Ironman wisconsin blog

October 11, 2013

50 Ironman Wisconsin Race Reports in One Place #IMWI

Hopefully you will enjoy this compilation of Ironman Wisconsin 2013 Race Reports, race videos, and podcasts. I combed Facebook, Google, and other groups to find (and read) as many as I could. I have pulled an excerpt from each so you may have an idea of what you’re about to read. I plan to add more as I find them, so bookmark this page and look for the latest. Also, if you have one and I missed it, please let me know. As always, please follow me @miketarrolly on Twitter for all my updates. Thanks!

Official Ironman Wisconsin 2013 Race Day Video

Pro recap video from Ironman Wisconsin 2013

Finish line streaming video of Ironman Wisconsin 2013

Ironman Wisconsin 2013 Statistical Analysis with photos

“I could also cite my tire pressure, crash, bumpy roads, steep hills, just a litany of reasons that could have contributed to my less-than-stellar bike time. I just know I got owned!” – Christina from The Jerk Store Called . . . (Best blog name ever)

“I settled it as much as I could w/the choppy conditions and found myself behind some feet that were just swimming all over the place!! We did not swim straight AT ALL…BUT it’s pretty crazy how swimming alone in a straight line is just way harder and no faster than drafting easy on some feet that just happen to be swimming a little whacky.” – Women’s winner, Jackie Arendt from Jackie Arendt Racing.

“Within 30 seconds people were kicking my head and beating on my legs . . . and I was loving every second of it. Rubber bodies were everywhere and keeping good form was nearly impossible. My arms were tangled and my feet felt like they were tied by rubber cords. Good thing Robbie made us practice this shit.” Mike (me) of Crushing Iron

“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.” Kevin for Crushing Iron

“The race started off well with my kind of swim—a hard one. Well it would have been better without wetsuits, but at the very least we got tough and choppy conditions and had to work for that swim finish!” – Hillary Biscay from HillaryBiscay.com

“On Observatory Drive where the worst of the run course hills are, a guy next to me started to tell me what a disappointment the whole day was. I had no room in my mind for negativity, so as soon as we reached the top of the first hill I wished him luck and took off running. I wanted to be so far away from the negativity that I actually ran the second hill on Observatory Drive, where everyone else was walking.” – From Finding My Happy Place

“On the first loop I had made it about 30 miles or so into the ride and was reaching the fun rollers of Witte Road when things got exciting. A motorcycle cop whizzed by and a little bit after that came the first pro, Romain Guillaume, a Frenchman who we dubbed the “Little Guy” at the expo. He was booking. It wasn’t long before other pro riders were whipping by.” – Chris at I Am Tri

“I headed out on the run, and had seriously wobbly legs. The first two miles, I felt like I had no control over them. I had never felt that before. I thought, I DID race the bike!!!!” – From Katie at Triing for Pro

“I lined up along the buoy line, plan to take she shortest path & prayed for clear water. When the BOOM sounded, we swam. It was instant madness. If you have never swam an Ironman mass swim start & if you have not witnessed one in person, there really is no way to describe it & do it justice.” From Robyn at Sunrider Tri

“Well we were churning and a burning till mile 17……..Then a bear jumped on my back and the thing people call “The Squatch” jumped on my front side. I had developed a blister on each big toe and those MF’ers would scream out loud with every foot strike.” From the legendary Carl Noftsger of Endurance Nation

“Midway through, I unfortunately managed to increase the number of “one things” in my quiver. I lost my wedding ring to Lake Monona. When I realized this, I knew I needed to add “better make this race count” to my “one thing” thoughts, because I wasn’t sure how my wife would react.” – From Ian at Endurance Nation

“I kept pushing until the end, skipping the last 2 aid stations. I saw JT at the EN tent on State St, gave him my fuel belt (which was empty anyway), pushed on the finish. Coming around Capital Square with about ¼ mile left, I spotted a guy in a race kit that I recognized from the bike leg. I felt I could pass him, so I gave it one last push.” From Bruce at Endurance Nation

“I use a 2-mile lap as my “box” while on the bike. When I hear the beep for a lap, I start a new interval on the Joule so that I am not working too hard to hit a particular number. When a new lap starts, now it is time to concentrate on that lap and that lap only.” – From Joe at Endurance Nation

“There were people…everywhere. I really wish I had my GoPro mounted on the bike for this as it’s hard to explain. It felt like I was climbing into a crowd of people and the path literally unfolded in front of me as people peeled away to clear the space.” – Jeremy at Endurance Nation

“Oh Madison, WI. the best “Irontown” in the U.S. for sure. If you are considering Ironman, in my opinion, Wisconsin is THE one to do. Forget the amazing course, it is the people there that make the race truly iconic…The volunteers and the spectators are simply UNREAL. Tour de France-style support along the bike course, screaming (often drunk?) fans all along the run- truly one-of-a-kind.” – From professional triathlete, Beth Walsh

