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Ironman Journal: Get Ready to Rumble

Brett Hulsey  —  9/07/2008 7:39 am

Ironman is here again and this time I am ready for anything -- hot, cold, rain or just right, like last year. The seventh annual Ironman Wisconsin will be held Sunday starting at 7 a.m. at Monona Terrace.

For those of you who, like me, were inspired by the Olympics, this is a chance to watch one of the great sporting events, so come out and cheer. The Ironman is like having the Olympics right here in Madison and Dane County. Even better is that Madison is one of the best venues for both the athletes and onlookers, thanks to the friendly people and course.

Inspiring Story

Many readers of this column through the years have told me they were inspired but one actually signed up for this year's Ironman: Phil Wiseley. I have been coaching Phil and his preparation was going well until he had to undergo knee surgery in May. He was demoralized but I reminded him of my first year, when I tore my calf muscle and was on crutches two months before the race. "You just have to be ready to walk to finish before midnight," I told him, referring to the 17-hour cutoff time. I also advised him to focus on the bike and swim until he healed up. He started with a walk and is working up to running.

He followed my advice and carefully monitored his knee with his doctors. Last month he won his age group at Pleasant Prairie Olympic distance triathlon and last week he did a personal best at the Chicago triathlon. Cheer for Phil out there on Sunday!

Training Daze

This year has been a good training year for me despite a bike crash. One key was to make the training fun and social and take a couple of vacations. I did my usual long swim, bike and run each week, with some speed work and lots of races, plus two days rest a week. The aging body needs the break, and I feel a lot better after a day off. The key is to get in shape without getting injured.

The Zen of the Swim

Watching Michael Phelps, Dara Torres and other Olympic swimmers really inspired my stroke. I worked with Harbor Athletic Triathlon coach Derek Scheer to be as efficient as possible. A former UW swimmer, Derek did the Ironman swim in 56 minutes so he knows how to go fast in the water. My swim base was good through May, with 2 miles a week at the YMCA pool. In June, I switched to one-hour lake swims and shorter pool sprint workouts. This all paid off with my first sub-30 minute swim at an Olympic event in July in which I won my division.

The Bike

The riding is going well this year thanks to lots of early rides with the bike gang -- Bob Norcross, Tom Dosch, Jack Handley, and Dave Ludwig. Their idea of fun is 70 miles on Sunday with lots of hills and a few doughnuts for balance.

Crashing in July was a setback. Local towns leave gravel on their roads for weeks during the summer and the Town of Middleton left a pile 6 inches deep in front of their town hall. I knew the gravel was there, slowed down, but lost control because the pile was too deep. I went down on my left side, tearing up my forearm, shoulder, hip and leg and hitting my head. Only moderate dain bramage though.

My first stop was the town office, where they helped bandage me up and dispatched a road worker to sweep the intersection. Then I continued the bike ride but decided to stop at the new Meriter Clinic on Hwy. PD for X-rays and clean up, then limped home.

County transportation experts tell me you only need to leave the gravel on the road for a day or two rather than the weeks some towns leave theirs out there. That would minimize the hazard for cyclists and motorists. I am feeling fine now, but be careful out there and call the towns to complain if the gravel is too thick.

The 112-mile Ironman requires longer rides for preparation, so in early August, Ian Duncan and I did the two-day MS Bike Ride from Waukesha to Madison. The first day, we did 105 miles in about five hours, stayed at UW-Whitewater, then biked 115 miles on Sunday. I added a short run after each to give me a "brick" workout. This helps teach the legs to switch from the bike to the run, the hardest part of the race for me. To sign up for the MS Ride next year, go to www.wisms.org. It's a great cause, a pretty course, and a good tune-up for the IM or other long rides.

The Bombay Bike Club Sunday rides also give you a good distance ride in a pack. Those Tour de France guys go so fast partly because the pack pulls you along. But don't kid yourself -- no drafting in the Ironman. For their schedule of rides, see www.bombaybicycle.com.

The Run

In addition to swim, the run is my major challenge. My run time was 5 hours last year, 4:32 the year before when it was cold, then almost 6 hours in the hot year. I need to get it close to 4 hours to have a shot at qualifying for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii in my age group. I built a run base this year employing a radical concept: running. Actually, I raced my way into running shape doing the Lake Mendota 20K and the half marathon at the Madison Marathon in May.

