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January 24, 2013

Oversleeping or Listening to Your Body?

I have never been a morning person. It’s not that I don’t like them, I love to wake up slowly and naturally with the world. I can also get a lot more done when I’m up with the birds (or my crazy dog). It’s just very hard for me to get moving and I have a theory on why that may be to my advantage in the later phases of Ironman Wisconsin.

I used to love playing football with my buddies as a kid. My best friend was the quarterback for our high school team and we spent hours in the summer playing six-on-six sandlot games in a local field. In retrospect it was pretty dumb because we played tackle without pads and there were some vicious hits. I was fearless and would stick my head into any play, and anyone who knows me will surely acknowledge that this has had an effect on my thought process.

My friend, the quarterback, spent most of those summer days trying to convince me to go out for football. He’d claim that I was the best wide receiver in the school. I’d be his favorite target and would catch a ton of passes (and get even more girls). There was only one problem . . . I could not talk myself into getting up for the early morning summer practices.

So, while I slept in on those late August days, my friend would be sweating his ass off and puking at 7:30 in the morning. It was the first of two practices a day and, in between workouts, he’d come by and wake me up around 10 o’clock.

He was wide awake and prodded me for about 15-20 minutes before I’d get out of bed. Then, without fail, by 11 o’clock I would be alive and ready to go. But it was too late. I couldn’t be on the team if I didn’t go to the early practice.

When the season started I was right there on the sidelines rooting my buddies as they tackled their way through the Big 8 Conference in Southern Wisconsin. The pads crackled in the crisp Fall air, and I would drift to a place of regret. I knew I could play for this team, but why couldn’t I get up and go to early summer practice?

Sometimes I think it’s a cop-out to say I’m not a morning person. But years of evidence don’t lie.

At the core of this problem is the fact that I am just “slow to warm up.” There is something going on with my body chemistry that always makes me want to ease into things. It is very evident in my workouts, whether they are at 7 am or 10 at night. The warm up makes a huge difference in my performance.

I have seen it in every race.

The one that really stands out is my first Olympic, the Nashvegas Triathlon. It started at 7 am on a cold, rainy, and mucky Saturday morning in September. I stood on that river bank shivering before diving in and nearly losing my mind. I was tense, tight, and still wanted to be in bed. I nearly panicked and quit two hundred yards in. But instead I tread water for about 5 minutes and decided to keep going. Slowly, but surely I woke myself up and by the time the swim was over, I wanted more.

It was still raining when I got on the bike, but I was awake and embraced the 25 mile ride with confidence. I had the same feeling on the run course. I was a relative novice, but felt like I had a much more in the tank when I crossed the finish line. Slow to warm up, fast to finish.

——————

I had a great 5 mile run last night with the East Nasties. The route was 4.3 miles in and out of Shelby Park, but Mark Scviner and I added an extra loop around the lake that included sprints.

This was the second morning in a row that I over slept a workout and once again, I feel okay with it. I don’t particularly like the idea of “slacking” but I am listening to my body and what I’m “hearing” is a re-birth. I can literally feel my legs warming up and building strength. They have been through a lot lately and I see nothing wrong with giving them an occasional break.

I have a serene peace of mind that is hyper focused in the moment.

In some ways, I almost believe I could finish an Ironman right now because of how good my body feels. It would be a struggle, but if I “feel” good, I believe I can do anything. Something about getting closer to your accomplishment gives me a huge surge of energy. It’s that feeling you get when you’re a kid. That ability to play sports all day and night. That ability to suck it up for one more deep post route or fast break. I don’t know where the energy comes from, but you dig deep into the reserves and do what needs to be done to finish.

January 24, 2013

The Guy Who Got Me Into This Mess

JIM SCHWAN
Okay, so if you’re looking for a culprit in all of this Ironman business, it is Jim Schwan. Last year at this time he peppered me for weeks about getting into the Couch to 5K program he was coaching and I finally gave in. He ran by my side for the 5K and lied about our speed the whole way, leading me to a sub-27 minute finish. Jim is the Ironman veteran in the bunch. He’s done Louisville, Beach to Battleship, and several Half Irons. I would never never tell him this, but he has been a true motivational force in my life. He is also an original card carrying member of my Whiffle Ball Golf Country Club, Tarrolly Hills. Dig deep into Jim’s complex mind with 20 questions (below the photo).