“Around 4:30 the volunteers with the most experience are keenly aware of time running short; a helpful one said to me and the couple gentlemen I was riding near (it’s a no-drafting rule, but it’s hard to avoid some proximity), “You can still make it, but you need to stay focused. Fifteen miles in one hour – you can do that!” Yes, I could do that – but it was WINDY! We were riding straight into the wind, it seemed like; you’d have a brief respite, then there’d be a turn and it would be brutal headwind again.” From Jenny Davidson

“I’ll tell you I felt fine the whole race until the second loop of the run. As I turned around, I said to myself ” you don’t want to do this but you have to.” – From Matt Amman

“The Ironman Wisconsin bike course is no joke. It’s known for being a hilly beast. I had come up to Madison to ride a portion of the course one time in July this past summer and was very glad that I had the opportunity to preview the course. The preview helped me gain some confidence and made me feel like I would definitely be able to finish the course on race day.” – From Rachel at Triathlon Girl in Training

“The entire population of Madison, volunteers and spectators. What a freaking incredible place to race. The volunteers were perfect. The spectators were out of hand. You guys made the experience. While were here, a huge shout out to fellow geophysicist and maybe-turning-pro triathlete Summer, who absolutely nailed restaurant and spectating recommendations.” – From A Siegfried Runs

“There were times when I felt so tired, I felt like I could just fall asleep standing up while walking. In my desperation to try and figure out what was going on with my body, I started eating all kinds of stuff being offered on the run aid stations. I ate bananas, energy gels, defizzed coke, chicken broth, and lots of potato chips.” – From Loco Runner

“Saturday, Sept 10 – Woke up to a farmer’s market right on the capital square! Walked around a little, had some breakfast and realized that the weekend was heating up. I had high hopes for a low-80s kind of Sunday. Oh well. I forced myself to drink lots of water on Saturday and kept my bottle close by as I did the last few Ironman tasks before Sunday – needed to drop off my bike and my transition bags at Monona Terrace.” – From Kelly at There Had Better Be Oxygen

“I knew that I had pushed the bike a little harder than I had planned to, but I still felt pretty good starting out on the run. I paced my first 3 miles at a 7:15 pace and began passing a good number of people, including a few female pros.” – From Eric at Ironman Diary

“Before even starting the race I reminded myself of a question that was suggested by a renown Ironman coach on a podcast I listen to. He suggested that before making any decision during the race, you should ask yourself, “How will this decision effect the last 10k of the run?” – From Iron Dad Triathlete

“I didn’t take five strokes when the panic set in. F%CK ME!!!! I had perfect swims all season and here I was acting like I had never been there before. Each time I tried to force myself to swim the breathing was too short and labored to let me swim.” – From Eric in Cleveland

“Miles 23-25.5 are long, dark and sparse of spectators. So close, yet so far away. Then you hit State Street and that is what this race is all about. Music bumping, beer flowing the crowd shouting you up the hill towards the capitol. I teared up a little turning that corner. It had been a long week and I had my moments doubting whether I would make it here or not. I looked around, picked up my turnover a bit and soaked it all in.” From Angela in Chicago

“It’s become a September tradition. Take the second weekend of the month, head down to Madison and cheer on athletes as they tackle the 140.6 miles of the Ironman Wisconsin course.” – From Badger Girl, on Spectating IMWI
“The first goal in our family is always to start. It’s a good goal, and it’s one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Injuries and accidents happen; I know this too well. On race morning, after a fitful night of sleep, I rolled over and looked at my watch. It said 6:35.” – From George in Atlanta

“I decided that I would try grapes instead and drink water. That worked like magic. I keep the energizer jelly beans and ate them slowly to try and see if that would be able to help me maintain some sort of an energy level.” Tri Fuel

“We all have many roles in life, and I have been trying to juggle being a supportive partner, loving mother, daughter, sister, nurse, friend, and ironman. I want to stress that I am just like everyone else, and if you have a dream and put the work in, that many dreams are possible.” – Team Luna Chix

Rich and Scott discuss his race, his first Ironman, including a 15 minute negative split on the run!! – Endurance Nation Podcast

I gashed the bottom of my foot open on a rock, almost got puked on 4 times by athletes, was picking seaweed out of my hair for hours after, and nearly got seasick. AND. IT. WAS. AWESOME!!!!!! – Observations from a Volunteer

“This race will be the closest I will ever come to knowing what it’s like riding in the Tour de France. The fans lined the hills cheering and ringing their cow bells, which made for a great experience” – From Kristen Lodge

“I really can’t believe that this was the 12th year that I have raced Ironman Wisconsin. I thought about it in the water before the cannon sounded; some of the first races I did here felt like they were yesterday. Each year proves to be a time when I learn something else that I can apply to future races, with this year being no exception.” From pro racer and Madison resident, Blake Becker

