while, couldn’t find the energy to go back to the finish line.

8. I forgot to unpack my T2 bag after the race. This is kinda nasty, but I had never dealt with transition bags and never thought to air it out. It was the first time I relieved myself on the bike and I did it multiple times, which left a stench that is not fully correctable.

9. I didn’t go back to the lake. I thought about that swim every day of the year and after I “conquered” it, I really wish I would have went back and soaked it in one more time. I love the water and Lake Monona is gorgeous.

10. I didn’t stay in town a couple more days. Even though I spent a lot of time in Madison as a kid, I forgot how awesome that place is. Everyone that came up with me loved it as well and I really wish we would have taken a couple days on the backside to decompress and experience more of the downtown.

** And I didn’t bring back enough cheese or beer.

October 2, 2013

Ironman Wisconsin Race Report – Guest Blog

Here is the race report from my training partner Kevin Gammon, aka Racer K. I was really happy to see this in my inbox because, a) He is intense and real with his posts, and b) we haven’t really talked about Wisconsin since we raced. Kevin and I spent a lot of time together (much of it beating each other up in the water) the last nine months and became good friends who shared a lot of highs and lows. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

IMOO 2013 Race Recap – Kevin Gammon

Warning: This is long. It is an Ironman. What do you expect? Read it in chunks if you like. Or not at all. Thank you for your consideration in either case.

Traveling to an Ironman competition is far from a vacation. This time around, we had a group of five competitors traveling to Wisconsin and an impressive number of supporters. My best count is around 15 supporters although I’m sure I may be missing a few. A fan-freaking-tastic turn out. My trip to Madison began in the wee morning hours of September 5^th. Four future competitors (Jim, Mark, Daniel and myself) and two loving partners (Christina and Bettina) packed their stuff in a van like it was a masters game of Tetris and hit the road well before the Nashville rush hour.
The ride was just as quick and painless as a root canal but we managed to make it, twelve grueling hours later, without voting the weakest link out of the van.

Pre-Race

Daniel, Christina, and myself decided to stay at a hostel for the trip. Well, Daniel and I decided and Christina more or less got stuck with it. She was very unhappy with the situation, which made things a bit stressful, but she did her best to put up with it for me. I know it wasn’t easy, thank you for that. The hostel was a hostel- for those of us who don’t mind such things it was a great, cheap way to travel. Daniel and I even got lucky, completely by accident, and ended up with our own “room.” Meaning we had a small wall with no door between us and the other four beds.Ok, enough about the hostel, if you would like to hear more about that traumatic experience I am sure it will end up on my girlfriends blog – here. The first night we take on a local pub for a few brews and then the Great Dane.Day two consisted of an hour at athlete check in, a quick walk through the expo, and some time with my parents who drove up for the race. Later that night we had our only full team dinner and a mediocre Italian restraint. We were surprised when coach decided to show up. He pulled a nice little trick making us think he was in Vegas and popped up. We now had the fab five, our small group from Rx Endurance, a coach, and a boat load of significant others. A well supported race. But this is also one of the most stressful parts. If you have been following the Fab Five reality series and kept count while reading this, you noticed that I had four distinct circles of people there for me- Christina, the RxE Group, the non-RxE group, and my family. A lot of people in this situation would just say good luck guys and worry about the race. But I’m just not that kind of person. Coordination is difficult and stressful. Finally we get to Saturday. The Rx team had an easy pre-race hour workout (which ended up taking two hours) followed by bike gear check in.

Speaking for myself, bike gear check in is the first time all weekend where the athlete can really relax. There is officially nothing left to do except race and mentally go over your race.

It felt good to finally relax. And by relax I mean hunt cheese and food. It seems Madison shuts down between 2 and 5. Seriously guys, what is wrong with you? So, the day before the race I am irritated, nervous, have sore feet from walking, and I’m hungry because apparently all you can do is drink in the afternoon. If you really want to excel in your Ironman do not do what I did. Finally, my 5^th group rolls into town- Eddy and Steven. Luckily I trust Eddy like a brother and know he will get things done with no assistance needed. We crawl over to a little pub, work out the spectator details, and then head to a small indian restraint for dinner. At some point during dinner I finally relax. It is that point when you realize there is nothing left to do. Everyone has a plan. You finally have food because the restaurants in Madison are off their siestas. Your shit is in transition. Crap will be over, one way or another, in twenty-four hours. Give or take a few hours.

I slept like a baby that night. No fear. It was strange. I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well before a race. I did wake up a bit before the alarm but didn’t mind. Its much easier to get ready before anyone else was awake. Met up with CK in the kitchen for breakfast, waited for Daniel, and then traveled to transition for body marking.