1. Where are you from? St. Louis, MO, but have lived in TN since I was 11.
2. What are your favorite running shoes? Current Favorite are Mizunos
3. What kind of bike do you ride? I have a Cannondale Caad 9 road bike and a Cannondale Slice TT bike.
4. What’s your age group for Ironman Wisconsin? 45-49
5. What’s your go-to workout meal? Don’t have a go to workout meal but my go to pre-race meal is Carmela’s Chicken Rigatoni and a glass of Chianti from Macaroni Grille.
6. Favorite beer? It changes with the seasons. Right now it’s Terrapin MooHoo.
7. What was your favorite race to date? This is probably the most difficult question because I like different races for different reasons. Maybe Hell or High Water 5k because I went sub 20:00.
8. What are you most looking forward to on this journey. Training with the Fab 5 + 1.
9. What are you least looking forward to? The chaffing.
10. What is your strongest discipline? Running.
11. How would you respond to the criticism that endurance athletes are self-centered because they spend so much time training? I’m sorry, did you ask me a question?
12. What 3 words would you use to describe yourself? Motivated, Social, Competitive
13. Aside from triathlons and working out, what is your favorite hobby? Poker
14. If you could go anywhere in the world, where? And why? The Galápagos Islands. Looks fantastic and unspoiled.
15. Favorite Nashville Restaurant? Depends on mood.
16. Favorite sport other than endurance? To watch – football. To play – hockey.
17. Favorite band? Foo Fighters
18. Which Fab 5 member will cross the finish line first? Daniel
19. How do you think doing this Ironman will change you? It will bring me closer to some really great people.
20. Are you racing for anyone? No.

January 23, 2013

Sleep, Training, Ironman, and Dogs

So, I woke up at 6 am today. The workout called for a fairly intense run with 30, 45, 60, and 90 second sprint intervals. I was actually looking forward to running in the chilly 20 degree weather, but promptly proved I can talk myself out of anything by falling back asleep. I got up at 8:30, power-showered and was out the door with a tie on my neck at 8:50.

But, if you’re my coach and happen to be reading this, there is also some good news!

I feel better today than I have all year. I am alive, clear, and anxious for tonight’s workout. The plan calls for a bike ride, but since I biked last night, I think I’ll do the run I bagged on this morning. That cool, coach?

Man, I know sleep is important, and I think most of us believe and understand this, but we don’t realize just HOW critical rest is for the mind and body. Not only did I get in the hours last night, I slept soundly. I mean, I’ll occasionally sleep a lot on the weekend but that doesn’t always mean I’m refreshed. It’s a delicate balance. So, the obvious question here is, why did I sleep so well?

3 POSSIBLE REASONS FOR MY GOOD SLEEP LAST NIGHT

1. I ate a light meal for dinner. In fact, I don’t even know if I would really call it a meal, it was a potato with cottage cheese on top. I finished the bike workout around 11. Messed around with the blog until midnight, then went to bed.

2. My dog slept in her own bed! She is usually trying to negotiate unfathomable real estate in my bed and often laying all over me when there is clearly tons of room for her to sprawl. I wish I knew what gave her the urge to sleep in the living room, but she is more unpredictable than then most women I know.

3. I was simply relaxed. This, of course, is easier said than done. It was actually the first night of the week when I DIDN’T meditate, so I cannot for the life of me put any of this together.

I think this mystery is synonymous with the core of all Ironman training. I am on a roller coaster between confidence and doubt that consumes my waking hours. And, maybe this whole post proves it seeps into your non-waking hours as well.

Mike Tarrolly – Crushing Iron

January 22, 2013

Multi-tasking at The Gym

Okay, what the hell is going on inside the modern gym? Today’s Ironman training program called for weights and I was quite amused by the things I saw at our local YMCA. I can only imagine what happens at the fancy spas.

It is especially startling to the new “Ironman Monk” inside of me that likes to put 100 percent effort into the exercise with the least amount of distraction. I’ve even read arguments that say music during a workout takes away too much focus. But today, I ran across a few examples that were a little more blatant.

For example, Daniel and I are working our legs this morning and he says to me, “Check out that guy on the elliptical.” Dude is wearing baggy royal blue sweats, a white sleeveless t-shirt and drinking a coffee during his workout. I watched in awe as he pounded the beans and added texting to the mix.

