2016 Ironman Wisconsin Race Report

For those of you who don’t read this all the way through I wanted to get this part right for sure.  I’d like to thank those that came out to support me on race day:  Jeff Scully was there from start to finish helping Jess navigate the entire course and get the entire group in places to see me.  In addition he has let me borrow his bike for the past three years.  I tried to sell it for $5 to the bike catcher after I came back to the Monona Terrace but she wouldn’t take it.  It will officially be returned to its rightful owner.  Thank you to my parents Tom and Nora, for watching our two boys Sunday morning/afternoon while I competed.  Afterward they came out to the run portion and raced around downtown Madison to see me several times on the course.  I know that much racing around the run course was challenging for them physically and they’re probably as sore as I am today.  A shout out to Melanie Gray for also being there from start to finish and helping everyone get around the race course and keeping me focused on the run.  Having been there herself it was a great help to see the empathy in her eyes on the run course telling me to ‘pick a spot and run to it’.  Big thank you to Leslie, Denise, and Doug Householder for making it out to ‘their spot’ on the run course and cheer me along with a home-made sign.  I had one of my few lighter moments on the run when I was yelling to them “I’m f-ing retiring after this!”  Thanks to Sara Draeger and Wayne Hunt for coming back from a vacation up North to watch the boys allowing my parents to come down and see the run portion.  I know they both wanted to be there themselves to cheer me on, and I felt their support as much as anyone who was at the race in person.  Sam and Natalie Jonas made it and cheered me on during the run and I appreciated the lighter moments with them as Sam was yelling ‘feel the Bern’ or was it feel the burn?  They hung around to the finish to make sure I was OK after the race.  Jerry Draeger and MJ were out on the course several times on race day cheering me on at the swim, bike and run.  Best of all after the race they went to the Monona Terrace and collected my bike and transition bags so I didn’t need to worry about them.  My cousins VJ Scully, Lynne Murry, and Leanne Scully for making the trip over from Milwaukee to cheer me on during the bike and run.  It was great to see them several times throughout the day and celebrate with them afterward.  A big shout out to Sarah Nechvatal who made an appearance during the bike through Verona and then, after what I understand was a rowdy weekend, dragged herself down to the finish line to capture a great video of me coming across the line.  I also saw Missy Thousand (I think on the bike in Verona) but certainly on the run down on the lake path, which is a very dark and lonely place, shouting encouragement to me to get across the line.  Last but not least my beautiful wife Jess, who gave birth just two months ago and supported my goal for the past 12 months.  I know she has been incredibly frustrated with me over that time for countless number of reasons (related to training) but she kept it inside and kept me focused on my task.  She carried the weight of two parents over the past couple of months and prior to that managed Camdyn on her own during several long training days and events.  On race day she was a beacon of positivity and calmness and looked into my eyes each time I saw her and passed to me her determination and grit to get to the finish line.  Thank you to all those above and thank you to the many others that cheered from afar and offered kind words on encouragement and congratulations.  There is only one person who crosses the finish line but there are a team of people that carry them to it!

Race day itself was an adventure like no other this time around.  On the way down to the swim portion I felt sick and lethargic and actually said to Jess while I was putting on my wetsuit ‘why the hell am I doing this?’  I’ll say this much, she was not the person to utter that sentence in front of as the fire that I could see behind her eyes was like no other, even though her face and words told me ‘you got this’!  She and the boys have sacrificed so much to get me to that point that there was no way she was letting me pack it in right at that moment.  I took her words of encouragement and headed into Lake Monona.  I again started farthest out from shore up closer to the front of the pack to try and get a better swim time and get me on my way to a sub 13 hour finishing goal.  Gun goes off and it was much of the same as before, lots of grabbing, pulling, and bumping but I enjoyed the physical contact and aggressiveness.  It seemed to be a bit more physical than before and maybe it was because the ‘secret’ of swimming inside the buoy line was no longer a secret.  Finished the 2.4 mile swim in 1:21:40, almost 4 minutes slower than 2014.  Not off to a good start in my mind.

The transition to the bike was quick and I was off onto the course.  I heard my support group yell for me as I left the helix of the Monona Terrace, but was immediately down on myself as I was behind my goal time already and had 6 hours plus all by myself on the bike.  I got through most of the first loop and was coming up the last large hill before Verona to where my support team was setup to cheer.  As I came upon them I saw Jess and my parents had brought both my boys Camdyn and Dawson to cheer for me.  I squeezed Camdyn’s arm as I rode by and tears came streaming down my face as I rode into Verona.  I still had this negative and crappy attitude to contend with but thought about how difficult it would be to face my kids if I quit.  I heard the voices all day telling me; “you’ve already done this, why go through the pain again?”, “you’re already off your time so there’s no point”, “there goes another over-weight or older person by you on the bike, give it up”…it’s comical now after the fact how loud the voices were telling me to just stop.  As I started my second bike loop I kept reminding myself there’s your ‘could’ pace and there’s your ‘should’ pace, meaning I know I could ride harder but I won’t have anything left for the run so slow down.  Too late!  I looked down and saw that the first loop average was 17 mph, I was shooting for 16-16.5 mph to have something left for the run.  So on the second loop I tried to reign it in a bit but the voices were back telling me “you’ve already burned your matches, you won’t be able to run”.  The wind picked up on the second loop which made it much more difficult and by the end my feet and back were killing me so I figured my day was pretty much shot.  I made my way back to Madison telling myself there’s no way I’m running any of the 26.2 miles so just walk it as quickly as possible so I can go home.  Finished the 112 mile bike in 6:40:45 going 16.77 mph, which was 12 minutes faster than my goal so I made up some overall time.

After the next transition to my running gear I came out to start the race and checked that I needed a 10 minute 40 second per mile pace marathon to come in under my 13 hour goal time.  I immediately saw Jess as I came up to the capital and told her with tears in my eyes that my legs are toast and “I can’t do this”.  Again, she peered into me exuding energy and light, encouraging me to keep moving forward.  I just kept thinking about the whole 26.2 miles in front of me, which if any of you have run a distance race before is pretty much the worst thing you can do, you just need to focus on the next 1 mile, or 100 yards, or ten feet.

As you can tell from this race report, I had some pretty loud negative voices in my head.  Jess asked me after the fact, why I thought that was and the only thing I can come up with is that the last two months of my training after Dawson was born, were totally different from my first 10 or so months and that change threw me off my game.  I found that after Dawson was born, I made adjustments to my training to get it done whenever the time allowed so there were several sessions when I was up riding my bike on the trainer at 2am because I was up with Dawson for the midnight feeding.  By no means is this an indictment of Dawson, I love my chunker, I think my training just took a shift down in priority and it felt more like taking my medicine after he was born.  So that shift lead me to believe I wasn’t getting in the right amount of work in order to accomplish my goal time so I felt like I was unprepared at the beginning of the race.  My attitude sucked all day, I think I spent too much time comparing this race to how I felt two years ago the first time I competed.  There’s nothing like the first time you run a race and it just can’t be replicated so I needed to focus on why I was doing the race this time around and that was for redemption.  I wanted to prove to myself that I was better than this race and that it wouldn’t put me in the hospital again.

