Life on the short bus is FUN

Where have I been, Where am I, and where in the world is this short bus taking me?

Wow. I feel a bit lost, confused and unfocused right now. My big goal event that was Ironman is now over. All the huge emotional and physical build up that has been going on since as long as my challenged memory can remember is over. I had a really fun and challenging year. I still can’t believe I did an Ironman event. In some senses I feel like a burden has been lifted off of me, and I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I do know that I am enjoying the little time off I have given to myself. Coming home and laughing with Jenny, cooking dinner for Lucas and Nick (when he’s around), looking at game film for Lucas’s next football game, napping, and really getting some good quality rest. It has been a long time since I have taken a couple weeks off and just let myself slip back into normality. I had always told myself that after Ironman I would take a few weeks off and rest and focus a bit more on life outside training. I feel like I have done that and having these few weeks to focus on other things has been really fun.

I am at a point right now where I really understand what I can do to get myself in the best possible shape for IMWI 2010. I would like to get myself to an all time low adult weight. I graduated high school at 219. About 40 pounds from where I am. Jenny has ordered us a couple bodybuggs (like what the biggest loser contestants wear) and that will help to determine what our base metabolic rates are and what we are actually burning for calories. Diet will be the focus of the winter. I did it before and I can do it again. This tool will help to determine how much of a calorie deficit really exists each day, week and month and how it translates to the scale. As much as I used to love the treadmill, now I hate it. As we transition from summer to fall I will need to try to take advantage of nicer days to do stuff outside. If this years weather so far is any indication of our winter, it could be long and nasty. I know my swimming can be faster. Up to this point it has been about survival in the water. Just moving forward and not challenging myself to go faster but just to get in and out of the water. I think by losing some weight and actually trying to swim faster will help. I would like to be under 2min/100 at some point. Right now I hover closer to 2:30/100. Indoor biking sucks too. I used to think it was good but it is nothing close to outdoor biking. The only thing it does in my opinion is to help with endurance, keep some of the biking muscles from going totally limp and keep the ABC region tough. (ABC is ass ball connector). I thought I rode a lot of trainer miles last year from Jan-Apr and once I went outside, I realized you can’t simulate hills and the changing terrain on a trainer. Sometimes it felt like I had not done anything to prepare myself. But what else can you do? Trainer miles will be big all winter. If nothing else, it will help the aerobic base.


What’s in store for me next? Well I have been doing a TON of thinking on this. Where I need to be and what needs to be done. I am constantly looking for a good training plan, one that I will actually follow. I really tanked when it came to doing the stuff on the training plan. I put the time and miles in but did not do much for intervals, hill work outs, or tempo stuff. I just have a tough time getting myself outside my comfort zone. One of the reasons I will probably never be more than a back of the pack guy. But I’m o.k with that. I would just like to see if doing any of that makes any difference and I am sure it will. I am looking at doing some really fun stuff in 2010.

Madison Marathon: The full marathon (hopefully in around 5:30)

At least one half Ironman (maybe Kansas?)

Point to LaPointe 2.1 mile open water swim across Lake Superior from Wisconsin into Michigan. This looks so fun. I wish it was tomorrow.

Aquathon Series again. Really helped develop my open water swimming so I want to go back and keep doing these. They are a great mid week workout.

Beloit Wellness Biathon. It pretty much is a requirement now. Early and fun.

IMWI 2010. The funnest punishment ever.

Would also like to squeeze in an Olympic Tri, at least 2 other half marathons, and loads of biking miles. My early plan is to now ride the IM bike course at least twice a month (2 loops from Fireman’s Park each time), beginning as early as possible. Although I rode the course a few times last year, I never really did more than just ride it. I want to ride it hard and with enough intensity where I will be lucky to make it back to the car. Outside the comfort zone. Comfort zone riding got me a 7:45 bike split. Not acceptable. Not for as much biking as I had done.

With both kids being over 18 as of July 2010, they will now be responsible for their actions and not us for the most part and we will have to worry less about what they are doing in their spare time. More time to worry about training.

Another positive note is with all the gear we bought this year, we don’t need anything for next year. We are all geared up.


So you could say my goals are to lose 40 pounds from my already too short frame, spend my winter on my feet and not my butt (unless I’m biking indoors), and train to get faster, not just to build endurance.

I am really enjoying being me right now. Life is really fun. I have so many options and so many things I enjoy doing now. Plus Jenny loves to do the same stuff I do so we have spent the last 3 years attached at the hip and doing everything together. We are closer than ever. I guess it’s supposed to be that way. I am going to continue to make it fun because that is how I do things.

This time next year we will be preparing for our trip to Hawaii to volunteer at the 2010 IM World Championships and enjoying a 10 day vacation. This will be our first vacation together where we actually went on vacation. We have typically used our vacation time to spend time with our families and go visit them or whatever.

The 20 Year Anniversary Post

I just can't believe it has been 20 years since we got married. Seems like just yesterday we were making out in the Escort listening to Master of Puppets. Oh the memories.

I'm sure that there are other people out there who are surprised that we made it this far. But I'm not surprised. We always get along and I'm pretty sure the last thing we fought about had something to do with the way I fold laundry, and lasted about 20 seconds.

I tried to come up with 20 of the cool things about you or things I like about you in honor of our 20th anniversary.