The Swim

Coach called it right in his race recap. My love of punctuality got me in the water early. I was about the 10^th non-pro to enter the water. Cool except that I had to tread water around 30 minutes give or take. I latched onto the ramp to help rest a bit. Closer to the start of the race I noticed Jim and Mike to the right of the ramp but I couldn’t get their attention. Instead I decided to creep up as much as the kayakers would allow trying to steal a few meters. Yes, you can do that. I had an aggressive plan that had me skipping all of the buoys except the turn buoy. I caught a dip in the trees that looked like a V at the end of the swim course and called that my sighting target. The cannon goes off and the day starts. I actually didn’t have to fight many people for a few hundred meters. Why? Because I’m not a shitty swimmer. I started in the front and, at least with the people around me, stayed in the front for a while. Then again I am also not the fastest.Eventually people caught up with me and the melee began. As much shit as I talk in the water I actually tried to be nice. I can be violent, just ask Mike, but these people had dreams of finishing just like I did.

As long as they didn’t intentionally do anything to me I let them go. I didn’t pull or push anyone without good reason. However, if you did things on purpose, and Mr. D. Head next to me found out, I do retaliate. He pulled a little maneuver where you grab someone’s (my) shoulder, push them (me) under, and propel yourself forward. Hell no. I grab his feet and yanked him under, elbowed him, and kicked like swimmers with bad form just to remind him that there are bigger fish in the water. I hope cried and coughed up water on the bike.Other than that there is a constant bump and grind because most people simply can’t swim a straight line. I couldn’t without some wonderful coaching and long practices. I get it. You get a free pass. Unless you choose to keep doing it after light correction.

The big problem I had from the swim actually came from the wet suit. I still am not 100% sure about what caused it- its never happened before and I’ve logged some serious hours in the wet suit. Neck chafing. Serious, serious neck chafing. It started to hurt so bad that it hindered my form. I had difficulty properly extending my arm and reaching. Meaning, on my right (most powerful) side, I could not properly extend, catch, and pull. I still had the follow through. But that really sucked. Especially after practicing all summer. But you work through it. It’s an Ironman after all. (Not a luau, right coach?). He may kick me out of the group for that.So, I come out of the water pissed but overall on target. I had planned to swim easy because, while I knew I could swim faster, I also knew it would take valuable energy that I needed on my weakest leg: the bike. The gains in time from my usual swim would not outweigh the loss of performance on the 112 mile hilly, windy little course coming up.

Swim time: 1:26:08

I came out of the swim annoyed. I knew I had held back and wanted to be further ahead, my neck hurt like hell, and I was dreading the long hours I knew were up next on the bike. I ran up and found two helpful wetsuit swimmer but things did not go according to plan. They had a hard time getting my wetsuit off and lost my goggles. The sat around searching for them for a bit and I said “fuck it guys, this is taking too long” and ran off.

I am fairly certain I heard my parents, Christina, and Eddy but I don’t remember actually seeing them. Water dries out my contacts. Inside the Mona Terrace things were equally frustrating. I ran around looking for a place to sit down before giving up and standing to change and not a single volunteer offered to help me with my gear. Let me repeat that- at every single point on the course I loved the volunteers except in transition. I’ll bring it up again when I talk about T2 but during my entire time in changing area not a single volunteer even acknowledged me. Period. Not a “hi, good job, let me help” or even playful slap on the ass. Thanks guys. So, I threw my bike stuff on, lathered with enough euro—butter to be considered naughty, packed my gear back up, and I found where to take my bag and left the transition area. I also had some difficulty getting my sun sleeves on (which were completely pointless- it was a perfect cloudy day.) If you are wondering why the hell someone would have a 10-minute T1 when they didn’t even change clothes- that’s why. Well, Madison is a long transition anyway. But not that bloody long. Outside of the changing area the volunteers immediately became more helpful, offering to lather me up with sunscreen. But when the sunscreen hit the neck I knew it. Stupid wetsuits. I jogged down the long transition to find my bike and I was finally off to the longest part of the day. I heard my dad calling my name a I went down the well known spiral and at the end saw Robbie and Allie. Surprisingly, it was comforting. I think I heard my dad as well. The bike ride had begun.T1- 11:35

The Bike

I’ve been in the tri world from somewhere between 2 and 3 years now. I’ve grown to love the swim and I’ve always enjoyed the run. But I have never been excited about spending 6+ hours on a bike. I don’t know why. The only thing I like about it is being done.

So, lets get to it. Like everything that day, coach had given me a ballpark plan to follow that looked something like this: First 16ish just spin. Chill out and enjoy. The first 40 mile loop use a recon. Go easy and learn the course. Work on the second 40 miles. Go easier on the way home. So that was the plan.