So after I first saw Jess at the start of the run, I said to myself “just run a mile and see how it feels”, then another and another and I told myself I’d walk at 6 miles after I got to State St.  I saw my support group a few times and like I mentioned before, Melanie Gray yelled at me to just pick a spot and run to it.  So I kept going until the turn around to head back to the Capital, once there my quads still weren’t hurting so I kept pushing to the half way point.  For those unfamiliar, the half way point is back up where the run starts and you come around the corner to a sign that says ‘Finishers’ with and arrow to the right, where you can literally see the finish line 100 yards away, and it also says ‘2^nd Loop’ with and arrow to the left…this is a demoralizing sign to have to face on your first loop.  I made the turn with a stutter-step and let out a loud scream to get my head right.  During my training runs, there was a halfway point on my route where I envisioned the course halfway point, each time in training I’d make this stutter-step turn with a little hop and a shout to push forward.  I told myself that every step now is one closer to home and if I can somehow turn my attitude around and prove to the voices in my head that my personality is stronger than them, it would be an epic finish.  So I started grinding on the second loop and saw my support team several times, most memorably on the long and steep Observatory hill.  I saw Jess right away and she ran by my side telling me ‘you are the storm’ and to ‘finish this’, which is exactly what I needed.  At the bottom of the hill were my parents who I could see were just as tired as I, yet they were beaming with pride and yelling encouragement.  I looped around to the lake side bike path and the support group was there again screaming at me like it was the first start of the race, the energy was overwhelming.  There was some serious ‘darkness’ ahead of me at mile 23 running the slight uphill on the quiet, lonely University Dr, but once I made it to Camp Randall I knew I was home.  I never looked at my overall pace during the run because I was going pretty much as fast as I could muster and I figured if I missed my goal then it wasn’t meant to be as I had nothing left to give.  My GPS watch battery started to fail just before the stadium so I shut it down and just looked at the time of day and saw it was only 7:30pm meaning I had 30 minutes to make it two miles to make my goal…I’m going to beat this race!

I won’t do it justice trying to explain the feeling of running up to the Capital towards the finish of an Ironman race.  All the hours, conversations, sweat, blood, commitment, motivation, pride, anger, and pain flashed through my mind as I came to the final turn to once again face the Finishers/2^nd Loop sign, this time going to the right.  I let out a prideful scream a few times coming down the finishers shoot; I had done it, I had defeated all the negativity in my head, the voices telling me to quit.  I had gotten my redemption on the most physical and mental challenge I’ve ever encountered.   I ran the 26.2 miles in 4:25:33 at a 10:08/mile pace which was 9 minutes faster than my goal.  Overall I finished the day at 12:43:10, coming in 17 minutes faster than my goal and 54 minutes faster than my first Ironman.

 

I made it to the food tent and was joined again by Melanie who stayed with me and walked me around to make sure I didn’t run into the same medical issues I encountered in 2014.  After the first Ironman, the issues snuck up on me as I felt fine after finishing so I was scared it could happen again.  I finally felt good enough to exit the finish line area and celebrate with my support group.  I walked in circles around the group as I was so jacked up on caffeine and sugar from all the race course nutrition.  It was so much nicer this time to see some of my friends finish and be able to celebrate with the group.  In the days since I’ve been asked if I would ever do it again and even though I’m in retirement I know I won’t be signing up for a full ironman again anytime soon.  I have said to Jess that if she or one of the boys (I’d be 54 when Camdyn’s eligible) wanted to sign up I would do the race with them side by side.  As I said earlier, there’s nothing like completing a race for your first time, the next best thing is to have a front row seat for someone else’s first time.  I can honestly say that given my crappy attitude, I would not have finished this year’s race without the support of all my family and friends; somehow ‘thank you’ just doesn’t do it justice.

Weeks 25 through 28 of Ironman Training - Expect the unexpected

Only two more weeks after this week!  The taper has begun; this is basically taking your foot off the gas and starting to wind down the volume of each workout so your body is fresh for race day.  It is more than welcome at this point after nine long months of training!!  Having completed one Ironman before it's fun to watch all the first-timers panic now at the end of training (I was doing the same myself).  On Facebook they are all questioning if they've done enough to prepare, asking if their race plan is sound, worrying about the water temperature and whether or not the race will allow wet-suits (easier to swim 2.4 miles in a wet-suit due to the buoyancy).  I'm at ease with all of this as I know, much like a final exam in college, cramming will do you no good.

What the past 8 weeks has really driven home in my mind, and it will be applicable on race day, is to expect the unexpected.  Now my new son Dawson was unexpected, but the amount of time he sleeps each night is a variable that is not consistent.  For the most part (Jess has been taking some of these late night feedings when I have long workouts) I've been handling the middle of the night feedings.  These feedings occur anywhere from midnight to 2 AM and afterward I've just been starting my workouts for the day.  So the unexpected part is potentially only getting 5 or 6 hours of sleep before mustering the energy to plow through a 2 hour plus workout.  It's something that is just out of my control and I have to adjust the best I can and get the most out of the workout.  This will be the same on race day, sh*t will happen and I'll need to adjust and keep grinding.  Dawson has not only given me motivation for the big day, but he's also prepared me for what's is likely to come...so thank you for only sleeping a few hours each night?

In retrospect I'm not sure I would've signed up for Ironman had I known it would all be this difficult with two kids on the ground (first time around Jess was pregnant with our first).  Then again, Jess has done a ton of the heavy lifting to allow me to compete in this race again and for that I am ever thankful.  If anything, I'm using this race to show Camdyn and Dawson that they can accomplish anything they choose, regardless of the obstacles, should they set their mind to it.

Remember, the race is on 9/11 this year in Madison.  I can't say it enough how amazing and helpful it is to all the participants to have the spectators cheering them on throughout the race.  If you can make all of, or part of the day please do so, you will not regret it!

Weeks 12 through 24 of Ironman Training - Thank you!

Just by looking at the title of this blog entry, it's glaringly obvious that I haven't kept up with posts...if you've been thirsting for updates, I apologize; if you could careless, then I'm right on schedule!  This time around has been a grind to say the least.  I feel like I've done a better job training with regards to being smarter and spending time focusing on what's going to get me the most bang for my buck.  For example, I'm typically only swimming one a week because that's only 10% or my race day, I'd rather focus my efforts on getting stronger on the bike.  I feel like I've been working hard but I can't tell if I'm truly working hard or if it's just harder this time around...we'll find out come September, 11th!

I would be remiss if I didn't express my gratitude to the woman in my life who's been pushing and encouraging me along the way.  Jess, as you know just gave birth to our second boy at the beginning of July; it's worth noting that the first time I did Ironman she was pregnant and delivered a couple of weeks after the race.  Point being, we didn't have any kids on the ground the first time around and now we've got two.  She has been absolutely amazing through this training and continues to be in order to get me across that line.  From day one, she convinced me to sign up again for the race after we agreed upon how we would handle schedules, she's prepared meals, pushed me out of bed, flexed her schedule around my training, left me encouraging notes, and is already planning how to be there for me on race day...all the while balancing two kids!  None of this is possible without her and I love her dearly for helping me run this race.  She has already earned one IM medal in 2014 and is well on her way to earning the second (although something tells me she'd rather have a shopping spree or a beach vacation)!

Point is, these events/goals are rarely individually achieved.  You better have one hell of a team supporting you along the way, I know I do!

Race is on September, 11th this year which will be peculiar given the tragic history of this date.  If you're looking to lighten the mood a bit or be inspired please come to Madison to cheer on all the athletes.  Truly and amazing bunch of people of which come in all different shapes and sizes.  I tell people that if you are able to see the finish line between 8-midnight you will see some amazing accomplishments and the rawest of human emotions...I dare them to walk away uninspired!

