Just wanted to put this out there to fans of the blog and aspiring triathletes who are in the process of crushing iron. We’re getting these cotton shirts made for Ironman Wisconsin and wanted to make them available to you if you’re interested. I need to place the order today and they will cost $20 plus shipping. Send me an email [email protected] with sizes and we’ll figure out how to get them to you. Thanks. 
Emotions of am Ironman Taper #IMWI
Well, we are in taper, and I am officially paranoid.
Every move I make is accompanied by a small pause and half-eye-roll back into my head analyzing the subtle pain I just felt in my knee, ankle, back, neck, toe, and/or ring finger. It is not a pleasant state.
I am also a little grumpy. Quiet. Introspective. I’m internalizing all of these feelings and emotions. I’m sure many people around me will pay the price for the next 10 days, and for that, I apologize in advance.
Despite all of the moodiness, I am very excited to race.
I want to feel the cool rush of Lake Monona with 3,000 others who’ve made tremendous sacrifices to be in that water. I want to find that breathing zone that can only be located on long swims. I want to spot the swim exit and start gearing up for the bike.
I want to coast down the helix with thousands of people screaming and ringing cowbells as I roll out the first mile of one hundred and twelve. I want to soak in the sun as I cruise down roads I’ve probably driven, but can’t remember. I want to climb those big hills with people yelling motivation in my ear. And I want to see Madison on the horizon as I close in on the bike exit.
I want to embrace the rush of running out of transition and onto State Street, eyes peeled for familiar faces. I want to hit the tunnel and emerge inside an empty Camp Randall one day after 80,000 screaming fans propelled my Badgers to a lopsided win. I want to hear the energy of the finish line, then turn the corner to complete my journey in front of my home state’s capitol.
I want to hug and high five all of the people who have made this an emotional and spectacular ride. The Fab 5, friends, and family. I want to settle down, relax, and reflect on all it took to get there. Then start planning for the next one.
Until then, I must simply wait.
Ironman Louisville Spectator Recap
It’s funny how a race that takes most athletes 12 or more hours can have so many urgent moments. Watching Ironman is the ultimate hurry up and wait scenario. It rattles your nerves, and even seasoned spectators flirt with exhaustion.
The entire day is like looking at a field of peacocks. A flow of visual distractions inject your mind like a with one powerful drug after another. The potential for obsession is endless, and after spending an entire Sunday in the throws of passion, I feel obligated to make a major confession: My name is Mike, and I’m an IronTrac-aholic.
Ironman has officially morphed into hand-held-crack. Hundreds of athletes, who have worked tirelessly to prepare for the race of a lifetime fly by on bikes while entire groups of spectators, young and old, are watching swim, bike, run progress on phones. One guy I talked to said he spent a good chunk of his day “watching” from inside a coffee shop.
But, Irontrac nearly flushed our drug down the toilet.
The night before the race we were trying to set up our IronTrac “watch list” and none of the competitors were showing up. We were freaking out. In a panic. Would we really just have to watch the race?? It appeared certain when IronTrac sent out this message on Facebook:
I have Good News and I have Bad News. Good News – the Athlete List is up and ready to go for Ironman Canada!! The Bad News – Ironman is testing out a COMPLETELY changed version of the Athlete Tracker for Ironman Louisville and unfortunately IronTrac will not work to track athletes racing tomorrow. This is what happens when you pull info from a ‘Giant’ and the ‘Giant’ doesn’t communicate with us. Thank you for your understanding and support. I will update you as we figure out things next week.
We stared at our phones in disbelief and passed consoling hugs around the room. Everything would be okay, we reassured ourselves, but the night before the race would be also be restless for spectators.
I was sharing a room with Robbie, who was racing, which added another level of anxiety to my night. I was quiet and trying to be respectful as possible, but the whole IronTrac thing had me on edge. Well, that, and the fact that I had some good friends racing in the morning.
I heard Robbie moving around at about 4 in the morning and could already feel the energy. The last two days he had a very calm focus on this this race. He coached us hard, but worked even harder. I knew he was ready to get last year out of his mind. As we walked to transition for a final check of the bike, he was as loose as I’d seen him and posed for an early morning picture in front of this . . . uh . . . novelty shop.
