SimplyStu interviews the awesome Hillary Biscay.  This girls rocks.  How about this...towards the end of the interview she talks about doing Kona, a 50 miler and a marathon. Anyone care to top that?

SimplyStu interviews the 2007 Ironman World Champion, Chris 'Macca' McCormack.

Hints?

Person #1

Many people have said I get a bit too excited about who I’m interviewing. I believe that is true but I finally found someone who is just as passionate, just as in love with this sport as I am. While this person is just wickedly fast, wickedly smart, and wickedly talented, after talking to him / her (don’t want to give it away just yet), I’m more of a fan, if that is even possible. Stay tuned for the first in a series of interviews that will blow your mind. I promise you will not be disappointed. I even bet my BMC bike on it!

Any guesses who this interview might be with? Anyone????? Oh yeah, that was just the 1st of 3 I'm interviewing. Can you guess the other 2??????

Welcome to Season 3 of SimplyStu.  This show is a 2007 season recap as well as an Ironman Wisconsin recap.  After this show wait until you see who is coming next!  Stay tuned!  You won't want to miss this.

After a month of rest and relaxation, some needed quality time with my family, a temporary move, the final move, 600 rolls of sod, invisible fence training, unpacking, and just plain chaos… SimplyStu will be back November 1^st with season #3!  Time to get back to some training!  Hope to see you soon with new postings,  and of course all new shows. And yes, an Ironman Wisconsin recap will be part of the mix. Can't wait to see and talk to you all again!  -Stu 

The day started like most other race days.  I try to get in some calories with the nerves running high.  I make sure everything is packed and I check my list that I put by my car keys.  The list was short for Ironman as most of my gear was checked the day before.  I grabbed my water, food and phone. 

 

I was out the door at 4:15am to pick up a future Kona winner - Tyler Stewert.  She flew in from San Francisco to be with our team in Madison for the week with Scott from BMC.  She is so amazing.  You need to check out the results from the Lake Placid Ironman to see what Tyler can do.  WOW.  Anyway, with Tyler in the car, I made my way to pick up Michelle.  She seemed as nervous as me, so it was great to have all the nerves all in one van.  We chatted on the way to the race, until we saw the Monona Terrace. I turned to Tyler and Michelle and said "this is why this race is so great."  It was still dark, but the terrace was lit up.  I have not seen all the Ironman sites, but this has to be one of the top.

After getting a choice parking spot, I walked with Michelle and Tyler to put my special needs bags in place.  I also checked my bike, pumped up the tires, and got body marked.  I looked over my transition bags one more time and was ready to go. A few times I looked at Tyler and thought - how weird is this?  I'm walking to the Ironman with the person that could beat all these women here today.  That really helped me calm down.  Again, I want to thank Tyler for being a true rock start.  She IS the future of the sport and for darn good reason.  Don't forget her name as she is what the sport is all about.  She has the balance.  

After checking everything over, I sat on the floor and pulled out my iPod.  My daughter put 4 songs of her choice and made a recording in GarageBand for me.  The first song that played was the song Guardian Angel.  The next song was from High School Musical.  After those two songs her voice came on.  What she said next was awesome.  Let's just say that it was one of the days and maybe life highlights!   Thank you Abby!  

After listening to her message I was ready to go.  I had done the training.  It was not a question of if I would finish, it was a question of how fast.

The SWIM:

I would use the same strategy as 03' and 05'  I would start as far to the inside as possible.  I was one of the last 4 people on the inside.  PERFECT!  The cannon went off.  The 2007 Ironman was underway.  The water was PERFECT!  I was all alone.  I swam alone, untouched for the 1st several minutes.  I was swimming as slow as I could for the most part.  Nice and easy.  Smooth.  I thought that coach Mike would be proud.  I had done the pool and lake time.  The goal this year was between 1:03 and 1:07.  I thought my time would be about the same as in the past, but I would use much less energy as I was in better swim shape this year.  Everything was perfect until about 10 min into the swim.  I had the biggest headache.  What is going on???  My swim cap was on funny and my goggles were cutting into my eyes.  I had such a long way to go that I did not want this to go on, so I pulled my goggles down.  The headache went away.  After about 2 min I thought I would try and put them back on.  I did so and the headache came back again.  I made the race time decision to swim the last 50 minutes without goggles.  I'm not a fan of this, but it was better than a headache.  I just said to myself that during the day things might go wrong, so just keep going and enjoy the day.  I did just that and swam a very easy 1:05:33.  I had done a 1:03 in both my previous races, but felt 100% better in this one.  

T1:

All week I was contemplating running or walking up the helix.  Coach Mike said I should walk it.  I did NOT want to, but I was putting my complete faith in him.  The reason was to keep the heart rate low.  It worked and I had a great time walking the helix.  I slapped about 100 hands, and just enjoyed the day.  After looking at my T1 time of 12:57, I may have had too much fun.

The BIKE:

I jumped on my BMC and was happy as can be.  I have to say that the BMC and the ZIPP wheels, crank and bars really make a huge difference for me.  I will say it again that I do think they help age groupers like me as much as it might help a pro. Compared to my old Cervelo, I was so much faster.  NO question about it.    Everything was on.  The bike was tuned to perfection.  This was going to be a great day.

My goal on the first 16 miles was just to ease into the ride.  I was going to go out about 130-140 watts and keep the hills under 211.  I got a bit excited on the first hill and hit 240, but got into a perfect groove and stayed with my plan that Coach Mike and I talked about.  I was prepared to have people fly past me on the first 16 miles.  I lost count after about 300.  I know that sounds like a lot, but these people had to be pushing 350-400 watts on the first few hills.  I kept telling myself that I would see them again walking on the run, or maybe sooner.  Ha!

After I got to the 40 mile loop I was going to take the rest of the day about 140-160 watts while always keeping the hills under 211.  I never looked at speed.  I never felt the wind, I just love racing with power.  It makes the day so much easier, and much more fun.  The BMC, Zipp, and PowerTap combo may be the best Ironman investment ever.  I actually looked forward to the hills.  I couldn't wait to see people push 400 watts and get out of the saddle.  I just started to say to myself "I will see you on the run."  I think I even laughed out loud a few times.

I was coming into Verona and had to fill my bottles.  In the past I used salt tablets and drank Gatorade - that did not work for me.  This year (and in all training) I finally found something that works for me 100% of the time.  NUUN and CarboPro.  Nuun gave me something so important.  It gave me the ability to do an Ironman and finish in good health.  This stuff is the best for me.  I was able to drink my way around the 112 miles and feel almost 100%.  NUUN is the best as after about 4 or 5 hours it was impossible for me to swallow salt tabs.  I want to send out a huge shout out to Julie and all the other cool people at NUUN for the ultimate Ironman product for me. 

In Verona I stopped and was filling my bottles with NUUN and Carbopro.  I was literally standing and I heard the sound you hate to hear.  BLAST!  Oh no.  A flat.  NO.  Please NO.  Just for kicks I had looked at my time.  I was averaging 16.7 mph.  I had NEVER done that on this route on a 112 mile day.  I was rested, trained well and now a flat.  I took my time changing the tire.  I thought it is better to take the time to change it right.  I was in the middle of a very busy transition area so I had plenty of company while I changed the tire.  I even got a huge applause after the change.  I started to ride when I noticed that I forgot my tubes.  I thought about it for a few minutes and decided to turn around to get them.  When I arrived back at the location they were gone.  They had tossed them in the trash so I had to get them back.  I put them in my back pocket and was finally on my way again after a 15 min delay.  

For the next 20 miles I just was hoping I didn't flat again.  Just like the problem with the goggles, I told myself things like this happen and to just focus.  I got back into a rhythm and focused on my beloved PowerTap.  I just stayed in my watt range and found myself at a point where I was passing people.  It had happened.  I was staying steady and starting to repass those crazy 400 watt people.  I'm not sure that I got passed again on the bike.  I was feeling great and thought I might even break 7 hours on the bike with the flat.  My goal was a nice and conservative 6:59.  I know that may seem slow, but to run anything close to a 4 hour marathon, I needed to stay on track.  I just watched my trusty PowerTap and knew that if I did what I did in training, I would have no problems on the run.  I finished the bike in 7:02:20.

T2:

I was so ready to run.  I felt great and had 26.2 miles left in my legs.  I was doing what Coach Mike and I worked on all year.  I had a plan.  I was on target, and I had one more thing to do.  Run a marathon.