Weeks 5 through 11 of Ironman Training - This is difficult

Well if my training was going anything like my blog entries I'd be in trouble come race day on September 11th.  It goes without saying that I've been a bit of a slacker when it comes to blogging this time around.  Fortunately the training has progressed, I'm over a 1/3rd of the way through my training program.  More of the same, swim, bike, run, lift...repeat.  I signed up for a 1/2 Ironman race that's new to Madison this year fittingly called 'The Milkman' on June 19th.  It doesn't quite fit into my training plan but considering all the chaos headed my way later this summer it's best to get it in now.

Training thus far has been difficult to put it simply.  I'm not sure if it's more difficult this time around because there's less fan fare around the goal or because I'm working harder to accomplish my elevated goals.  I'd like to say the latter, but I don't want it to be lip service.  I'm further ahead with my biking which is where I'll make up the most time but the running has been a challenge.  I don't skip workouts and when I'm doing them I keep telling myself to work hard and not just go through the motions as I need to get better.  I guess the theme in this blog is that everyone struggles to workout and get better...if they say they don't then I'm pretty sure they are lying.  Find comfort in the fact that if you're doing it right, you're hurting/uncomfortable and those around you are as well.  It doesn't make it any easier, but achieving goals never is, so keep at it...keep getting better!

Weeks 1, 2, 3 & 4 of Ironman Training - Momentum

The blog entries will be less often this year as I'd like to keep them somewhat meaningful and helpful to my few loyal subscribers and not just fill the page.  I started my training back in January and here we are mid way through March already, so technically I'm through more than 4 weeks, it's actually closer to 10 weeks down.  "What the hell do I care?" you may be asking yourself...my point is coming.  This training time is filled with base training, and what that means is that I'm just logging the time/miles at this point with no set goal or workouts that push me into higher heart rate zones.  The idea is to set a foundation on which to build over the next several months.

My point is that I've been doing this for 10 weeks and I'm still struggling to find the momentum in my training.  By momentum I'm talking about that feeling that you get when you actually finish a workout that once was difficult and has now become easy because you're making progress in your health/endurance (building momentum).  This isn't a blog about lacking motivation or a feel-sorry-for-me attitude it's a 'misery enjoys company' type of blog.  If you're out there struggling to feel like your workouts are making a difference in your health, endurance, appearance, etc; I'm here to tell you that 1) you're not alone and 2) it's coming, just keep working.

Momentum is very difficult to build when it comes to getting into shape, whether you're starting from the couch or a shorter hiatus.  It's right around the corner and once you feel it happening it is what will become addicting about being healthy.  You appreciate how difficult it is to get this momentum and you will not want to sacrifice all the work that went into finding it.  So whether you've found it or you're still digging for it, don't quit!

Why the hell…again?

Here we go again; today marks the start of training for Ironman 2016.  You (as well as most in my circle) might be asking yourself, “why the hell would someone put themselves through this again?”.  Perfectly fair question, but before I get to that I have to mention a few things for those new to this blog.  The full distance triathlon consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run, all to be completed within 17 hours to be considered an official finisher.  I penned this blog in 2014 during my first to 1) stay sane – it was a means of therapy for the mental battle that is training, 2) as to recall my journey when looking back, and 3) so users can choose to follow my progress vs having to unfriend me on Facebook because of all the Ironman updates.

Now to the why; my number one reason is because I feel like I need my revenge.  My first time out in 2014 I didn’t set any goals other than to finish in good health and I accomplished half of that.  Granted the finishing was most important but in the end I spend the night deliriously in the medical tent, my shower at home puking and the next day in the ER due to overhydrating on water (I didn’t even think that was possible).  So I feel in a small way that the race still got the better of me and I need to prove to myself that I am capable of a better performance.  I heard from someone after the race that there’s an interesting dilemma many participants encounter, if they race poorly they feel like they can do better and if they race well they feel like they can do better.

I think much of my motivation in 2014 was derived from the fear of the unknown and whether or not I could push myself to the finish line.  I’m nervous that the fear has now subsided and it will have an unintentional impact to my training effort, so I must generate a new fear.  That fear, I hope, will be generated from the embarrassment of not accomplishing my goal that I’m setting this year and that is to finish under 13 hours (2014 was 13 hrs 37 mins) and be well enough to drink a Miller Lite after the race. 

I hope to share some useful information and encouragement with you all over the next 7 months that you will be able to apply to your own personal struggles and goals. 

WI Ironman 2014 Race Report

I wrote this race report before the birth of my son this past week.  At the time this race was the most important thing and was the peak of my life experiences.  In the past week this race and everything else in my life was put into perspective.  I experienced the lowest point in my life when my son and wife were suffering medically and then the new peak when everyone came home safe.  Through this experience it was reaffirmed that Jess, my family and friends are the most important things in my life.  It matters what we accomplish in life but it matters more who we impact and love.

This is a long report and in case you don’t get a chance to read all of it I wanted to call out some individuals that honestly made this race so very memorable and tolerable because they cheered me on out there.  My parents Tom and Nora, my brother Jeff, my sister Megan, PC, Brett Kudick, Melanie Gray, Jerry and MJ, Sam and Natalie, Sara and Wayne, Molly, Mya, Maddy, Carter, VJ Scully, Kate Goodall, Sarah and Ryan Nechvatal, Mike, Laura and Mallory Taake, Kathleen and  Kevin Marien, Leslie, Doug, and Denise Householder.  Thank you all for coming out to cheer and helping me through the race. Without the positive energy I received from seeing each of you, I would not have been able to power through the day.  Some of you were out there just as long as me (4am to after midnight) and in my opinion are just as deserving of a medal.  Speaking of medals, mine goes to my wife Jess who at 8.5 months pregnant spent the entire day on her feet helping lead the charge for my fans and she was there with me till the very end which was well into the next day.  She helped me through all the training and cheered me along every step of the way through this journey and in the end was the motivation to get me to the finish line.  I also want to thank anyone that was watching from afar, or encouraging me during training, or maybe even out on race day but I didn’t see you…thank you all for the tremendous support!

Race day started out at 3:20am with breakfast and coffee and some nervous conversation with my parents and Jess.  We left our house at 4:15am to get down to the race start.  We dropped off my special needs bags (contain supplies that can be used at the half way point of the bike and run) and met up with Julie Lonergan by the capitol for some more nervous conversation.  We made our way to the Terrace to load up the bike with nutrition and get my race numbers marked.  I didn’t let any air out of my tires the day before because it was so cool and let my imagination run all night long thinking for sure I would have two flat tires when I arrived, the bike was fine.  From this point on it was standing around waiting to head towards the water for the cannon at 7am.

My Mom and Dad went to the helix early to grab the best location overseeing the water entry/exit and high enough to see over the trees and view the swimmers.    Jess and I headed down the helix to the point where only athletes could proceed.  This was one of the many times throughout the day when I was overcome with emotions as I had to say good-bye and thank-you to Jess with tears in my eyes.  On a side note there were so many emotional moments throughout the day that this race is truly the greatest roller-coaster ride I have ever been on and struggle to put it into words for those who are unfamiliar with Ironman.   With Jess and fans in my rear-view mirror I stood in line to get in the water at 6:30am and swam out near the first buoy (farthest from shore).