I watched Louisville last year and can’t tell you how much I love the swim start. The long winding trail of athletes filing down to the water is an electric sequence. I parked myself in the front row and texted back and forth to people who were with Robbie, Wasky, and Corey to find out when they crossed under the arch so I could get video of their plunge. It worked out perfectly and I caught each of them jumping in and swimming up the channel. (Though this is not a picture of that).
I watched for a little while longer, then we moved toward the Swim Exit about two miles down the river. I got a little sidetracked shooting video of the awesome scene unfolding in the Ohio River. The bridge backdrops were just spectacular and I lost track of time.
When I finally got to the Swim Exit, I realized I was trapped on the wrong side and didn’t have time to get around. I panicked and grabbed a perch about 100 yards away and thought I could catch them with my zoom lens, but it was a madhouse.
Robbie and Wasky started in the back of the line, but they are pretty fast swimmers so by the time they got to the exit, there were tons of people coming out at once. They were shouting names like rapid fire and I knew I was sunk.
Allison sent me a text message and said Robbie was out of the water in a blistering 55 minutes. I didn’t see him come up the ramp, so I ran to the other side of the changing tent, but his transition was less than four minutes and I missed the whole scene.
Then I ran back to catch Wasky and missed him, too. He was out of the water in 1:04 and I was running around like a wild chicken. I put my head down and ran to the street so see if I could catch his bike departure, and caught him as he blew out of town.
Corey was right behind them and I honestly can’t remember if I saw him at that point or not. The fast pace of an Ironman had my heart racing on the sidelines.
I walked back to my car and that’s when I realized IronTrac had fixed the problem. I was now a junkie on an all-day-tracking-bender that would start in LaGrange, KY.
I had genuine intentions of getting a bunch of good video and did manage to catch Robbie and Wasky go by on the bike the first time, but shortly after that I was ready to throw my camera in LaGrange’s community dumpster. It’s so hard to recognize anyone on a bike, and when you do, they are gone in three seconds. It’s fruitless. I put the camera away for the rest of the bike and simply enjoyed the festive atmosphere and cold $6 cheeseburgers.
After the guys came through the second time, it was back to Louisville for a nap. I figured I had around 2 hours to drive and rest for a few, but I may have slept 5 minutes before waking up in freak out because Robbie was rockin’ the bike and I suddenly had the feeling I may be underestimating his arrival time. I still thought I was cool, but two blocks from the Run Out, I got a text telling me Robbie was off the bike. Damn! I missed him again. Just then, I caught him for 5 seconds as he ran by me looking like a boxer headed to the ring. He was fired up, focused, and off the bike in 5:42.
I let Robbie go and stood at the Bike In and waited for Wasky, who was holding his 9 minute swim deficit to Robbie for most of the bike. He came in at 5:49 and gave me a thumbs up as he coasted into transition, which he cleared in just over 4 minutes. Here he is checking his watch before serving himself to the downtown furnace.
Now, it was time for Corey.
Corey and I met at the Rev 3 Knoxville in May. It was a brutal day in the opposite direction. Temperatures were in the upper 50’s and it was raining the whole race. The water temperature was 54 degrees and it was Corey’s first half. I felt bad that such a nice guy had to deal with those conditions as I slinked off after my Olympic.
Corey did a 6:30 that day, and logic would say you should at least double that time for a full Ironman, but Corey had other ideas.
He came off the bike with a huge smile in 6:06. You always want to say your friends looked great during a race, but he really did. I stood with his wife, Donna, waiting for him to come out of transition. Five minutes, six, seven . . . it was taking a while. His wife was getting anxious. “What’s he doing in there?” Eight minutes . . . then, just after 9 minutes, he came running out in his red and black top with the same grin. He was ready for his marathon.
This is where it gets dicey.
I walked with Corey’s wife to the halfway point of the marathon, which is also mile 1, 14, and 26. It’s a good spot to catch runners twice in about 10 minutes.
Robbie’s first run split was 7:24/mile at the 2.5 mile mark. He followed with a 7:38 over the next 3. He showed me his plan for the race and till this point he was dead on, all the way down to projected transition times.