Then, there is another guy that baffles me. He reminds me a bit of Ray Lewis because he is always fired up and walks around with a bandana on his head and a hands-free phone. He strides around the weight room with Tony Horton-like enthusiasm, talking non-stop into his phone and half the time I think he’s saying something to me. I mean, who would sit on the other end of a phone call listening to a guy workout? I am starting to wonder if he is the East Nashville Y’s version of Manti Te’o.

Then, for good measure, I’m taking a break between sets of box step-ups and I admire a woman tucked into a beautiful pigeon pose on her yoga mat. I felt the tension melting from my hip flexors as I gazed at the glorious pose. She was lost, deep in the stretch, focused on mind, body, and intention, all while reading email on her phone!

And all of this in one morning. Amazing!

It got me thinking. I’m sure there are hundreds of other stellar examples of tomfoolery at the gym. What the hell is going on out there? I’m sure you have some great stories to tell!

January 22, 2013

Adding Sprints to My Swim

First, I would like to invite all of you to follow all 5 of us training for Ironman Wisconsin on the Crushing Iron Facebook page. That page will include posts from everyone and give you a deeper understanding of what this training group is all about. I was shocked to see that we got almost 150 likes in one day, so maybe there’s something to it all?

Tonight’s workout was actually a swim and not a bike as I stated in my previous post. In theory we were supposed to do a warm up, followed by 50 x 25 sprints with :30 rest between. The focus was on fast.

I met Daniel at 7:00 with my fancy new Ironman swim watch and spent half the workout trying to figure out how the hell it worked. I wasn’t sure if swimming with someone would make a difference, but it was actually pretty cool. We shared a lane and basically chased each other all night. And, it is just a fact, working out with someone else is always going to raise your game.

I finally got the watch figured out on the 20th sprint and we only ended up doing about 28 because the lifeguard kicked us out. Well, not really, but they closed at 8.

I hadn’t really done much sprinting before, but it is painfully obvious that my form is much better when I’m sprinting. I have a natural tendency to focus on my core and don’t have time to wobble all over the place. Including warm up and some stuff at the end I probably swam 20 laps, but it was probably the most gratifying swim I’ve had yet.

We have weights in the morning and I’m gonna try to get some sleep now. Slowly, but surely my internal clock is shifting. Hopefully by September I’ll be waking up naturally at 5 am.

January 21, 2013

The Beauty of "Off Days" in Training

There’s nothing like waking up on Monday after a rough weekend of workouts, rolling onto the floor, and relaxing into Shavasana pose. High ranking monks claim Shavasana is the most important part of yoga because it’s when we let the fruits of our labor sink into the fiber of our muscle, bones and mind. The real work is in the relaxation. The recovery is in the intention.

Then again, monks aren’t training for an Ironman.

In reality, my “off day” started early this morning with a 30 minute easy run and will end with an hour of light bike training while I watch another crappy documentary, like HIStory. I have mixed emotions about the intensity of training because, quite frankly, I am a big fan of monks!

But I get what’s going on and can already see how it’s paying off. A year ago mixing in a “light 30 minute run” would have been laughable. Today, it was a nice way to start, even though it’s a holiday.

I used to lift weights a lot in college. There were streaks when I’d lift 6 days a week for an hour and a half, including ab work, etc, but this weekend was probably one of my most impressive combinations of endurance workouts in . . . oh . . . ever.

It started Friday night with an hour bike ride on the trainer, which was mainly interval work and, while I realize an hour is just the beginning, that hard ass seat no picnic.

Saturday, I met the IMWI crew at 7:20 for some video shooting, then I and climbed on a Spin bike for an hour and a half, which included a pretty tough Spin class in the middle. At 9:00 we stripped down and went for a 20 minute run to complete the brick.

Sunday was a tempo run and to make a long story short we had a warm up and cool down, but still covered 9.5 miles in 80 minutes (8.24 overall pace) which was pretty tough, but felt good.

We all want to go fast, so, light runs, like this morning’s, are in some ways the toughest. That’s another reason why I will be coaching the Couch to 5k group a couple times a week. It forces me to slow down. To think about form. And to let go of my ego.

In an “Ironman Monk” sort of way I am learning how the light workouts are Shavasana for triathletes. They remind our muscles, bones, and mind what we’ve learned, but don’t wear us out in the process. I think, after some deliberation, the monks would endorse this philosophy.