I went back and forth in my mind on the start strategy and thanks to my friend Melanie; I was convinced to start just behind the fastest swimmers on the course closest to the buoys.  The thinking by most is that this area would be crowded with fast swimmers that would aggressively swim over the top of anyone in their way.  That couldn’t be further from the truth as I found this area very much void of swimmers and by hanging just behind the fastest swimmers was able to swim in open water.  While waiting for the race to begin, I treaded water for quite some time while holding onto a kayak and making small talk with some other athletes.  There was another emotional moment when I took a minute during the singing of the nation anthem to look back at the spectators gathered on shore.  It was then that I realized how blessed and lucky I was to get to this point and take in a view of 10,000 + spectators from a perspective that only 2,826 people had earned.  Cannon goes off and my game face goes on.

I darted for the inside of the buoys (most of the other swimmers were outside the buoys) and swam in open water the entire time…except for the turns.  The swim course is basically in the shape of a rectangle, so long as you go around the corners you are swimming the same distance as everyone else.  The turns were a little more challenging as traffic backed up and I was closed in on by the rest of the athletes.  I never panicked and just started getting physical to swim out of the congestion and back to open water on the inside track.  I highly recommend this strategy for anyone considering a mass start open water swim race.  I never pushed hard and came out of the water refreshed in 1:17, which is faster than I expected but my longest swim was only 2 miles so it was difficult to truly estimate my projected time.

Wetsuit strippers struggled to get my suit off over my size 15 feet (may help explain the fast swim time), but before I knew it I was running up the helix; a quick shout to my fan base and another emotional moment that I had to keep in check as to not exert too much energy and fuel so early in the day.  I ran into the Terrace and into T1 (transition 1) to change into my bike gear, pretty uneventful and I was out the door to the bike.  I was told to keep my shoes off as to not risk slipping in my bike cleats before getting out of the Terrace with my bike; this was sound advice because there is a long distance to cover between T1 and your bike.

Two miles into the bike course and I saw someone who had crashed and was out of the race already.  I could not imagine what this person was feeling but it was a cold reminder to me that danger lies all over the place today and I need to keep my head in the game at all times and stay aware.  The first 3 hours of the bike was me getting passed by damn near everyone on the course!  My strategy for the entire race was to consider what mile 18 of the run would feel like if I spent too much energy early on.  The thinking is that mile 18 of the run is going to suck no matter what and you need to be prepared to handle that suck with some mental tricks to get you through the final 8.2 miles.  If you spend more energy on the swim or the bike then instead of the “suck” starting at mile 18 it’s going to start at mile 15, or 10, or 4, etc.  The sooner is starts, the more time you have to spend in it and the less likely you are to perform well on the final discipline.  So I just let people keep passing me and kept repeating to myself ‘mile 18 of the run…mile 18 of the run.’ 

My nutrition and my pace were my top priorities on the bike.  I ate something every 30 minutes, rotating between gu and bonk breakers (energy bars), and a salt tablet every hour.  I drank at least 32 oz of water every hour and reloaded with water at every aid station.   I also had another bottle on my bike filled with the sport drink that I thought I was taking enough of but in the end wasn’t (more on that later).  The bike was going to plan and my legs felt great the entire ride.  I made it to the 3^rd bitch (there are 3 large hills on this bike course each labeled a ‘bitch’ because of their difficulty – especially after getting up each twice because of the two loop format), to where my family and friends were stationed.  It was great seeing them and felt strong coming through to the end of the first lap but that was expected, it was the second lap where my legs have felt tired in training rides. 

The spectators on the bike course are amazing between the costumes/signs that make you laugh and the loud cheering that help you push through the pain.  Many of the fans are stacked up at the hills and crowd the road so you pedal up this gauntlet of screams and cheers…truly makes the hills very easy to maneuver.  I experienced so many emotional moments on the bike between the fan base and seeing my wife, family and friends out there that I couldn’t possibly recall each.  The problem now that I didn’t realize at the time is that I kept repeating to myself to stop the emotion as I would need it on mile 18 of the run and I didn’t want to use it up here when I didn’t truly need it.  So several times throughout the day I would stop myself from getting emotional because I didn’t want to use up that currency.  If I had to do it all over again I would not have fought anything out there and just let it be. 

After seeing my family again at the 3^rd bitch for the 2^nd time I was back on the ‘stick’ portion of the course to head home to Madison and T2.  While on the stick back to Madison I saw Katie and Kevin Marien which was a great surprise and helped power me through the last little bit.  I recall being surprised at how good my legs felt while biking back to the Terrace and was hopeful I could say the same after the upcoming 26.2 mile run.  The bike took me a total of 7:07 to finish, which averages just under 16 miles/hour which is exactly where I wanted to come in.  I made several bathroom stops along the course, as well as a stop at special needs, and stopped at every aid station to make sure I had enough water and nutrition supplies.  Having the fortune of living on this bike course and riding it well over 30 times during training I knew what it could do to your legs if I pushed too hard, and I knew that I was capable of ridding that course in a total of 6 hours or better but I made myself take it slow to ensure a good run.

I was in and out of T2 to begin the run and again nothing out of the ordinary.  At the start of the run I saw my high school football coach Mike Taake as well as his wife and daughter Laura and Mallory.  What a tremendous source of motivation for me to see this family so many years after my football career still cheering me on.  Coach jogged along side of me for a bit and asked me how I was feeling, I told him ‘I’m finishing this F-----g thing’ and he said ‘I have no doubt you will’…another emotional moment for me.  I saw that my first mile of the run was a 9:30/mile pace, a bit too fast for me to maintain and I was warned that this would be the case.  In fact I was told that everyone will be running too fast in the first 6 miles and that you have to control this if you want to have a good performance on the marathon.  So I hit the brakes and started cranking out 10 – 10:30/miles.  Anytime I would push a little harder or try to extend my stride I could feel my hamstring want to tighten like a cramp was coming so I’d back it down.  I quickly figured this marathon was just going to be about running the entire time rather than walking and that whatever pace resulted would be a victory. 

Around mile 2 I saw Sara and Wayne cheering on State Street and taking pictures.  They have been tremendous fans and supportive of both Jess and I throughout this journey and I truly appreciate them both.  Shortly after that while exiting campus I see Leslie, Denise and Doug Householder cheering me coming their way.  They are all dear friends of mine from high school days and wonderful people for coming out to cheer for me on race day.  Seeing Doug in his wheel chair with a huge smile on his face was plenty motivation for me to keep on my pace and finish the day.   These three stayed out there in the sun for well over 3 hours to see me run by 4 times (run course is a two loop track as well), I can’t thank them enough for their support. 

At each aid station I drank at least two cups of water and then would take a cup of ice with me as I left to make sure I kept hydrated.  I recall drinking a mouthful of sports drink at most aid stations and would also consume at least a bit of banana and couple of pretzels and oranges.  Later in the evening I had a couple of mouthfuls of the chicken broth and flat cola and of course more water.  I carried gu with me on the run and I think I consumed 3 or 4 of them out of the 6 that I had with me.  I know I got to a point in the run where I was sick of everything at the aid stations and just said screw it, I’m close enough to the finish that I’m just putting my head down and get there.

Still on the first lap and making my way to State St where a rowdy bunch of (mostly drunk) spectators reside, it’s an awesome spectacle to experience.  Just before State St. is a monster hill on Observatory Drive, I challenged myself to run the entire course and that included this hill (twice)…slow and steady powered by the thought of kissing my wife at the finish line I ran up the hill.  Just over the top I saw my cheering section again of Jess, Jeff, Mom, Dad, PC, Brett, Sam, Natalie, Jerry, and MJ, after a round of high fives and smiles I was still chugging along.  Quite frankly I felt great this entire time, I was consuming nutrition, going to the bathroom and running strong so I figured mile 18 might not be so bad.

