Ironman Wiscsonsin - How it does down.

I wanted to put together some ligh hearted thoughts on your upcoming sufferfest, I mean, race from a coach, two time finisher, and volunteer at Imoo. The race segment will come next week. Hopefully this keeps you from going crazy....

Welcome to the Ironman Taper. For some of you, this first week couldn't have come soon enough. Your training plan may have been a few weeks too long, for others, you've had your first oh shit moment. Its Taper already! I need two more weeks! No, you don't. You're ready. No sense in worry about the long ride in July that was rained out. No reason to fret over the last open water swim wear your wetsuit just didn't feel right. Welcome to the training period where you have too much time on your hands. Welcome to the period of training that is so easy to enjoy, we screw it up. Now is not the time to slip in the extra hour run, show up for the double masters session. Calm down. You're not going to miracle yourself some fitness now. Just follow the plan and eat less. You're no longer training at 15hrs a week, no need to eat like it. Its very easy to show up a few pounds heavier with the volume of your training plan dwindling. Instead of eating two sleeves of oreo's lets knock down to one sleeve at dinner.


You're probably hitting F5 at ironmanwisconsin.com several times a day. Hoping and hoping they post the Ironman Participant guide. Why haven't they posted it! No worries, the moment the pdf hits the interwebs, it will spread like wildfire. You'll probably find out its be posted from your third cousin's facebook posting. Download it, read it. No you don't have to go to the athlete's dinner, but I recommend it. Guess what, Ironman, Just got real. Hurry along now, confirm your hotel reservations for the third time this week.


Below is how your experience will likely go. When you start to amp up, relax, its just a race. On either Thursday or Friday, you're going to roll into Madison. Something is different from the moment you pull onto the beltline. Welcome Ironman Wisconsin. Driving towards the Monona terrace, off to your right you spot them for the firm time, the four giant orange buoys, and finally the ski jump. Ironman Just real. Your heart will beat a little faster. Its normal. Your eyes may well up for the first time. You're ready for this.


Checking in to your hotel, you'll see it all. The Baggage carts packed to the gills, looking more like an Triathlon Expo than a baggage cart. A trainer? Really? Yup, you'll see it. Every looks fit. What language is that guy speaking? Its German. Not sure why, but the Germans love Ironman Wisconsin. They look even fitter and they are. At the check in counter, you fork over your credit card to secure the room, not breathing, while they look you up in their ancient DOS based reservations system. You finally exile, when they repeat your name back to you. Sigh……Fifth floor, all the way to the right, here are you keys, good luck. You don't hear a single word of it. You just follow the cattle call to the elevators. Compression socks and Rock tape everywhere. More golden bronze shaved legs than hairy ones. Half the women, look like then can kick your ass. They probably will. Ironman Just Got Real.


Off to the expo for registration. Don't forget your USAT card. Back up to the hotel room for you. You'll fill out some forms, and probably check the wrong box a few times. What Hotel Are you staying in? Best Western, you reply. Which one. The one over here? Best Western on the Square, will be the reply from the woman in the wheelchair. She is super nice and volunteers every year. You'll see her on the run too. She is full of mojo. Why are you weighing me? We need to know how much IV to give you in Medical? Huh, thanks? Off you go to get your $600 nylon draw string backpack and plastic bags for transition. Ironman Just got real.


Up you go to the Ironman Store. Look but don't touch. No reason to upset the Ironman gods buy wearing the mDot just yet. You'll be eyeing up everyone and they are eyeing you up, rocking your BIGGEST BADDEST RACE T-SHIRT you can find it’s a stare down. That guy' is wearing Kona stuff! You'll feel weird not wearing compression socks and fit right in if you're rocking them. Back to the hotel. You've got 48hrs to kill. Yes, you'll make sure your bike works with a quick spin on the lake front path, just like everyone else. No, don't ride aero. Everyone in Madison knows your doing Ironman. Lets not do something stupid and steer yourself right into Lake Monona. Run through the gears and rack your bike. Ironman Just got real.


Drive the course, one more time. Are those people really riding a loop? Nope, that's us volunteers having fun on the course while you debate whether you have enough gears for Midtown Rd. Don't piss us off, we're helping you on Sunday. No need for a buzz on Rt 92. Just a friendly tap of the horn and a wave. We recognize the deer in head lights look. Those are the future Ironman that are seeing the course for the first time. They didn't bring enough gears. Try and get to bed early, you might sleep a few hours if you're one of the luckily ones. Did I put shoes in my run bag? Out of bed, just to double check your Ironman sneaks aren't in the hotel room.

Race day is finally here……more to come.