Wasky started a little slower with an 8:45 first split, then came in at 10:16 for the next 3 miles.
Corey’s first 2.5 were at a 8:37 pace and he followed at 9:03 for the next 3 miles.
For an IronTrac junkie, this is heaven and hell. Refresh, refresh, refresh. It’s the perfect drug because it is often an illusion. You think you’re looking at pure information, but sometimes it’s cut with bad facts. You start doing math in your head and trying to rationalize what’s going on when you really don’t have a clue. They also give you weird split distances like 1.6 miles and 2.3 miles that are simply a pain in the ass to calculate. Then out of nowhere, you get another update.
Robbie’s next split average was 8:52 for 1.6 miles and while it seemed like a bad sign, you just never know if there was a hill or he was just backing off for a bit. But when the next one came in at 11:05, I knew something was up. All we could do was wait.
Wasky’s third split was a 12:41 pace and he followed it with a 12:51. I was with his parents and you could sense real concern in their body language. Mom and dad, standing helpless as their son is battling a war. It’s hard for anyone who hasn’t trained to this level to understand that it’s okay, even when it seems like it isn’t. Wasky was obviously in pain and he knew it was coming, just not so fast.
Corey also came in noticeably higher on his third split, 10:48, but followed it with a 9:45. It appeared Corey was settling in his groove, but Robbie and Wasky were waging war.
It took forever, but Robbie’s next split was 18:25 for 1.2 miles and, if IronTrac was right, I had a pretty good feeling his Achilles nightmare had returned. I know from experience your Achilles is not something to mess with and I pretty much figured he’d reached the end.
I’m still relatively new to Ironman and have always wondered why people wouldn’t just walk it in to get their medal. But, the more I learn, the more I realize it’s not about the medal. It’s about where this process of training takes you. And, especially if you’ve done multiple Ironmans, risky long term injury is a dumb idea, especially when you love to train and race like Robbie does.
By now, Corey had overtaken them both and came rolling through mile 13 like he was on a Sunday jog. You could just see it in his eyes, he had this thing. He swept around the block and came back through and nearly knocked me over with a high-five. He was strong.
Wasky was next, and he had that determined look I’ve come to know so well, but his legs were harboring a cramp fest. Every step was painful, but he kept moving. He came around the block and gave me a vicious high-five as well, then swaddled into the distance thinking about ways he could beat his legs.
I didn’t see Robbie until later, but I knew he had to be disappointed. So many hours. So much focus, ripped away by an injury. It can be a cruel day.
Now, Corey and Wasky were out on the second loop and all we spectators needed was patience. We charged our phones and refreshed IronTrac at ridiculous speeds. Corey’s splits stayed solid and we knew he was coming in soon. I took my place on top of the walkway and pointed my lens and waited.
Around 11:55 minutes after I shot him jumping in the river, I saw Corey’s red and black jersey in the distance. He had the same bounce in his step and was moving at at sub 9 clip. Not only would he finish his first Ironman, he would do it under 12 hours with an 11:57. A remarkable performance on a brutally hot day. Corey Coggins, You are an Ironman.
By looking at his pace, it was obvious Wasky was fighting cramps the entire second loop. I can’t imagine what he went through, but he was hovering around a 12 minute pace, so I knew that, regardless of the pain, he was still running. And even with an agonizing run that was surely below his goal, Wasky crossed his first Ironman finish line in 12:28. John Wasky, You are an Ironman.
I was super proud of all three of these guys. An amazing day on so many levels. I wish things could have turned out better for Robbie, but he’ll be back.
There were other great performances from people I know and/or train with:
Melissa Gomez 13:42
Lisa Kelley: 13:24
Ann Mallin: 13:14
Emily Ryan: 11:06 (5th in age group)
Daveed Jaime: 15:20 (Couch to Ironman in 3 months)
Rodney Bice: 13:30
Carrie Haapala: 13:58
Annapurna Slayman: 13:22
Paul Putnam: 15:27
And of course, Wil Emery, who I just met and realized is my neighbor: 9:26 (10th overall, 1st in age group, and Kona bound).