I made turn on State St. and then headed back through campus and along the lake front to another turn around before heading back to the capitol.  This stretch along the lake is where the unsure runners go to die, this place gets quiet, dark, and cold later at night and is the place that runners need to mentally prepare for on race day.  On the second loop it would equate to around 21 miles of the 26.2 and I’m sure it’s where ‘the suck’ really over powers many runners.  I cruised past this spot on the first loop back towards the capitol where I spotted my cousin VJ Scully and his son Jaden who made the trip over from Milwaukee to cheer me on.  This was a total surprise to me and sparked yet another emotional moment that helped power me through the halfway point turn around which happens to be right next to the finish line.  Being this close to the finish line and not getting to cross it but instead turn around for another 13.1 miles is a substantial mental challenge to overcome. 

On this second loop of the run I was powered by the same group of fans that had been cheering for me all day and with each encounter I was no less over taken with emotion than the previous encounters.  Again I swallowed the emotion to hopefully retrieve it at mile 18 of the run, which just happens to be at the top of the largest hill on Observatory Drive.  The second time around I was coming through a water station just at the bottom of the start to this hill and was walking to finish up my nutrition and contemplated walking up this hill to save energy for the final 8 miles when I saw Sam and Natalie Jonas standing on the hill.  Immediately I engaged the running motion and was quickly joined by those two, running alongside me up the hill.  Once at the top they handed me off to the next group of fans to carry me with cheers, that group handed me off to another group, and another, and another.  Jess had told my fan base about mile 18 of the run and with the help of Brett Kudick, who himself is a 2X Ironman finisher; they strategically spread-out along the course to help carry me through mile 18 of the run!  Emotional moment number 100 of the day!  I quickly realized that mile 18 still hadn’t brought me to ‘the suck’, so I adjusted it to mile 19, 20, 21, 22…I told myself that mile 24 was right outside of Camp Randal football stadium and if I could get to there I was home free.  Next thing I knew I was running past the front gates of the stadium and overcome with emotion…I was home free.

I came to the last water station by the Capitol and started dumping all the nutrition out of my pockets and preparing to run down the finisher’s shoot.   I remember thinking that this was the moment I was waiting for, this was the goal of all the training…to come down to the finish line, kiss and thank Jess and hear the announcer call out ‘Kevin Scully you are an Ironman’!  That is exactly what happened and it was fantastic.  Jess and I had planned where she would be waiting for me and my eyes immediately saw most everyone from my cheering section there except for Jess.  I high fived and hugged those that were there and they directed my across the other side of the finisher shoot where Jess was standing.  I ran over to her, with tears running down my face, thanked her for this and gave her a kiss.  I proceeded to the finish line and conceded to the course…I was done.

Now all along I was feeling great, just a steady stream of emotion and effort all day long to power me through to the finish.  I never pushed hard on any given part of the course, I never worked so hard at any particular point where I need to pull back and rest to regain composure.  All that being said I figured I did everything just right for my first attempt at an Ironman.  I finished the run in 4:52 around an 11:00/mile which included walking a few steps through the aid station at each mile and then running the rest of the course.  My total time for the day was 13:37:03; this would be considered a respectable time for a first attempt at a full triathlon (ironman) distance.  I’m sure I can go faster but I did not know what to expect and instead decided to play it safe and keep it slow and steady for the first time out. 

I stood around a bit chatting with my fan base and then went into the food tent to try to find something I wanted to eat.  I tried to eat the salty potato chips and even some pizza but quickly started to realize I was in trouble.  I tried to get the attention of the food service people but couldn’t muster the energy.  Finally I think someone from my cheering section got a volunteer to check on me and they didn’t hesitate to drag me into the medical tent.  From then on it was a sharp downward spiral of puking and IVs to try and get me back on my feet.  I spent around 3 hours in the tent to the point where they were starting to shut down for the night (race finishes at midnight).  They were asking ME if I wanted to go home or go to the hospital, when I didn’t have a clue which way was up.  I do recall thinking; I’m not taking a $2500 ambulance ride because I’m dehydrated.  It was eventually decided that I could go home, where I spent several hours in the shower and eventually helped into bed where I spent the evening repeatedly getting sick.  Jess took me into the ER the next day for more IVs and more blood work and they confirmed what I was told in the medical tent in that I drank too much water throughout the day resulting in hyponatremia.  In the medical tent I remember them propping me up on a scale and telling me that I gained 8 pounds throughout the day (they weigh you at race registration for just this purpose) and that was a big red flag for hyponatremia.  This is where you basically drown out the necessary levels of sodium in your body and disrupt the proper balance of electrolytes.  This can lead to water intoxication, an illness whose symptoms include headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, frequent urination and mental disorientation…check, check, check, check, check, check to all the symptoms. 

If I had to do it all over again, I would’ve alternated between water and the sports drink on the course throughout the bike.  I think this would’ve made me feel better throughout the run and allowed for me to have more of an appetite for some of the other offerings at the run aid stations.  I’m a big guy and I sweat a ton so I thought just keep drinking and peeing and you’ll be fine, after all this is what I’ve done in all my marathon races.  If there is a next time, I need to calculate how much I should drink throughout an effort like this and to do so would require me weighing myself before and after a strenuous workout, then do the math to determine how much liquid weight needs to be replaced through liquid intake.  I think now that I’ve experienced the hell of hyponatremia, I will know to force myself to consume more during the run no matter how I feel at the time.  I feel that if I had eaten a few more offerings I think it would’ve been enough to counteract the amount of water I consumed.  I should have been less concerned with how I would feel at the finish line and instead focus on how I would feel well after the finish line.

 I thought the finishers shoot was going to be the best part of the day but I was wrong, the best part was seeing all my fans that are so important in my life!  I was disappointed I didn’t get to celebrate and thank each person that came down to the race.  In the end I feel that even though I felt good throughout the day and across the finish line, the race still got the better of me and ultimately final word.  I don’t feel like a failure by any means, I completed the distance when 496 people signed up and didn’t even start and 156 started but didn’t get to the finish line.  I didn’t know what to expect out of this race and I didn’t have a good feeling for what it would take to finish strong, but I learned all of that throughout this experience.  I’m excited to begin the next chapter in my life as a father and want to redirect the focus and attention to where it should be and that is on my family.  I’ll be back some day to take on this challenge again and in the mean time I hope I’ve inspired some to do something out of their comfort zone or get out and exercise, if I have I would love to hear about it.

Weeks 33 and 34 of Ironman training – It’s go time

The last two weeks of taper are behind me and I’m currently in race week as the Ironman is this Sunday, September 7^th beginning at 7am.  If you are around and able to attend any or all of the day’s event, you won’t be disappointed.  There will be 2,500-3,000 other souls each with compelling stories that foreshadow their journey to the starting line of this race.  Whether attending in person or watching from afar you can track my progress in two ways; 1) www.myathletelive.com and view on the website or download an app that will be transmitting my real time location on the course.  It can be used to predict my ETA to your location (if you’re spectating on the course) or to the finish line.  2) www.ironman.com/triathlon/coverage/live and view when I cross certain checkpoints on the course (historically not that reliable) as well as a live web camera of the finish line.