1- I have 2 awesome kids that because of you, use their powers for good and not evil, that know they are cared for, and that have always had everything they could have ever wanted (except for the go kart--my bad)

2-I would still be a 400 pound unhealthy person half in the grave had you not decided to make a change for the better. I probably would be even larger today. I know you are not into super skinny guys so I have tried to maintain a little chub just for you. :)

3- I did a freaking Ironman. For sure that would not have happened without you. I doubt I would have ever considered doing it but somehow being married to you makes me do dumb things sometimes. Wierd.

4- I signed up to do another freaking Ironman. See last sentence of #3. Still wierd.

5- I have a nice home and live comfortably because of how hard you worked to get your education and secure a good job. You have always tried to provide for us. And for every dollar you make, I try to spend 3. Not usually successful but thanks for providing for us.

6-I have someone I can talk to and who shares many of the same interests as I do. I'm sorry I don't have a farm on farmville. Only because I know that you would stay up all night in order to have a better farm than me. The things I do for you that you have no idea.

7-You have always treated my family like your family. Now only they can determine if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Pretty sure it's good though.

8-At least once a day you do something that makes me laugh. You either say something funny, do something funny, or are just funny. Makes it fun. What hole in the garage wall?

9-You have supported me in my career path(s). Every one of them and there has been a lot.

10-You have prevented me from going outside in what I thought was a good look and helped me phase out the black concert T shirt wardrobe. Thanks for letting me keep the Iron Maiden shirt though.

11-You gave me free mowhawk haircuts with the same clippers as you use on the dog. Now that's love.

12-Whenever I feel sick, you are the first person to ask me if I have taken anything to help me feel better. If I haven't then you ask me why not and show me where the medicine is.

13-You always know when I'm grumpy and even if I say I'm not, you keep asking me until I am. It's so cute.

14-You help me find stuff I misplace by asking me where I put it. Super helpful. Almost always works too.

15-You make me feel like I am the most important person all the time, even when I'm not.

16-No matter what we are doing together, you try to make it fun. Even when we are biking and I follow too close, or don't give you enough room to get out of traffic, or stop really sudden, or if I have to yell to hear you and you think I'm yelling because I'm angry.

17-I like it that you think it's cool I call our house the Batcave and think that we are superheroes.

18-You have helped me become a good dad to my sons. (Or good buddy-however you look at it).

19-I like it that we do everything together. "Attached at the hip" I think is what you call it. It's sweet.

20-You have always let me be me. Even when it embarasses you. Sometimes I think that it is a lot.

21 (extra bonus)-You know I'm only joking when I say the best money I ever spent was the money on the wine coolers that got you to say you'd marry me right?

All joking aside, I would have never become the person I am today without spending the last 20 years of my life with you. It has been awesome. You are for sure my best friend and companion. I am very lucky to be married to you. You complete me. We really are like peas and carrots Jenny.

Love you

Mike

IMWI Race Report

Wow. Not really sure where to start so I'll just start from the beginning.

We got up at 3:30 to leave by 4 to get up to the Terrace. I hadn't been too nervous up to this point but all of a sudden, I was nervous. We dropped off our special needs bags, went to body marking and let Bob Kincaid mark us, got our bikes all set to go, put sleeveless jerseys in our bike bags and went and hung out waiting. Nerves were terrible. Saw Robert who also confessed he was nervous. Soon more and more people were showing up. We saw CJ and Phil, Jenny's mom and sister, Brenda and Kitty, The Stenzels, and Alison (more on her later) and others. Soon it was time to go down and get into the water so we put the wetsuits on and went down and got in. Tiffany Storms saw us and got our picture all ready to go. I am sure I looked terrified because I was.

I still had not decided what my strategy was going to be. Jenny and I found some open space and when the cannon went off we just started going. It was not too bad at first. I then decided that I was going to get into the scrum and stay close to the buoys. I could feel the pull as the other swimmers were dragging me along. Mike Wolfgram and Bigun were right on the money and I was glad that I had decided to take their advice. I was getting knocked around and I was doing some knocking around too. This lasted for 3/4 of a lap and then the crowd was gone. There were a few people swimming my pace and we were all grouped up. I had some goggle problems. I used the no fog solution on them and that worked great, except that sweat somehow pooled in the bottom of the goggles and ever so often would sting my eye. I would have to stop and drain that out. This happened 3 or 4 times. Otherwise no problems. I thought I did a great job of sighting and thought I was swimming quite straight. I was really enjoying myself at this point. I was in an Ironman. Got around the last turn and I could hear the crowd and see the swim exit. I swam directly to it and got out of the water. I saw I was around 1:43 and I thought that was cool. I got my bearings and saw Steve Stenzel. He pointed me to the wetsuit strippers and soon I was sitting down. Someone who helped me said, we know all about you and Jenny and will be following you all day. One of the many things cool that happened all day. So now I am in my swimsuit running up the helix with a zillion people screaming and ringing cowbells. I see Michelle Alswager yelling at me. I finally get to the ballroom to get my bag and get to transition. I find a chair and someone comes over and asks to help me. He dumps out my transition bag and sets everything out. I dry off, change clothes, put spray sunscreen on (super smart thing) get all my stuff and get outside. I have to pee and right now I am in my socks. I looked at the porta floor and decided I had to put my bike shoes on to go in there. The floor was not sock friendly. So I pee and go get my bike. I see Brian Holmes and he gives me a man hug and I was glad he was there. Always nice to see someone you know. I see Steve Knox and he takes my picture. I see my son and his girlfriend and they are in home made T shirts and have signs. It was awesome. I see Jenny's sister and mom too. I get my bike and get to the mount line and start. Really a very cool experience.

