IRON OAKS

Last Sunday was a casual ride with a group of Tri clubs members. It was a late season orgranized ride sponsored by the Iron Oaks foundation, so not a lot of people showed up for the event, so we all got cool backpacks and extra free stuff.

There were eight from the club, one person will be riding her first century and another riding his first 50 miler. On paper we are actually a small Tri club, but I think the support we give each other is immeasurable. My teammate who did IMoo with me was there supporting her friend riding her 1st century. Me, I took the easy way out and a group of us only rode the 50 mile loop.

There has been a lot of great stories from IMoo I have read or heard about the past couple of weeks but I wanted to tell you a short story of my teammate.

Michelle had attempted to race an IronMan before several years back, but encountered a road block. Well, she was diagnosed with cancer, so that kinda of put a hold on her IronMan dreams. Then 2006 was going to be her year. We both had different training paths leading up to IMoo this year, but trained with each other when we could. So a couple of weeks before IMoo she went to the doctor and she had a suspicion that the cancer had come back. But with permission of the doctor and her willingness to race she fought hard and became and IRONMAN. Just about a week or so ago her suspicions were correct. But with treatments that lay before her she is staying strong and truly a tough "BIKE CHIK". To have that cloud over you and still have the strength to complete an IRONMAN and also come out and help support your friend/fellow teammate for a century ride, I though that is truly amazing.

So eventhough we maybe a small Triathlon club and finished 10th in the MERCERS team standings, I think we are a truly huge club in so many other ways.

So this weekend I'm supposed to do a 20 mile run according to my marathon schedule, so I will attempt that and get in a 40+ mile running week in. I was a little bit sore from cycling 50 miles the next day so I think I still need to still ride my bike once in awhile. Why does this all feel like a training schedule again. Oh crap, it does. Oh well such as life and my crazy racing schedule.

Rusty Chain

As I look at my rusty chain on my road bike and prepare it for a 50 mile bike ride for this weekend with a group of Tri club members. For some reason I thought of all the things I have neglected over the past year training for my IronMan race.

Family? Playing with my child? Sleeping in? Sleeping at all? Friends? Practicing my martial arts?

Some how I realized at that point I need to slow down and take some time and enjoy the things I have surely missed along the way.

So for the next month or 2 it will all be about that.

I stayed in late on Saturday, over-slept, woke up when I felt like it. I finally brought down the mighty tree house that has been unstable for the past 5 years due to neglect. I actually promised my little girl I would build her a new one by her birthday. Yeah, that was in August.

So , eventhough I have the Chicago marathon in 5 weeks, I think I will just try to do the best I can that day. Not really a "A" race for me. When I ran it in 2005, I told myself, in 2006 would actually going to be my debutante IronMan race for me. Yeah I know kinda of silly, I just wanted to run the race as a an IronMan and wear my jersey to tell everybody what I did this summer. In 2005 I saw some IronMan Wisconsin racers running the marathon, they had their shirts on and it was cool just seeing them. I thought to myself next time next year I will be one of them. So mission accomplished, leave the watch at home, don't worry about how many mile I have to do today, an let the fun begin leading up to the Chicago Marathon and due the things I have missed along the way.

A friend of mine Doug, shot this at the IMWI race, Frank Farrar, a true 77 year old Ironman stud to swim 2.4 miles in a speedo, who is going to Kona. That is badass.

"BadWater"

On Sunday, to my amazement they televised parts of the Badwater Ultramarathon. I think probably one of the hardest races in the planet. A 135 mile run through "Death valley". If the location of the race doesn't scare you , I'm not sure what will. The reason I was fascinated by this race is because I have been contemplating how to train for my debut as a UltraMarathon runner at the McNaughton Park Trail Run 50 miler. A race I have been conjuring up in my head ever since completing my 50k ultramarthon in 2005. A race I did pretty well in, for me anyway, I finished in the top 20% and realized I found a race that had slower people than me, OMG, it really does exist. But the best part is I had a great time doing it. The people were great and racers super friendly.