The RUN:

I had done this so many times in training, but not this long.  My marathon plan had so many parts that I just took them one at a time. The first goal was to get my heart rate under 134.  I was so exited and felt so good that I had to really focus.  I did what was on my plan and I stayed about 134 for the first 3 miles.  After that  I was going to run in zone 1 and 2 (133-143).  I felt so good that I ran past the first 2 stops.  I wanted to get my stomach feeling good.  My goal was to have one bottle of NUUN and Carbopro and switch to on course fuel the rest of the day.  PERFECT.  I drank my bottle of NUUN and felt great.  I was now starting to look for the 3 people ahead of me from the team.  I never saw Kona-Chris but did see Brett and Michelle.  I looked at my watch and they had to be 30+ min in front of me.  I really thought I could catch them.  I ran from station to station and drank and ate everything I could.  I felt like a pig at times, but kept eating and keeping my stomach in check.  I never really thought about my time much.  I monitored my HR the first 7 or 8 miles and after that I was in such a rhythm that I didn't look much after that.  I have run many marathons before (without swimming 2.4 and biking 112) so I knew the "wall" was coming soon.  Mile 15.  Nothing.  Mile 16. Nothing.  Hmmmm.  My mantra for the day was something Coach Mike told us.  "Your goal is to be running at mile 18."  That was in my mind all week.  So there I was at mile 17.  Running.  No wall.  Hmmmmm.  Mile 18 came and went.  I was still running.  I was running from station to station.  I walked while I ate and drank, but started running again right away. Mile 19.  Where is the wall?  I finally decided at mile 20 that I had trained well and I was not going to hit the wall.  The NUUN gave me the nutrition I needed all day.  That was the difference for my nutrition.  I'm sure that I did a negative split on the swim.  I did a negative split on the bike, and I was on track to negative split the run.  

I hit mile 21 and started to look at a possible time.  I have had such horrible Ironman experiences in the past.  In 2003, I swam a 1:03.  This year I did a 1:05, but felt perfect.  On the bike in 03' I did an 8:35 and in 05' my day ended with me under a tree only 95 miles into the bike.  I was so far ahead of my 03 and 05 pace that I was set for a FOUR HOUR PR!  I laugh now in how that is even possible.  

After mile 22 I started to think about my wife.  She has been with me on 3 Ironman's and 16 years of marriage.  For the family it is much more than that day of the race.  It is almost 1 year of solid training.  1 year of support.  But in the end when I saw Kris look at me when I came out of the swim with a hint of pride for her husband, I was set.  I was not going to let her down.  It is NOT easy for anyone to support a spouse, so I have never been so excited to see her smile.  

At mile 23 I started to think about running across the line with my children.  Austin needs his dad back.  He wants me to play more golf with him and that is just what I intend to do!  He doesn't say much, but I had to do well for him.  I could not let him down.  I wanted to look strong for him.  I ran the entire marathon just to make sure that I always looked strong for him.

About mile 25 I thought about Abby.  I really wanted to catch her at the finish.  Would this be the day?

I ran to the finish line and stopped about 100 yards from the line. I did not see my kids.  NOT AGAIN.  I walked and slapped hands with everyone.  I kept walked and did not see them.  NO.  Please NO!  I walked a bit more and still did not see them.  I was so sad.  NOT AGAIN.  How did I miss them? I started to walk toward the finish line when I heard someone yell "Hey Stu - Over here!"

YEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAA.  I saw Abby.  She ran out and I picked her up and gave her a huge hug.  FINALLY!  FINALLY!  I looked for Austin, but I did not see him.  I just stood in the middle of the lane.  I didn't even care about moving forward.  I just held Abby and gave her a big kiss.  She jumped down, held my hand and stared to run. We ran hand in hand over the finish line.  What a way to finish.  I'm sorry that I did not have my son, but Abby did make my day.  She had a huge smile.  I didn't even look at the time.  Didn't really matter!  What matters is that I had my team, my friends and my family with me all day.  They are what matter most to me.  They are what make this day so special.

I ran the marathon in 4:20. 

Thanks to my wife, children and friends.  When all is said and done, when the Ironman is done, the things that matter most are right by my side. 

It was a good day!!! I will post the details soon.

(Track race day with Stu here!) We have a team going to the race that will be taking pictures, reporting and just having fun. Check it out now, during the week for updates and on race day!

What does that [M]"Dot" mean?

It was my day off. Nothing to do. Just relax, eat and think about the upcoming holiday weekend. I decided to walk to State Street. For those that are coming to Madison, I'm sure State Steet will become your favorite spot. I'm so excited about Ironman that I decided to walk to the run turnaround. As I walked closer to the spot, I saw 2 kids run to the middle of the street and jump on the "dot." The one little girl looked at her dad and said "Hey dad, what's the dot for?" I'm not sure what the dad said, but all during my lunch I asked myself that same question.

"What does the dot stand for?"

1) It's a journey for sure. No question about it.

2) It's about spending time with family, friends, and all those people I have not yet met during the week.

3) It's about the cannon that starts the day.

4) It's about the necklaces that my kids bought at the 2005 Ironman. I didn't finish. They gave them to me. I plan to give them back at the finish of 2007.

5) It's about Cancer. Yep. I would NEVER have started triathlons if my daughter didn't get sick.

6) It's about friends. Close friends.

7) It's about State Street.

8) It's about training alone.

9) It's about training in a group.

10) It's about training with a newbie.

11) It's about road rash.

12) It's about eating dirt (or being willing to do so).

13) It's about the crowds.

14) It's about the feelings you get at mile 20.

15) It's about the guts you have at mile 21.

16) It's about telling people you've done an Ironman. 18) It's about eating well.

19) It's about the fantasy of eating a BigMac the week after the race.

20) It's about a Coach that believes in you more than you do at the start of the season.

21) It's about a Coach that holds you up on "One of those days".

22) It's about the people that think what you are doing is just crazy.

23) It's about the thought of seeing your family scream on race day.

24) It's about doing this list again, and coming up with 24 completely different entries (#25 never changes).

25) It's about seeing your children and wife at the finish line. This one doesn't change!

If someone you loves runs and jumps on that dot..... what will you say?

Several children sat to play a game. They took turns playing the game, moving the pieces around the board. They played and played until there was finally a winner. The child that won stood up and yelled, "I won, what do I get?" A young boy that was also playing the game smiled and said "You win joy."

On the surface the children didn't catch what was going on. They didn't know what just happened. The teacher in the room did. The boys mother had cancer and was almost certain to die.

I bring up this story not to preach or teach. I bring up this story as September 9th, 2007 is important for so many reasons. I have had a hard time bringing this up, but maybe, just maybe I should?

It has been 10 years since my daughter completed treatment at the University of Wisconsin Hospital. It is the very same hospital that we will run past on the Ironman route. I will be able to see that hospital so many times. I will first see it about mile 5 and will last see the hospital about mile 21. I run past it in training almost daily. On Ironman day, I'm sure it will be different. If all goes well, I will see Abby at the finish line. I will see her for the FIRST time at the finish line. She has been to races with me in San Diego where I had it all planned out. I had it set. I was to run up to her, grab her out of the crowd and run to the finish line. That never happened. Might this year be different? I'm not sure.

Either way, the last few miles of any race are emotional. For me, time is not all the important. I can honestly sit here today and say that I have given all I have to my team. I have given all I have to my Coach. My family is far different. Yes, I have given all I have, but they have given far more to me. Once Ironman is over, it's time for me to repay them. I have given 500+ hours to training that I could have spent with them. I have given almost the same amount of time just thinking about the race.

When the cannon goes off on Sunday, I will focus on the swim. I will get on my bike and work hard keeping consistent power, eating, and drinking to stay in the race. Once I get on the run I will start to dream about the finish line. At times I don't want this journey to end. At other times, I can hardly wait. Come Sunday about mile 23 I will focus on family. I will smile and dream about that finish line. Will I get to carry Abby and Austin across that line? Only time will tell. All I can tell you is the UW Hospital will be the cornerstone of that day. Our family lived in that hospital 8 months. After 10 years, its time for me to finally let it go and celebrate. Its time for me to take a cue from that boy playing the game. What did I win? Joy. The joy of seeing Abby at the finish line 10 years later.

To make it easier, we have all decided to have 3 meet up times. They will all take place at the same place. So PLEASE come and check it out so we can meet and chat!

Times:

Friday 11am

Friday 4pm

Saturday 11am

Location:

Corner of Wilson St and MLK Blvd. See map!

This is going to be short. No long story. No long detail. This is just a very sincere thank you to all those that have supported me during this journey. My son. My wife. My daughter. My friends. My Team. So many I don't even know. Everyone that had a hand in this journey. I Thank You. I will have a better "thank you" after the Ironman. For now, I just wanted you all to know that I really do appreciate all the help and support you have giving me. I plan to give it my all. There may never be another Ironman for me. Life is so short and I plan to take in every ounce of this race. I have chills thinking about it. I will run this race. I will enjoy my health. I will enjoy life. I will do whatever it takes this year. I will do all that, but I will never take anything for granted!

I loved to play golf with my dad. It was a treat. It was a gift. I would get so excited when I actually got to play with him. He was so majestic. We were in Florida at the time, and I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was 13 or 14 at the time. The day just didn't go well. I remember hitting the ball like I had NEVER played before. I turned into a snotty kid. I did it all wrong. I think I even tossed my clubs. My dad, as I have written about many times, never said a word. He just watched. It got worse and I was just being a snot. I didn't even like myself. I remember that I shot 44. I was SOOOOOO mad. It was an easy course, and a 44 was just not good. I was soooooo mad.

