irontrac

September 22, 2013

Epic Ironman in Lake Tahoe

Edit: If you took (or know who took) this photo, please let me know and I will give you credit.

It is an absolutely gorgeous day in Nashville. I just rode my “other bike” a 2008 Triumph Bonneville around for a while, now I’m at the coffee shop writing on my new Chrome Book tracking Ironman Lake Tahoe (which is sure to go down in history as one of the most memorable) on my phone.

I was watching the weather leading up to this and the forecasts were brutal. 31 degrees at cannon time? Seriously? Unbelievable. And so AWESOME. Look at this Swim Start photo!

I just can’t imagine what was going through their minds at this moment. Well, on some level I can. There is a switch that must be flipped or you’re doomed. This sport is very mental and this kind of day will stretch your capacity to the limits.

I have to admit, even though I know most racers must have been pissed or downright frightened by the cold, there was a big part of me that really wanted to be in the race because it will surely go down in the IM annals as epic.

Aside from the awesomeness of the freakish swim, I’m tracking the bike and there is a section of the course where the PROS are averaging 8 mph. Must be a brutal hill because the next splits are in the mid-30s. Here’s Chris McDonald’s @IronTrac about halfway through the run.

I guarantee you that, no matter how much they’re hating it right now, everyone that finishes this race will look back as one of the most prideful moments of their life. Racing Ironman is “survival enough” without having frozen feet for most of the race. I just hope there’s a nice fireplace in the ski lodge to enjoy a hot coco with friends and family when they’re done.

To all the new Ironmen that sucked it up to scrape and claw your way to the Finish Line today, congratulations . . . we are watching in envy, respect, and awe.

Edit: I just realized that Maik TWELSIEK, who won IMWI took 2nd at Tahoe just two weeks later. Nice work, man. I am seriously impressed. I remember seeing Maik on the run and while we didn’t really exchange high fives or anything, I could tell he was thinking, “Man, Mike needs to work on his running form in 2014.” You got it, man!

September 17, 2013

Ironman Recovery #IMWI

Many say the most important part of training is recovery, and we in Nashville take that seriously. So, post-Ironman Wisconsin, we’re gathering 16 triathletes, our aero helmets, and setting out to crush the Nashville Pedal Tavern course record. Our good friend Wasky has already downloaded elevation gain and ridden the course, so his detailed text message is pending. IronTrac assured me they’d have this race loaded, including a beer tracker, a day in advance, so make sure to follow our journey. (These people are not us, but I think they may hold the current course record).

September 2, 2013

6 Days Out from #IMWI

Ironman Wisconsin is six days away, are you ready? Of course you are, and it can’t come soon enough.

I’m leaving Nashville Tuesday after work. I plan to drive about four or five hours and get a hotel so I can keep my sleep schedule on track. Then we’ll leave early in the morning and get to parent’s house around noon on Wednesday. I’ll go for a short 30 minute run around my childhood neighborhood, then kick back with mom and dad to plan their spectator day. (And yes, I’m open for suggestions from anyone who has great watching places).

I’m still not sure my family fully understand what’s going to happen on race day, but it’s impossible to know until you see it for yourself. It will be a very long day and while Ironman is a slow, drawn-out race, the story unfolds with amazing speed.

* There are some really cool shots from Ironman Wisconsin at this Flickr feed, including the two below: The energy before the swim will be off the charts. Friends and family will watch as 3,000 swimmers wade into Lake Monona and float for 15-20 minutes. Then, the cannon . . . followed by a mad rush of energy for racers and an anxiety ridden test of patience for those on shore. Then the emergence from the swim. What a moment. It’s hard to explain the excitement of watching someone you know rush out of the water then disappear into transition.

Fans will catch a brief glimpse as we spiral down the helix and leave for the hills. It will be another mystical moment, followed by a calm and re-group. They will walk to their cars as we begin our 112 mile journey.

The cars will park in Verona and the waiting game starts again. Then, out of nowhere, like a magic trick, we will fly by them on the bike. They will feel their hearts pulse, full of excitement and another bit of relief. IronTrac or My Athlete Live will keep them up to speed on our progress as they settle in with the party, which I expect to be rockin’.

We will manifest once more, then be gone. A rush, followed by relief, followed by calm and a long walk to the car and a trip back to Madison.

They will negotiate their spots and wait for us to return from this long, mysterious ride. They will be looking in our eyes for weakness, hoping it is nowhere to be seen. Several times they will project themselves into our shoes and be baffled by the idea of swinging our leg off the bike and deciding to run a full marathon.

We will dismount our bikes, gather our bearings, then slowly jog past them on the last leg of this monster. Parading our vulnerability in front of thousands on State Street and banking their encouragement to get us over the next hump, and the next . . . and the next.

I will tell them to bring chairs because, in a different way, walking and standing that long can be just as hard as doing an Ironman. Rest your legs while watching. We need you fresh.

I expect to hear and see people I know many times on the run course and believe me, it will be a huge boost. It all comes down to the run. I keep wondering what that second loop will feel like. When will I feel like “I’m on my way home?” Mile 14, mile 18, mile 22?

Either way, this run is very intriguing to me because after mile 14 it will all be uncharted territory. I will be an explorer who never knows what awaits around the next corner. The sheer fear and excitement are both why I came. The unknown is absolutely enchanting.

And so many people will be watching as the story unfolds. A long, slow drama that comes to a fascinating and unpredictable conclusion, for all of us.

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6 Days Out Lesson – Neighbor James

I think I told you about day 6 before when we was both on our weed eaters out front. Day 6 is some shit cause you start thinkin’ bout runnin’ away and hidin’ in dumpsters or at ya Grandma’s crib. Ain’t gonna work. You gotta get ya head straight and start hearin’ the music right. They warmin’ up the symphony and your ears betta get used to them sour notes.