Three Quick Thoughts From Madison

By bryanbig | Published: September 10, 2009

1- The Endurance Nation dinner ended up ok, even though there were some hiccups. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it.
2-Lake Monona looks less green – but still smells like a sewage plant. I’ll know more tomorrow after the OWS practice.
3- On a related note: I hope they find the dead guy in the lake before race day. Swimming into/over a corpse wouldn’t be a great way to start the race for anyone. It sounds like they think he drowned on the course somewhere as well.

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Looking Back At The Ironman Journey – T minus 4 to go!

By bryanbig | Published: September 8, 2009

I am pretty much logistically prepared for my trip to Madison for the 2009 Ironman. In an attempt to make sure I keep perspective, I had my wonderful trainer Kate do a last Fitness Assessment on me before the race. I hadn’t done one in almost a year. The last time I had measurements done was immediately before I started the Endurance Nation Outseason Plan (11/26/08).

I’ve done a lot of work, and it’s shown up in the data. Here’s some stats from when I started working out with Kate (11/9/07), pre-OS plan, and today:

Weight (lbs)    251    230.5      208

Chest (in)         46.5      44.5      43

Waist at
Belly Button   42.5    38     36.5

Thigh (in):        25      25      22.5

Body Fat %     26%    18.8%    15%

Now, there’s no doubt I NEVER should have gotten up to 251 lbs in the first place.  I’m maybe pushing 6′2″ on a good day.   However, I did get there over the course of a decade, so to be able to get within striking distance of a ‘1′ handle on my weight within a year of hard work is pretty good in my book.

So anyway, Ive been pretty hard on myself the last 3 weeks as this cold has dragged on and I’ve had to make the uncomfortable decision of dropping workouts to make sure I didn’t over-exert myself and extend the virus’ reign.  Even though I know the last two weeks have no fitness build in them, I was doubting the amount of work I’ve done up to this point.   Today’s results reminded me that 1)I’ve done a ton of work 2)it’s paid off in many ways including my appearance and fitness and 3) I belong just as much as anyone else at the starting line on Sunday.

Hope to see you there.  Giddee up!  Track me from the page above – or if that’s not working use the spreadsheet Endurance Nation will have linked on their front page.

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Ironman Goals

By bryanbig | Published: September 6, 2009

“What are your goals?”  I get that question alot, and usually I turn it into another question.

“What do you mean my goals?”

“For the race.  How fast do you expect to go?”

This is the rub.  I honestly have no idea how fast I am going to go.  Its my first race in more than 15 years above a sprint triathlon.  Sure, I know how fast I can swim 2.4 miles on average.  I also know how fast I could do a 112mile bike ride on a good day.   I have a ball-park idea how fast I could complete a marathon if it’s not hot out.  So one could add up those times and come to a “goal”.

But that would be stupid. That’s not to say I haven’t done that exercise in my head many times, especially as I was hitting the peak of training.  I was trying to figure out if I’d be in by the time the Packers/Bears game starts.  Would I make it by sundown? Where would I be versus other people’s first times?

I’ve hit my moment of zen now.  Having this cold has helped strip away alot of the ego-driven need for a time goal.  I don’t know how strong I’m going to feel on race day after being sick for 15 days running.  I might feel awesome – I might feel like I’ve been sick for 15 days.  Who knows.  What I do know is there are a few things I can control:

  1. I can bike at such a power level that I am set up to have the best run possible for me on that day.  Assuming I’m feeling decent by race day, I’m going to take the first 25 miles at 190ish watts, and kick it up to 200 for the remainder.  My guess is my pre-cold goals are a good 10 watts higher, but I want to give myself a margin of safety.   If I feel good at mile 90, great! I’ll bank that energy for the run.
  2. I’m not going to let my race ego make me blow my day by spiking up the watts to keep up with Mr. buck-thirty-five mashing up the hills on the first loop.  I’ll either pass him when he tires, catch him by the end of the run, or he has better fitness than me.  It’ll be revealed as I run my own race.
  3. I’m going to use walking through the aid stations as a tool to make sure I run the rest of the time.   I’m not going to be fast, but I’ll be running.  And my conservative bike strategy will make sure of that.
  4. Ideally, I get stupid in the last 6 miles to the point that I don’t think I left anything out on the course :) .  Seriously, I’m shooting for a good final 6 miles – if I can keep p the pace there, I’ll know I executed well.

So when people ask me my time goals, I now say “I’m just looking to finish the race running rather than walking.”  And I actually mean it now.

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I need a mental reset

By bryanbig | Published: August 23, 2009

This wasn’t the kind of week I had hoped for this far out from race day.

The first race rehearsal last Saturday didn’t go well. The good news is that most first race rehearsals go poorly. I had stacked the odds by never having ridden the route before, and that hurt. Within 2 miles I had to take a detour, ended up getting lost and then going the wrong direction. I fell so far behind I was afraid I was going to be late for the Brewers game that evening so I cut some distance off by skipping a loop. I only got in 90 some miles.
The train wreck began when I attempted the run. For some reason I only took one little water bottle with me for a six mile run in 92 degree heat. That was dumb. I ended up losing a ton (8lbs) of weight, and having the shivers from dehyrdation after the run. Lesson learned for next time – run nutrition is just as important as bike. It’ll be easier on race day with food/water every mile of the run, but still would like to nail the next rehearsal so my hyperactive mind doesn’t latch onto that worry.