Bike: I rode fairly good from the Terrace out to Verona and the first loop. I wanted to go pretty easy so I did. I still saw my heart rate staying pretty high. I started to get warm and I began my nutrition plan. A couple electrolyte tablets every hour, gatorade as needed, a bottle of water per hour and 200 calories of either shot blocks or sports beans. I felt like I was taking in plenty of fluids but in hindsight, I don't think it was enough. I never felt sloshy and I should have. I know I was sweating a ton as I could feel how sweaty I was. It was 85 and sunny with little or no wind. I was able to average about 15.6 MPH for the first loop which was right on what I wanted. I passed Jenny at mile 32. She looked fine and we talked for a few minutes about how we were doing our dream and that it was cool. People lined the course like the Tour de France. It was amazing. All these people who want to see you succeed. I got cheered on by so many people. Some I knew and some I didn't. I kept smiling. I was taking in everything and was proud that I was competing in an Ironman. Things began to go south after the first loop quickly. I began to get hot spots on the bottoms of both feet right in the center of the balls. It would come and go at first. I stopped to get my special needs bag on the bike and got the pb and j sandwich and the chips and soda. I drank part of the soda and the chips and put the sandwich in my back pocket so I could get going. I was pounding the gatorade now and was worried because I still had not peed on the bike leg. But I never felt like I had to go. So I kept drinking. I began to see participants sitting on the side of the road every so often and even saw some people getting taken out. My guess is because of the heat and the hills. IMWI bike is notoriously hard. It lived up to that for me yesterday. About mile 80 I started getting leg cramps which NEVER happens for me. I got 2 or 3 cramps in different spots on the same muscle. It really caused me to slow way down to avoid the cramping. I was able to climb all of the hills but 1. I cramped up about half way up and got off to walk and stretch. I saw a lot of friends on the bike. Johnny Brown, Kathy Ball and her husband, (they were so awesome. He had done it in the past and was giving me advice and she was asking how I felt, and what I needed..just awesome and at that time I needed that), Tawyna, Martin and Dominc on motorcycles, Alison, Brenda, CJ and loads of other people. I was hurting now. No doubt about it. I was giving a high effort and getting nowhere. I knew my 4:30pm return time goal was going out the window. I saw more people waiting for sag. I was forced to stop again and take my bike shoes off and walk around the grass at an aid station to stop the hot spots on my feet. As I turned onto Whalen road, I began to feel a bit better. I knew there was only 16 miles to go. I passed a few people on the way back in. I was so happy to see Monona Terrace. Rode up the helix and dropped off the bike. It was about 4:45 so I was a bit behind. Saw Michele, Lucas and Chelsea, Kitty and Brenda and Alison. Alison had my bike to run bag and handed it off. She told me to get moving that I could make it. I got in and changed my clothes, took a water bottle and dumped it into a towel and wiped off the grime all over me. It cooled me off and made me feel much better. I saw Bob Kincaid again and he asked me how I was doing. I told him the bike was harder than I though it would be. I had a soda in my bag and drank some of it. It made me feel better too. I went out and began the run. At the sunscreen staion, 4 awesome ladies put sunscreen on me and they sunscreened my legs. It was like a mini massage and I realized right then that my legs were hurting. I felt like I had to pee and was so happy. I went into the porta and I swear I peed fire. Only a couple squirts of pure fire. I wondered what the hell was going on but I felt o.k. so I went out on the course. It was really hot again and my goal was to run. I saw Jon Purinton and he was on his second loop so he was doing awesome. So I started to run but after about 5 minutes I felt like my bladder was full again. So full it hurt to run, so I walked to the next porta and had another 2 squirt fire pee. This continued for 10 miles. I was forced to walk because my bladder felt full but nothing was really coming out. About mile 10 my feet began to get the balled up sock feeling on the bottoms. I looked at them and the sock was nice and flat. I knew that the hot spots from the bike had now become large blisters on the run. Nothing I could do at this point but continue. I saw so many people on the run cheering me on. The volunteers were so awesome. Every aid station was stocked and anything I wanted, I got. Ice water, soda, gatorade, ice and cold sponges. I really wanted to run. I wish I could have gotten over that mental hurdle. I was very close to being on pace to make it how I was moving so I figured I would just keep pushing on. I did the fire pee thing about 15 times and at one point I noticed red on my hands but I thought it was just gatorade. I took 20 miles before I realized that they weren't serving anything red. I believe now that I was peeing blood for the whole marathon so far. Now if I had seen this earlier and figured it out, I would have stopped and sought help. I had no intentions of suffering permanant injury to be an Ironman. I saw Mike Wolfgram a few times on the run and he was super helpful. He was pushing me and getting me to try to realize how far I had come and how close I was and that I should do everything I could to get there. At the State Street turn around, I saw Suzy Jacobsen from high school and a few other people. Some very nice group of girls saw me and started screaming. We read your blog and we think you and Jenny are so awesome so keep going. In fact they were so boistrous, that the girl walking next to me took notice of my number and said she now needed to read my blog. On my second time through Camp Randall, a very nice lady (I was pretty tired and I missed her name) came over and asked if she could walk with me. She asked me my name and I said Mike and she asked if I was Mike Wimmer and I said yes. She said she knew of mine and Jenny's story and she thought that what we have done was amazing. She reads our blogs too. She told me to keep pushing and if I could run to run and if not then walk as fast as I could. Very cool. All day I had nothing but great experiences to off set the pain and trouble I was in. My legs began to cramp and the blisters on my feet were now excruciating. I didn't care. I wasn't quitting. I got to mile 22 and just made the turn around cut off on the bike path. Alison was EVERYWHERE. She found me a bunch of times and kept motivating me. I knew I was going to be close. I wanted to run but now with the leg cramps and the blisters, I couldn't make the pain low enough for my mind to tolerate it. I was walking and hoping. Mike Wolfgram found me and continued to motivate me and walk along the sidewalk pushing me. At Camp Randall at 3 miles to go, I knew that I couldn't make the cutoff. Paul Huddle from Ironman, came by and asked how I was doing. I told the truth and told him badly. He said if I couldn't run, I wouldn't make it. It was over for me. I asked him if I could walk to the finish and turn in my chip and he told me that he would rather I run and make it but if that is how it was going to be then he was o.k. There was a group pacing the last finisher in front of me but there was no way I could keep up. Mike Wolfgram asked if he could walk with me and Paul told him absolutely. I was glad to have someone with me at that point. Especially Mike because he has such a great way of looking at things. Strangely, I thought I would be really emotional at that point but I wasn't. I was very proud of what I did. I was very proud of Jenny. We never quit and we gave it all we had. At the last aid station a couple kids asked if they could walk back to the Kohl Center aid station with me and I said o.k. When we got there, there was about 30 kids who had made a chute for me to go through and they were clapping and cheering. I am pretty sure they knew I wasn't going to make it and they didn't care. I felt like the whole Ironman day was always all about me. Like I was the only person out there. It was one of the best experiences of my life. All the pain and training and suffering was worth it. Even though I didn't finish by 12.
So we get about 4 blocks away and Steve Stenzel comes walking up. I told him I wasn't going to make it and he said it didn't matter to anyone and put his hand on my shoulder and gave me the Steve in a Speedo smile and I was glad to have another friend to walk with. Then Paul Huddle comes up with some other guy and tells me that Mike Reilly is holding the finish line for me, another guy in front of me, and a lady behind me and is keeping the crowd there. They will let us run down the chute and even though I will not be an offical finisher, we can cross the line. I thought that was cool and suddenly I could run the 4 blocks. I am not sure even now how I did it. When I got my chance to run down with the crowd freaking out, I felt no pain. It was very cool and Ironman and WTC did not have to do that for me. I didn't make it. Bottom line. I didn't make it. They gave me a medal, t shirt and hat too. Right now it doesn't feel right to have it and not have made it. But I went the distance. I finished. Just not before midnight. Jenny's mom and dad, my 2 boys, Chelsea, Michele and Jacob were there cheering me in. About a half hour after I came through, Jenny showed up (she didn't make it and walked the rest of the way too)-and they gave her a medal and shirt and hat too. What a class act. I was very impressed.