I felt that I was spinning on the way out. I don’t know if the wind was at my back or I was just feeling cheeky but my spin was actually a decent clip between the 18-19 range. I did have some stomach issues and I was afraid I was going to have a Louisville repeat so I forced myself to slow down, eat and drink. The first person I saw on the bike was Daniel. Around mile 20 he caught up. I told him about the stomach. We talked a bit and he went off. When people pass you is the hardest time to stick to your plan. Remember, it is your race. If you run theirs you will most likely suffer. So I let him go. After around another 5 – 10 miles and some long hills, my stomach finally started to feel better and I got my second wind. Oh the hills. I did not scout the course. I think that’s silly. You won’t remember 112 miles (ok, 56 because it’s a loop) and you will freak yourself out because it looks harder than it is. Weight the mental costs and benefits before you hop on the bandwagon. But the difficulty of the hills was surprising. Still not as bad as everyone warned but that is simply because of proper training. I saw several people, even at the beginning, give in and say they were done. Work hard before the race if you are coming to Wisconsin.

The spectators were great. I remember passing a clown in a corn field who spookily pointed the way up the first “major” climb. These climbs had people lining both sides, drums playing, horns blowing. The atmosphere was amazing. Just keep pushing and you will get to the top. Nothing to it. But there were three such climbs close to each other. You will feel it by the end and wonder why someone would make you do it twice. But take heart, you are about to enter the area where a free shuttle runs. That means if you have a good support group, you are about to finally see some people you know. Sure enough at (another) sharp turn I see the smiling faces of John , Robbie, Allie, and Carolyn. Or +2, coach, +1, and Mrs. +2. There may have been others but it went so fast I didn’t catch it. Sorry guys. So I roll up to a water stop, make an ungraceful exchange, and then another group surprises me. Christina, Eddy, and Steven start cheering as I am clumsily taking in water from the bike. Very cool. Its nice to get a second wind. At this point I am afraid I am slightly behind my goal (and I was) because of the need to slow down for my stomach. But I didn’t get sick and I was still rolling. At a minimum I knew that would make this better than Lousiville. So I keep pushing to loop two. (Quick side note- I was wearing my EN kit and a random person yelled ENFL. So someone other than our group really knew EN. I love getting shout outs.)Second loop, same as the first. I stopped a few times on the second loop to stretch a bit. If I had realized how close II was to Jim at that moment I would heave kept going but what can you do. My second loop pace was slower than I liked- I could have sped up a bit but after going through that collection of hills I decided to do my best to save a bit. The course was less crowded- fewer people on the hills. I was glad to be greeted by the Waskys at the same corner. The last few miles in were just a slow and steady spin, trying to relax the muscles and get ready for the run. I was very happy to hand the bike off to volunteers and move on to the rest of my day.

One last note on the bike. It is a technical. There are several sharp turns on fast downhills. When you see a sign that says slow down, do it. I saw one man carried off in an ambulance and multiple people with some serious road rash. Take care people.

Bike Time: 7:11:30

T2 was almost an identical experience as T1 except I was very happy to be off the bloody bike. The day was practically over.

T2: 7:22

The Run

The run is my favorite event. There is more support, more people to talk to, more energy to pull from. Of course it is at the end of having traveled 114.4 miles. It feels good to be running. Changing the motion from the bike. I am having a hard time judging my pace- I feel that I’m going easy but am still clocking some aggressive (for me) miles.

I start off feeling great. Did I mention it was nice to be off the bike? I try to hold myself back because I know its.. well, its still a marathon. Even at what I perceive to be an easy pace turn out to be some decent miles. Not even breathing heavy at this point. What I’m really looking forward to is mile 6ish- where I know my support is waiting- and slowly hunting down some of my friends. Around mile 6 I get a nice shock when I see mighty Mike T close to finishing his first loop. He was looking good and in the zone but popped out of it when I yelled for him. As competitive as we all are it was good to see him ahead, after his change of lifestyle (which took a few months) he truly put in more work than any of us. So, good for him.