After the first nine my dad let me have it. In the calmest of all voices he talked about life, about enjoying the game. It was as if he was saying - "Hey, you better enjoy each and every day you can play. You have talent. You have so much that others dream they had." He told me about a day, his worst day, when the same thing happened with his dad.

I stood on the 10th tee and was so sad that I let my dad down. Why did I do that! I can remember looking at my dad on the tee. He just looked at me, smiled, and i knew what I had to do. I had the best nine holes of golf I ever played. I shot 33. Front nine 44, back nine 33 for a 77. Yeah the 33 was cool, but when I walked off the 18th green, I can remember my dad walking over to me. He gave me a big hug, smiled, and said "Don't ever forget that. On your worst day, you have the power to bring it back."

I was thinking about this story when a friend of mine called me last night. I trained with him almost every day for the 2003 and 2005 Ironman. He has since had back problems that has made riding a bike almost impossible. When he called, he wanted to make it clear to me that this is a gift. He would give anything to be in my shoes. I think most people that do Ironman start to get emotional during these last 30 days. Some days I want the training to be over. I want to return to a normal life. Other days, I get so sad because I don't want it to end. The one thing that IS and always will be consistent is this - I will never take Ironman for granted.

The Ironman Wisconsin videos are now available in "Windows" format.  Many people have asked if I would convert them to a more friendly format so here you go.  Just click on the video you want to see:

Swim

Bike

Run

45 days out I had a plan to take my bike in for a tune-up. Yep. Check it all out. Cables, breaks, wheels, spokes, cranks, and hubs. After all was said and done, the mechanic worked on my bike about 4 hours. He changed out a bunch of cable, adjusted just about everything, put on a new chain, and made it sparkle. I love these bike store guys that know bikes inside and out. He told me of many potential problems (none of which are major), and made the necessary adjustments.

I took the bike home, took it for a ride, and it just feels perfect now. I wanted to do this so I had time if anything major needed to be done.

Next up? New rubber. I will do that about 2 weeks out so I have plenty of time to wear them in.

Now comes the nutrition fine tuning. I have two 100+ rides left and several 2-4 hour rides. EACH ride and EACH run NO MATTER how short I practice nutrition just like it will be on race day. I have to do this as the tag line said in an E-Mail from a friend of mine - "Ironman is just an eating contest!"

Here is what I did this last weekend. FELT GREAT after the ride! A far cry from the weekend before where I had maybe 5 bottles. Argggggg....

7 hours of riding with 13 Bottles of water each containing 1.5 tablets of NUUN and 1.5 scoops of Carbo Pro. With that in mind I got the following per hour:

NUUN:

Sodium (carbonates) 360.0 * 1.5 = 540 per bottle or 1080 per hour

Potassium (bicarbonate) 100.0 * 1.5 = 150 per bottle or 300 per hour

Calcium (carbonate) 12.5 * 1.5 = 18.75 per bottle or 37.5 per hour

Magnesium (sulfate 25.0 * 1.5 = 37.5 per bottle or 75 per hour

Vitamin C 37.5 * 1.5 = 56.25 per bottle or 112.5 per hour

Vitamin B2 500mcg *1.5 = 750 per bottle or 1500 per hour

Carbo Pro

Carbohydrates 28.35 g * 1.5 = 42.525 per bottle or 85.05 per hour

Calories 112 * 1.5 = 168 per bottle or 336 per hour

I also had 2 bananas and a few pretzels as well. What is your plan?

My wife says I have too many pairs of shoes? Huh? What?

I sat in a hospital in 2003 with my father exactly four years ago to the day. He asked me a very simple question - "How is your Ironman Training going?"

That was the last question my father ever spoke to me. Ever. There were no other questions.

Ironman Wisconsin has always been special to me. It's in my home town so I guess it just seems right. This last weekend, Ironwil put on a great event called WIBA. At first she said there may be 30 people. That changed to 40, 50, 60.... The first night at dinner I stopped counting at 70. This is a special weekend. There was no charge for people to come. It was just the joy of Ironman.

With all that said, I set out on Saturday for an hour swim. It was warm already. Maybe 75. By the start of the ride it was easily in the 80's and soon it hit 90. It was also windy, so the heat did not feel all that bad, yet the heat and Stu do not mix. I try with all I have, but the heat got Stu. No question about it. I did 85 miles and came back and ran an hour. After that I was in a world of hurt. It has taken until Monday at lunch for me to finally feel better!

It was during that ride and the hours since that time that I had to dig down deep. It was time for me to put an important point back in the forefront. Never underestimate the power of Ironman. Ever! I feel that very few people in the world will ever attempt an Ironman. For those that do try - remember that sometimes the process, the education, the friendships, the team, the love of the sport make it all worth while.

During the ride, at the lowest point, something very important happened. Something unexpected. I have been having a great year. Everything has been working. That was until Saturday when I ran head on into the heat. I was in the middle of many riders all alone. I was moving forward, but not all that fast. It was one of those moments that you question everything. It was at that moment that I turned and saw Bolder. He knew. I didn't have to say a word. He stuck with me as a friend. He stayed with me while tossing his great day of riding out the window. He didn't say much. See, I was right last week when I said it was all about friends.

When I go back to the start, I got a call asking if I was ok. What a guy! I got up enough energy to do an hour run (that was not the smartest thing to do). When I came back I was in more hurt. I sat on the concrete next to my car. Some guys that I didn't even know sat with me and got me to drink and eat. They sat with me just to make sure.

So to all of you that go so far out of your way to help others I thank you!

So during this last week I was wanting SOMETHING to get me back in the game. I needed something, That "something" came today on a training run. I was still feeling the results of dehydration several days later, but was doing everything I could to get back in the game. I started on a simple run. I ran and just happened to end up on the Ironman route. I have run this 100's of times, but I started to notice freshly painted arrows. I started to follow them and noticed they must have marked the Ironman marathon route this last week. These arrows were not here last week. I saw one more arrow and smiled. I saw another. I started to run faster. I saw another and ran faster. Soon I was in a dream world. This is why I train. I train for the something as simple as this. I will be here following these arrows in 55 days. I have done the work. I have done what it takes to do this.

So I'm back. I'm back in the game because of a painted arrow on the ground. Ironman is about so many things, but when the day is over, Ironman comes from the heart. It comes from deep within. It's a journey. It 's about friendships. It's about life in general.

We are close. Only 70ish days to Ironman. This is when the fun really begins. This is when the friendships are cemented. So many things yet to experience. You know why this is so great? When the dust settles, I know I will have a few special people waiting for me at the finish line. That is worth gold!

I was ready to race. A bit nervous, but ready to race. Than it happened. Coach Mike sent all the people doing the High Cliff triathlon an E-Mail that was straight to the point. “I want you to write a race plan for the triathlon.?

What? In the past he gave us a general outline. This time was different. We had to tell him the plan. Not just any plan, but a detailed plan for the race. This was difficult for me. This was the first time I actually put my race day on the line. Out in front of Coach Mike. I always think this makes you stick to it when things start happening on the actual day. So here it is. This is what I wrote to Coach Mike and the details that followed.

NOTE: So you can see the PLAN (P) that I gave Coach BEFORE the race, and the ACTUAL (A) of what happened during the race.

Friday night:

(P / A): Watch Ironman Kona. The “Blazeman? one. Life is good. Safety tabs off. (P / A): Pack. Write race plan. Relax.

Saturday.

(P / A): AM - Help move the house. Yes, I’m moving to a new house. Mow the lawn. Balance the checkbook. Recheck my packing. This should take until about Noon. I hope to leave for the race about that time.

(P / A): Noon - Drive to race site with an extra emphasis on hydration. - Once at site I will meet Tracy , Michelle and others. I will register, eat and get in a short ride to check out my bike. (P / A) I will take a short run and bike at race location if possible. (P / A) Try to relax and get a few good hours of sleep.

Sunday:

(P / A): I will wake and eat a bit more than in past races. Just like Wildflower. (P): Dress warm, relax, and get a good attitude. Believe in today’s race plan. (A): This was the first thing that did not go to plan. I was NOT 100% confident that I could pull the bike power that Coach Mike had suggested. My goal was to BELIEVE that I could do it. I did NOT believe, but I was at least going to trust the plan. (P / A): Get to race, lay out transition area early and stretch, relax, and ENJOY.

Swim:

(P / A) Relax. Enjoy. Get at 29 min. No faster, no slower. (Note: My official race time was 31, but you had to walk about 25 yards as the water was so shallow and run up a hill, so the swim time was actauly 29:48.