I had a great time. One of the greatest times of my life, and one of the most challenging. I am more mentally strong than I ever gave myself credit for.

The aftermath:
Well after coming home and verifying that I was indeed peeing blood, I decided to give it a day to see if it works itself out. Today is better and I actually don't feel like I have to go every 5 minutes and seem to have more volume. Still fire a little bit though.
The blisters I was forming are the biggest I have ever seen. The are pretty much from the middle toe all the way to the arch and a couple more on the balls of my feet. I can't really stand on them yet excpet for short periods to get to the bathroom. I shuffled around to get my pictures at the Terrace this morning and it was excruciating. My legs are sore and I can feel where every cramp I got was. Probably the worst my legs have ever felt after any training or working out. My fingers are swollen a little and my hand tries to cramp up if I do the GI JOE kung fu grip position. I'm exhausted and it is going to take a few days for my feet to get well enough to walk.

The coulda, woulda, shoulda:
Well looking back, how could I have shaved the time off. Nothing really in the swim. Not have grabbed my special needs bag, pushed a little harder on the first loop when I felt good, suffered more with the hot spots and not stopped...But at the time you do what you can just to make it through. I honestly thought I was going to be able to run at least half the marathon. The most disappointing thing for me is that I didn't run much on the marathon. If I could have hardened up and ran through the pain, I would have made it. Even if I could have just ran 8-10 miles. But I couldn't. And now it is what it is. Regrets? Hell no. Not one. You live in every moment at Ironman and do whatever you need to so that you get to the next moment.

What I learned:
Just because you can swim 2.4, bike 112 and run 26.2 does not mean that you can do them all on the same day. Mother nature is a bitch. Coldest spring and summer ever so I never got to train in the warm and my body suffered in the heat. Riding and running is not the same as training. Just putting the miles in doesn't count. It is very hard at 260 pounds for me to do an Ironman. Next year I need to be 220 or lower or I may have the same result. I need to toughen up my feet. I need my feet to be able to not blister on the run. That may have made all the difference. But who knows.

What I know:
I have the greatest group of family and friends. Some I have met and some I have not. I opened my email today and had 230 facebook messages and e mail. I can't tell you how much all that support means to me. All you people that recognized us on the course and yelled and screamed for us that was awesome. Very inspiring.
We never expected all of you to be following us so closely yesterday and we really appreciate each and every one of you. We hope to return the favor whenever we can. Thank you all.