So the run continues. There were a lot of little out and backs and then finally the stadium. It was cute to do it one time but I must say not worth the extra effort. After the stadium we traveled up observatory hill (where I choose to walk a bit and save my strength) and then down back into town. (Again around mile 6ish) This is where things good interesting for me. I knew my patience would pay off- I just didn’t know how much, when, or how. But I saw Jim- at what I estimated to be very close. I should have passed him silently but I decided to yell out. I could tell he wasn’t feeling 100% but hell, its an ironman. Who does? It was probably my most mature racing moment when I held myself back and did not speed up to try and pass immediately. It was wise. My “close” estimate was off by a mile. The out and back was much further away than anticipated. I would have blown a lot if I had gotten excited. So I carry on. Around mile 6 was great, it was the first time on the run that I got to see Eddy and Christina (I think Steven was still with them here but I’m not positive). It is a great pick up to see people you care about. So I keep running.Staying slow and steady. Slow and steady. It took about two to two and a half more miles before I caught up with Jim. It was after a small dirty path and towards another turn around. Longer than I thought. But I finally caught up to him. We talk a bit and I hear about his troubles. It does suck. I was having troubles to but didn’t want to say anything. I will say one thing; I’ve had a lot of bad and painful races which prepared me for what Jim felt. I didn’t know if he had the same experiences. So we ran together for a bit. I told him my plan- 12:00 minute miles, anything under I would walk the difference to recover. He stayed with me for about a mile or two until we reached the stadium and he said, “have a good race.” That was the last I saw of him until after the finish line.

Somewhere between the stadium and the turn around I ran into Christina and Eddy again. Eddy decided to run with me a bit- technically illegal but that is a minor detail. It wasn’t long. And then I make it to the first loop turn around. I hear my parents, my friends, and somehow over the roar of the crowd even Robbie’s every present badgering voice. He was perched like a bird of prey above the crowd. But the odd thing was that he was yelling encouragement. I spent the next mile wondering if he was sick or drunk. In either case, it was a good pick up and I kept running. Still feeling great. Still sticking to my plan. All smiles and thumbs up. Knocking people off by the handful.

The second lap is the same for some time. I make it to the stadium and still feel great. I’m slightly sore on the bottom of my feet but not bad. Then I get to the college. Close to observatory hill- and I start to feel the need for a bathroom break. Unfortunate. When I sat down to handle the situation I started to feel dizzy. The dizziness didn’t go away. I soon felt a bit sick to my stomach and sat down for a second. This would be the beginning of the last 8 miles. The last eight were a combination of running happy and painful vomiting. It was probably nutrition. This has been something I have fought with during my entire racing career. On the bright side, the fact that I didn’t have problems until the last 8 miles is a huge improvement.

Let me just hit some highlights. First- the dirt path by the lake sucks at night. Total bull shit. I slowed down at least :30 per mile because I couldn’t see and didn’t want to twist my ankle. But whatever, everyone had to do it. (That hadn’t passed it already.) There was also one moment where I was literally on my hands and knees sick and had to push myself off the ground. A woman in a kangaroo suit offered to run me in the last mile (I declined.) And finally, right before the finish, I saw the RX crew. Clearly intoxicated this time. Allie ran with me a little bit and filled me in on everyone’s status. It was great to have some company. Around the last corner she let me go and went back to wait for Jim. I round the corner and see the arch. I knew my people were there but the lights were so bright and the sound so loud that I couldn’t see anyone. I pull it in, finish the race, and take a deep breath. The day was over.

Run: 5:37 (Note- even though I felt great I am disappointed. This was only a minute fast than Louisville, where I was a bloody fucking mess. I don’t know where this broke down but I was expecting at least 30 minutes faster. Although I do think that was mainly getting sick in the last 8. Who knows?)

Post Race

Total Time: 14:33:36

Ah. Post race. So beautiful. My “catcher” was a great guy. Turns out we both raced Louisville the year before but the heat got to him and he dropped out. It reminds you how anything can happen on any given day. I leave the chute and I’m only feeling slightly ill. I always feel sick after races by the way. Its almost universal. I sit around for what I perceive as a while and didn’t see my friends/family so I resort the backup plan – The Great Dane. Well, it turns out they were there. I was either so out of it that I couldn’t see them. I later learned that this caused a great deal of panic and confusion. So, I was sitting at the Great Dane. Getting sick mind you. And my friends/family was looking for me on the side of the road and the medical tent. Whoops. Emotions are high. Luckily I find a nice couple that let me borrow their cell phone. Finally we regroup. Friends and family and athlete united. For beer of course. We hit the Great Dane and are quickly joined by Hudgins and Jim and have a great celebration. Now the day was complete!

What’s Next?

Well, if you are still reading you are either my friend or looking for a course review. If you are looking for a course review let me give you a quick summary. It is windy and it is hilly. Train appropriately. You will burn your legs on the bike. Period. You can clock out now.