Bike:

(P / A): This is the focus of the day. I was going to “take the safety tabs off? even at the expense of the run. (P / A): First 30 min will be at 150 W with a cadence of 90+. My plan worked perfect. Even at the start where there was a HUGE hill, I just let everyone pass me and stay in my range. I felt horrible at the start of the bike. I was not sure I could even hold 140 watts. I was wondering what the heck was going on. I had to trust the plan, so I just stayed at 150 and 90 cadence. The plan was working. I started to feel much better after about 20 min. I think that is one of my keys. I need to keep my watts lower for about 20-30 min. It just helps me get in a rhythm without blowing my lungs.

(P / A): At 30 min, up the power to 160-170 for about an hour. 90+ cadence. Ok. I did NOT think I could do this. On race day, it was no problem. I was feeling great, and having no problem keeping the watts about 160+. This route was easy, but watts are watts, and I was pushing it. My average ended up to be 168. Yeeee Haaaaa!

(P / A): At 1.5 hours, move to 170+ W. This is when I have to believe. Make sure I do the last 1.5 hours at 170-180 W. Again 90+ Cadence. Again, I was having a great day on the bike. Good nutrition. The plan was perfect. Now was the test. I started to go above 170. I was now flying past people. I have NEVER had that happen. This was something new for me. I was doing the passing. I had about 10 people that I passed say the same thing – “Nice bike man.? At one point around mile 40, I looked to see my average MPH. It was 19.6. Wait. 19.6? I can do this. I can make 20. I will tell you that I have NEVER averaged 20 mph in a race longer than a sprint. Ever! Today was going to be the day. I had a group of 3 pass me (no drafting) that rode together. In that past I would let them go. Not today. I wanted 20 mph. I wanted to call Coach Mike and tell him so I hung on. And you know what? It wasn’t that bad. I was starting to believe for the first time on a bike that I belong here. I belong with these guys. I ended my last 1.5 with an average wattage of 171 with an overall average speed for the 56 miles of 20! Double yeeee haaaa! My work all Winter on the bike finally paid off.

Run:

(P / A): Smile, and think how excited I am to call Coach Mike about my bike ride today. I did not think I could ever average over 165W on a bike ride and I just did. My plan and actual to this point were spot on.

- Ok.... The run. (P / A): Try so hard and to get that heart rate down to about 145 (140 ever better) for the first 4 miles at 145 max. Well….this was hard as the first mile of the run was straight up a hill. So I did my best to get the heart rate down. I did NOT feel good at all, but I got my HR down. I was running at a good pace, but did not feel as good as Wildflower on the run.

(P / A): Next 4 miles at 140-150. My plan and actual were spot on, but I was not running as fast as I could at that HR. My planned HR was on, but the pace was way slow. It was not the legs, but the core. Not sure how to explain. I was just not going very fast.

(P) Last 5. Do it for yourself. You did it. 150 - 165. Time to take off the safety tabs. (A) This was really the first time in the day that my plan and actual did not match. I just did not have the legs or core to move faster. I was getting passed by everyone. Argggg. With 2 miles to go I looked at my watch and figured I needed to run 9 min pace to break 5:30. I picked it up and took the “safety tabs off.? I tried, I really did, but I just was not moving very fast. I did NOT in any way bonk. I just did not have “something? on that run. I still do not know what that something was.

Post race:

(P / A): Call Coach and tell him he was right and I really could do it. Yep, I did call Coach Mike and Bolder. I always think about them during a race. I do it for ME, but I can’t wait to tell them. As we all know, there is nothing worse than telling your buddies you had a bad race, so It is much easier to have a good race!

Closing thoughts:

All in all the race went great. In past years, I had always “peaked? the end of June and beginning of July. This year, I do not feel that way. I feel great about the bike, but need work on the swim and run.

My nutrition plan is solid, but I do think I might add some variety in the plan. I just get bored toward the end of ½ Ironman races, so I’m sure I will at Ironman as well. I have a few ideas that I will try at WIBA. After talking with Coach Mike total, he feels I was dehydrated and did not get enough nutrition. After telling him how I was feeling, he thinks that was the issue on the run. The plan is to rework a few things and test again at WIBA.

The swim will get better as I will add a few more long lake swims. The run will get better with Mikes help. I think he realizes I need work on my run as well. What is so exciting is that I feel like I can compete now. I hold my own on the swim. I hold my own on the bike, and now its time to put it together. I still need to work hard on nutrition. Fine tune for Ironman.

Tracy, Michelle and I made it to the race. We are all checked in and ready to roll. We plan to meet some friends and listen to Dick Hoyt speak tonight. Race day temps will be in the mid 80's. Results on Monday!

I have never been good taking the safety tabs off (thanks to my buddy Bold for this). My bike is ready, my coach believes in me. It's time for me to believe in me as well.

 

Bike Ready - Check!

Coach believes - Check!

Teammates believe - Check!

Stu believes - Time to find out! Check!

Bring on High Cliff 1/2 Ironman!

When I first got my BMC with the cool Zipp wheels and the incredible PowerTap, I was in love. It was new. It was cool. It was amazing. That was than, this is now.

1400 miles later, 3 flats, 2 batteries, 10 washes (1 by a friend, a team member), at least 35 tubes of NUUN, 2 new team kits, and countless hours on the saddle - I'm still in love, but not in the same way. Let me explain.

Have you ever seen a guy walk to his garage, open it up to show his vintage Corvette? Have you seen the passion? You may not see the sweat, the tears, the love, but you do see a car. It has been well used, it becomes a part of you.

That is exactly how I feel about my bike. It is a part of me now. Picture the joy on the guys face showing you his Corvette. Now think of me next to my bike. The tears, the sweat, the love is the same. The only difference is that mine only moves forward with the daily work and daily deposits I have put into Ironman training!

I look forword to Ironman Wisconsin with you and all my team members and buddies!

It started like any other race. I was excited just to be in great shape and test my abilities just 3 days after my last sprint Aquathon race. After setting up my transition area, I looked at the sky and saw heavy rain. I smiled and just watched as the rain soaked the bikes, shoes and just about anything that wasn't covered. I stood under a tree and just smiled. So many people panicked, but I just smiled and enjoyed it all. After about 15 minutes the skies cleared and the race was on. Note: I was prepared and always carry a big garbage bag with me in case this happens. My stuff was nice and dry once the race started.

After a good swim warmup, my age group was called. A new age group for me this year - the big 40. I looked at the guys and for the 1st time thought - I can beat these guys. I normally start up front to get off fast. The gun went off and I quickly was out front. Huh What? Where is everyone? I looked left. Nothing. Right. Nothing? Huh? What? I hit the first turn and saw nothing. Wow. Is this happening? It's not that big of a deal, but I have never been out front - even if this is just with the 40 year olds. So I hit the 2nd turn. Still out front. In the past I would have started to get tired, but with Coach Mike's help, I'm in better shape and not hitting the wall in the swim. I started to pass the groups in front of me, and finally saw a guy come up to the right. For a spilt moment I said, just let him go. NO. NO. NO. I picked up the pace and made sure that I could look Coach Mike in the face and tell him I gave it my all. I was out 1st.

The bike started out ok. With my PowerTap, I was able to see my power. The problem with the sprint is you have to go so hard that your HR is high. I was not feeling the best, but I held on. I was not getting passed in mass like past years. I did count 4 guys pass me from my age group, but I was staying close. Wow. At mile 7 I was starting to get in a rhythm and staying at 90 cadence. It was a mental battle. Come on Stu. Stay with the guys. Say with them! Come on.

I was flying and feeling better until the sound we HATE to hear. Psssssssssssssssst!

Yep. Flat city. My day was done for the division race, but not for me. I changed the tire but noticed a big cut. I didn't think the tire would hold, but I tried. I rode another mile and got another flat. I was not surprised, but not all that happy either. My day was done. What do I do? Well, I figured I better start walking. I walked about 3 miles, trying to tell people "Nice Job", or "way to go." People felt bad for me, but I was actually enjoying all of this. Not sure why, but it was not that bad.

I hit the main road and found 2 older women and a boy about 16 years old getting in a van. I asked if they could drive me back to the start line. I got in the van and jumped in the back seat with the boy. After talked for a few minutes I found out he was mentally challenged. He told me how he had made it to Special Olympics Nationals in Iowa. He was so proud. He asked if I wanted to see the medal he won in power lifting. Our conversation went on and I felt like I was riding in the car with a super star. I promised him that I would tell all my friends that I met a Olympian. He smiled and told me to "go get 'em." Have you even seen a person that works so hard and never wants to take that medal off? Have you seen the pride? The passion? This kid had it all! He had 2 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and the best attitude!

I took my bike out of the car and just smiled. I put my bike together but thought that I had to finish the race. I told the guy at the start that I got a ride but wanted to finish. I asked if that was ok. He looked and at this point I was dead last in for the men. "Sure, go on." I looked at my tire and figured it was better for me to carry the bike so I didn't do any damage. I picked up the bike, put it on my shoulder and started to run. I was abut a mile from the transition area. I was running in bike shoes. Not the best thing, but I had to carry the "virtual" Olympic torch that my new friend gave to me while in the car. I just smiled and started to hear the crowd go crazy. I ran faster and decided that I could not let my new friend down. I had to keep running. I ran and carried my bike over the bike finish! The crowd erupted! I was already in dead last, but decided that I could not stop. I was the LAST male out of T2.