Steve and Sarah Stenzel and Brian and Kari Holmes (and crew)-There for us all day. Saw them a bunch of times and they always seemed to be there when I needed it. Seeing a friendly face after a couple hours of being alone is awesome. I am forever grateful.

Mike Wolfgram for being there on the second half of the marathon for me. I hadn't really had anyone to talk to for a while and it helped get my mind off the pain. I may have quit at some point if not for your motivation.

Lucas and Nick are great kids. How they turned out so great with my as their dad, I'll never know. For them to be there and for Lucas and Chelsea to have made signs and shirts without my knowing was so cool. Nick drove us home and there was no way I could have driven. Neither kid cares that we didn't make the cutoff. They still love us.

Michele for taking pictures and being so supportive and bringing Jacob. That was great to see him. And for co ordinating everyone. You are awesome and when you do your Ironman, I'm there for you.

What to say about Alison? She took care of everything all day for us. Called my mom to update her and what was going on, let us know where each one of us was, and seemed to be everywhere on the course cheering. She has done 2 IMWI and finished both. She knows how hard it can be. One of the times I was hurting she told me that it's not called powder puff...It's called Ironman. She was our Saint yesterday and made the day be great. And she walked Jenny in at the end. And then hung around and made sure we were o.k. She is one unselfish person and I will forever be in debt to her for all she did yesterday. Oh and she got up and went to work today after staying up there until 1 am. Thanks will never be enough.

Jenny, who never gave up and kept smiling all day. I wouldn't have even attempted that yesterday without her. Amazing woman. I'm lucky.

I now have unfinished business there. 15 stupid minutes. I know what it feels like and I know what needs to be done. I have 364 days and counting until IMWI 10. Stay tuned.

A Thank You to my friends and family

As I sit here nervously thinking about the day tomorrow, I can't help but think back to the journey and how I got here. I know tomorrow will be hard. It's supposed to be hard. Athletic people may disagree about how tough it is, but for an every day Joe like me, it's going to be hard.

As hard as it is for an athletic age grouper to qualify for Kona is how hard finishing seems to me right now. The unknown is killing me.

I did not get here by accident. It took a distinct series of events to get me here. I did not get here alone either. A group of people helped me to realize that I can do anything I set my mind to.

To all my classmates from PHS 85/86/87 who have offered me support and have sent a kind word or message, I say thank you. What a great group of adults we have become. I am amazed at where some of you landed and how well things have worked out. It has been great re-connecting with everyone. I enjoy the laughs that some of you post as we all go through our daily lives. I look forward to more. The well wishes and blessings and advice have been priceless. I don't even want to try to name names. You guys all know who you are. Thanks for the support.

To all my Internet friends near and far, some of whom I have met and some that I look forward to meeting. I could never have prepared for this without you guys. From the Ironman training plans I stole, the many magazine and Internet articles you linked me to, to the advice on swimming when I couldn't, to the kind words when I had doubts, and the people I have had to chance to watch compete. It has been something to keep me motivated. When I first lost weight and was seeking running advice, there were 3 guys who always commented on my blog. Dan in NJ, Pat in AZ and Jeff in MD. These guys really helped me a lot in those months when I needed it. I always felt the need to keep pace with them and it really fueled my passion to be a healthier guy. Those guys would post what they ran for the day and I always wanted to keep pace, even when I didn't want to. Marc and Di in FL, and Brian and Misty and Debi and Jane in NM. Always getting it done and everything they do sounds FUN (except the doucheman triathlon..haha). Following Marc on his ride to IMCdA was awesome and seeing him high five the fans on the chute as he ran down and finished made me want this. Going and watching Marc and meeting Di in Chicago and as uncomfortable as it was meeting new people, she came over to us and made us feel like we have known her forever. Too cool. Finally meeting Misty and Brian and following them as they do about every event ever and knowing that if you ask them something, chances are good they know the answer. To everyone else I just can't say enough. Steve and Sarah, Brian and Kari, Jay and Aimee...couples who share a lot of the same values and passions that we do, thanks.

To my friends...old and new. It has been great to have the support of my friends outside the triathlon community. Friends that knew me when I really was big Mike. I never in a million years thought I would be here and I know they probably didn't either. Being able to escape for a few days a month to a world where I am not concerned with bike splits, heart rate, and running shoes helps to keep me going. Steve and Jeff are 2 guys I have known for 25 years and have been true friends. Thanks.
I have met so many new friends through triathlon that have been great. My "Madison" connection of Mike, Robert, Chris and all their families and friends. My new Janesville SWAT family, Alison and Dave who have become great friends and Alison who has held us accountable for early morning stuff and making it fun, Darin, Brian, Brenda, Kitty, Jen (who will be a Kona qualifier some day - this I am convinced of) and Mike and the other Janesville connections of Steve, Bob and everyone else. Way too many to list and I'll probably piss people off by forgetting them. My most sincere thanks for the support. I hope that when you guys did your Ironman, I was as supportive of you as you have been of me. What a great cycle. I know I am forgetting people here too. It's hard to remember everyone that helped me along the way.

