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 Swim
Comments: I knew that I: 1). Did not have enough training. 2). Didn't expect much. 3). Wanted to survive. 4). Wanted to stay in the back anyways. 5). Knew my limitations to not push anything. There were soooo many persons wearing poly-urethane, it was a sight! People strolling down from the helix was intimidating, and there were not even half of the people down yet! Found the dry clothes bag area, and glasses drop-off table. I saw some of the Tri-Donks with big smiles on their faces, Trisha (who was a student worker a few years ago where I work, and it was her 1st Ironman!), and my friend from work, Paul, who took some photos and talked with me before heading out to the water. The lady who sang our National Anthem had a great voice! Mike Reilly was very patient but stern trying to get people into the water before the 7:00 a.m. time. I made down the ramp and into the water with just over 1 minute to go because people wouldn't move/swim out a little further from the shore. After the cannon blast, all I could hear was a unified splashing sound, with Mike Reilly on the mic providing commentary over the mic, and the crowd clapping and cheering! After about 30 to 50 yards, I finally snapped out of focusing on the sounds of the event and started to concentrate on what I needed to do. I was doing fine until somewhere around the first turn on the first lap, a Mexican came across me from my right, bumped into me, and as we were making the first left turn I bumped into him on his back right leg. He must have became a little upset and shoved me. It almost felt like we were going to have a fight right in the water! We both hesitated and I looked at him and told him that all is okay and that I was sorry, but I don't think he understood, so I gave him an OK hand signal and waved him on. After making the first lap and going another 100 to 200 yards, all was fine, then BLAM - first the right calf, then seconds later the left calf, both quads and both hamstrings, then my right tibial muscle ALL cramped up simultaneously! I never had soooo much pain my life, and was desperately trying to figure out what the hell to do. One assistant in a kayak saw my need and tried to assist, then, probably because of their position had to pass me off to another kayak that was a little further ahead. They said I could hold on and I tried, but after 15 to 30 seconds, I couldn't do it and had to work out the cramps some other way. After doing all sorts of contortions and stretching methods and yelling out that I WILL NOT let these take me down, and I WILL NOT be stopped that early in the race, I decided to elementary backstroke and continue yelling positive phrases. The person in the kayak kept with me and did the best she could encouraging me. It took at least 5 or so minutes before I could progress doing the front crawl. I took my time and eventually made it to the final long stretch, when I got hit with another cramp, but only in one leg this time. It didn't take as long to work it out. I finally picked it up a little after looking at my watch, and coached myself in to break the 2 hour goal I had. The assistants helped me up onto the small ramp out of the water, and I pumped my arms up in the air and yelled out "LAAAAANNNNNNDDDD", then got down on my knees and kissed the ground! What a wonderful feeling to get back on dry land! Two "peelers/strippers" instructed me to get down and helped pull off my wetsuit. I grabbed my wetsuit, found my glasses on the table, and slowly jogged back up the helix, all the while hearing the crowd's loud cheers - it was amazing!! What would you do differently?: Do many more, longer swims in practice. Maybe think about getting a swim coach. Did okay until the cramps hit, which slowed me down. More time and mileage needed to evaluate that, and obviously will make me faster.  Transition 1
Comments: For IM Moo, one needed to leave helmet and shoes in the transition bag, then change and can either carry or wear the shoes to the bike, which is another 100 yards or more to get to. I opted to carry my shoes. Potty break on the way to the bike. What would you do differently?: Swim better first! I considered throwing on the long-sleeve wicking shirt, but put it in my fanny pack. I thought it was a wise choice, since I did work up enough heat during the ride. Check additional equipment on bike and make sure that not only the tires are pumped and the screws are tightened and the chain is lubed, etc., that the wraps won't come undone.  Bike
