As promised here is the full video I shot at Ironman Wisconsin. It includes the Mass Swim Start, the bike hills, and run in downtown Madison. It was an awesome and inspiring day at Ironman Wisconsin and I hope you like the video.
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This is just a quickie, but I had to say a little something about this phenomenal day. I showed up around 6 am with my mind on the money shot. I had thought about this for months. I wanted to get an incredible overhead view of the swim gaggle as they set out to sea. There was only one problem. There were so many damn people there I couldn’t get a good shot.
Eight deep everywhere I looked. I was running around like a guy looking for his toe covers in transition. It was a madhouse! I’m going up and down the stairs, back and forth, all over that damn Helix and I couldn’t find one shot worth shooting.
I was starting to get seriously bummed. I drove 10 hours from Nashville and I wouldn’t get the one shot I wanted most? I even pleaded with the Ironman VIP area to give me 10 minutes in Swanksville. I mean it’s not like I don’t give them endless attention and praise nearly every day of the year. But, they wouldn’t let me in, and in fairness it was volunteers, I’m sure the head honcho would have graciously offered the Catbird seat, but I didn’t have time to wait.
I finally landed in a stairwell and shot the incredible start through the glass. I think it will work out find, but not idea. Here’s a sample.
I knew there was a nice crowd last year while I raced, but I just had no idea how nuts this place was. Without any “real access” my shooting was severely challenged. Hopefully I can make something of the video, and thankfully, with a crazy stroke of luck I met two Crushing Iron readers who totally hooked me up for the bike. Tom connected me with Ryan who took me right to the 3rd of the “Three Bitches” somewhere out in the middle of nowhere.
These people are kind of crazy in the greatest of ways. Screaming things like “I bet you wish you were still in the water!” as cyclists focused every ounce of energy on climbing that hill. Costumes ruled the day and I can’t help but feel a sense of pride when I watch literally hundreds of fellow Wisconsinites so excited to strange men and women get to the top of the hill.
After the bike, Ryan dropped me off and I went right to the Run Out and within two minutes I saw the first pro, Konstantin Bachor, hit the pavement. He was ELEVEN minutes ahead and had just set a bike course record of 4:31:13. He smiled, ran by, and gave me a friendly slap to the head as if to say, “See you in a few minutes.”
I rolled up and down State Street mesmerized by all the energy and excitement. It was a perfect day, loaded with a comfortable Wisconsin sun and spectators were soaking it in.
It’s going to be very hard not pulling the trigger tomorrow.