My family...I love you guys dearly. I know for sure that I would still be a 400 + pound guy in the poorest of health had Jenny not decided to make our lives better forever. My kids that I have been proud of for 19 years and are growing up to become great people. I wish I would have set a better example for them early on. I hope tomorrow I can make them as proud of me as I am of them. Jenny is the best friend, wife, fellow triathlete, ever. For us to be doing this as a couple makes it super cool. I know it wouldn't have happened any other way. We always want to be doing what the other one is doing so it works out. My mom and my brother have always been supportive and I know they are proud of me. Jenny's family treat me like I am a blood relative. They'd do almost anything for me. Thanks.

So you see that from my perspective I can't fail. Ever. In anything. No matter what. Because no matter what happens in my life, I have friends and family that could care less whether or not I have an Ironman finishers medal or any medal for that matter. Even people I have never met are rooting for me. How cool is that.

So as much as tomorrow is about me..it is about you too and what you all have done to help me get here. So when I cross the finish line I hope you feel a little bit responsible for getting me there and I hope that you stand up and shout and feel as good for me as I did watching all of you.

Let's do this thing. (Insert handshake, high five, fist bump, hug, the finger point and nod, or any other goofy ass gesture here). I can't thank you guys enough.

Mike

And there you have it

So here we are. 6 days until the big show. I guess I should be nervously worrying about every possible scenario..because that is the type of personality I have. Most always I HAVE TO be prepared for everything or anything that could possibly happen. But right now, not so much. I guess I just figure that whatever is going to happen is going to happen. I have the tools necessary to get myself from the start to the finish. But I still am a bit afraid of the unknown. I don't know how it will be during the swim. I don't know how my legs are going to feel after the bike. I don't know how much it will take to get the run done after the bike. But I am going to find out.

I have a plan:

I plan to eat when I get up at 3:30. I will eat again in the car on the way to Monona Terrace (we are staying at home as we are 38 minutes from our house to Monona Terrace). A little water before the start but not too much. Maybe between 300 and 500 calories total.

Swim:
I don't have a clue. I do not want to be jostled all over so I think my plan will be to start out by the turn buoy and be towards the back. Once I get to the first turn buoy, I'm going way outside away from everyone. I don't care if it means an extra couple hundred yards of swimming total. In the grand scheme of things for me, comfortable is more important than 5 minutes. If I can find a spot amongst others where I have space and can swim closer I will. But this is a learning experience for me as well. I know that I am a slow swimmer. I swam the course a few weeks ago in 1:45 so to think I will be substantially faster is not realistic. Survive the swim. Get away from any chance to take an elbow or a foot to the face. Survive the swim, make the cutoff and get out of the water. Survive the swim. If the swim is choppy then for sure I am getting out away from everyone and being by myself. Could be a 2 hour swim if the water is rough.

T1:
Once again, no clue. I will try my best to hustle up the helix and get into T1. I will have my bag set up so that I can get my socks, bike shorts, jersey, helmet and shoes on. Chamois butter up and get going. I know that transitions can be important for pro athletes and top age groupers. For me it is about getting my heart rate to come down, getting all my clothes on straight and not forgetting anything. Calming thoughts, visualization, focus, and smiling because I just finished the Ironman Swim. I have a biking rain jacket in case it is raining. I will put it in my jersey pocket if the forecast calls for rain and it is not raining when we start the bike. I didn't pay much for it so if I gets chucked at some point than so what.

Bike:
I think rule number 1 will be to resist the urge to go out hard. I will be excited and at this point I need to settle myself into the fact that I will need to be smart to make it to the end. Small chain ring only for the first 56 miles. Spin easy up the hills, coast the downhills and keep it smooth and consistent on the flats (which there are very few spots of). No stupid moves. Keep switching from aero to upright and staying comfortable. After the first loop (56 miles into the bike) I will decide at that time how hard to go. Depending on what time it is, how I feel and where my legs and mental state are at this point. I would like to think I will be about 3 hours and 45 minutes into the bike at this point. Maybe longer but I hope not. If things are going o.k., I will begin to push harder, use the big ring when I can, stay aero all the time, pedal the downhills and really get tough mentally. Bottom line is you have to make the bike cutoff to get to the run. So no point in saving anything for the run if you think you may not make the bike. My only fear is not going hard enough the first loop. I will use my Edge 305 to be sure I am averaging 15MPH. If I am going slower I will need to pick it up. Now don't get my wrong here. I think I am a strong enough biker to make the cutoff. But anything can happen. Weather conditions can play a major role in my speed. Strong winds or rain will hurt me. My mental toughness has been a question mark for me. But at the mid way point, I should have a good idea of what's left in the tank and where I am. No lofty goal for the first half of the bike. 15-16 MPH average would be great but I will take whatever the day is giving me. Second half needs to be faster than the first half. I would like to be off the bike in 7.5 hours or less. That would be a 15MPH average. 4:30PM if I was on the bike by 9AM. I need to be on the run to have hope to make it by 12. Make the bike easy. Ride the course and don't let the course ride me. Stay mentally tough. Know that I am going to have moments of anger and doubt and overcome them. Smile and enjoy the day. I just need to get into a rhythm and let the miles fly by. Only worry about what I am in control of. Make the bike and let the run take care of itself.