Comments: It was another daunting experience coming to the bikes, just like the 1/2 in Racine. It almost looked like a ghost town! I didn't let it get me down since I didn't have to battle for the lane, fight with a crowd, or jostle for position, then get flustered over all that! A volunteer was ready for my bike and I put my shoes on the horn and scurried away to the mounting area, over 50 yards away! I saw my brother and my 2nd son yelling for me at the Terrace wall as I was on my way out! That was an emotional recharge! I made it to the mount, checked my gears, put on my shoes, got on, watched out for the immediate downward spiral and coasted down. (I later heard that 2 ladies smacked into each other just after the mount and one of them dislocated her shoulder). I pushed it quite hard for the first 15 or so miles that you take to get to the loop, and passed a handful of people (now that made me feel better), probably over 22 m.p.h., but will check my Garmin later. I rode the course at least 4 or 5 times and had a pretty feel of where I needed to push it, then when to reserve my energy. I knew that heading westbound would have wind, but it was windier on race day then it was on the training days. It really sucks the energy out of you. The scenery was breath-taking. It almost felt like Autumn during at a couple of points along the way when the cool breeze blew and some of the leaves fell on to the road. As many people that I passed, I tried as much to yell out "Passing left!" and then give them some positive encouragement while going by. Hey, we are all in this together! I must have bungee-corded at least 10 or so persons for over 2 hours, then finally got past them. The aid station volunteers were fantastic, but the spectators in Mount Horeb, and moreso in Verona, were UNBELIEVABLE!!!! And of course, I finally got to experience a "Tour de France" moment on the "hundred-dollar hill" (as firstnet911 calls it for his own personal reason). The drumming lady kept a sweet beat. It turned out that on the second loop she was one of the final 6 or so persons left on the hill, but still was beating that drum! THANK YOU, Indian drum lady! (Now I have Todd Rundgren in my head) I guess my wife, kids, and brother saw me coming around near old Hwy PB, just before the start of the 2nd loop. I wish I could have saw them or remembered. They said afterwards that I looked quite "pooped"! Jonathan Katz was another guy on the course that I was "bungee-cording" and complimented on his "nice bike" (Cervelo P2C). We played off each other throughout the ride. We didn't draft or ride side-by-side, but kept yelling back and forth at each other - very fun! I noticed sometime during the 2nd loop that my right-hand aero-bar wrap was loose and looked like it was going to unravel. I had to muck with it off and on while transferring from aero to horns to shifting. I pushed the final 13 or so miles on the way back and thanked all the officers along the way that were directing traffic and monitoring the intersections. I made sure that didn't pass the guy in front of me when we got to the 1 mile "no passing zone", but a Mexican flew up behind me and almost tried, but held off. I was a little worried for a second since the area was narrow. We made it back up the helix, which wasn't so bad, then the volunteers met us at the dismount line, held our bikes, and off we went to T2. I left my shoes on and hobbled in, making silly clickety-clack noises and smiling. What would you do differently?: Do some longer T.I.T.S! Make sure ALL of bike is checked over at the LBS since I paid $125 for the "IronMan" overhaul. Pick up the pace a little when I felt good. Do a little better with the sticky Gu gel. Hydrate a little more, and time the Gu a little better. Transition 2
Comments: At the dismount, one needed to slow down and stop before the line and the volunteers will hold the bike and take it after you dismount. You run from the bike, into the Monona Terrace to a room to get your gear bag (a volunteer will call out your number and another one grabs the bag down the line for you), and you run into the next room and change. More volunteers will help dump the bag, help get your socks, shoes, etc. ready, another will bring water, etc. I chose to put my stuff in my gear bag, a volunteer would have done it for you. I tied my own shoes since I didn't have the quick laces. I felt quite relaxed and didn't feel hurried. What would you do differently?: Pick it up a little - move a little quicker. Get quick laces.  Run
Comments: I've always been comfortable as a runner and didn't have any major concerns. I met my Kona friend, Paul, and his two kids several times during the race! He was amazingly excited for me and cheering me on, and even attempted to sing "Back In Black", a trademark thing that I do. First time was around the first 300 yards or so before along the Capitol, then at the end of State Street, then back by the Capitol. I saw my brother near the finish, after the turn-around of the first lap. He's 6'0", weighs around 280 or better, and has Diabetes. I never saw him sooooo excited and proud before. I went over to him and wanted to give him a hug, but could only give him a high-five and told him it was great to have him here cheering me on. There were so many wonderful aid station