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Ironman Wisconsin
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Ironman Wisconsin - TriathlonFull Ironman
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Comments: The winds were 18 gusting to 30 and the water was pretty choppy. It also was blowing from behind for the start and I inadvertently was blown right into the main pack area right next to the ski jump. I had intended to go further out closer to the buoy line but didn't because I was so late getting in the water. When the cannon went off I was right in the middle of the fray. Immediately I was hit kicked and punched in the head so hard that it shifted my goggles to the side of my head. Nothing intentional just everybody fighting for room to swim. I somehow got my goggles straightened out and then swam very defensively with my elbows out to try and keep some distance between me and the other swimmers. Between the winds and the waves it appeared that a lot of people were having a hard time sighting. I frequently had to pick up my head and swim around people going in odd diagonals to the buoy line. Once making the turn onto the long straight section of the course packs of people were swimming in what looked like "s" patterns, kind of like how a snake moves. I tried to draft when I could and swam buoy to buoy, swimming so close that I would almost touch the buoy as I passed. I remembered thinking that I must be half way and looked up to see that the terrace was still up and to the left, I made a conscious decision to stop thinking about the effort and where I was on the course and just swim. I turned the Eminence Front song on in my head and tried to relax. I almost felt like I was watching myself swim. I tried to put my head through the waves instead of going up and over them and was also careful about grabbing a breath without a wave hitting me in the face. As I rounded the second to last turn the waves seemed to be bigger than any other spot on the course and I think the people in front of me could not see the next buoy between the waves and pseudo stopped, causing a backlog of swimmers. I got caught between the group stopping and the ones behind me trying to swim over everyone. For a quick 5 seconds I had a mini panic attack as I couldn't move and people were running into me and someone grabbed both of my legs and was pulling me down. They must have been getting run over and pushed under. Things quickly started to move again giving me some space and I headed towards the outside to get some room and around people. I picked up my pace and just wanted to get out of the water. The rest of the swim was fine up until about 200 yards from the swim finish. I had been sighting on the finish arch and was tracking right towards it when a girl in front of me turned at about a thirty five degree angle to the finish and gave a hard kick catching me in the right chest. I let out a yelp, loud enough that she stopped and asked if I was ok, which I said yeah and tried to keep moving. I never have gone to get it checked but she either cracked or severely bruised my ribs. It's a week later as I write this and it still hurts to take a deep breath or pick something up. What would you do differently?: Start closer to the buoy line.  Transition 1
Comments: Wetsuit strippers were great. Ran up the helix and quickly found my bag. Ran into the changing room and it was packed. No chairs and all the volunteers were busy helping other people. I dumped my stuff out of my T1 bag and started changing. I had packed a bottle of water and quickly chugged it down. When I went to put on my cycling jersey all of my nutrition fell out. One of the volunteers ran up and grabbed everything and stuffed it back in my pockets. I helped him throw my wetsuit in my bag and took off for the bike with my bike shoes in hand. I knew I had to run the full length of the terrace with my bike and didn't want to do it with my biking shoes on, I was worried about moving a cleat out of place or losing one of the screws. I made a quick bathroom stop and as I approached my bike heard some "Go Mike" cheers and there is my family! Gave them a quick wave and headed off towards the other end of the terrace. Once I neared the mount line I stopped and had a volunteer hold my bike while I threw on my shoes, jumped on the bike and on to the next leg. What would you do differently?: Be more careful grabbing my bike jersey, losing my nutrition for the bike could have been disastrous.  Bike
Comments: Funny how you feel in a long distance triathlon, always happy to be on to the next segment, and this was no exception. Even though my ribs hurt I was really glad to be on the bike and on my way. Right away I could feel the ease of the tailwind and settled in trying to keep my heart rate down and relax. My plan was to get about 1200 calories down on the bike starting with solid food and switching to gels at the end. Within five miles of the terrace I downed about 200 calories and continued drinking plain water. I discovered in training that drinking electrolyte mixes only always gave me stomach problems. I stuck to my plan of 70% water and 30% mix which I alternated between OSMO and Skratch labs. At each aid station I would grab two water bottles and put them in the holder behind my seat. Once out of the aid station area I would take one bottle and pour it into my aero bottle (Profile Design HC). The times when I would mix a drink I would pour the powder in first from singles packets and then add the water. No mess on the front of my bike and it worked perfectly. I drank a lot of water probably more than usual and with the cooler temps I constantly had to go pee. I think I must have stopped 5 or 6 times. I'm not a guy that can pee on my bike or even feel compelled to, the extra few minutes won't make a difference in my time. I felt pretty strong on the first loop but noticed some tightness in my left quad and hamstring going up the third big climb before Verona. I decided I should pull it back a