January 21, 2013

A Flattering Look at the Ironman Wisconsin Team

If you’re on Facebook, please feel free to like our Crushing Iron page. We’ll be posting as a team and it’s likely to be full of fireworks that won’t be posted here.

This is Mark’s proud grin after being elected team captain for post-workout beer parties. Coach Robbie wondering what the hell he got himself into.Kevin’s recovery program in action. Daniel raising $3,000 for the homeless with his hair. Jim fighting a “mysterious illness” in week one of training. Shot of Mike from an emotional scene in one of his earlier movies.

January 20, 2013

Tempo Training for IMWI and New Orleans 1/2 Marathon

For some ridiculous reason, I can’t sleep. I’ve been doing tougher workouts than I’ve done in years and I’ll settle into bed around 9 or 10 (thinking I’m tired) and stare at the ceiling or Seinfeld and Office re-runs until one in the morning. Last night, I added a little melatonin to the mix and I think it may have helped. I fell asleep quicker and had a bit of a haze this morning.

I drank my go-to orange juice/water mixer and added an apple to my belly before heading to Shelby Park to meet aspiring runners in training for New Orleans and/or the Country Music marathon. Kevin, Jim and Daniel were there as well (Mark is in Phoenix for the Rock n Roll 1/2, which I’m assuming he crushed). It’s nice to see the guys wearing Crushing Iron gear and more than it being the title of this blog and our documentary film, I feel like it is becoming an attitude with all of us, including our coach, Robbie Bruce, who sent me this pic the other day after his bike workout.

This morning’s run was eighty minutes, which still kind of makes me chuckle. It’s just so strange to show up for these runs with no doubt in my mind I will be able to handle them. That said, it wasn’t easy.

We started with a 15 minute warm up around a 9 minute pace, then went into our “race pace” tempo (which met some discrepancy because we weren’t sure which race we were emulating) and Jim decided it would be my New Orlean’s Half goal.

I was caught up in a discussion with another guy and didn’t realize Jim and Kevin had taken off ahead of the pack. I looked at my watch and realized it was tempo time and put my head down to catch them cruising at just under an 8 minute pace.

We raced down Davidson Street toward LP field and remarkably I felt fine at that pace considering I had only woken up 30 minutes earlier. After the 15 minute tempo we slowed way down for two minutes before doing another 15 minutes at sub 8. We did one more of these (3 total 15 min tempos at an average of 7:53 each) then cooled down for 16 minutes to hit a total of 80 minutes.

Our overall pace for the run was 8:24, which is pretty damn sweet, and we covered 9.52 miles. It got me thinking.

If I did exactly that at New Orleans, I could add one more 15 minute tempo segment at 7:53 and pretty much finish the entire half marathon around 1:45, which is very encouraging considering I sit here feeling pretty fresh. In reality, my technique will be more like starting at 8:30 for a couple miles before locking in just under 8, then hopefully having a little kick. We’ll see.

Afterwards a few of us went to Bongo Java for an incredible feast on . . . coffee. Now, I will probably go to my Facebook feed and watch people get furious about the NFL Playoffs.

January 20, 2013

Spin Class Number 2

Our last spin class, Kevin almost got shanked by a female inmate. Today, was a little more under control.

In a stroke of miracle, I showed up with my video camera at 7:25 am today and Jim was digging hard in his new Crushing Iron shirt which will help us promote the documentary along the way. They turned out great and were designed and produced by my old business partner, Brian, at Creative Pig Minds Design, in Rockford, IL. He also owns a vegan brew pub (for which I made the video). The plan was to start at 7, ride an hour, then do the spin class. I started peddling at 7:30.

For the second week in a row we were joined by Allison, who has taken over the official “plus one” role if one of the Fab Five is missing. Today, she filled in for Mark and crushed two hours on the bike before joining us on the 20 minute run.

She really digs Florida and is training for the Gulf Coast Triathlon in May. I am still pondering this race, mainly do to the potentially harrowing swim in the gulf.

Daniel is nearly 100% after a mid-foot injury that sidelined him for a couple weeks. He’s also leading the Country Music Marathon training group for the East Nasties, so homey has a lot on his mind as can be seen in this revealing photo. If there were an award for most dedicated early season performer, it would likely go to Kevin. He has been steadfast on his workouts and is clearly determined to develop his bike skills. I spent half the spin class scoping out the instructor while Kevin hammered hard and focused with an intensely spiritual approach to his technique (notice the interlocking fingers). After the bike, we trekked out into one of Nashville’s most impressive wild-dog neighborhoods. Every damn house on the first block seemed to have big ass dogs chained by cruise ship docking chains laying around on the porch. But, they all seemed very nice.