But in the UltraMarathon world, they say a 50k is just a marathon with a warm-up and cool down, so my quest for UltraRunner status was on. Not sure why I want to do this really, but why do we do a IronMan, Yes because of the race, but the status of calling ourselves an IronMan if we are lucky enough to finish.

So I have been looking though the internet for training plans, yada, yada, yada. I thought to myself do I really want to be on a schedule again. Not really, I don't want to hear the buzzer go off at 5:00 am right now. So I found a 24 week and 16 week UltraMarathon training plan. So guess which one I'm choosing? Looking through the plan, the runs during the weekend they call "sandwich" days. Which means running 3 hours on Saturday and then running 4 hours on Sunday. Close to a marathon run every weekend, do I really want to do this right now?

But the gauntlet has been thrown and the dye has been cast, and approval had been given (aka the wife). But for now, I started to run again, I'm in sort of a 5 week plan for the Chicago Marathon. I was going to be a total slacker during the race, but since I know a bunch of people racing it, and quite honestly I was a little disappointed at my IronMan marathon run, I have something to prove to myself and get a little confidence back in my step.

So for now. Little road biking, some swimming, back to the masters swim class in a week or 2. Lots of small runs and contemplating if I really want run for 13 hours plus in a hilly, stream crossing trail run they call McNaughton. And of course wear my IronMan gear whenever I can.

Oh, it finally was the start of when you had to pay your IMWI Wisconsin fee, Oh yeah, I'm totally in now. Goal is to drop an 1 hour off this years time. It will be a great year next year, I can feel it.

IRonMan Race Report:

Sorry this might be a long one.

The Race weekend started out on Thursday. I had
debated all week if I was going to do some short
training sessions in Chi-Town or in IronMan country.

Plus the SimplyStu power seminar/clinic was Thursday night.

I think I drove my wife crazy trying to figure all this out at the last minute. But I decided to train in Chi-town and go to the clinic that night. Alot of driving for me that day, basically doing a commute from Chicago since I still have to take care alot of family things before I officially left.

Before heading to the seminar/clinic I picked up my race packet and actually ran into IronWill
and her husband walking around the expo, so I tagged along until we met up with Trisaratops and TriAl for a quick bite eat before the seminar. I actually drove back to Chicago that night.

Friday:

After dropping my 2 dogs off to the doggy hotel (aka in-laws). I made the commute to IronMan country. Along the way I saw cars and SUV's with bikes, and I knew there were only going to one place. IronMan Country. The SUV that touched a chord in my heart and brought a tear to my face had the window painted with the IM logo and said "GO Daddy", and I thought to myself that will be my daughter yelling for me two days from now.

Finally officially arriving in IronMan country in the afternoon I walked around the expo somemore a visited the Competitive edge vendor booth and stepped on their trusty Tanita Ironman Body composition Scale to check out my stats. Okay, I know this scale is not accurate but made me feel badass:

weight 160.6 lbs (okay accurate)
body fat 6.6% (yeah right)
muscle mass 142.6 lbs
physique rating: 8 (thin and Muscular athlete) okay not really..
Metabolic age 12 (yeah I have a body of a 12 yr old, puberty again, no Thank You)

So after that, I decided to head to the IM dinner and meet my fellow Tri club member who was also racing. I had been invited to Stu's for dinner, but I wanted to make things simple for that night. But from reading the other blogs, I missed a great time.

But the IronMan Dinner/Race Meeting was great in it's own way. The actually Dinner was not to bad, full of pasta and the stuff that was needed to carbo load for the night. They had videos and speakers to inspire us for race day. There was a lady from Chicago who lost 111 pounds, "Frank" the 77 yr old IronMan wonder who was totally inspirational. Very comical and embodied the true spirit of IronMan. The youngest racers was a 18 yr old guy. On the female side, there was a 66 yr old multiple IM finisher and 19 yr old newbie. Out of 2700 racers, 1100 was 1st timers. For a couple of people, it would be there 1st Triathlon ever. Are they "CRAZY".

Saturday:

The big "check in" occurred. Bike, T1, & T2 check in. Going here and there to get everything set up for Race Day. Definitely different then your normal triathlon race check in, since all your gear are in different rooms for T1 & T2.