I ran hard and finally caught a few people. I finished the day swimming, biking, flatting, walking, riding in a car, running with a bike, and finally running. (I want to make it clear that I did ask an official if I could continue even though I had to take a ride in a car). Officially I had a DQ as I got in a car, but I really didn't have a choice. I do want to thank my new power lifting Olympian to show that sport is not about winning, it is about passion! I'm 100% sure that I had the best race of the day. No question about it. I met someone that would make even the last place finisher smile. I met an Olympian. I met pure magic. I just hope that one day, on your worst day, you too can meet him. I guarantee that he will make your day! He certainly made mine! 

 

Stu and the gang from raceAthlete meet at the Zipp factory. Stu also introduces a new project with Jessi Stensland (race route previews). You will also hear a cool interview with Tim at Colorado Multisport.

OVERALL TRAINING: B

Good Points: More focused training. More consistent training.

Needs improvement: While a "good" point is consistent training, this is where I need the most improvement. Mental improvement at races. Ability to "push" during a race.

The following race report is a good way to sum up the 1st half of the season.

20 Mile Running Race - It was just a "C" race. Nothing more, nothing less!

I got up and ate a bit more than in the past. I did this at Wildflower and decided to do it again for my 20 mile Syttende Mai point to point race. I felt a bit better at the starting line again. I think a few more calories early before the race helps me feel better at the start. At the starting line I sat on the curb and thought about what Coach Mike said. "Stu, I want you to start out completely in Zone 1. The first 5 miles MUST be in that zone. This is a "C" race. Remember that. The next 5 would be a bit faster, the next 5 faster, and the last 5 hard. HUH? What? So, I'm to run a 20 mile race negative splitting each 5 miles? I have to tell you that this 20 miler is a very difficult, very hilly race. If you take out the massive one hill at Wildflower, this course was harder. Without it, I think they are about the same.

I started out at about 9min pace. It was actually hard to run that slow, and almost EVERY person passed me. I was laughing as I knew I would repass almost 95% of the people passing me. If I stuck with the plan, I would see all these people again. My goal was 45 min to mile 5. I was 1 second off, as I passed the 5 mile mark at 45:01.

Right on pace. I was in control and ready to pick it up a notch. I was going to drop to 8, but thought since the hills start about mile 5, it would be better to hold back to 8:30. I tried, and tried, but could not go that slow. I was hitting 8:19 pace for the next 5 miles. At mile 4.99 I stopped to go to the bathroom. It was a 2 min stop, so my pace looked slower for mile 5-10. Without the bathroom stop I was at 8:19 pace.

So here I was. I was using the same nutrition plan as Wildflower. To make it even easier, I put NUUN and Carbo Pro in a blender and mixed the powder together. I have these bottles that will mix with 2 bottles. I carry 2 of them in my pocket - and basically can carry my entire nutrition plan with me. Yes I do have to mix it, but I also get to skip many water stops as I have my own bottle. I really attribute part of this years success to the nutrition plan. I have to send a huge thank you to Bold for hitting me over the head early in the season with nutrition planning. Many people have asked about my plan. It is simple. I cannot do the "sugar" tasting stuff. For short races, not a problem, but after 2 hours, I just get sick of drinking Gatorade stuff. I can't get down GU or ANYTHING else - I have tried. Believe me when I say that I have tried it all. No problem for short races, but longer races do not do well for me and the sugary stuff. For whatever reason, NUUN just works for me. It might be the "fizz"? I'm not sure why, but it even allowed me to go to the bathroom. Yep - Nothing in the past has. Nothing. In ALL my marathons, or Ironmans, I NEVER went to the bathroom.  NOT GOOD. Like all things in sport, some things work for some, and not for others. The bottom line - this will be what I use at Ironman Wisconsin.

So back to the race. I'm here. Mile 10. I have 10 to go. I need to drop into the 7's. So, what I did was drop to about 7:40 pace. It was easy. I was in total control. I was waiting for the ball to drop. When this thought came into my mind I would "snap" the rubber band around my wrist. I know it sounds corny, but the interview with Dr Walker seems to work. Anytime I start to think negative thoughts I just snap the rubber band. It worked. Anyway, I was passing people like they were standing still. It is so much fun flying past people. We were still in the very hilly section so some people that started too fast were just in pain.

I get to mile 15. I had put the 3rd set of 5 miles into the lower 7 pace. Now what? The only way to get better was to get into the 6's. HUH? To be very honest, at the beginning of the day, I was hoping to be under 8's for the last 5. I kept thinking about Coach Mike. He really thinks I can do better than I do. When I started to drop into the 6's for pace, I thought about Mike smiling. I can just hear him saying 'Stu - this is what you can do. I never had any doubt.'

I finished strong at 6:58 pace for the last 5 miles. I was tempted to run another 6.2 to get in a marathon, but wasn't sure how to do that.

Now let's take a look at the rest of the grades for Stu:

BIKING: A

Good Points: More focused training. More time on the bike.

Needs improvement: Long rides. Endurance.

Here is all I need to say about my biking (FTP Power Numbers)

Nov 05: 167

Feb 19: 182

Apri 10: 195

May 20: 211

RUNNING: B-

Good Points: More balanced training

Needs improvement: Speed and endurance

I have focused on the bike so much this year that my run has not improved much. I know Coach Mike has a plan to get me up to speed the last 90+ days.

SWIMMING: B

Good Points: More pool time

Needs improvement: Endurance

A few weeks back I would say I have not done much improvement, BUT my last two shorter races I have a swim PR in both. In the last swim I even won my age bracket. That has NEVER happened. I still have a way to go, but the swim IS getting better!

Key to the last 90 days before Ironman Wisconsin? Follow the plan, have fun, be consistent, and prepare mentally!

See you in Wisconsin.

 

Join Jessi Stensland, InsideTri.com and SimplyStu as they take you on a route preview of the Alcatraz Triathlon. You will get a video preview of the race course and expert advice directly from Jessi. The videos are meant to play directly inside of iTunes. Enjoy. Please note: we are not in any way affiliated with Alcatraz. We just wanted to help you see what the race course is all about before you visit!

Join Jessi Stensland, InsideTri.com and SimplyStu as they take you on a route preview of the Vineman Triathlon. You will get a video preview of the race course and expert advice from directly from Jessi. The videos are meant to play directly inside of iTunes. Enjoy. Please note: we are not in any way affiliated with Vineman.  We just wanted to help you see what the race course is all about before you visit!

 

I got an E-Mail yesterday from a young lady in San Diego. The first line said it all!

"STU - I'm desperate. I have heard so much about the Ironman Wisconsin bike course and I'm so afraid of what I will see. I also heard that you do a Swim, Bike, and Run preview. Can you point me in the right direction."

For those of you that are doing Wisconsin or just want to see the course, you can check out the course via iTunes at:

Check out the video series here!  These are to be viewed in iTunes.  If you can't view them and want me to create a DVD, just drop me an E-Mail. 

I will also let you in on a little secret. I have teamed up with and awesome Team that will also show you courses like Vineman and Alcatraz. Check back soon for the 1st installment of the Vineman Swim Course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I pulled the yellow computer out of the box, I thought it was a very cool gadget. It had all the regular features you need - speed, cadence, time, and intervals. It also had the feature it was really meant for - power.

At first I would go out for a ride and see this new set of numbers flash on the screen. I started to see a nice 150 watts on a flat road. I saw 390 watts on a hill. I saw 0 watts on the downhill. It seemed to make sense.

I do love the fact that the new 2.4 SL PowerTap (the little yellow computer) does not have any wires. None! I have the hub built into the wheel on the back (Zipp 808), but all the features like speed, cadence and power are all done with no wires. I hate it when you have a nice bike and have to add wires all over the place. This feature alone is well worth upgrading from the older wired versions. Was that way to OCD?

After working with the PowerTap for a few weeks, I needed to understand what this was all about. Neal Henderson (Boulder Center for Sports Medicine) started me thinking about how important it was to train in the correct zone. He said things like, "You can train all you want, but unless you are training in the right zones, you may actually be going backwards." At first I didn't understand this. How can training, either fast or slow, actually not do you any good? Was it possible to do workouts that actually don't help you go faster?

Here was the best comment Neal made, "you need to train slower to race faster." You can listen to the entire interview here. It is well worth the time just to listen to Neal talk. It all seems to make sense now.

So what's the big deal about power?

Like Coach Mike and Neal said over and over and over. You need to train in the correct zones. You need to know your zones. You need to follow your workouts and you will get faster. That is the one thing that Coach Mike said to me so many times that I never believed. He would say these ultra confident statements like "Stu - if you do the work you WILL get faster." Or here is my favorite, "Stu - Just do the work and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish." HUH? What?

Here is the difference for me. I think the easiest way to explain is to show you the way I trained in the past and how I train / race now:

Last Year: Ok. I will try and go out on the Ironman route (on a training day) and try and average 17 MPH.