Where do I start for the friends.? Let’s start with my race future. Well, I am taking at least a year off from Ironman. There are several reasons. First, I am going back to school to get yet another masters degree. That takes time. Second, I plan to spend more time in my relationship with Christina. Again, I have put Ironman training first for two years. Its time to look at other things. Also money. This isn’t a cheap sport. The average ironman salary is $126,000 (USAT, 2012.). As a math professor for a small college… well, let’s say I bring the average down. Way down. It is an expensive hobby. My entire 2014 race entry budget (at this point) is a little over half of one Ironman entry. The final reason is that I am thinking about leaving Nashville. It has been a good, long run but things are coming together and the signs are pointing West. I go where life takes me. So I do not want to take on anything serious when I don’t even know where I will be in nine months. Right now I am focusing on running. Mainly because I don’t feel guilty when I miss runs, I can do it “for fun.” The triathlon has always been competitive for me so the guilt of not giving 100% would be uncomfortable.

I’m not sure what that means about my future with RxE. Strict running is not really Robbie’s favorite area. If nothing else I am an RxE alumni.

I’ll still throw in some posts from time to time if MT allows it. I have a race in a week actually. A pleasant walk through the park called Stump Jump. I’m not in my best running shape but again- its about staying in shape and having fun right now. Because I don’t know what else will happen at the moment.

And my post race health? I’m glad you asked. Let me mention a bit about that. Last year, after Louisville, I gained weight, became depressed, and lost direction. This year I have dropped more weight, I’m happy as hell, and I’m very focused. The difference? This time I planned my post season before my race was over. If you are a first time ironman, I highly encourage you to do the same. When you take something that has been such a large part of your life and throw it away- well, it is easy to get in a depressed spiral. This year I had goals- even if they were fun ones- mapped out well before that void hit my life. I am much happier and better off for it.

Thanks to Christina and Carolyn who took most of the pictures you see here!

(http://www.usatriathlon.org/about-multisport/demographics.aspx)

Read Kevin’s Louisville Race Recap from 2012 here.

October 1, 2013

Ironman Wisconsin Swim Start 2013 – Video #IMWI

This was the moment I thought about a thousand times, the Ironman Wisconsin Swim Start. The thought of being in that water with nearly 3,000 swimmers just blew my mind and it was everything I expected. Here’s a short trailer for the documentary I hope to finish sometime before I die. Special thanks to Roger Jokela and my brother, Chris Tarrolly for shooting this video and saving the film.

More Crushing Iron video can be found here.

September 30, 2013

My Favorite Photos From A Year Of Crushing Iron

I have officially hit 300 posts on Crushing Iron so I’ve taken the liberty of selecting some photos that illustrate highlights from what has been a fantastic year filled with great friends, family, and races.

This is a screen grab from the first Fab 5 Interviews in February. We had a dream of landing PBR as a sponsor for the documentary and Kevin unwittingly became our spokesperson. Kevin and Jim had a side battle going on throughout training and this picture is when Kevin said, “I have no predictions for this group, other than I will beat Jim Schwan by at least 10 minutes.” See video here.I could build an entire library of “Jim photos” but this is probably my favorite. I can’t remember why he went to the Lamb Chop look, but he said he’s planning to bring it back soon. Let’s hope he’s serious. This is my buddy Roger Badger (in the background wearing white) with famous marathoner Bill Rogers in the foreground. It was Roger’s first marathon in Huntsville and I just think this picture is hilarious because we were both a star struck by our childhood idol. And no, we didn’t talk to him. This is coach Robbie the morning of Ironman Louisville posing for a shot in front of the adult novelty store on the way to his race. Loose and ready to hit the water.This was from the X3 Christmas party and the first photo of the Fab 5. But what most don’t know is that Mark wasn’t actually there so I Photoshopped him over my shoulder. It’s just so ridiculously awesome. I have no clue what race this was, but for some reason Daniel wore full-on business gear and it seems like it should be a commercial or something. I especially like the look of the guy behind him who seems to be thinking, “I gotta catch that guy in the suit.” More great shots of Daniel here.

Mark battled more injuries than Greg Oden but kept showing up. Here he is rubbing a knot out of his shoulder before the Muncie 70.3. He trained most of the year with a double hernia and a torn bicep, then took Madison by storm. Here you can see Jim asking me if I’m going to make it to the end of my first 5K in April of 2013. Always a classic shot for the ages. I think my answer was, “If you stop asking me questions I might.”

This is Daniel, Lee Wilson and Season Kaminski from Nashville Running Company. I think I just asked Lee if he was going to sponsor the Fab 5.