Mental Checklist:
Bike covered, check
Gear check in, that's affirmative.
Rain, not really, prediction of a beautiful cool day for RACE day, (were they ever wrong!!!)

Sunday (Race Day)

As I awoke up at 3:30 am, sleeping in my swim gear,I had a certain calmness about me. I knew it was my day to become an "IronMan".

Got to transition at 5:00am, wanted to get there early so I would take my time and not be rushed about anything. As the morning went on, the hallways started to get congested and everybody was getting prepared. Some people lying down with there eyes closed, some people talking, and some listening to music. Me, I just hanged out and tried to stay relaxed.

The Swim:

I got to the swim start around 6:30am for the 7:00am start time. While walking to the entry point I heard the announcer say he needed "Medical" at the start. So somebody must have freaked out. What a way to go.

Went in the water to warm-up and find a spot far away from people once the race started. Since I really could not tread water, I found a spot on one of the docks, then as the start of the race got closer I stood on a rock in the water. As the minutes ticked by, with the announcer yelling "are you going to be IRonMan today", it was crazy thing to hear those words after a year of preparation to know that you are now minutes away from your race.

One minute countdown, I just tried to keep warm and shake out the little nerves I had. Honestly, the last couple of days before the race, I was pretty relaxed because I knew I had done the best I could to get ready for this event and tried to think of it as just a race, not this huge thing I have basically trained and planned a year for.

There was actually a younger fellow near me who kept asking questions about the swim course to another triathlete. I knew he was nervous. His last words I heard from him was "I think I'm going to die", I'm sure he didn't. But he was nervous and maybe even scared.

7:00am:

THE SWIM:

The cannon goes off, arms flying, me swimming just to get to the start line since I was hanging so far back in the pack. Once pass the starting line, my race strategy was to race wide and use the buildings as a guide in case I could not see the buoys. Then cut in at the 1st turn and try to swim closer to the markers.

The 1st half mile went well for me, not to much bumping and I felt comfortable and just tried to keep an even pace for myself.

The 2nd turn, that is when it got ugly for me, not sure when it started to rain, but the straightaway going back was pretty choppy. I was crashing waves with my head and sometimes felt like a salmon trying to swim up stream. It seemed to last forever, but I managed to get to the 3rd and 4th turn to start my second loop.

The 2nd loop seemed a little bit easier, I never looked at my watch so I would not be disgusted or excited at my 1st loop swim time. My goal was to just make the swim cutoff.

The final turn, that was a pretty sight, then I new the hard part, so I thought, was over for me. I made it to the timing mat and towards the peelers, I guess they must have announced
my name, got my wetsuit peeled off and made a walked to T1 (what was my hurry I thought to myself).

My swim time was slow, 1:48:08, a little disappointed, but as my friend pointed
out to me, I could not even swim 25 yards in a pool 2 1/2 yrs ago. Started from scratch and self-taught, changed my swimming to bi-lateral this year so I'll take that time any-day.

T1:

I actually walked up the entire Helix, I knew I would have a slow transition, but what the hell, I just wanted to save some energy for the rest of the day. After a volunteer gave me my bag, I put on my cycling clothes and headed to the porta-john. At that point the volunteers told us it was slippery inside, especially with cleats on. So I heard all around me loud thumps in the surrounding porta-johns, actually I almost fell on my ass in there too.

So off to the bike, a familiar site for me, most of the bikes are gone out of T1 already. That was okay, I kept on just walking and a volunteer handed me my bike. As I walked with my bike I heard my name from the walkway, I turned back a waved, even though I really didn't know who it was. But a comforting feeling all the same.

BIKE:

The plan on the bike was to take it easy until I got to the 1st loop, starting my nutrition at 15 minute intervals. Along the 1st part of the bike course, I saw the "HAMMER" jersey on a racer, as I got closer, a red trek TRI bike, could it be, yeah it was IRONWILL, So glad to see a familiar face, after saying hello and wishing each other "good Luck", I went off in my way.