Result: The first part of the ride had a 20 MPH headwind. I went out, stuck to my game plan of going 17 MPH. With that big of a headwind, I was having to kill my legs in the first 20 miles. I was basically shot for the rest of the workout. I had the desire, however, so the next 40 miles I was still trying to keep up the pace. At the end of the day I was just gone. This workout, however, had results that would hurt my next few workouts. I simply went to hard at the wrong times. I averaged 16.5 mph. I didn't even accomplish my goal for the day.

This year: Ride the Ironman route with power at 65% for the 1st hour and 70-80% the next hour and a half. The last 30 mins I would ride at 85%. [*** This is just one example. I do many different types of power workouts in training.]

Result: I don't even look at speed. I may from time to time just out of curiosity, but for the most part it really doesn't matter. I stuck to the plan and felt great after the workout. The wind was the same, but with power you don't even think about the wind. [***As a side note, people that did Wildflower talked about how windy it was. I'm going to be totally honest when I say that I didn't even notice it. Why? When riding with Power, you can eliminate a lot of the elements like wind, rain, and hills. ] So this ride had the 20mph headwind, but I just stayed at my power level, and it was no big deal. On the flip side of this, when I had the wind at my back, I would (in the past) often lay back a bit as I was going 20mph. Why go faster? This year, however, I would keep that power at the level for the workout and I found myself going 28, 29 or even 30 mph. [*** This happened at Wildflower as well. On the hills and with a headwind, I would stay in the power range, and when the wind was at my back, I was just flying past people. I was staying very steady from a power perspective.] At the end of the ride I averaged 17.4 mph, and felt so much better than in the past.

Coach AJ (part of D3 Multisport) talked about "burning matches." He told all of us that you only have a set of matches. We agreed that for the race at Wildflower, I had 3 matches to burn, and that was it. I thought about this all day, but looking back, I might have burned matches, but with the help of the PowerTap I was in total control. I kept my power at about 190-220 on the hills. Could I have gone faster? I'm sure I could have, but keeping my power at this level made it so I didn't burn too many matches. When the day was done, with the help of Neal, Coach Mike and Coach AJ - I burned my 3 matches on the 3 biggest hills, but kept my power in the levels I needed to have something left on the run.

I still have so much to learn. Coach Mike looked over my numbers and is working with me to get more out of my cycling. With power you cannot hide. With power you can look at a good day and figure out how to make it better. That is what Coach Mike did for me. He said he was happy with my day, but now has a plan to make it even better for Ironman Wisconsin.

So the question is this. How can you go faster and actually work less? How can you have a great race and still train better the next time? The answer is plain and simple. Train and race with power. I think this is one of those tools that might do more for amateurs than pros. I just think that an amateur can gain SO much with this simple tool. It takes so much of the guess work out of the mix. If you ever get the chance, just try it, but be warned. Once you try a PowerTap, you will NEVER want to ride without one. You can come out to WIBA this year and try a PowerTap with the great team at CycleOPS.

Here it is. I decided to get a show out today, and not do a lot of editing. This show gives you a feel of what WildFlower was all about. You can also see that the battle between Bold and Stu turned out in my favor!

 

 

Schmackage Complete - at least for now. I will certainly not let down the training as there will most certainly be a rematch at Ironman Wisconsin. I hope you enjoy the picture of Bold cleaning my bike (as per our wager), and the results verification. Enjoy!

 

Race Report for Wildflower 2007

RACE PREPARATION:

Getting to the course was about as difficult as the training. It all started 4 days before leaving from Chicago. I had to go on business to Columbia, South Carolina, so instead of flying directly to LAX, I started with a 3 day trip to the campus of USC. Looking back it was not too bad as I had to pack and sit back 3 days before leaving. The trip was actually very relaxing, but I was ready to race and wanted to get to Los Angeles.

On Wednesday night I had planned to fly to Chicago, stay in a hotel and leave at 6am Thursday morning. Things where right on schedule until my plane from Columbia to Chicago cancelled. So back to the hotel in Columbia I went. I cancelled my hotel in Chicago and made flight arrangements to make it in time.

Thursday was hectic as I left South Carolina at 6am and arrived in Chicago at 7:30. I did not have too much time to catch my LA flight and I still had to run to the car and get my bike and new set of bags. I ran to my car, switched bags, and ran about 500 yards with a backpack, bike, and new roller bag. I took a quick train to my terminal and got checked in with about 5 minutes to spare. I made it.

I was hoping the movie on the flight might be a “Rudy? type. Something to get me fired up. All I can say is never watch the “Painted Veil? if you want to get ready for a race. Maybe it was better as I was not wasting energy screaming for Rudy to get in the game.

After a downer of a movie, I landed in LA, turned on my phone and saw 10 voice messages on my 1st phone and 8 on my other. Yikes. I think I was the last one to land. After answering a few calls, and catching the “Kahuna Shuttle? to the El Monte RV, I was set.

I drove the 30 foot hotel on wheels back to LAX to pick up my group of people. I can’t talk much about the driving of others, but TriBoomer hit my RV just 30 minutes into the trip. I wonder where he got his drivers license. The plan had been to drive up as a group, but the “Kahuna RV? and “Colorado RV? decided to get a jump start. It was just TriBoomer and My RV. No directions to the race, just a general idea that it was “North.?

Mind you that TriBoomer had already hit my RV once, so I was a bit nervous. After making our way to the 8 lane LA freeway, TriBoomer radioed me and said he was going to take a bathroom break. I thought he was kidding, but I guess not as he pulled over ON THE FREEWAY. I didn’t have many options so I had to do the same thing. I can tell you that while the RVs are easy to drive, they are not easy to pull over on an 8 lane road. After the bathroom break, we where back on the road and heading to Wildflower.

After a few more bathroom beaks, dinner at a cool roadside gig, a stop at the grocery store, we made it to the HUMUNGOUS campground that would be our home for the next 3 days. We made camp on the side of the road and slept.

The next morning I woke to the most incredible of all views. The Kahuna and other RV mates sure did pick the spectacular location. It was simply awesome. The nights are cool, but the days were perfect. It was now Friday, and most of the day was spent getting ready for the race, and packet pickup.

The Wildflower “experience? is something that grew on me. At first I was not sure it was going to be all that cool, but as time went on, I can see why thousands of people want to race this wickedly hard race. Everything about the race was awesome.

RACE PLAN

The weeks leading to the race, I worked with Coach Mike to set my race plan. My power numbers had been set, but since Wisconsin doesn’t allow me to ride a lot of long 3+ hour rides in early Spring, I had done most of my tests inside. My FTP (functional threshold) was at 196, but my first outside test put me at 220+. I was a bit worried as I felt a 3+ bike race at 162 average power (using my FTP of 196) might not allow me to kick the ½ marathon, so I talked to AJ (another awesome coach from D3) about a race strategy. After talking, we agreed that it was important that I get to the 13.1 run with something left in the tank. The plan was set.

1st hour: about 140 Watts

2-2.5: Between 155-160 Watts

Last 30 min: 170 Watts

RACE DAY

I woke about 4:50am, got up and started to eat and drink. My plan was to eat a bit more than usual. I tend to feel hungry before many races, so I added a few more calories. I drank some OJ, water and a little Gatorade. The entire week prior to the race a felt like I was not drinking enough and my body did not feel 100%. I felt sluggish and even sore. Not sore as in “workout sore?, but like lazy sore. Do not know how to explain, but it was driving me crazy.

The plan was to ride the bikes to the start or take the boat. Yes, take a boat. We left the RV and went to the boat location. We jumped on a pontoon boat that took us on a 15 min boat ride in the most amazing of all scenery you could imagine. It was certainly the most amazing start to any race day that I can remember.

The pontoon took us right to T1, so we only walked about 100 yards to rack the bikes. I relaxed and was ready to go. I was not “hyper,? just ready to go. I felt a strange calm. With Coach Mike by my side (he was actually not with us, but he has guided me well), I was ready to kick some tail on the day.

I racked my bike and was ready to go. I was early and had about 90 minutes to wait. I just sat on sidelines and watch the world go by. I was thinking about my nutrition plan:

I was going to drink at least 2 bottles per hour with 1 scoop of Carbo-Pro and 1 tablet of NUUN. I had 3 bottles on the BMC, so I had 1.5 hours before I needed to stop. My plan was to carry small bottles of powder and NUUN with me. I was going to stop and mix my bottles midway. The plan was basically the same on the run. I was going to carry the bottles in my shorts and a bike-type bottle in a carrier on my back waist. I got a lot of comments from people about this, but after doing the race – It worked GREAT (thanks to my friends at Endurance House.)