The photographer at Rev3 Knoxville nailed this shot. Me battling for dear life as this guy in the green put me away at the finish line. A huge group toes the line for one of our many open water training sessions. There is nothing like starting your day at 6 am in the open water. This is Wasky in the white shades with Allie and Jim in the background. I’m pretty sure Wasky would call this legit.This me with Dr. Oz in after our 5K face off in Las Vegas. Oz has become a lukewarm fan of Crushing Iron over the year and even posted several pictures of me on his own blog. It doesn’t get much more ridic than two middle aged guys posing for a selfie.Corey and his wife, Donna, after he crushed Louisville in under 12 hours (including 6 course meal transitions), giving me something to shoot for. He beat me by a minute and don’t think I haven’t lost sleep over this. Another legit shot of Wasky after Ironman Louisville. He was in great spirits despite having 4,565 leg cramps on the run. Robbie took this shot of me Friday night in Madison.Me and Rebekah in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol. She played a huge role in my training and gave me endless support the whole way through. She was always there to push me out the door when I didn’t feel like it and encourage me to go after my highest goals. My mom was probably my biggest fan after she finally figured out what the heck Ironman was all about. Here she is in full glory on the IMWI course with the best sign of the day.What a great feeling and relief this was. Me and Robbie after the race celebrating the hard work.Me with my dad after the race. It was amazing to see how he slowly came alive about Ironman and it meant more than he knows to have him there. It was a flashback to all the days he spent cheering for me in sports when I was a kid.This is me and my bro after the race. We have spent many hours together playing sports in our life and it was especially awesome to share this win with him. He was definitely one of my biggest supporters along the way and hopefully one day we can both cross an IM finish line in the same day.And, of course, this classic shot by Carolyn Petredis Wasky of me hugging my sister after IMWI. Amy traveled from Dallas to see the race and it was truly emotional to have her around. We don’t see each other that much and having her there to create this moment was special.

September 30, 2013

How Triathlon Changed My Life

Ten years ago I moved to Nashville and my goal was a new beginning. I didn’t know anyone and wanted to change some harmful patterns I had created. I wanted to “clean up” my act and actually do things, not sit around and talk about them. It only took about three days for me to get derailed.

My new company put me up in the Marriott Vanderbilt for two weeks while I looked for a place to live. The new job was stressful and every day felt like it could be my last. I had jumped over 100 market sizes, which was pretty rare in the television business, and most nights I needed a release. Luckily the general manager of my temporary hotel residence had a key to the fast lane.

This guy was a bad ass. He was dialed into everything and surrounded by the hottest women in town. One night he asked me to join him and his friends at Happy Hour and I was hooked. From knowing nobody to being connected with everyone overnight.

There is a major lure in being popular and I got sucked right in. Suddenly I was going out 4 nights a week. Women, wine, and song lathered me like a hot shower. I couldn’t get enough. My new friends were throwing huge parties and made me feel like the guest of honor. The problem was, I wasn’t fully vested and couldn’t always fake that fact.

Some nights were great, others were rough. I drank a lot and felt worse than ever. I was even drinking on off nights at home while surfing the net looking for ways to escape the world. It wasn’t a happy time, but I’ve always been good at projecting content.

While I would go on short stints of sobriety and even attended ACA meetings, the overall pattern continued. I was in my 40’s, living in the heart of Music Row, and frolicking in dangerous territory on a nightly basis.

Eventually I moved to East Nashville and thought I might find another new beginning, but it was just a new world of isolation. It was a quiet neighborhood and I was bored. Fortunately there was a new bar gaining popularity just up the block and it became my “Cheers.” I got to know more and more people. A fresh start with new faces. I was engaged and once again loved the excitement of building a new “life.”

It was a different vibe than West End. East Nashville is loaded with creative people. Artists, musicians, photographers. The conversation was different. My level of engagement rose, but I was tired. Tired of using beer to lift my energy only to fall back into the cracks. It was getting harder and harder to get up for work and exercise was an afterthought. I was putting on weight and my energy level was non-existent without loads of caffeine.

Something had to change.

Jim and I had been friends for years, and I knew he was doing triathlons, but never thought much about it. He’d even done Ironman, and as much of an athlete as I had been, and as much as I’d marvel while watching Kona on TV, his accomplishment didn’t click. It was other-worldly-shit and I never let the reality settle in my mind. Till this day I still feel bad about not going to watch him in Louisville.

One day he told me he was coaching a Couch to 5k program and challenged me to try. Deep inside I craved being a runner. I lived on the Country Music Marathon route for years and always went out for a jog after the race. It never panned out. So after reading about the walk/run strategy Jim’s plan included, I decided to give it a shot.

I made a pledge to myself to follow the program to the letter. No more, no less.

On the first night we gathered at Nashville Running Company and set out to do a 5 minute walk warm up, 6 sixty second runs between ninety second walks, and a five minute walk cool down. It was all I could do to run 60 seconds.

Eventually that 60 seconds built to 10 minutes, then 20, then 30. I was ready for my first 5K and ran it in around 27 minutes. That was just the beginning.

I signed up for a 5 miler, a 10K, then the 1/2 marathon. I truly enjoyed my new challenge, but it was never easy. I kept putting races on the calendar to make sure I stayed the course. My muscles were in a constant state of ache, but I always felt great when a run was over. I kept going and trusting the process to change my health, habits, and outlook on life.