This Saturday was a great weather day. I ended up doing the Madison Open Water Swim. I competed in the 2.4mile wetsit division. I was very disappointed in my sighting. If I wasn’t sick right now, I’d draw a nice diagram of how I participated (maybe later I’ll stick it in here). I’ve been a legit 1:10-1:17 swimmer over this distance in Pewaukee Lake, so my 1:23 was disappointing. Part of it was my oncoming cold (that’s foreshadowing….)

I quick scurried out to my old pad on Hidden Cave Road, parked the car and got on the bike. I never seemed to get in the groove. I had also forgotten my power meter so I didn’t have that to guide me, just my Garmin. Anyway, I was sweating bullets even though it never got much above 70. I covered the 50 miles in 3 hours which is slow for me. At that point I just called it a day. My throat was sore and I just had no omph, and with Sean being sick I had a feeling I was coming down with his cold. I spent some time with Barb and Kevin our Madison neighbors (thanks for the chips and drinks), and then went home.

Fast forward to Sunday – full blown head cold. Great, last bike bike workout and I can barely breathe. I agonized over weather I should just suck it up and do the workout or not risk making this thing stick around for longer and take it easy. By 1pm, the decision had been made for me – I felt so tired I had to lay down. I woke up at 5, still feeling like crap.

The logical part of me knows Saturday’s bike wasn’t my healthy effort and I’ll be better on race day, but the worry part of my brain is now freaking out non-stop that I’ll have trouble pulling 7 hours on the bike, that I missed an important bike workout, etc. I think I might just try to get a 2 1/2 hour ride in tomorrow if I’m feeling better just to shut my brain up, and then start preparing for the last race rehearsal week. I might even head up to the course to do it – just to try to benchmark how long two loops should take on with all the aero gear loaded up and ready to go.

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First Race Rehearsal Is Here

By bryanbig | Published: August 14, 2009

As part of the EN training-to-execute strategy, I am doing my first race rehersal this weekend. It’s not ideal because of the upcoming mini-vacation to Chicago, and the kids are doing a bicycle race in Fond Du Lac early on Saturday. So, I need to improvise. I’m looking at 100miles on the bike followed by a slow 6 mile run afterwards.
Here’s my route:

The idea is to ride steady watts and get used to lower-power riding. We do a lot of work at Endurance Nation, so this is supposed to feel easy. I’ll let you know how that goes. I really don’t know how long this will take either but since I have to go to a Brewers game that evening with friends/families from out of town I’d rather undershoot this one.
I’ll have some picks of the race later, and hopefully some good power files from the rehersal as well. My concern is the weather (hot and a headwind from the south most of the day), and the early rise in elevation from mile 7 to 14. Need to keep the watt burnage down or it’ll be a loooong day.

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Helmets are s-e-x-y!

By bryanbig | Published: August 4, 2009

I hope you didn’t just eat before viewing this.

Only way this aero helmet gets cooler is if I had one white compression socks

Anyway, it’s the last deseperate shot at buying some speed for the Ironman. I think it really works too – I took it out on a 2+ hour ride this afternoon on onee of my standby bike courses. I ended up being about 1mph faster for the same power production.
And hell, I actually like the look. I think my son Anthony is the only human that thinks it”s cool. I’ll take it though.

(and this was taken after hurricane Sean had woke up and worked his 20 month old magic on the house. So there!)

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Six Weeks Away!

By bryanbig | Published: August 2, 2009

Today marks six weeks until Ironman Wisconsin 2009.  It’s quite a thrilling and scary thought at the same time.  On one hand, I think I’m ready for it – and I know mentally I sure want it to happen soon.  I feel like I’ve been hanging on by a thread trying to balance work, family and the time to train.  I’m not sure I could do that much more than a month or so.

On the other hand, while I think I can race an Ironman, I’m still not sure I will execute as well as I should.  I tell myself that the race rehearsals I have coming up will give me experience, but you never know until the day comes.  I think the great training program and helpful support from Endurance Nation have really set me up well, but as my track coach used to say “the proof is in the pudding”.

Today I was supposed to bike 4:30.  I ended up doing only 3:00 as I blew a tire on the way back through Belgium, WI.  My car was in Shorewood, so I was happy to have a spare tube.  I was unhappy to find out:

  1. I suck at fast tire changes
  2. Still haven’t mastered getting the wheel out of the chain (horizontal cutouts)
  3. My combo pump/CO2 thing was cheap – it physically blew apart into 2 pieces when I cracked the cartridge.  I have pictures of the mess I’ll post sometime.
  4. My spare tube had a slow leak, or my pump couldn’t get enough pressure into the tire.  Either way I was screwed.

Luck for me I have a loving wife who loaded the family into the van to pick me up.  I had a nice burger and beers from Curly’s; if you are ever riding the bike trail and need to stop for something to eat I highly recommend it.  Nice people, good food and cheap.

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