Bike nutrition will be simple. Nothing but a few sips of water/nuun for the first half hour to allow my body to get into bike mode. Then 20 oz of gatorade endurance every hour, a few gulps of water/nuun every hour, a couple electrolyte tabs every couple hours, and shot blocks (probably 200 calories per hour-more if I start to feel hungry at any time). If I need something else, I will take a banana or something from the aid station. Plus I plan to have something in my special needs bag. Some salty chips or a cliff bar or something in case the shot blocks are not agreeing with me. But they have worked in training so they should work for the race. Many times on the bike this year, I don't think about eating so I don't until I feel hungry. I know this will not work for me so I need to eat them every hour no matter what. I am taking a bit of advice from XT4. If I have to get off my bike for 10 minutes and walk around with my shoes off or stretch or sit down and eat something else, I will. 10 minutes is not going to break me and if it fends off a bonk or a bad stomach then it is well worth it. If the winds are strong or it is raining, I may pack a towel and dry off and change into some dry socks at the half way point. Nothing but small sips of water for the last 40 minutes on the bike to allow the volume to go down so I am not sloshy on the run.

T2:
Not sure how I will feel at this point. I will need to motivate myself to get in and get out. Change into tri shorts and tri top (with either short sleeved or long sleeved shirt underneath). Lube up the feet, new socks, shoes, hand held water bottle with a bottle of water/nuun in it. And just go. I know this will be a tough mental point for me, especially if something has happened during the bike and I am later than 4:30. 5:30 would only give me 6.5 hours to run the marathon and while I think I could do that, it would mean a full shuffle the whole time with no walking. Mentally that would challenge me. So hopefully things work out on the bike and in T2.

Run:
While I have ran more this summer than ever before, I am still a 12 min miler. I am breaking the run up into 2 half marathons. 2 loop course so it only makes sense for me. My plan for the run is to run the first half and be somewhere between 2:45 and 3 hours. The second half plan is to run as much as I can. If I can run the whole thing, I will. Ignore the pain in my quads and feet which will be inevitable. Stay tough mentally, hope for no physical breakdowns. If I am reduced to walking (which can easily happen)-I know that I can walk the loop in 3:40 as long as I am not suffering other physical problems. Stomach, feet, cramps, etc. We walked it a few weeks ago just to see about what the time would be. Even though I know I could walk the half in 3:40, I don't want to go that route. The more I can run at my slow pace, the faster I will be done and actually sometimes walking seems to hurt more than running.

Gatorade, and water/nuun on the run. Shot blocks/fruit for nutrition as needed. I won't take the soup broth or the coke as these are untested for me and I won't chance it. I know what works. Special needs bag is going to have a small can of diet mt. dew in it. Gatorade doesn't always quench my thirst and leaves my spit really thick. The diet dew will get my mouth watering and should make that better.

Get to the end by midnight. No stupid unrealistic time goals. Really no pressure on me either.

Not becoming Ironman does not make me less of a person, does not mean the sun won't rise again, does not make my wife and kids love me any less, does not mean I lose friends, does not mean I failed, it just means that things did not go right this time. Life goes on. Ironman is not a race for me, it is a physical challenge. Can my mind and body work as one and overcome? If that happens then nothing can stop me.

Some random thoughts on Ironman

Well here we are...2 weeks away. 2 weeks away from something I have been working towards since last September. Back then it seemed like I had all the time in the world to get ready. All the time in the world to get myself physically and mentally prepared.

I sit here now and wonder where the time went. How did it come so fast? I think back to April when I started my training plan. It seems like it was only a few weeks ago. I know now that I have many of the same fears as many first time Ironman participants. Did I swim enough? Did I bike enough? Did I run enough? Why didn't I focus more and lose some more weight? How am I ever going to get to the finish line? Will I make the bike cut off? Can I swim with 2500 people? Nothing but fears and uncertainties for me now until I get through the race. Will mother nature deal us up good weather or will she make us suffer? I can only imagine how many times I will check the weather starting next Sunday.

Here is what I know.

I went from not being able to swim and fearing open water to being able to wetsuit swim in open water and be comfortable. I have swam the 2.4 mile course on Lake Monona. I am more comfortable in the water than I ever thought I could be. I enjoy swimming. I really do.

I have biked a lot this year. Probably not as many 100 mile rides as I should have. But I have done plenty between 60-80. My bike fitness is as good as it has ever been. Hills I used to fret and struggle to climb now don't seem so bad. The bike has become my friend and I still really enjoy biking most of the time. It's just fun to bike. It makes the bike part less stressful having biked the course a few times and knowing what to expect. I really hope to enjoy the bike and keep a smile on my face the whole time. Biking is fun. Biking is fun. Biking is fun. Over and over. Even when it's not fun.

I have ran more runs over 13 miles than I ever have. I probably don't have the big 20 milers that I should, but I feel good when I run and I have done several half marathons with no trouble. I know the marathon at the end of Ironman hurts. I know that it is more of a shuffle than a run. I know that I will have to walk some. I will run some of the marathon provided I make the bike cutoff. How much? Who knows?

Mentally I continue to visualize myself in each discipline. I continue to tell myself that I am ready. I continue to fight off the negative thoughts of the pain, the anguish, the frustration and the possible DNF that can come from things that are no fault of my own. I'm the conductor on this train and it ain't stoppin until we cross that finish line. I know the mind can make the body do amazing things. Things that you would have never thought possible. My mind will be in control of my body for that 17 hour stretch. I paid good money to suffer and damn it, I am going to enjoy it!!!!

I know on paper I can do it. But just because it should be, doesn't mean it will be. Am I ready for that? I'd like to hope so.