I have to admit, it was an incredible high, followed by a low the next morning. I’m past the point of being anxious for IMWI, now it’s just flat out impatience. I know the hardest part of these next 10 days will be calming my mind and beating off negative thoughts as I train less and sit around more. Clearly I am going to have to spend more time with IronTrac.
Neighborly Advice 14, 13, and 12 Days Out from Ironman
This entire list is here, but since I haven’t posted since Saturday I thought I would re-share some of my neighbor’s wisdom for less than two weeks out from Ironman.
Day 14 – You gonna think I’m full of corn, but when you two weeks away from ya dance, you gotta forget all the moves. Sit back with your friends and just talk about shit u don’t care about. Hell, my boy Mincie talked out both sides his mouth bout that damn Flipper show and I just shook my head and ate biscuits. Sound crazy, but he kept it real and real is what it is.
Day 13 – Okay, now I’m gonna tell u somethin, but it ain’t what you hope. You gonna start worryin’ bout everything. Like nightmare and dream shit that straight out a Stephen King movie. Like u tryin to spot that swim buoy but ain’t got no eyes or u runnin’ on hot burnin’ coals or u forgot ya swim cap. But that just ya mind fuckin wit u. I had a dream once and I was dancin’ on my damn hands. Ain’t that some Jackabilly?
Day 12 – Not gonna lie. Day 12 ain’t for nothin’ but lettin’ your nerves calm down from that Stephen King shit. Nothin else u can do, really.
**Ironman Louisville Spectator Recap coming in an hour or so.
Ironman Louisville – Friday Night
Fellow Fab 5’er, Daniel, and I just had a little dinner at Bearno’s Pizza. I ordered a family salad and we each had individual pizzas. Then we walked over to Ironman headquarters at the Galt House and found THIS on the IM registration table! 
More than a little bummed at the moment.
The mood here is calm. Didn’t see too many racers traipsing about, but did get a look at the mighty bridge that will not be a part of this year’s run course. I think it’s a fair trade for the heat this town keeps pouring on the athletes. Even tonight, the warm winds had me reaching to take my shirt off. 
Yeah, we went looking for some action at the Galt House, but didn’t see much other than this hook-n-ladder cruising the strip. I reasoned the mayor must have thought these guys were slacking and told them to go put out some fires. 
Inside the Galt House, it was a bit festive and Thelma’s Coffee House was clearly open, but nobody was working. Daniel graciously volunteered to serve many of the sleepy competitors. 
The practice swim is from only from 8-10! And this will not be wetsuit legal. 
If you’re caught in the river before 8 or after 10 you will be disqualified and escorted out of town in this horse drawn fairy tale. 
I really love this town for some reason. I think it’s because it’s so damn cool, but not packed. There are tons of great buildings and cool little places, but it still feels undiscovered. Not to mention, there are a ton of possibilities, and 1,000s of athletes will soon be exploring them. 
Feet On The Ground In Louisville
I just pulled into Louisville to spectate and the town is buzzing. I’m heading out to dinner, but will return with some pictures and any important news from the street. 
I can tell you this much, most of my crew has eaten and is taking it easy. The will do a short run thru tomorrow morning at 9 while I’m out riding the bike course.
I feel like a kid in a candy store and can’t wait to watch this race go off on Sunday. I rolled my bike into the hotel and everyone was looking at me like a rock star. Not really.
More after dinner.
Track The Fab 5 at Ironman Wisconsin #IMWI
It’s official, we are all signed up for GPS trackers at Ironman Wisconsin, so, if you care, you’ll be able to follow our journey in real time with the My Athlete app. It’s free.
The Fab 5
Daniel Hudgins – Bib #1112
Kevin Gammon – Bib #1284
Mark Scrivner – Bib #2109
Jim Schwan – Bib #2448
Mike Tarrolly – Bib #2705
The app is pretty cool and shows athletes moving along the course. We would love it if you happened to catch some video on your phone and send it to us later to help with our documentary. I’ll have a server address.
Please pass along this link to anyone you know who will be spectating Ironman Wisconsin and have them contact me if they’d like more information on how they can help with the film. I will also be posting an update on what everyone will be wearing so it’s easier to pick us out. Thanks for your help.