volunteers that I tried to thank the group as I passed through. Camp Randall was a lot of fun to run through, but the ramp back up made it a small challenge. The Co-eds blaring out the music at various locations were fun. The volunteers at one aid station along the lake path had a Western theme! Even the port-a-pottys had cowboy/cowgirl/Western drawings decorated in them! WATTA HOOT!! DEANNA S (a State Street/Library Mall volunteer who works where I work) didn't recognize me right away - she had a blank look on her face to which I interpreted as "uhhhh, which fool are you?". It was cool to have a message board up near the 9 mile marker. When you step on the mats, and if someone put in a message for you, it would scroll up. A big inspiration for a lot of athletes. I constantly was watching out for the fellow Tri-Donks and "EEEAAAWWW"ed as loud and proud as I could when I saw them! YOU GUYS RAWK!! I also saw Trisha and she looked fresh. I hope to get her e-mail and give her some shat about her comment before the swim start saying that she was hoping to finish (well, she kicked my ass). The one-legged guy who had special prosthetics was finishing up his second as I was my first. I ran with him for awhile and talked with him, giving him lots of praises (and thinking that this guy is kicking my ass!!). The weather was getting cooler by the time it was getting late afternoon, the clouds were coming in and it was getting breezier. I actually thought it was going to rain when I saw the thunderstorm clouds rolling in from the North over Lake Mendota, and I heard thunder, thrice! I was soooo very lucky that I brought my light rain jacket/windbreaker. I had a couple of "you're pretty smart bringing that". I told them that I had no body fat and needed all the protection that I could get. Jonathan Katz and I were bungee-cording again on the run, and when it was dusk, he tripped and got some scrapes on his hands. I checked to make sure he was okay and wanted to help him up, but he said he was fine, got up, and pushed on. I pushed the last 3 to 4 miles and felt great! There were quite a few spectators and participants that I passed during that time said that I looked really strong and fresh! I know I didn't actually sprint the last 200 or so yards, but I had a super strong finish. I was looking around for my brother or anyone else that I knew. While coming in, I put my right hand up against my right ear, indicating that I couldn't hear the crowd, which triggered a big response! I continued gesturing the crowd to yell some more and became more adrenalized from it! I thought about sprinting past the person in front of me, but thought that I would hold back a little to allow that person to have a photo without me interrupting it, and thought that I shouldn't be rude. Then, I barely heard Mike Reilly say - Phil Gillett from Marshall, WI, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN! What a great thing to hear after 15 hours, 13 minutes and 46 seconds (plus change) of pushing my body! UNF***INGBELIEVABLE!!! What would you do differently?: Maybe wear the HR monitor since I didn't wear one throught the whole race. Do less walking (every time I walked I could have cut back about 100 yards or more which would have improved the time). I enjoyed the interaction with the spectators and volunteers a lot because we would feed off on each other. Some say this would be counter-intuitive because you are using more energy and taking more focus off of the run and thus losing time. To each their own. I would love to see a pro that works with the spectators and volunteers then one that doesn't, but that's just me. Post race
Warm down: I was immediately greeted by a super nice, husky guy, another volunteer with one of those space-age blankets, a girl who needed to take my timing chip, a lady volunteer asking what size Finisher shirt would I want, a volunteer giving me my official BIG, HEAVY METAL IM WI 2007 Finisher medal(!) and official HeadSweats Ford Ironman Wisconsin Madison cap, all in a matter of seconds, all the while being asked several questions by the husky fellow (where you from?, what's your name?, how are you feeling?, what is your quest (okay, the last one I put in) trying to make sure that I was alright. I saw Mutri at the finish with a HUGE SMILE on his face giving out medals - very contagious. The husky guy informed me of the food area, the massage area, and took me to get my picture taken. I took off the blankie, put on my cap, raised my arms in the air and put on the biggest smile I could! BT'er Travis came up to me and introduced himself. I thanked him for being there and volunteering. His smile was very contagious, too. THANKS, GUYS!! After a minute, I was alone in the finishing area, trying to take it all in, looked around at the multitude of faces, the bright lights, the sound of Mike Reilly still telling people that they "...ARE AN IRONMAN", and looked around