notch just to ensure that I didn't get any cramping and I was also think about the headwind going back after the second loop. Things were pretty much uneventful until I hit something just after the special needs bags. My rear wheel started rubbing on something which I thought was my brake. I stopped and adjusted the brake out a little and started off again. The rubbing noise continued and I never did figure out what it was. The sound would really amplify at slow speeds like climbing hills. I don't think it really affected my bike performance but was very annoying. Once back on the stick the headwinds were what I expected and I wasn't able to make any time up like I did in 2011 when we had a tailwind. My average heart rate was 133 which is about what I wanted. So even though this ride was slower than I would have liked it was probably the right speed with the conditions for me. Couple of other quick notes. The roads were much better this year. Stagecoach is always bad and it will be nice when it gets resurfaced. The downhill on Timberlane could have been really dangerous with smooth pavement until the bottom of the hill and the sharp left onto the newly chip sealed road but i had been warned and kept my speed under 40mph on the downhill. There were 13 motorcycle referees on the course and I saw 11 of them. I would never purposely violate a rule but every time I heard them coming it was kind of like seeing a police car behind you driving...did I do anything wrong...am I to close to the bike in front of me...? What would you do differently?: Maybe push just a little harder. Transition 2
Comments: Again very happy to get off the bike. T2 was crazy again and all the volunteers were busy. I did find a chair this time and dumped out my bag and changed clothes. This is another philosophy that slows me down but I like having something different to run in than the clothes that I have been cycling in for the last six and a half hours. Slammed some more water packed my gear back in the T2 bag and handed it to a volunteer as I headed out. Made a quick bathroom stop and as I exited I saw some relatives who had come to the race so I ran over and gave them a hug and talked for a minute then headed out on the run. What would you do differently?: Nothing  Run
Comments: Crossed the timing matt to start the run and my wife and kids were right there. Stopped to hug them and high five the boys who told me to "dig deep" (something we had practiced during training...! Made it about a quarter mile and one of my friends was there and I stopped to talk to him for a couple of minutes. All of this stopping and talking resulted in a pretty slow first few miles but I am pretty firm in my self directed policy that these people have supported me all year and have come to the race so I am going to stop and acknowledge them. It might be different if I was close to a Kona slot but that just isn't the case and having a time of 12:45 versus a time of 12:30 or what ever just isn't going to make a difference. What does make a difference is stopping to talk to these people no matter how brief. Each time I saw them throughout the run I would stop. They always tell me I better get moving and I always respond with "I just want you to know how important you are to me and thanks for supporting me." When I first came out of transition and my wife hugged me I knew it was going to be a long run. My ribs hurt with just a gentle touch and every deep breath hurt. I tried to just not think about it and run. The odd thing that happened to me on this run is the balls of my feet hurt right away and continued to get worse throughout the run. By mile twenty I had completely forgotten about my ribs because my feet were hurting to the point that I really didn't want to run. The rest of my body felt pretty good. My energy level was good, no stomach issues. Just the feet. I definitely have to get this figured out before the next IM. The crowds on the run are great and really encourage you,but there are a few other areas that are pretty cool too. One of my favorite spots is at the top of Observatory Hill. The hill is pretty steep both up and down so I walk it. If you are on this course and at the top of the hill take a look to the left and enjoy the look out over lake, it's gorgeous. I also think running along the dirt path next to the lake is fun. Just prior to this section is State Street where the crowds are roaring and your adrenaline gets pumping and minutes later you are at the opposite end of the spectrum, running along this dirt path with other runners and no one is talking, just an eerie quiet peacefulness. A note on nutrition. I used honey stinger organic gels, about one per hour and drank two cups of water at every aid station. At mile 10 I took an Endurolyte cap and split another one open at mile 18 and powered the powder on my tongue just to get that salty taste. This all worked well for me and resulted in no GI issues. I kept an eye on my heart rate and ended up with an average of 131 for the run, exactly what I wanted. The finish chute was fantastic like always. I love smiling and high five's and getting the crowd to cheer. This year I got to hear Mike Reilly call my name, last time he missed me, so it was great to hear him say I was an Ironman. Funny how little things are important and mean something like that. What would you do differently?: Figure out sometiing so my feet don't hurt. Post race
Warm down: I dedicated this race to Al Bailey. He is an in-law who died in the spring of this year. He was in his mid 70's and always led an active life. He loved to bike and rode in at least twenty MS150 bike rides. He would kayak and hike. Always positive and trying to find the good in any situation. He was truely an inspiration and set an example that I want to follow. Last updated: 2012-09-17 12:00 AM
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 2013-09-15 8:44 PM |
Veteran  190   Lakeville, Minnesota |  Subject: Ironman Wisconsin |
| 2013-09-16 9:12 AM in reply to: #4856194 |