“I went to Wisconsin with the sole goal of erasing those doubts in my mind. Of proving to nobody but myself that I could run a respectable marathon. I didn’t care about my place or my overall time, those things were all secondary. I just wanted to run well. I NEEDED to run well.” From the Trail of Miles

“The plan was to do one shot blok every 2 miles and drink Ironman Perform at every aid station. The first six miles went well. I ran through the Badger Stadium and screamed “WE ARE PENN STATE” which I am pretty sure was heard by no one.” From Alexa Harding

“This means I had to stop at the next penalty tent, write down my name and some details, sign a form and then go again.. About 45seconds worth but this is an age while you are watching the group ride away through the hills.” – From Simon Cochrane

“Things kept going from bad to worse, and I wondered if I might have to walk the rest of the race. I knew if I could at least keep jogging, I would still get a PR, but I saw my goal of a 3:40 run quickly slip out of reach.” From Luna Chick Runs

“I had a dream that I accidentally brought my mountain bike (which I don’t actually use in real life) instead of my tri-bike. And my dad and I had to build it minutes before the race started. And then a huge lightning storm came in and delayed the race. Other than that, I slept well.” – From Go Run Some

“Alarms were going off at 3:45am to the song I get knocked down but I get up again! It was time to race and the day I was thinking about for a year was finally here.” From Angela’s Antics

YouTube Report from Amy Friese

“The bike course was brutal. Hilly – up and down and quick turns – and never ending. And did I mention we had headwinds the ENTIRE 112 miles?!?! Ugh. I stopped at mile 56 at special needs to grab more sports drink and use the porta potty. The hills were brutal but the steepest hills were full of spectators and people cheering and on drums – it was like being in the Tour de France – I felt like a rock star and was having a blast!” – From Susan at I Am Tri

A story on the amazing Brent and Kyle Pease

“I am not simply surviving…. I am thriving. I have found a way to give back, to help, and really help. For this, I am eternally grateful. I am a cancer survivor, but I am much more than that. I am an athlete. I am an activist, an advocate.” – From Team Strutz – Wilkerson

“The main problem I had was that I couldn’t see the buoy’s very well. Because I started so far to the right of them, it took me a while to get close to them – and once I did, I actually ran into one of them at one point.” From http://spabbo.blogspot.com/

“I believe in triathlon. I believe it has transformative power, and I know that behind goals linked to the time of day are more important motives: it’s the expression of our best selves that make this day sacred.” From Iron Love

“We said some not so nice things to each other (we determined that on ironman day, all was said with love) and there were times that she kept going and I had to play catch-up as I was stopping to talk to a lot of people and giving hugs when I should have been running with her.” – From Beyond the Boobs: My Journey to Ironman Wisconsin

“Today I got out there and gave it a go at my 7th Ironman Wisconsin. Living only 1 block from the finish it is tough to miss this event, and it is the only opportunity all year to sleep in my own bed for a pro race. Leading up to the race I kept a steadfast line that “I was tired” and that was the truth.” From Thomas Gerlach, pro triathlete.

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.

August 17, 2013

Long Rides Are Getting Shorter . . . For Now

Today was my last long ride on Natchez Trace before Ironman Wisconsin. I referred to the Trace as a god forsaken place in a post on Facebook, but that’s only because it is always a tough ride. A long and winding road that seemingly goes forever and nowhere.

The forecast called for a 10% chance of rain, and I guess the Trace was the 100% of the 10% because it rained for 80% of my ride. (That sounds a little like a Yogi Berra quote).

It was cool, gloomy, and wet as Jim, Jonathon, and Danielle led me out of the rest stop at mile 440. We headed out toward Mississippi.

About two miles in I realized I forgot to put Perform in my water bottles, so I knew I wasn’t going out too far before turning around. I was loaded with Power Bars and Shock Blocs, but I have recently learned I cannot exist on water alone.

Blah blah…. I rode about 85 miles in close to five hours, mostly alone with my thoughts and tired legs. Wrecked legs. Legs ready for some relief, that will come in small doses for the next three weeks before I put them into a vice at IMWI.

It’s easy to let your mind wander on an 85 mile solo ride, but I tried to “feel” the race. To climb hills tactically and save my legs, even though they were already gone.

The entire training experience has been incredibly mental, but as we reach our peak mileage, the mind is ultimate truth. Welcome the pain and fight it off however you can. Beat up your legs and let them get used to that feeling, embrace it like a masochist. Turn that weakness into strength and flow in the moment, let the discomfort come . . . then fade away.

If you break it down, everything in life can become a metaphor for life. Ironman is no different. There will be many peaks and valleys along the 140.6 mile course, it just comes down to how we respond.