THE RACE

The gun went off and my plan was to swim SLOW. I needed to have a good day on the bike. I went slow and tried to get on the feet of a few people. That worked on and off, but I got clocked about 100 yards in and I saw blood. Darn. This was like an Ironman race. My nose was not broken so I kept going. I was having a great time. I worked on good form, swimming straight, and staying well within myself. As a side note, I did notice people swimming 100’s of yards off route. Do people not understand how important it is to swim straight? I sang a bit to myself, laughed at some things that happened during the adventure getting to Wildflower, and basically had a nice and very easy swim.

I took a glance at my heart rate a few times during the swim. I know I can swim a 1:03 at Ironman distance, but I was thinking I would do about :30 today. I exited the water in :32 minutes. I felt totally relaxed, and was feeling like I just did nothing more than a warm up. I had a mantra for day – “I’m in total control.? I had done the training, and I was ready to do this bike. The swim and run where not as important to me. I NEEDED a good day on the bike.

Official Time on the swim was 32:38, with a 2:26 T1. So far the plan was perfect.

I got on the bike and looked my new best friend, the 2.4 Powertap. This, along with BMC and Zipp wheels have made huge differences for me. As I excited T1, I looked at my trusty “yellow friend? and kept it around 140 Watts. There was a big hill at the start so I obviously had to pull a bit more wattage, but I kept it around 190-210. Coach AJ talked about “burning matches,? and that you only had a few to burn during the day. I thought I would burn one here, and one at “nasty grade.? At the top on the hill I felt perfect and ready to go. I did not like the fact that I was getting passed. I did not let this get to me, but I was a bit bummed that so many people were just flying past me. Was all this training for nothing? I was so upset, but stuck with the plan. I started to think about the day, and got back into the right mind set just repeating the mantra “I’m in total control.?

The 1st hour I averaged 147. Just about perfect. The last 15 min, even at about 140 I was starting to pass people. HUGE smile. My plan was now to push the watts up about 10-15 or about 150-155 total watts. I was instantly starting to pass almost everyone. I was in control and rocking. I never really noticed the wind because the PowerTap just takes all that out of the mix. If you stick to the plan, you eliminate hills, wind and speed. Kinda cool. I never even looked at speed. It doesn’t really even matter when you have a PowerTap.

We turned back with the wind at our back. In the past, without a PowerTap, I would have gone a nice cool 20mph. With the wind at our back, I was going 20 at about 135 watts, so I kept it up about 160 watts and was flying past people. I had a huge smile as I watched people look at my butt on these sweet 606’s. There was one point I was going 32mph with no hills. Ok, I admit, I did look at speed from time to time, but I do not use it as a guide. I just kept the power at my plan, and was now flying past the people that passed me the 1st hour.

I was almost to nasty grade (the huge hill that everyone warns you about), so I decided to hit “lap? on my PowerTap. Yeeee Haaaaaa. 157 watts. The plan was working perfect. I was now at mile 41. I was actually excited to get to this part of the race. While it was a hard climb, I was ready and had almost a full tank of gas. When you have a plan, things are just easier.

I was also nailing my nutrition. I had stopped to mix my Carbo-Pro and NUUN. It was tasting perfect and I was getting in 300 calories and plenty of fluid thanks to NUUN. I just love this stuff. I mixed the tablets up so I was never sure what flavor I would get. I love the new flavor called Kona Cola!

Ok, so Nasty Grade was hard, but nothing I wasn’t ready for. I kept it around 190-220 most of the climb. I was nailing it. When you train right, coached right, and have a nutrition plan, the days is so much better.

I’m still not the best at 40mph descents. I tend to hold the breaks a bit, but these were a lot of fun. At mile 53 I was ready to get to the run. I felt perfect, but not sure how my legs might react.

I flew down the last mile to T2. It was straight down a hill. I nailed it! I was in total control, I was ready to kick some butt on the run. This is a picture just left of the hill coming into T2.

Official Time on the bike was 3:24:57, with a 2:29 T2.

Power numbers: Leg 1: 147, Leg 2: 157, Leg 3: 155

So far the plan was perfect.

I felt like I needed a bit more sodium so I doubled my NUUN in the first bottle. I got to the run and after about 100 yards I was just amazed – I felt great. Not just good, but great. I was so ready. Could this really be right?

I was in total control.

I was in a weird position. I had put so much thought into the bike and nutrition that to be totally honest, I did not think about the run much. I laughed to myself at about mile 1. What’s the plan Stu? I looked at my HR and I was feeling about a 5 (perceived exertion (RPE) scale), but thought I could stay at this point all the way home. Looking back I went out a bit too fast, but not by much. Looking back, I was about 7 beats too high at the start with my HR. I was flying and passing everyone. I was running with a 60 year old guy and we just kicked all the 20 year olds. (I’m sure that is the first time I’ve ever thought about being 40 and kicking the 20 year olds.)

I was feeling perfect until about mile 5. This route was brutal. All the talk was about the bike, but this run route was very difficult. I was running up this one hill and was almost started going backwards. Even with the unique “Cal Poly Coeds? helping about mile 6, I was sill not feeling the best. That is also the first time I’ve seen anything like that on a race course! Gotta love college.

I finally hit a level part of the route and said to myself, “You are in total control.? I stopped taking in Carbo / Nuun for about 1.5 miles and started to feel better. I had to drink again to keep up the pace. I think I ran into problems from going out a bit too fast. I started drinking my mix slowly and finally felt good again. This is how it was the rest of the race.

I did not see anyone from the team the entire day until I got on Brett’s feet. I saw the jersey and was past him with only a few words said. I was surprised I did not see Greg all day. Did I miss him?

I kept running and came up to a long mile downhill run. I was feeling great but not sure how I would feel coming back up the same hill. About ¼ mile up the hill I saw Greg. I looked at him, we both looked at our watches. The game was on. I had two choices. 1) lay back and cave in, or 2) give it all I had!

For some reason I had it in my mind that I had him by 2:47. Don’t ask me how I thought that, but since I started 5 min before him, I had to kick it, our I was done. I figured I needed to “be in control? so I just kept on moving. I knew the last mile was down the hill so I figured I would run it in about 6 or under.

I was hammering down the hill, and to be honest, I was not even thinking about Greg. I had a plan, I stuck to it, and I nailed it!

I finished strong. I was so hoping to go sub 6, but the victory was in the plan. This was an important stepping stone for me. Very important. Maybe one of the most important of all times.

Official Time on the run was 2:00:46

Official Time: 6:03:16

So the bottom line is very simple. I was ready, and the plan worked.

Now I plan to beg Coach to give me a week off before starting to train for Ironman Wisconsin. I know now that I CAN do it.

I’m so excited to keep up the training on the bike. The PowerTap, wheels and bike have made a significant difference, and now I’m more excited than ever. I’m ready for the rest of the journey.

The swim will start to rock once I can leave the pool and train exclusively in the lakes. Once June 1st comes to Wisconsin, I leave the pool for the season and join my buddies in the lake 2 or 3 times a week.

The 2:00:48 ½ marathon was NOT what I wanted to see. I can do so much better than that. I have worked so hard on the bike that I’ve been just trying to “maintain? the run. Over the next 18 weeks, I really want to ramp this up as well.

We watched our fellow buddies and teammates race on Sunday, and headed back to LA about 3pm. We had to spilt up for logistical reasons, so AJ and I spent the night just off the beach. We woke about 6am to take a short jog to the ocean for a nice walk in the water. A perfect end to a perfect week.

I needed this race. I needed it for so many reasons. I needed the confidence that I just did not have on the bike. I needed the confidence that I could have a nutritional plan. I needed to know that I could execute a plan. At the end of the day “I was in total control.?

I’m so ready to start my training for Ironman Wisconsin, and even more ready to say on September 10th 2007 – “Greg, I got you again.?

As I drove home I realized how lucky I am to have great friends, great family, and the ability to train and race in this great sport of Triathlon. Life can change so quickly so I plan to enjoy each and every moment of this Ironman Wisconsin journey. I hope you will enjoy the ride with me.

Listen to the Zipp Podcast. Very cool!!!!!

Click here to visit Zipp and the very cool ZippCast Podcast

The results are in. This document is HUGE (Sorry), but it has pictures, stories and links from all of you. Thanks again! I tried to include at least one picture from each person if at all possible. I also got tons of video and even a DVD from the awesome Denver group (you all rock). Hope you enjoy. See you next year for SimplyStu Worldwide III. Click here to see the HUGE results document

Also stay tuned for the most excellent adventure with Chris, Michelle and Stu as they take on the Zipp World Headquarters.

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"Look out folks. The weather in Madison is not going to be kind. 30+ MPH winds, heavy snow, and cold temperatures. Welcome to Spring in Wisconsin." So what do I do? I train. I do what I do everyday. This was one of those awesome days of running. It was one of those days that make it all worth while. I got the look from people saying "what is that idiot doing out running on a day like today." The reason? Look at the numbers (my Bike Power Test) and you tell me.