If you have read my blog, you know my story. Being able to train and start the race already makes me a winner. I am in the best endurance shape I have ever been in. I know I am not fast, I know I am still overweight, and I know that others probably wonder what the hell I am doing at this size doing triathlon. I have no answer other than I am addicted to the feeling of being in a triathlon. Knowing that I am out there competing. Hearing people cheering you on. Crossing the finish line is the most addictive thing. Knowing I did it.

When people look at me and wonder what a fat guy is doing at the start of Ironman, they need to know one thing...I'm not fat, I just have a lot of heart. So much so that it is bursting out of me. Don't ever under estimate someone's heart. Heart can get you to the finish line.

Race plan, nutrition plan, and other strategies to follow.

Thanks to everyone who has said an encouraging word, rode with me, ran with me, swam with me, helped me to believe that anything is possible, gave me advice, picked me up when I was down, and to those who have completed Ironman-thanks for the inspiration.

Marc Taylor had a blog post once where he emotionally wrote that if anyone can ever put together the money and the time to do an Ironman they should because of what it does to the human spirit and how great the experience is. That resonated for me and from the moment I read that, I knew that I wanted to be an Ironman. The training experience has been everything I thought it would be. Ups and downs and hard work.

Ironman Wisconsin here I come.

Aquathon/MOWS/Last training week

Tuesday was our last SWAT outdoor workout for the season. Rockport Pool closes Aug 23 and that leaves us with only indoor lap swim. So we swam, biked and ran and gathered for traditional pizza eat in the parking lot afterwards. Another great summer is almost gone.


Last Thursday was the final aquathon of the season. These consist of a 1000M open water swim followed by a 3.1 mile run. As we were driving to Madison to get to Warner Park Beach, I could tell by how hard the wind was blowing that there was a chance that the water was going to be rough. If you remember from a few posts ago, the last aquathon had a lot of waves as well and I was a little scared to swim but I did it. Well this time the waves were worse. They were probably about 2 foot swells and they were actually breaking sometimes. I got my wetsuit on and got in and swam around and I was thinking that this was going to suck. But I had done the last one and even though this one was worse, it was not that much worse. We are waiting on the beach and the race director says that anyone not wearing a wetsuit or is not a strong swimmer should not go in the water and that we should all be looking out for each other. Well usually I don't see much of others but I was mindful of it. And we were off. It sucked. I really didn't have a lot of trouble swimming, but I was all over the place and I couldn't see the orange buoy with all the waves. The waves were coming in as we were swimming out so it was right in your face. It seemed like it took forever to get out to the turn. Made the turn, swam the second leg, made the turn home and swam in to the beach. It was the toughest swim I have done so far. Actually had a pretty good run of about 11:40 per mile pace. Finished 1:02. Found out that our SWAT team mates Alison took first for the season in her division and Jenny took 3rd. I did not do so well. I would have scored a lot better had I not chickened out on the first one when the water was so cold.

Friday we went to Sheboygan and watched Lucas play football in a scrimmage. It was a long drive but it was entertaining. I stopped at Dunhams in Sheboygan and they had a great selection of swim goggles so I bought some to replace the old ones I have. I already own about 5 pairs of goggles but only have one brand and one style that seem to work the best. The others are just ones I bought because I wanted to try them and they sucked. But I still keep them for "emergency goggles" in my swim bag.

Saturday we got up early and went to Monona Terrace for the Madison Open Water Swim. You can choose either 1.2 mile wetsuit or non wetsuit and they have 2.4 mile wetsuit and non wetsuit swims. It is the Ironman Swim course so it is a perfect chance to swim with support. I have never swam that far. In the pool, I get too bored and usually can't stand to lap swim that many laps. In open water, I don't usually have the support where I would feel comfortable going that far. So we get there, get marked, get last years swim caps (because they ran out of the cool green ones they were giving out this year), get in the water (it is a mass water start) and get ready. We got to the front of the line to get in the water so we would have a few minutes to swim around and get used to the water. IT WAS SWEET. Almost like glass and the water temps were mid 70's. After treading water for like 5 minutes the horn blasted and we were off. Almost instantly some guy tried swimming over me. I stopped swimming and kindly removed him from my back and told him to swim elsewhere. After that I started doing a really nice kick until I got into a more open spot. Only some slight banging around for about the first 20 minutes and then I was pretty much on my own. Nothing really to say except it was long. After about 45 minutes of swimming I could tell that the water was getting a bit more choppy. Turns out the winds had picked up a bit (got really windy after we were done). Nothing to really worry about as I had just swam in the aquathon that was worse. After I turned the far corner buoy for the last time, I had about .6 miles to go I decided that I really had been swimming too long in my comfort zone (which is slow) so I picked up the pace for the last bit and got done. I felt a bit like barfing at first getting out of the water, but it passed. One hour and 46 minutes of straight swimming with no problems. I was pretty happy. My new goggles were awesome except I think I built up some sweat on the inside. They never fogged but right towards the end, I had some liquid in them and it burned my eye. I am pretty sure it was sweat from when I picked up the pace towards the end. Not sure what to think of that. We then took off and power walked the run course to get somewhat familiar with it. 13.1 miles in about 3:30 all walking. We got off track a couple times but I am sure it will be better during the race and I hopefully will not be power walking but running.

Last big week before taper. I am not sure how much tapering I will be doing. I don't have any big runs or ride set up but I still will do some riding and running so I don't forget how. Probably some boring lap swimming (in a 25 yard pool-oh joy) too. We are 3 weeks away now.

But more about that when we get closer.