My email is: [email protected]
Day 16 Lesson from Neighbor James – Man, you start forgettin’ what day it even is. Could be Thursday or might be Tuesday. Don’t matta. You know what TIME it is. It time to put on that big ole’ watch and run your little white ass down the block a few times.
The Next Few Days Are About Louisville
As much as possible, I am trying to “let go” of Wisconsin for a few days. The Southeast is heating up again and it’s time to reflect on a major reason I am in these shoes: Ironman Louisville.
Last year at this time I agreed to drive up to Louisville with Jim to watch Racer K tackle his first Ironman. Jim and I settled into Skyline Chili along the way, then went to the Galt House to find Kevin before regretting that I overloaded at Skyline Chili.
It was all so foreign to me at the time and I couldn’t believe how many people were milling around the host hotel talking about swim, bike, and run. I knew something big was about to happen, but didn’t quite understand the magnitude.
This year I will be going up to support coach Robbie, Corey and Wasky (pictured in that order below). Three guys that I’ve spent a ton of time with this summer and must be literally sitting on the edge of their seats as the clock counts down to cannon.
I haven’t quite “been there” yet, but I’m guessing there’s not much you can do those last few days other than pack up your shit and battle anxiety. There’s nothing left other than not losing your mind and finding a zone. It’s one of those weird places where you don’t want to be distracted, but really need a distraction.
I’ll be in Louisville tomorrow night, then getting up early to ride the bike course in case I choose to put myself through the fires of hell in August one day in the future. I may even run around the town a bit and down 4th Street to see if I can imagine the electricity that will be filling that finish line on Sunday night. I’ve seen it and it is definitely something to write home about.
Then Sunday morning, I will tread lightly as three close friends stand in the swim line ready to culminate months of hard work. And this is what I imagined when I created Crushing Iron. Being around people who push themselves to the limits to see how far that will take them. And while I’m not racing, this morning will be about the incredible journey we’ve taken together.
It will be about all those little things that help keep everyone on track. About the selflessness we all shared in order to bring out the best in each other. Hundreds of days and thousands of little inspirations that have all come down to this day. Now, it’s time for them to show everyone else why we have so much faith in what they’re about to do.
This is it boys, make no mistake where you are.
17 Days Out Lesson – from my Neighbor James – My lil James Jr. gonna come out that door right there and start yellin, “Mr. Mike, Mr. Mike,” and you gonna be like, “Damn, James Jr. out here screamin ‘Mr. Mike’ again.” And you gonna be right, but he just wanna say what up. Take a minute to say he a good kid.
Contemplating a Race Strategy for Ironman Wisconsin #IMWI
As I leaned against the orange boom this morning, I thought about (for the 1000th time) how I would tackle the Beast. The other day, coach sent out a note suggesting we plan our race backwards, so with that in mind, here goes nothing.
The Run –
I’ve said all along, the run is my wild card. I have yet to run more than 14 miles and will be knocking out my first full marathon at the end of an ironman. That thought is both daunting and insatiably intriguing.
There’s a saying in sports that typically goes with scoring a touchdown or hitting a home run, “Act like you’ve been there before.” Traditionally it means, don’t be over-the-top or anxious because is says your surprised, or don’t believe in yourself. You didn’t think you could do it. But how do you act like you’ve been there, if you really haven’t?
The only way to do this is mentally. I have been thinking about it on every run I’ve taken for the last few months. Embracing the inevitable pain and moving through it until something else hurts. Then, repeat.
Strategically, I have gone back and forth with the idea of wearing a Garmin, but predict I will not. I’ll likely start my chrono swim watch when the canon goes off and use it more as a reference than an obsession. The run will have to play out by feel and my goal is to negative split each half of the run with intention of starting very slow off the bike. (I know, everyone says this, but I really mean it!).
The last, and potentially crucial intangible, is the crowd. It’s hard to put a value on spectator support, but everything I’ve heard about Wisconsin has me excited to run through downtown Madison, loop through Camp Randall (home of my beloved Badgers), and soak in my favorite campus. I’m banking on the distractions, not the least of which will be family and friends lying about how great I look!
The Bike –
I have started to regain my mojo on the bike and the timing couldn’t be better. Add to this a recent tune up and new chain (delivered by the Godfather of bike maintenance) and I’m feeling pretty good about the ride.