Expert 2380 Mastic Beach, NY | Subject: RE: Ironman Wisconsin Mike congrats Ironman on a great race. That was brutal swim and it seems like it was made much tougher with all the contact you had to endure especially the kick to the ribs at the end of it all. I'm glad that did not affect your race you had a great swim and you also did a great job pacing yourself on the bike and the run, that was very smart. You managed your race well my friend. I love the tribute to your in law as well. Congrats again Mike! |
| 2013-09-16 10:55 AM in reply to: strikyr |
Veteran 2842 Austin, Texas | Subject: RE: Ironman Wisconsin Wow - terrific job racing smart (and toughing it out through a bruised rib - been there, and that HURTS!). I think it's just fantastic that you take the time to let the people that supported you know just how imprtant that support is. Good karma, for sure. Also, getting the family set up first on race morning? Class act. Sounds like a very tough race, especially with a swim like that, but you ran it well and stuck to your plan - nicely done! Matt |
| 2013-09-16 9:38 PM in reply to: 0 |
Veteran 945 South Windsor, CT | Subject: RE: Ironman Wisconsin Mike, I've been waiting for this report for a loooooong time (since the 2012 injury pre IMLP). I'm so glad you went out and ran an excellent race. Execution was terrific, pacing solid and it never hurts to get a PR, does it? I know it was a challenging weekend for you with all the behind the scenes stuff, but it was terrific that the family was able to make it and your wife must be so proud of you knowing all you've accomplished. The most impressive thing you did was to make the adjustments on race day. So many athlete's do not adjust for weather and you did what you could-stayed within yourself remaining calm and doled out a steady effort, despite the wind and waves. It is also noble that you take time during the race to acknowledge your peeps. I always try to do this, but probably could do more...Noted and I'm taking it to heart. Overall, I'd grade it a solid A. Nice, very nice.  Edited by dtoce 2013-09-16 9:39 PM |
| 2013-09-24 11:43 AM in reply to: #4856194 |
Iron Donkey 38643  , Wisconsin | Subject: RE: Ironman Wisconsin Great job!! |
| General Discussion-> Race Reports! |
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United States
World Triathlon Corporation
74F / 23C
Overcast
Overall Rank = 894/2554
Age Group = 50-54
Age Group Rank = 62/233
We traveled to Madison on Thursday before the race this year. I didn't want it to be quite so hectic as the first time that I did this race in 2011 when I arrived on Friday. This turned out to be a really wise decision as my son with Aspergers was having a lot of trouble adjusting to the change in routine. It's strange how that goes, sometimes he is ok with things and other times not at all. Friday and Saturday were very stressful with him which was probably just amplified by my own nerves and trying to get all of the required pre race activities completed. Our hotel room was a suite and the kids slept on a pullout couch. I told them we had to go to bed at 8pm on Saturday since we had to get up early and were going to have a long day on Sunday. They were very compliant and we were all in bed at 8. I fell asleep about 8:30 and woke up at 9:30 and 10:30. Back to sleep again until 1:30 and then couldn't fall back asleep. I drank an Ensure Complete and just lay in bed until 4:15. Went down to the breakfast area and picked up a couple of cups of coffee for my wife and I along with a bowl of oatmeal and brown sugar. I had everything set to go, so we got the kids up and took them to breakfast and headed to Madison. (Our hotel was in Middleton about 15-20 minutes from the Monona Terrace.)
As soon as I was outside I noticed the wind and looked at my wife and said it's going to be a rough swim and it'll be a headwind on the way back on the bike. When we got to Madison we knew where we were going to park, in a metered parking garage a couple of blocks from the terrace. My wife had broken her tailbone a couple of weeks before we left for Madison. Her walking was going to be limited so we chose something close and brought 7.50 in change for the meter. The plan was to have her go to the swim start, wait for me to head out on the bike then go back to the hotel until I came back in on the bike. She would watch the run from the Capitol area.
When I arrived at the terrace I went straight to the top level with my wife and kids. We staked out a spot that was perfect to see the swim start. I knew that the hotel usually stacked all of the chairs for the upper level on the west side behind one of the bathroom areas so I made a quick run and picked up four chairs and carried them back to the spot we had staked out. Got the kids and wife situated which included a bathroom trip for my youngest. I then headed straight for my bike and turned on my Garmin 500. I had turned off the auto shut down and pause modes so it would be ready to go. Once I was sure it had the satellite locked, I made a quick check of the tires and filled my aero bottle with water. I had rented a tracking device (myathletelive.com) so I turned it on let it aquire the satellite and laid the race belt that it was attached to across my aero bars making sure it wouldn't fall off or catch on anything when the bike was moved. I had decided to not use any special needs bags for the bike or run so off to get body marked and then a bathroom break for me and back up to the top of the terrace to put on my wetsuit and take a few pictures. I headed back down the helix about 6:30 and it was packed. While I was waiting to get to the swim start they were playing music and played one of my favorite training songs Eminence Front by the Who. Hearing it really helped me to take a deep breath and get into race mode. I felt very calm and told myself now it's time to celebrate the years training with a race, lets do this.It took from 6:30 until 6:53 for me to get into the water. If you haven't done this race before be forewarned.