wondering what to do next. I knew that I had to continue walking so very slowly, took my time and hobbled out and headed back to the Terrace that was a 1/2 block away to get my gear bags, take a relief break, stretch, and pick up my bike. I didn't get any food, and didn't do a massage because I was by myself and needed to get home. It was getting close to 11:00 p.m. for Pete's sake! The greatest thing was that I did NOT cramp up on the way home. When I came home, my boys made a welcome home decoration that I had to finish through, and there were balloons and a couple of homemade posters!!! What a way to end the day! What limited your ability to perform faster: A couple of things - amount of training, and playing it very cautious yet smart. Event comments: This was my first MAJOR race (my only other big races would be the Madison Marathon and the 1/2 Tri, Spirit of Racine), so I can only judge this one against those other two races. IM MOO is high-quality, top-notch! It was extremely well-done and would HIGHLY, without a doubt or hesitation, recommend it! I was blessed to have become an Ironman in one of the best races in the country! I'm sorry it took so long to write up. It took me almost 5 hours to complete this. I hope you have enjoyed this report. Last updated: 2007-05-11 12:00 AM
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United States
Ironman North America
71F / 22C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 1893/2209
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 297/346
Woke up at 3:40 a.m., even though I didn't sleep much. I think I succeeded in not waking up anyone, including the puppy! I had a 2 slices of toast with peanut butter, an energy bar, some pre-race InfinIT mix, some o.j., a HammerGel about 15 minutes or so before the start.
Wore my IM WI 2005 unitard. I had chamois butter rubbed in the chamois and lining about two days before.
Walking around a lot, pulling on my wetsuit, stretching, contemplating the day, crowd support and volunteer support.
Drove in to Madison from my home in Marshall. It was already getting busy when I drove to the parking ramp just a block away from the Terrace. Participants were carrying their gear bags and most had their bike pumps (I didn't have one). I went into the Terrace and gave the assistants my gear bags - one bag I had to put in one room, the other in a different room. On the way out, I met firstnet911 (Craig) and asked where the run special needs bag area was, and he told me (you had to walk a couple of blocks). I met his mom and his 2 cool kids (sorry that I don't remember their names, Craig). I found my respective box and dumped off the bag and headed back to get body marked. AT LAST, MY CHANCE TO MEET THE QUEEN OF INSPIRES - TRIXIE!
I met tupuppy and talked with him (hi, again, tupuppy!). Tupuppy pointed me in the area where she was last at, and I continued looking. Finally I yelled out and had her mark me up. Trixie was sooo into it that I don't know how anyone could not be fired up that morning - even a corpse would have gotten up and started dancing with the energy she radiated! Well, she did give me an ass marking, left cheek, and people within 10 feet of us got a great laugh.
I made it to my bike to check on the tires, and they were low - about 80 p.s.i. I asked the guy next to me if I could borrow his pump and he was kind to let me use it. Triathletes are such nice people! I made sure that my bottles were ready and took the plastic bags off the seat and aero bottle.
Checked the Enervit and Gu gel packets to make sure that no one pulled any off of the bike (taped on horizontal bar).
Bathroom break at 6:00 a.m. - not much else to report, other then there was a line even though there were numerous port-a-potties.
As Tom Petty sang, "The Waiting Is the Hardest Part", was very much true as I hung around, watched others get marked, thanked the volunteers, and headed down the helix, then waited in the "athletes only" area. It was a fantastic morning, as you can see from Craig's (firstnet911) pic. I saw most of the Tri-Donkai team, a girl that I knew that used to work where I work at (Trisha Knaack - she did great for her first Ironman!), and a friend of mine from work who came to watch and take pics. I handed in my dry clothes bag to the volunteers (for after the race), and found the glasses table where a volunteer provides a label for your glasses and watches over them while you swim.
As the sun continued rising, we all were graced by a lady with a fantastic voice singing the Star-Spangled Banner.
Mike Reilly kept pleading persons to make their way into the water, making sure that we made it in before the start of the cannon. The last song I heard blaring over the speakers was "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC, and I really got energized and started singing along with it (I can do a really mean Brian Johnson). I made it in the water with about a minute to go!