July 22, 2013

The Importance of Training as a Group

A beastly one and a half hill ride Friday night. An always tough 3.5 hour ride on Natchez Trace less than 12 hours later. An open water swim this morning followed by multiple naps on a rainy day. The only problem was, somehow, someway, I had to summon the energy for the infamous Monogetti Run. One hour of splendid torture.

It was 6 pm on Sunday night and the odds of a “Mono” run were closing in on zero percent. I sat at my computer and (as I often do with this handy site) calculated how many days it is until Wisconsin and when the answer popped up, it had particular significance, it was my age . . . 49.

Forty nine days, one for each year of my life. I wonder if the days will pass as quickly as the years have? It’s really quite amazing and I literally feel like I was just in High School, but as a good friend often says to me, “There’s no such thing as time,” so I think I’m just gonna live in the moment.

Forty nine days to get ready for the biggest challenge of my life. 49 days to use wisely. Every missed workout is a missed opportunity and on day 49 I was dangerously close to missing the first opportunity of the rest of my training.

Jim had already knocked out his run. Kevin posted his Monogetti run was in the books. I didn’t hear from Mark, but with his dedication and intensity he likely climbed Mt. Everest or its equivalent.

So, yeah, it’s around 6 o’clock and I get a call from Daniel. We talked about a million things as usual, and after about 20 minutes, I finally got around to the question we all want to ask each other, “What was your workout today?” It took probing and prompting, but he casually said he swam in the afternoon after running 18 MILES this morning. I’m like, fuck-shit, damn. Talk about motivation. I swear, the minute he said that, my legs felt better and my mind shifted to Monogetti mode. It was closing in on 7 pm now and I’d basically slacked the whole day, but now, it was off to run in the dark.

I strapped on my new Mizuno running shoes (Pearl Izumi is close to losing their sponsorship opportunity with this aging rookie, but I have not closed the door completely) and hit the road. One week after the Muncie Half and some grueling biking, my legs were DEAD as I shuffled down Valley Park Drive in beautiful Inglewood, Tennessee. At this point, I wasn’t sure if I would even make one mile, but was making the effort.

That effort paid off, and an hour later I had officially knocked out my Monogetti and inked every scheduled workout for the week to the letter. This is the time that counts and it’s far too close to let 7 solid months of workouts go to waste.

As I was finishing the run, I thought about how fortunate I am to be training with the Fab 5 +1, +2 and coach, not to mention dozens of inspirational people that flow into my life on a daily basis. While we rarely train “together,” the sum of the parts is a powerful motivator that always seems to show up when you need it most.

July 20, 2013

There's Something About Biking . . .

My last post was a glowing review of swimming, but this may not be so pleasant. I’ve spoke of it before, but biking continues to be a thorn in my a**.

We hit the Trace again today for a four hour ride, and of course I was late, so I sent the other guys rocking on their own. They have a tendency to get impatient, but starting at 5:40 sharp is a challenge for me, especially considering it takes 30 minutes to get there!

Riding alone isn’t the problem, in fact, I kind of enjoy it that way. I had my GoPro camera set on my handle bars and was excited to get some great video of the gorgeous landscape. I started rolling and about one mile in, the battery went dead. I had a big giraffe looking set up, so I decided to put it back in the trunk.

So, I’m two miles in and haven’t gone anywhere. But, I was out of bed, it was six am and very peaceful. Maybe I would enjoy this after all?

I stopped at the 12 mile rest area and when I came out of the bathroom, Mark and Daniel just showed up to do their insane training. Three separate bricks of 20 mile rides followed by 3 mile runs. I hopped on with them for the first ten miles until they turned around and I kept going.

There’s something askew with my crank or bottom bracket, so every pedal was greeted with a little “clang.” About 27 miles away from my car I decided enough was enough and turned around. My legs were actually a little cashed at this point, likely because I did a hill workout less than 12 hours earlier, but that was honestly my favorite part. I love to wrench my legs. Break them down, build them back up.

It was supposed to be a “just ride,” but I have trouble with that because I typically just want the ride to be over quicker. I’m hoping that pays off in races.

I think I may have figured out why I’m struggling with biking. It’s basically a leg only operation. Swimming is full body and running lets you move the arms, but cycling is legs, legs, legs. Sore ass, ass, ass. All of that is probably why I like Mountain Biking so much more than road work. You’re in and out of the saddle more, you actually have to steer and use your arms, as well.

But it’s all good. I’ve also decided I cannot stand flat tracks, so from here until Wisconsin it’s all about the hills. Long, grinding climbs coupled with short explosive burst training on smaller, but steeper hills. Engage me, bike.

On a separate note, here is a short video from Muncie where Jim and I are trying to decide if Wasky will beat Coach Robbie out of the water. You also get a glimpse of the swim course and a special clip of my electrifying finish.

Plus, some photos from the day thanks to the talented Carolyn Wasky. Enjoy my pink swim cap.