The “x factor” for me will be, “How does my training ground, Natchez Trace, compare to the Wisconsin bike course?” If it is favorable (ie… the Trace offers a more difficult ride) I will cautiously push the envelope. Of course, I won’t know this until the second loop, so up until then I will be paying close attention to my effort and gearing down anytime I feel like I’m breathing hard or my legs leave a comfortable spin.
If the Trace vs. Wisconsin comparison is unfavorable (equal terrain) I will all but take off my race hat. This doesn’t mean I will be on a country stroll, but conserving energy will be top of mind.
My goal is to come off that bike excited about the challenge of the run, not to wish I could go back to the hotel and and watch meaningless NFL games. In fact, I may use that for motivation.
The Swim –
My strategy on the swim is simple. Start slow, build by feel, and don’t stop. I have a goal time of around 2 minutes per hundred and 5 or 10 seconds either way will be fine as long as I feel like I just had a nice and energizing swim.
We’ve been swimming open water at least twice a week for the last few months, so I feel comfortable with the lakes and crowds. I really just want to stay calm, find clear pockets, and keep my arms moving. The pace will take care of itself.
Pre-Prologue –
This will be my first Ironman. I haven’t officially “been there,” but thousands of training hours have exposed me to relevant thoughts and feelings. Along the way I’ve learned a lot of things and quite possibly the most important is, your mind will look for a hundred reasons to throw in the towel. In fact, nine times out of ten, your mind will try to talk you out of everything. That’s why I’ve been so adamant about simply listening to my body.
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18 Days Out Lesson – Neighbor James – Man, it gonna be mid-week and u gonna have some doubts, but u can’t let that shit up in you. We all had our doubts, but keep ya eye on the prize. Shine them damn shoes or eat you a salad to keep ya weight down. You gotta be light, man. You can’t dance all day if u got a big ass at night.
The Fab 5 Has An Ironman "Scout" . . . My Mom
These last few weeks before Ironman are getting interesting. I can literally feel the level of excitement rising and I don’t imagine it will diminish. But I think it’s even more noticeable in the people who have been hearing me spew my BS for the last 8 months or so. Ironman, this, Ironman, that. And one of those people bubbling with anticipation is my mom.
For example, I wake up this morning and find this picture waiting on my phone.
Yes, that’s my mother, standing next to the Ironman Wisconsin bike transition three weeks before the race. I had no idea she was taking her position as “Race Scout” so seriously.
Mom has already inspected my lodging quarters and stepped-off the distance from the hotel lobby to the Swim Start. She’s also combed her Rolodex for Madison connections, which has landed her insider parking on the bike course and access to a pontoon in Lake Monona if necessary. And last, but not least, she is collecting orders for Crushing Iron gear for Fab 5 supporters on race day.
We talked this morning and her excitement for Ironman is contagious. As if it were possible, I may even be even more jacked about the race after our 20 minute phone call. We discussed everything from shuttling in and around Verona down to downloading Athlete Tracker on her “smart phone.”
It is going to be so great to have my family on the course for this race. Since I moved to Nashville our visits have been too far between. Joining my mom will be dad, my brother, Chris, and my sister, Amy, who is flying in from Dallas.
It’s a little emotional just thinking about seeing them on the course. More than once I have been on a long training run and imagined crossing the finish line, which, at the right moment chokes me up — even if I am deep in isolation on a dark and rainy night in Shelby Bottoms green way. I can’t imagine the myriad of emotions waiting when I see my family and friends waiting after 140.6 miles.
The day has already played in my mind dozens of times and I’m sure mom has done the same. It would be interesting to see how are versions differ. We know she’s a passionate weed puller, but how will she handle a day of passively watching her son climb a mountain?
As far as I know, she is still in Madison combing State Street for the perfect perch or prodding for top secret info on spectating Ironman Wisconsin. And I can tell by her enthusiasm she won’t rest until she is given full access to transition and the finisher’s shoot.
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19 Days Out Lesson – Neighbor James – I know u hear what I’m sayin, but it ain’t sinkin in… look at u chewin on them little energy candy packs like they gonna help u mow the lawn faster. Listen up!