Whether you’re able to attend in person, watch from afar, or have read this blog at some point over the past year, I want to say thank you in case I don’t get the chance.  Thank you for supporting me and my dream to become an Ironman.  It’s not for everyone and it’s not easy to comprehend but thank you for not doubting or questioning my motives.  Thank you for asking me about training it when I saw you.  Thank you for commenting or clicking the like button on facebook.  Thank you for still being my friend even though I’ve had my head in the Ironman sand for the past year.  Thank you.  I will be thinking of all of you at some point on race day in hopes that I won’t let you down.

Speaking of race day…finally it has arrived.  For me to achieve healthy living I have to set a goal to work towards.  I wish I was one of those people that could religiously go to the gym just to get in shape…I’m not.  Granted this is a bit of a lofty goal, but they don’t all have to be.  Start small, gain some momentum and confidence by achieving your goal.  Then set another and another and another; don’t stop.  The pain will at times be great, the commitment will be tested, the reason will often be questioned…I expect all of this on Sunday.  Just keep chopping down the obstacles and negative thoughts that stand in your way and tell yourself “It’s go time”.

Weeks 31 and 32 of Ironman training – I know why

These past two weeks were the peak of my training effort, they included multiple 100+ mile bike rides and a couple of 18+ mile runs…I’m tried just writing it.  The best part about the last two weeks is that they are behind me and now it’s time to taper.  Tapering is reducing the workload as to allow your body to recover and get strong before the big race.  Tapering, as I need to keep reminding myself, doesn't mean I get to slack off until race day so I still have a little work to do over these last 3 weeks. 

My very first blog entry back in January of this past year was titled ‘Why the Hell’ as to mean why the hell am I doing this?  I’m not sure there is one clear cut answer as to why I’m doing it but I certainly can speak to one central source of motivation that has come to light over the past nine months, and that’s my wife Jessica.  Before you roll your eyes and think ‘sappy’, just hear me out.  At a time in her life when the spot light should shine solely on her and the baby she is carrying, she deflects the attention to me and my challenge.  She has heard me complain about being sore and tired, rather than firing back about the human she is carrying around with her, she offers a back rub.  She comes home from a long day at work, entirely on her feet, and cooks me a healthy meal with love.  She never complained when I went to bed at 8pm each night for the past 9 months, instead she prepared coffee (which she doesn't drink) and my lunch for the next day.  She wrote out 100 index cards with motivational sayings on each and places one on my dresser every morning.  She didn't complain when I was buying new clothes for training while she was trying to avoid having to purchase maternity clothes that would make her more comfortable.  Rather than being consumed with any baby showers she spent her efforts organizing who would be staying at our house on race weekend.  Simply stated she has not once, not for a single second, complained about all the attention getting paid to this Ironman challenge.  I know she will put as much effort and dedication into being a Mom as she has in getting me prepared for the Ironman and she’ll be one of the best ever for it.  She is my motivation, she is who I want to share the finish line with, she is my greatest fan, and I am hers. 

Weeks 29 & 30 of Ironman training – Doubt

Two more weeks closer to Sept 7th and the big day; just trying to hang on.  I'm currently in the midst of my peak training schedule which includes days filled with 6 hour bike rides and 3 hour runs, followed by eating, sleeping, and then repeating.  This week and next I'm told can be more difficult than the Ironman race itself in that I'll be tested mentally to keep up with the pace and monotony of the training schedule.  Jess is really earning her stripes lately by keeping me feed, being patient with my lack of help around the house, allowing me to complain as well as sleeping and resting on my off days.  For being 7+ months pregnant in the hot summer months she is a blessing and tremendous asset to me and this goal…I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to repay her (although somehow I suspect she’ll provide a few ideas of how I could try).

So this past weekend brought to town 100’s of athletes in the peak of their training schedules do participate in an organized training event Thursday through Sunday.  Some athletes rode most of the bike course (105 miles), Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and then ran nearly 20 miles on Sunday.  I did not participate to the extent that some of the others did; my body simply could not take that much without breaking down.  Needless to say when you see your ‘peers’ performing to this level and you’re not it allows some doubt to start creeping into your head.  I’m told that this is not the last time that doubt will try to knock me off course.  I’m told the doubt will attempt several times on race day to derail my goal, it will tell me the swim is too crowded, the bike is too hilly, and there’s just no way to run the entire 26.2 miles all in 17 hours. 

Fortunately for me I have been preparing for the doubt, I knew it was coming and actually for a while I thought it would pass me by.  It’s here, I’ll swat it away this next week as I get back into my peak training schedule but I know it will be back again soon.  I’m excited for the challenge because I know the support that I have in place won’t allow the doubt to win.  My wife, family, friends and fellow Ironmen-in-training won’t let anything get in my way of becoming an Ironman and for that I thank you all!

Weeks 27 & 28 of Ironman training – Friends

Week 27 and 28 in the books and with it brought my very first half Ironman distance or sometimes called a 70.3 race.  The race comprises of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run.  The race that I participated in was in Racine, WI this past Sunday.  We swam in Lake Michigan which last week had temperatures hovering around 55 degrees, on this past Sunday however it was 61 degrees...and thankfully very calm (last year's event was so rough that several racers were pulled during the swim).  The swim went well for me except for the first 300 yards or so as I was trying to catch my breath and get my man parts out of my throat because the water was so cold!  Onto the bike which got me getting passed by every sub 36 year old in the event.  I managed to make up ground during the second part of the bike and on the run.  The run also was uneventful for me which was a good thing, I just kept chipping away at the 13.1 and before I knew it I was crossing the finish line feeling great.  I'm sure I could have pushed myself much more and turned in a better overall time but I really wanted the day to be a dress rehearsal for the full Ironman in September and that means NO RACING!!  I really don't know what to expect on race day but this past weekend was a big confidence builder for me that I will finish the Ironman (so long as no outside catastrophes factor into the day).

Something that really helped me not push too hard this weekend was the fact that I knew so many people at this event.  I was constantly talking to others or looking for others on the bike and run portion that I never had time to take things too seriously and get caught up in competing against other racers.  I met a lot of these people through an Ironman WI Facebook group which has been a tremendous source for knowledge and camaraderie.  These people are from all walks of life and each has their own story for getting here, whether it's their first or their 20th Ironman, they all have been helping me out on this challenge.  Taking advantage of the opportunity to meet new people has been probably one of the greatest take-aways for me throughout this training.  I mentioned in a previous post that misery enjoys company and that rings true for any challenge we face.  I would challenge you to find others that are going through the same challenges you are facing and lean on them to pick you up and help carry you over any obstacles that stand in your way.  In the end you are the only one that can accomplish your goals, but it's nice to make some new friends along the way that can support and cheer you on your way.