Then I got to the rollers, not to bad, but who I see climbing up the hill was TriSaraTops. Wow another familiar face, that was soo cool. We said our hello's and told us we see each other at the finish line. Then a little while later I saw my fellow tri club member Michelle on the route who was riding for Super Team 4 cancer team. Wow, way cool. Misery loves company, I say. But I must have been having way to much fun out there because a person says to me as I go by "there is no smiling in IronMan". WTF I said. Oh I almost got called for drafting, 3 1/2 bike lengths instead of 4, another WTF.

I must say after awhile the rain, cold, and wind did really suck, I think it really started to effect me on the last hour of the bike. I know I have trained in the rain before and also ran in below freezing temperatures in the middle of January, but this day, the weather got the better of me and the last hill kicked my ass mentally and physically. Not sure what happened to me mentally, but I was actually afraid to go up the last hill on both of the loops. A hill I never had a problem with before with, but I cramped both times and actuality had to walk a little bit up the hill. Oh that sucked. Even a support vehicle asked if I was okay.

The worst part for me was the last 20 miles of the race, by that time, my body was shaking from the cold and those fast descents didn't make it any easier in the cold rain. I also saw alot of punctures on the rode and one guy actually had his rear derraulier brake off. Yeah, he was done. So I prayed that my bike would stay together for just a bit longer.

But overall I think I rode okay, my nutrition worked out good, except that my enduralytes kinda of dissolved in the rain so I had a hard time getting them out of my Tic Tac container. I'm glad I had some extra ones in my special needs bag. I must say I wish I could have done the bike under 7 hrs, but I did the best I could, it was along time on the bike for me (7:33:24). I really wanted to just go to sleep in a warm bed after riding that long.

T2:

Finally back to T2, I saw familiar faces from my TRI club cheering me on, I stopped and told them to call my wife and tell her to meet me at 9:30pm at the terrace, because I did not want my kid to be out there in the bad weather all day long waiting for me.

So I walked in, people were shaking everywhere, me included. Changing my clothes was slow because I wanted to warm up a little bit. I know I had a long T2 time, but I was pretty burnt, and that time I didn't really care.

The RUN:

Somehow I managed to have a volunteer snag me a trash bag to cover me to hopefully keep me warm and keep me a little dry. So on the run I go, I'm not sure what happened to me on the run, all year long I thought to myself if I ran the marathon in a time that I usually could do I would have a good overall time. This was my bread-n-butter so to speak. But after leaving T2, I could not run to long without walking. It was mentally breaking me down, after awhile I didn't know how I would even make the 1st 13 mile let alone the whole 26.2 miles. My nutrition plan went out the window and just tried to get to one aid station at a time. My hands even got a little swollen. I really could not figure out what was wrong with me. Total mind meltdown, I think so anyway, tried anything to get me going. I actually think drinking that chicken broth woke me up a little bit and saved me from total collapse. So every aid station to aid station I went. Somehow I made it to the half way point. I saw that finish exit and I know next time I see that sign I will be an IronMan.

As darkness fell, I think that was my saving grace for the last half of the marathon, something changed in me, I actually was able to run to at least every other aid station, well at least sometimes. I think the darkness helped me focus and tell me myself to put one foot in front of the other. if you can't see how far you have to go I think that helped my mind rebound a little bit.

Mile 22, the message board, I actually typed a message for myself, it popped up as I hit the timing mat. "Impossible is Nothing", words I carried with me during my 1st marathon. Now I know I was going to make it.

As I still struggled the last couple of miles, the home stretch was in sight. I actually slowed down, if that was even more possible, I had hoped my wife did not listen to me and was there along the route. I looked at the spot we initially agreed upon. Nowhere to be seen. But I wanted to make the most of it, I tore of my baggy I had been wearing and actually pinned my number on my shirt, later I realized I pinned it upside down. I made sure nobody was near me at all in the final stretch. Then I heard someone call my name, It was the four brave souls who waited all day to cheer me and my fellow Tri club member along. To my surprise my daughter and wife was waiting for me there. The finish I wanted to share was going to happen. I grabbed my daughters hand and we ran to the finish. At that moment all the pain went away and of all the objectives I wanted to fulfill that day, this was it. Marathon time 4:58:41.