My teenage son Tyler and I also did some workouts to prepare him for football this season at Madison Memorial. He had no trouble beating the old man up the hill during sprints at Garner Park, thanks to the 36-year (and 70-pound) advantage. We also did Paddle and Portage, with Tyler helping to carry the boat this year, and got second in the adult-child division. I told Tom Roshar, the winner, "We'll get you next year, Ricky Bobby!"

This year's Ironman run goal is to run 10-minute miles. That adds up to a 4-1/2 hour marathon, which would be 30 minutes faster than last year. Can I hold the pace? We shall see.

Hard Core

For the first time, this year I really focused on weights and core work in the offseason, doing 2-3 workouts per week at the gym. In addition to helping the swim, this seems to have really helped my run and prevented the back problems from long hours in the aero position on the bike.

Race Ready

In June I focused on the local triathlons, starting with Lake Mills, the Capitol View and the Badger State Games Triterium triathlons, placing in each.

In late June, I did the High Cliff Half Ironman and cut more than 15 minutes off last year's time with 3 minutes off the swim, 2 off the bike and 11 minutes off the run.
At the July "Triing for Children" race, I won the Clydesdale division. Triathlons really should be scored like gymnastics to be fair to us older, big guys. Your score = weight x age x time + style points for gear and funny hats. Once again the weighty decision is to lose weight to go faster or stay fat and happy.

Last week, I burned the candle a little too much at both ends at the Democratic Convention in Denver. I am hoping the altitude training helps counter the effects of the cold I am getting over.

Four Times as Fun

The goal of my fourth Ironman is to relax and enjoy it. My swim is feeling strong, the bike is fast, and I hope the run is steady. I'll see if I can beat 12 hours.

Higher Power

This year I am helping the American Lung Association of Wisconsin. My father died of lung cancer and the Lung Association is promoting smoking bans to reduce cancer and lung diseases like Madison, Dane County, and hopefully the state's smoking (a.k.a. cancer) bans, cleaning up outdoor pollution, and promoting cleaner fuels like biodiesel and ethanol.

To help out, please send your tax deductible contribution to American Lung Association of WI, 13100 W. Lisbon Rd., Suite 700, Brookfield, WI 53005. Tell them it's for the Ironman fundraiser.

Best Watch Spots

Unlike the Olympics, you can join in and watch for free. To watch the swim from Monona Terrace, you should get there about 6 a.m. to get a good spot to see the lake. Then take the bus to Verona, or drive to Cross Plains, Mount Horeb, or out to Old Sauk Road to watch the bike riders. Then end up dining and drinking on State Street or the Square to watch the runners and finishers.

One warning: Be sure and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and don't go out too fast. One beer at a time is recommended. Also, it's a long day so try to get a nap in.

For more information on where to watch the race or to volunteer, go to www.ironmanwisconsin.com.

Be sure and check out the Ford Ironman Village in front of Monona Terrace and the City County Building on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 am-4:30. You can get info from Ford and other major sponsors that help underwrite this expensive event.

Gatorade sponsors a swim at Law Park on Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings from 7-10 AM. You can also check out some Blue Seventy wetsuits.

Something for You and the Kids

There was a Fit Kids Fun Run Saturday at 8:30 a.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive downtown. My kids, especially daughter Lea, get a kick out of running the mile around the Square and finishing under the IM banner.

If you want to try a shorter triathlon, the Devil's Challenge at Devils Lake is Sept. 14th. This is a manageable 400-yard swim in shallow water, a 15-mile bike ride and a 3.2-mile run or walk in the park. It's real pretty up there too. Sign up at www.witriseries.com/id13.html.

If you want to climb the big mountain - Ironman Wisconsin -- next year, don't forget to sign up on the Ironman website on Monday at 9 a.m.

Good race watching and happy training!

Brett Hulsey is a member of the Dane County Board and president of Better Environmental Solutions. E-mail him at Brett@BetterEnviro.Com

Brett Hulsey  —  9/07/2008 7:39 am