Weeks 25 & 26 of Ironman training – Lessons Learned

Weeks 25 and 26 of training brought me to my very first triathlon event.  I participated in an Olympic distance tri in my current city of Verona.  For those not familiar with, the Olympic distance is a .93 mile swim, a 25.5 mile bike and a 6.2 mile run.  I completed all disciplines without incident in a just under 3 hours and took away a few nuggets from the experience.  1) The swim doesn't bother me at all, I'm calm, fast, and relaxed in the water and the crowd.  Now I'm told this can change at any moment but I don't imagine a scenario where I really panic as I can always roll to my back and float in the buoyant wet-suit until I settle down.  2) I'm slow on the bike, I seem to make up for it on the up hills but on the straight-a-ways I'm getting passed by Ms. Daisy.  I let this get into my head a few too many times during the race.  3) I need to focus more during the transition.  I left the transition from the bike to the run still wearing my biking shorts.  Now this is fine for a short 6 mile run, but this could be problematic during the 26.2 mile run as the bike shorts have considerably more padding in them which makes running uncomfortable.  4)  I'm letting my competitive nature get the best of me and I start racing the event.  This is bad, very bad as the full Ironman (the first time around) is not about racing against others or for a particular time, it's about finishing the race in the allotted 17 hours.  It doesn't matter if you come in 2,500 out of 2,500 so long as it's by 16:59:59.  If I don't come to terms with this I could have a disastrous day on September 7th risking going out way too hard and bonking at some point during the event.  I have one more practice event to get my pace under control at the half Ironman in Racine on July 20th.  This will truly be a dress rehearsal for the big day in September.  I want to have the correct pace to easily make the finish line feeling like I could continue going if necessary.

I guess you should do as I say and not as I do in your own training, even if you're not targeting any events to demonstrate your fitness.  There are lessons to be learned from each workout you do, in the form of what clothes to wear, how far to go, whether or not to pack toilet paper, what you should eat before/during/after, etc.  Store these little nuggets away and don't let anyone tell you differently about what you've learned personally about your body.  You will, over time and given enough opportunities, become an expert in what it takes to get you to your goals.  Keep after it!

Weeks 22, 23 & 24 of Ironman training – Affirmation

Three more weeks of training behind me and now only 11 weeks until we lace them up for the real thing!  The last three weeks saw a well needed increase in outdoor activities, including several open water swims (swimming anywhere but the pool).  It is vital getting comfortable in open water as to not totally loose your sh*t on race day when the cannon fires and 2,500 people start swinging arms and legs.  With this in mind I participated in an 'aquathon' race this past week to get just that experience.  The race had a little over 150 people and it consisted of a 1,000 meter swim followed by a 5K foot race.  I started the swim right in the mix because I wanted to get bounced around a bit and to my surprise it wasn't nearly as bad as described by others.  I was grabbed a couple of times and thankfully with my football background was able to throw a few shoulders and haymakers myself.  Eventually I got back to the beach and ran a fast race and was able to get across the finish line feeling affirmed that my training has been making a difference.

I think it's incredibly important when setting a goal, to occasionally seek out some reassurance that you're doing the right things and a difference is being made.  Whether your goal is to lose weight, run a certain mileage, feel better, have more energy, or fit into some piece of clothing, you need to 'check-in' along the way to determine if you're on the right track.  I'm not talking about winning a competition or stepping on the scale each week and seeing another 10 pounds dropped, I'm talking about much smaller victories to keep you motivated.  So maybe you didn't drop any weight this week, but instead you fit into a piece of clothing or you have more energy, that's a win and that's affirmation that your hard work is paying off.  You may not have been able to run the full 2 miles, but if you ran a few blocks further today than you did last week then again it's a win because your training is paying off and making a difference.

I think it's much easier to set a goal and achieve it if you have check-points along the way that reassure you that the hard work and dedication is making a difference.  Your goals are personal to you and should never be compared with anyone else's, and the same about the grandeur of your check-points.  Don't get down on yourself because someone lost 5 pounds and you didn't loose any, be honest with yourself and find the silver lining in what you accomplished and did to make yourself better that day.  Keep your head up and get back to work on achieving your goals!

Weeks 19, 20, & 21 of Ironman training – Enough already!

I had no idea that I slacked off this much; I looked at the calendar today and realized I let a week slip by without a blog entry.  I’ll blame it on the holiday weekend and throwing my schedule for a loop.  Weeks 19, 20, & 21 are in the books and I’m still upright and making progress.  For many in my network of fellow competitors my week 20 marked the halfway point for their same 30 week training programs (remember I started my training 5 weeks early), so it’s a cause to celebrate…even though the most difficult training lies ahead.  Week 19 concluded with a great bike ride with a bunch of people I met from a Facebook group I joined, week 20 was my first trip of making two loops around the Ironman bike course, and week 21 was capped off by a 2 mile swim with the assistance of my Dad paddling next to me in his kayak (not exactly great Father-Son bonding time but thanks Dad!).

The point of this blog was twofold, 1) for me to document my journey so I could look back on it should I ever consider doing something so dumb again and 2) for me to express myself about training without having to annoy everyone with constantly talking about training.  I’m finding though that writing it down here is not enough to satisfy the urge to constantly talk about my training…and now I’m annoying!  The fact is that Ironman is dominating my life right now and it’s the only thing on my mind so naturally it’s the first thing out of my mouth when someone asks what I’ve been up to.  Every morning when my alarm clock goes off at 4:20 the first thought in my head is about the Ironman race.  I want to share my experiences with those that I see so that they can maybe be inspired, but at the very least learn from any of my mistakes. 

I appreciate when others tell me about their accomplishments or post them online.  It’s a badge of honor that you should be able to wear with pride and not have to worry about it getting compared to others.  I remember my first running race and each one of my training days I ran another distance that I had never run before, 3 miles, 5, 10, 15, etc. and that was exciting to me to reach a little further with each effort.  So I say bring on the bragging people!  If you walked a mile or ran 100 and you’re proud of the effort and time it took to accomplish this then tell those around you.  If you hear someone talking about their accomplishment, don’t compare it to anything just congratulate them and go about your day.   So please forgive me for the rest of the summer when I’m talking about training for the Ironman, I truly don’t want to sound smug or arrogant, it’s just my focus right now until September…then I’ll be talking about my new son or daughter!

Weeks 17 & 18 of Ironman training – Getting Lucky

Week 17 was a recovery week and week 18 was getting back into the swing of training.  My recovery weeks basically mean that I’m doing slightly less than I did the week before and not increasing the time and/or effort it takes to complete my workouts (remember all my workouts are time based and not distance based).  Then the week right after a recovery week is a slight increase to what I did the week before my recovery week.  It can get confusing, that why I've got it all written down and planned out beforehand.   I’m making progress and feeling stronger and faster mostly every day.  There have been a few more days lately that I’m not feeling ‘it’ and I need a little kick in the butt to get my engine started.  All in all, my spirits are up and I’m still excited about the training and the races ahead of me.  So far I've been extremely fortunate to have the support of Jess for this adventure and she takes great care of me so that I can concentrate on training and not get distracted. 

I've also been very lucky thus far in my training to not suffer any physical or mental setbacks…come on now people get your heads out of the gutter; what did you think this entry was going to be about?  Every now and again you hear someone say ‘I don’t believe in luck’, or ‘I make my own luck’.  I can’t help but think how much luck is going to play into whether or not I cross that finish line on September 7^th.  I can take precautions to help alleviate something bad happening to me, but in the end I can’t wrap myself in bubble-wrap until race day. 

I can buy the right equipment and rest when something gets sore, but I can’t totally prevent an injury from occurring; I have to get lucky.  I can have my bike checked over by a professional and take good care of it up to the race, but I can’t prevent blowing a tire on race day; I have to get lucky.  I can practice some open water swims and do all of my swim workouts, but I can’t prevent someone from kicking me in the face and ending my day early; I have to get lucky.  You’re starting to get the point about how many different variables are at play during this 17 hour race day: weather, equipment, strategy, nutrition, other racers, allergies, etc.  I've been lucky thus far and I need to continue getting lucky all the way through race day.  One could easily get consumed by how much luck you need on your side to complete anything in life, but as my brother Jeff told me a long time ago, ‘worrying is a useless emotion’.  All you can do is prepare for the things you can control, and roll with the things you can’t.