"YOU ARE AN IRONMAN" (14:51:39)





Monday:

For some reason I could not sleep, I woke up at 3:30 am. and just started packing. I was supposed to meet my fellow Tri club member that morning and 6 of us (including me) from my TRI club was going to sign up for IM Wisconsin 2007. While I was in line, Stu came by to sign up also, and then we saw IRONWill to do the same. I think next year will be even a greater year, along with Stu and IronWill I have a score to settle with IMoooo.

what's next?

I must bite the bullet and go see some more doctor's and get my hernia taken care of no later than November, If not I think my family will do it for me. Before that thou, the Chicago Marathon in 6 weeks.

2007?

IM Wisconsin in 2007 and oh yeah, 50 mile Ultramarathon in April on a hilly course. Oh that is going to hurt..

I want to thank all the bloggers I got to meet during this whole crazy weekend, the volunteers which made my life so much easier, the strangers who called out my name saying words of encouragement, and the brave Tri club members who braved the weather to watch me finish. And of course my wife who dealt with a year of craziness and after all that let me sign up for IMooo 2007. Man I'm glad this is over, for now anyway.

IRONMAN BUBBA

Ironman Wisconsin

YES, I'M an IRONMAN.

Just a little quick note. It was a VERY tough day. Rain, cold, & the wind. Hypothermia in the air. But I somehow made it through the day in 14:51. It was a tough DAY for everybody.

Thanks for my Tri Club friends to seeing me finish, braving all the elements with the rest of us made the day special.

THANK YOU!!

My main objective was to run across the finish line with my wife and kid.

Objective completed.

That was so special for me, along with all the people I met this weekend. And to all the people who have read my blog and shared this journey with me.

THANK YOU!!

TRisaratops, TRIAL, and IRONWILL. I had a great time hanging around all of you this weekend and doing the IRONMAN with you.

To them, I say THANKYOU!!

I will write a more detailed race report later. Time to go register for Ironman Wisconsin 2007.

The Race Plan

Okay, after the 1st couple of days of freaking out after my taper, I have calmed down and actually feel pretty good and I must say confident. Not that I will blast the course in a certain time, but to know that I will give it my all and finish has had a calming effect on me.

So I rode when some fellow TRI-club members on Sunday. They kept asking me my time goal. Besides finishing I guess my time goal is as follows:

11-13 hours: Really Great day
13-15 hours: Great day still.
15-17 hours: Oooo, I'm hurting..But great day after I cross the finish line.
DNF : It is not an option

So here is my race plan, I will give you my general approach because my detailed plan would be to lengthy to read and quite boring.

But for those bloggers racing out there in IMooo, GOOD LUCK, I will see you on the course. If you happen to see me while you pass on by, say "HEY"

The SWIM

This is by far and beyond the weakest event for me so:

1) Stay back at the start and let all the fast people fight it out and find a clear path.
2) Stay clam, long strokes, glide, Just like you learned in Total Immersion Masters class.
3) If you get hit keep on going, DO NOT get pissed off.
4) Stay Calm
5) Did you tell yourself to stay Calm yet!!!!

The Bike

1) Ride easy the first hour. Stay in Aerobars as much as you can to relax before 1st loop.
2) Ride in your heart rate zone the entire way. MAX 150 bpm, 130 to 140 bpm range. Don't worry if you spike during the hills.
3) Follow nutrition Plan, starting every 15 minutes on the bike.
4) Half way point, special need bag, fill up fluid, eat PBJ if hungry.
5) Enjoy the crowds the last 10 miles, spin legs to get ready for marathon.
6) Stay in 85 to 95 rpm for cadence.



















The RUN


1) Make sure you have everything before you leave T2
2) Run as you feel 1st 30 minutes to an hour.
3) Follow 10k nutrition plan. Breakup race into smaller pieces.
4) If I have something left, negative split last half of marathon, If not, negative split last 10k
5) Last 500yrds slow down, enjoy the moment, look for family.

The Finish

Thank my wife for being there and hug my child.

The Next Day (Monday)
Oh, sign up for IMWI '07 monday morning.