By that summer Jim had convinced me to do a triathlon and that’s when everything fell in place. I did the Music City Sprint and it was the first time in years that my body screamed, “Yes!” I was on my way.

Next thing was to watch Kevin compete at Ironman Louisville and that’s when heart skipped a beat. I knew I had found my next challenge. I would sign up for Ironman, but not before struggling mightily in the NashVegas Olympic.

Shortly after NashVegas, the Fab Five agreed to sign up for Ironman Wisconsin and the rest is history. Well, not quite, but the intensity of the training and team was the new beginning I had been searching for for 10 years. I was now on a genuine path that would change my mind, body, and hopefully my meaning of life. It has.

It’s hard to understand until you do it. I’m sure it’s like jumping from a plane or scaling a mountain. You’re not really sure why you’re doing it until it’s over. But, Ironman training is real progress. It isn’t the end, in fact, it’s always the beginning. The new beginning I seem to crave. Fresh, new starts that activate my enjoyment of life. New people, friends, challenges. New attitudes, new accomplishments, new love.

And while all of this is moving the right direction, it is far from complete. My body will shiver, my thoughts will waiver, and my actions will be inconsistent. But endurance training is a metaphor for life. The perfect stroke, spin, or stride is rare. You have to practice the motion thousands of times before it becomes natural. Before it flows free and easy. And it’s the same with life. Bad habits don’t just stop, they are pushed out by better ones and it’s up to us to make sure that momentum continues.

September 28, 2013

Looking for Motivation? Read This

September 27, 2013

$650 For Ironman And All I Got Was . . .

“You paid $650 to do a race? What do you get for that?”

I heard those questions a hundred times when I was training for Ironman and always responded meekly with something like, “Well, a t-shirt, a medal, and the right to say I’m an Ironman.” I knew I’d get a lot more, but it was hard to express in the beginning.

As I sit here today without a race on the calendar, it becomes a lot clearer. It’s the first time since I started running in January 2013 that I have not had a firm goal on the horizon, and I can already tell how easy it would be to fall out of pattern.

Signing up for Ironman felt like the epitome. I would do many races along the way, but that big gorilla was always hanging out in the corner. I couldn’t escape him, and in a twisted way, I didn’t want to.

He was my nemesis and my guiding light. He was the one I feared and craved at once. It was a love/hate relationship for the ages.

There were many days I hoped it was a nightmare and others when it was my only dream. Ironman is living on the edge. It is exciting, painful, alive.

It’s a strange paradox because I believe humans were built to move, but we are also becoming lazy creatures. We don’t have to write letters, we just roll over in our bed and type notes on our phone. We don’t go to the bank or the library or the football games. We make them come to us.

So what did I get for my 650 bucks?

Motivation

Ironman doesn’t budge. It just waits for you show up. And you’d better be ready when you get there or it will eat you alive.

What did I get for my $650?

Great friends with positive attitudes

I can’t tell you how amazing it is to see the same people lining up on the beach at 6 am, three days a week to “practice” swimming. We are not professionals, we pay to do this! And we don’t get paid to ride 6 hours on a brutally hilly road in the rain or run hill repeats past aging couples holding hands on the Greenway. We embrace the challenges because they are there.

What did that 650 dollar investment get me?

A better connection with the people that matter most

Like most, my Ironman declaration didn’t initially resonate with my friends and family. I’m sure it was an afterthought, or at the most, “Mike’s got another crazy idea.” But as time went on, they saw the dedication Ironman demands. They saw changes in me. Positive changes, physically and mentally. They saw passion, determination, and commitment. And it was contagious.

My Ironman training piqued curiosities and inspired change in others. I can’t tell you how many people told me, yes ME, that what I was doing inspired THEM. More proof that what you do really does matter. People really do care. And when you break it down, isn’t that what we really want from our relationships?

What did I get for $650?

A memory of a lifetime

The first day of school, high school graduation, going to college, getting your diploma, your team winning the World Series, your wedding . . . then most start the cycle over by re-living those memorable moments vicariously through their own children. We need those sparks to keep us going. And, for me, the one without children, that’s probably why Ironman was so important. It was a big, juicy reminder that life doesn’t have to fade away without memorable moments that seize every fiber of your being.

A couple hours after the race I finally got around to reading my text messages. The first one I read said, “Congratulations! You must feel dead!” I replied with this simple line, “Actually I feel more alive than I have in 10 years.”

And that’s what I got for my $650.