Weeks 15 & 16 of Ironman training – Appreciation

Weeks 15 and 16 have proven to be the most difficult yet.  Week 15 brought about a 3 hour bike workout on the Ironman bike course around my home town of Verona (funny that this was difficult considering I’m going to be on the bike over 6 hours on race day).  Week 16 was the 3^rd time I’ve ridden the course and each time, and I’m sure every ride between now and September 7^th, reiterates that I need to get stronger on the bike.  I’ve got a little over 4 months until race day and come hell or high water I’m going to get stronger on the bike, that’s my new obsession.

A question has been floating around my house lately as to which will prove to be more difficult, the Ironman race or childbirth?  I am kidding of course!  I have to keep reminding myself (and I’m doing a horrible job) to not complain to Jess about any of my aches or pains due to self-inflicted training.  Jess has been a champ throughout my training thus far.  She’s always there to listen to me talk about training, which frankly is a boring topic if you’re not training for an Ironman.  Jess does all the food shopping which can be a full time job feeding an Ironman-in-training and a pregnant woman.  She makes healthy meals for me to eat (my Dad and I both believe we could survive on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches).  Jess keeps me grounded when I get worked up about some aspect of training (see the obsession with biking above).  She cheers me on and keeps me going when I start to waver in my resolve to complete this race.  Quite simply, and I know this is a bold statement, she is the greatest wife in the world! 

There are those of you who have been showing support in other ways and I greatly appreciate all of you as well.  Whether it’s reading this blog, commenting on Facebook or asking me how training is going.  I appreciate all of you and recognize the strength of my support group is going to directly contribute to the strength necessary to complete the race on September 7^th!

Weeks 13 & 14 of Ironman training - Adjustments

The training is getting very real now as I've wrapped up weeks 13 and 14.  I have one more week in my base building phase and then I'm a third of the way through the program with the next 10 week phase focusing on building strength.  The next phase will incorporate some higher heart rate workouts even though for the majority of the race I will be operating in a lower heart rate zone.  The thinking is that there will be times throughout the race day that I'll run my heart rate up to a higher zone and I'll need to be able to pull it back down into a sustainable range.
The theme of this entry is adjustments to the workout plan; adjustments to the workout itself and adjustments to the schedule.  I've already made the adjustments to the workout plan before I started any of this training, I believe this is vital to success as you need to prioritize the workout schedule around your previous commitments to family or work.  I've discovered over the past two weeks a couple of other adjustments I'm going to need to make.
The next two phases of my training plan calls for swimming workouts three days per week (currently the plan has two per week).  I had a long workout day last week that called for swimming 2,500 yards straight without rest, and I accomplished it with ease; another 1,724 yards and I'm at the entire 2.4 Ironman swim distance.  Also just yesterday I had a 2 hour 45 minute bike workout in which I rode the Ironman bike course loop around Verona, Mt. Horeb, Cross Plains, and Middleton, and this I did not accomplish with ease!  So in the next phase I'm making the adjustment to eliminate the extra swim day and replace it with an extra bike workout.
The point is, I'm not afraid or concerned about making adjustments to my workouts.  What I am very careful to do is plan my adjustments ahead of time and make them in writing as to not question or forget them.  I find that if I wait until the day of my workout or actually during my workout to make the adjustments then I'm taking the easy way out and cutting corners off my workout.  Make the adjustments to your workout to fit your life, but do them ahead of time and prioritize your workouts among the other items that are important to you.  

Weeks 11 & 12 of Ironman training - vacation

Everyone needs a little time off from work and working out.  When I was growing up, about every other year, my parents would load all of us kids into the station wagon and drive to CO to one of the ski resorts.  So in the spirit of reliving my past, I loaded my parents up into their SUV and drove with them to Breckenridge, CO this past week for one last family ski vacation hooray!  Most of my family and their families made the trip and we had a great time together; I was even able to get in a few workouts.  Thanks to others that have trained for the Ironman race before me I was able to take their advice to just enjoy myself and family while on vacation and not get too concerned with not getting in all of my workouts (5 months to go so there's plenty of time to make it up).

The few workouts that I did get accomplished, both on the trip and right when I got home, made me feel a little more at ease with taking the vacation.  For the most part I didn't notice the thin air in CO during my runs or while skiing, where it really hit me was in the pool.  I could hardly swim 200 yards without feeling like I was going to drown.  Now that I'm back I'm refreshed and ready to attack the next 5 months of training!

I guess the message of this entry is that it's OK to take some time away from work and working out to spend with your family and show them your true appreciation for their support.  After all, what are you more likely to remember, the great day of skiing you had or that great 5 mile run you got in?  I'm not saying you need to abandon your workouts altogether while on vacation, but you could certainly dial them back to make sure you spend time appreciating those around you.  I do like to get a few workouts in while I'm away from home mostly to justify the food and drink over consumption that is bound to happen.  

Weeks 9 & 10 of Ironman training - Excuses, excuses

Weeks 9 and 10 are in the books and boy do I have some excuses brewing.  If you're an avid reader of this blog (wishful thinking, I know), you noticed that I missed a blog entry last week.  I was out of town in Atlanta two weeks ago for work and spent all of this past week getting all caught up on work, life, and training.  This is my excuse for not getting the blog done, but I tell you the excuses were starting to come into play and influencing my motivation to get my workouts done too.

I got back from ATL last Saturday afternoon and was planning all along to get my long bike ride in upon my return.  I told Jess after the ride that it was my most difficult workout to date, for the mere fact I just didn't feel like doing it after my long week and flight.  I really had to push myself this past week to find the motivation for the workouts as I had so many things pilling up at work.  My legs were tired, I'm sick of working out inside, I needed to catch up on sleep, etc, we've heard them all before.  Then yesterday I packed both my weekend workouts into one day, first I tackled the two hour bike ride and then immediately jumped on the treadmill for an hour long run...and it felt great!

My point is we all have the excuses, they will be there every single day for the rest of our lives...if you can suck it up and push yourself through the difficult times, there's going to be greatness again on the other side.  I would estimate that 25% of everyone's workouts are terrible, 50% of them are just OK and sufficient, but the 25% that feel great are the ones that keep us coming back for more.  Keep pushing yourself through the difficult times and stay focused on the greatness of the 25%!

Week 8 of Ironman training - On the road

Greetings from Atlanta. I'm at a work conference this week which is severely competing with my workout plan for my attention. Another week of training behind me and so far so good. Last week was my last before a "down" week; every 4th week is a recovery week where time and mileage is dialed down a bit to give you a chance to rest a bit. It's not a significant rest, for example last week was 8 hours of training and this week is 7. I'll take the little victories where I can get them.

My challenge this week is getting all of my workouts in while being away from home. There are some adjustments to be made, for example there's no pool at my hotel so I'm supplementing my swim workouts with weight lifting. I'm making good use of the hotel workout facilities and hopefully will get a run or two in outside before I leave. It's around 50 degrees here, I'll be the only one outside in shorts and a t-shirt!  The training plan I'm using is made for the obstacles of work travel in that the workouts are all time based so I don't have to know my way around town I just need to go out and run for an hour.

The other big challenge is to avoid too many Miller Lites each night so I get the workouts in...this morning was a bit painful!