The 20 minute run was nice and easy, I think around a 9:15 pace, and it was very clear to me that my leg strength has increased dramatically. Each step was a little heavy, but the typical aches and pains associated with weak knees, quads, and ankles seems to be going away. I guess sleeping in is working!

Daniel, Kevin, and Jim took their sweet time changing while Allison and I sat in the midst of a daycare rally for kids who drink a lot of coffee. The sweat dried on our crusty bodies and we critiqued people’s workouts. Eventually they walked down the hall looking like a GQ ad in motion and I thought to myself, these guys are prematurely celebrating their stardom from the soon-to-be-famous Crushing Iron documentary. The sea of children parted and 3 of the Fab 5 casually grabbed a bottled water and led us down the road to stuff our faces at the Pied Piper.

January 18, 2013

Manti Te'o and Believing in Yourself

The more I hear about this Te’o story, the more I tend to believe he was genuinely duped. I think — just like we wanted to believe his story– he wanted to believe this relationship was real. Against all logic, he kept rolling with the unthinkable twists and turns because he truly felt comfortable with the image she presented.

She said the right things. Pushed emotional buttons. And, as a Mormon, maybe it was just easier for him to be in a relationship removed from religious anxiety.

He likely had a huge pool of female possibilities on the Notre Dame campus, but was conflicted by the temptation of it all and chose to recede into a safe world of fantasy. It doesn’t make this cover-up right, but I can see how it all spiraled into a big mess he simply hoped would go away.

Regardless of the outcome, I think Te’o’s story is more proof that we can talk ourselves into anything. He wanted comfort, love and understanding so badly that he ignored blazing red flags all around him. He was all-in on this relationship and it was fueled by hope and faith.

Or maybe it was all a big cover up.

Regardless it got me thinking about the power of the mind with regard to training. How much can we talk ourselves into? How much of an affect can visualization have on our finish times? I believe a lot.

If so, how do we find the right mindset? Can we talk ourselves into confidence or does confidence drive the train? Which comes first? I kinda think it’s fluid, and like meditation, takes practice.

Some days I feel so good about a workout or have so much energy I look up qualifying times for Kona. That’s when I get this Jekyll &Hyde thing going on.

Mr. Mike Hide says, “What the fuck are you doing? You haven’t even done one Ironman yet.”

The honorable and soft spoken Dr. Michael Hyde starts calculating splits and devising ways to pay for the trip to Hawaii.

The frightening part is . . . both sides are right.

I respect Ironman more each day. While it is becoming less intimidating for some triathletes, it is still a monster quest. A year ago I couldn’t run a mile without stopping, now I’m concocting ways to blaze through 140.6? It seems as illogical as having a serious girlfriend for 3 years without meeting.

But you try to keep the faith. You want to believe you can crush it . . . or kiss it.

Consequently my Kona qualifying target time for Wisconsin would be anything under 11 hours. How ridiculous of me to even think about that kind of time, and that’s the problem . . . the more I think about it, the more I talk myself out of the possibility.

The other night I had a discussion with one of my training partners, Jim (who is looking eerily close to Einstein these days) about the intensity of the training schedule so far away from the race. I was concerned about getting too deep too fast. The last thing I want is burnout.

Jim’s been through this and knows what it takes to finish an Ironman. He’s completed two. Essentially he said he didn’t think the workouts were that difficult and asked me if I wanted to “do okay” or “crush it.”

So, like most things, it’s better to make a decision and be wrong than never make a decision. The first decision was made when I signed up for Ironman Wisconsin. The second one I have to make is, how will I approach it, with questions and doubts, or confidence?

You can’t have doubt. Te’o played at an elite level while leading Notre Dame to a 12-0 record. Then his world came crashing in just before the National Championship and he was invisible in that game. He was thinking too much. His confidence was gone. He did “okay.”

If I really pay attention to my life, I can see that confidence is built through action. By tackling fears and showing up for the tough workouts. It’s one thing to plan and plot strategy, it’s another to over think. With Ironman training, I need to believe in myself, trust the workouts, and not let my mind fall into a pattern of doubt.

Swim, bike, run.