September 26, 2013

Catching Up After an Ironman #IMWI

In the fury that was the week of and week after Ironman Wisconsin, many amazing things happened, but sort of fell through the cracks. One was my selection as East Nasty of the Week, which is a high honor doled out by my running club. I was very grateful, but had a difficult time enjoying it because of the race and recovery period. I just sat down to read the article again and am especially humbled by what the guys I trained with for IMWI wrote about me for the article.

Daniel Hudgins, “Mike has been a key supporter for Ironman as the “Fab Five” has been training. He is so much more than your average athlete, though. He is tenacious, and I think we’ll see him continue to improve throughout the years. When we first met last year, I remember him coming to a triathlon I was also doing to watch Jim. He was so interested and the best way I can describe his demeanor was quietly excited. As time went on, and he decided to do Ironman Wisconsin, we became closer and closer as friends. Mike and I battled for who would show up last for our morning workouts in January, and he often won. We joked that he’ll write a book “How To Sleep Your Way To an Ironman”, and it will probably be a New York Times Bestseller. After seeing his consistency, his success in racing, and his talented writing on his blog, it’s much less of a joke now. He’s one of the first people I called when I had a bad ride or something was bothering me. I’d also call him after a great workout or a successful race. I knew he would listen and want to talk about it in detail – and at the same time, he’d provide some comedy in the reality of all the craziness we were putting ourselves through. I’m so proud of him, and I know after this Ironman, he will continue to excel at whatever he pursues.”

Jim Schwan, “Tarrolly is truly an inspiration. Watching the transformation he has made from his first day at the couch to 5k program to his completion of an Ironman has been astounding. From the first day I met Tarrolly I knew he was someone I wanted to associate with. I mean, he was wearing cool shoes and seemed like he really had it going on. This was years before either of us attempted any kind of endurance sports. Little did I know we would one day end up training together for an Ironman. He is one of the most creative people I know. He has won film-making awards and authored several fantastic blogs. His chronicling of his training via Crushingiron.com, as well as the upcoming documentary, will cement his legend. If you don’t know, act like you know.”

Kevin Gammon, “I’ve had the pleasure of training with Mike for the past nine months. During those nine months, I’ve watched him change his entire life style and dedicate himself fully to reaching a goal. It has been one of the most profound changes I have seen in the three years I have participated in running and triathlons. He has become a strong athlete and person. I constantly seek out his advice because I have nothing but respect for him and what he has accomplished. I anticipate we will see some great things from Mike, both athletically and in other areas. I will also say I look forward to kicking him during the open water swim in Wisconsin.”

Mark Scrivner, “Mike? What can I say about Mike? Dude is gonna crush it. He’s a beast. Started running last year and now you can’t contain him. He’s extremely focused and sleeps more than anyone I know. I can tell you this much, the only thing stopping him will be himself. Dude shoots video, plays drums, eats PowerBars and blogs. It’s been a pleasure training with him, when he actually shows up.”

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I spent a TON of time with these guys over the last year and every minute was inspirational. Each of them connected with me in different ways and it was truly a blessing to meet them and train together for a goal I thought was impossible.

I’ve said it many times before, but Jim is the reason I am in triathlon . . . and for that matter, not a whale laying around on the couch. He patiently led by example until I figured out that I should probably follow in his footsteps. Jim made many sacrifices to make sure I stayed engaged with endurance sports, and I will forever be indebted to his efforts. Maybe one day I too will be getting up at 3:45 every morning.

Kevin’s gutsy performance at IM Louisville 2012 was the final straw that lured me into Ironman. Watching my first IM was an emotional and motivating experience. I barely knew Kevin at the time, but I was so moved by his effort that day, I knew I would sign up to race sooner than later. We didn’t bike or run together often, but our lake battles were undeniably the catalyst to me becoming a confident swimmer and rejuvenating my competitive nature.

Daniel is one of the most positive and compassionate people I know. He overcame a lot to get where he is today. His passion for triathlon shined bright all year and his results proved it. He embraced every experience like it was his last and smiled before, during, and after each competition or workout. Ironman was a first for both of us and we loved to speculate about how it would feel to compete, then finish. We dove into every detail along the way and I think it made us both better racers and people.

Mark showed more guts than just about anyone I’ve ever known as a competitor. It seemed like he was injured the entire training season, but he kept pushing on. And I’m not talking about hang nails. He had a double hernia and a torn bicep, but didn’t let either get in his way. Despite these setbacks, having a family, and owning a business that was exploding, he kept his eye on the prize and peaked with a great performance at Wisconsin. He showed a lot of confidence in me and that became a big source of motivation.

It was, is, and always will be the Fab 5 I think of first. We committed to a journey and each other. We followed through with a major challenge and came away with far more than medals. We are great friends who shared deep and meaningful experiences that no one can ever take away.