 

November 30th, 2006

5 Min Power = 210

Average HR = 153

*** 20 Min Power = 176

Average HR = 151

FTP = 167

Weight = 156

 

February 19th, 2007

5 Min Power = 273

Average HR = 158

*** 20 Min Power = 192

Average HR = 161

FTP = 182.4

Weight = 156

 

April 10th, 2007

5 Min Power = 270

Average HR = 159

*** 20 Min Power = 206

Average HR = 160

FTP = 195.7

Weight = 153

 

WOW - I cannot believe how many stories, photos, voicemails, and videos I got! I'm just blown away! I have so many to go over that I put out this show before the "results show." I will be away for 10 days with no E-Mail and no phone, but PLEASE keep them coming in! I will have a WorldWide Triathlon II show when I come back. I do have a new podcast for you! Wait until you hear the awesome advice from Dr. Walker. Bring on the runner bands. :) Also meet Jamie from Endurance House, and Jonathan talking about Ortho-Bionomy.

Results, pictures, and so much more will be posted Friday! Congrats for another great year!

All eight Team RaceAthlete members get interviewed! Catch up on all the latest in and around the RA community.

RACE DAY!

The day is here! Please have fun and BE SAFE!

Please send pictures, stories or leave a voice mail to tell the world all about your day. We have people doing the triathlon from Guam to Japan, from Tampa to Seattle! Enjoy the day! Race Well!

Send pictures, video, or audio to Stu@SimplyStu.com or leave a voicemail at 202-449-5207 (limit to 2 minutes)

Stu interviews the AWESOME Lisa Bentley. No words can describe Lisa. All I can say is listen and learn from the best! Oh yeah, look at this picture of Lisa's dedication to the sport - on a cruise with her bike! She is definitely inducted into the SimplyStu Rock Star Triathlon Hall of Fame! Also, check out the Power of Positive Thinking and Greens Plus (Lisa talks about these on the show)

Stu loves the nasty weather. You know I do....but...... I'm ready for Spring. I'm ready. This is a view out of my work office. Yes, this IS the Ironman MOO route. I look at it all day long. I dream about it (maybe not all day, but more than I should). So this is what you will see (sans the snow) on race day! Will this make me stronger? Only time will tell. Training is going well, but I need to focus more. I need to work on each workout and understand why each workout is being done. Coach Mike has a plan, and my buddies from RaceAthelete are with me on this journey. Enjoy the picture.

The Team RaceAthlete jerseys are in!  Check them out here!

Also, check back this weekend for an AWESOME interview with the incredible Lisa Bentley!

The SimplyStu Worldwide Triathlon II is open for registration. 

When: March 23-25, 2007

Distance: You pick it.  Just do it. 

Fee:  Come on...  100% FREE

T-Shirts: 1st 100 Kids get FREE T-Shirts.  Just E-Mail me your address and kids size. Other T-Shirts available via link on right side of this page.

Registration: Just send me an E-Mail at stu@simplystu.com with your name and location.  It is 100% Free. 

Results:   When you are done, send me pictures, VM, stories or video! 

Safety:  Have fun and always be safe! Since this is a non-sanctioned event you will need to be responsible for safety!  Enjoy, have fun, and be safe!

365: If this is your 1st triathlon, make sure you send me an E-Mail so I can add you to the Simply Stu 365 New Triathletes. You can also see the current listing with the link on the right side of the screen. My goal is to get ONE new Triathlete into the sport EACH day of 2007.  You can help.

Nothing but numbers during a 1 hour 20 min test:

 

November 30th

 

5 Min Power = 210

Average HR = 153

20 Min Power = 176

Average HR = 151

FTP = 167

 

February 19th

 

5 Min Power = 273

Average HR = 158

20 Min Power = 192

Average HR = 161

60 Min Power Test = 184

FTP = 182.4

 

GAME ON! Thanks Coach Mike and Bolder for the help!!!!!!

Chat with Melanie McQuaid XTERRA World Champion. Also talk with Jimmy from Inside Triathlon Magazine. And finally, come with Team RaceAthlete on a journey to Temecula, CA.

It all started in the parking lot with my awesome RaceAthlete Team. Here is Stu, after an early wake-up, a 2 hour car ride, a 4 hour plane ride, luggage, a 90+mph van ride, looking for bikes, parts, yikes!!!! So what does Stu do? Floyd and Melanie McQuiad were in the parking lot. I looked over at Mel and said, "Hey Melanie, can I jump on your bike?" Without a second thought she said, "Sure, come on Stu." So what do I do? I jumped on the bike WITH Melanie and rode for about 20 feet. (I do have the video to show this event). That is how cool the weekend was. A lot of smack talk, a lot of jokes, and a lot of fun. She was about as cool as anyone could be. I have met a lot of cool people, but Mel is certainly one of the best. She offered so much to us. She rode with us and even took us out on a run. Just the team. After a few miles I was running alone with her just talking. We even got a bit lost finding our way back to the group. Either way, it was a great hour run that I will never forget. I do want to point out that I'm NOT star crazy. I just love people. Not just any people - just good quality - honest people. Now the fact still remains that I only spent 3 days with Mel, but over those 3 days I found an awesome WORLD CHAMPION. I even told her this at dinner. As we sat back in San Diego over pizza, I said "Melanie, I had you all wrong. I mean I ALWAYS thought you were top notch, but you are much more than that. I can't put my finger on it, but the bottom line is you are every bit a World Champion. Period!"

With that we left dinner and she drove us back to the airport. Ironwill had to stop to get her kids a gift, so Mel and I sat in a display chair at the local CVS store. It was so funny. She was reading People Magazine as I sat reflecting on the weekend. I looked over at her and just smiled. She taught me an important lesson.

World Champions, Rock Stars, Presidents, and Movie Stars have so many people looking at them with this amazement. People look up to these people. People sometimes even idolize them. For me it was far different with Mel. She is just another person that once you meet her, gives YOU inspiration to be your best. She inspires you to be a better person. While on one of our rides I asked Melanie if she still had the passion to win. She gave me one of those smiles and simply said "absolutely." So the bottom line is if you ever get a chance to meet Melanie, take full advantage as you may never get the opportunity to meet a better person!

Check out the full report on www.RaceAthlete.com. You can also view other RaceAthlete team member articles.

PODCAST #53 is ready

Interview with the Producer of the Triathlon movie "What it Takes." Get a behind the scenes look at the production of the movie. Also listen to one of the stars of the Movie, Heather Fuhr. Also Heather Gollnick!

2nd Annual SimplyStu Worldwide Triathlon:

Sign up NOW for the 2nd Annual SimplyStu Worldwide Triathlon. This is a great way to try and do a triathlon at your house, with a friend, or at the gym. No pressure, no fuss, just a lot of fun. This is for the young and old. This may be your 1st or 100th. Just join the WORLD in doing a triathlon this March! This is a FREE triathlon and the first 100 kids that sign up with parents get a T-Shirt! All you need to do is send me an E-Mail at Stu@SimplyStu.com to sign up. Make sure you send lots of pictures and video! T-Shirts will be available for adults February 1st.

Tour de Moo 2:

Ok everyone. The 2nd installment of Tour de Moo is all good. The training continues to go well, as the weather is going "South" in a big hurry. The warm temperatures are gone, and snow has made it's way to Madison. As you can tell by mile 1 and 111 on the Ironman Wisconsin bike route, snow is back in Madison. As soon as you cross this snow covered bridge you will see T2. I stood on this bridge yelling at people toward the end of the day telling them they had to pick it up to make the bike cut! I love this bridge, and so will you. Knowing the bike is almost done is such a good feeling. Make sure you check out my training log. Stu's Training Peaks Log!

Here we are.  Week 1 is over and I'm already well into week #2.  Training has been going very well.  It is so nice to have a plan.  There is, however, something different.  Coach Mike and my PowerTap.  Yep, these two things have changed my training!  The PowerTap has made me work harder at times and easier at others.  The key is it just keeps me working at the right pace.  It is so cool because unlike heart rate, this has instant gratification.  It is the best darn tool since my heart rate monitor!  I have been training, but now I'm training with the best darn coach ever and he makes things seem right.  He has already guided me in so many ways.  I would be off track already, but he keeps me on the right path.  I've put in more hours and feel like I've worked less.  Hmmmmm.  Could it all be from Coach Mike and the PowerTap?  Time will tell! 

Ok, so this is the first installment of Tour de Moo.  This will be your source of information and weekly pictures of the Ironman Wisconsin route.  To be totally honest, this is the second picture. The first was a few weeks back.  (The post about the tree.) Anyway, this picture is on the last hill you will see on the Ironman route.  Check out the paint that is still on the road. (Please do not paint on the roads, use chalk.) Anyway, this is the hill that I stood on for over an hour telling EVERY person that the hills were over.  I said "This is the last hill of the day," or "you are done.  NO more hills," or "You just kicked that last hill - that's it - NO more - You rock."  Anyway, you get the picture.  This hill is underrated and not all that much fun, but the music at the top is well worth the trip!  I have done it all on this hill.  I swore at the hill. I laughed. I once even barfed on this hill!  Anyway, this is it folks.  You make it past this hill and you WILL finish the bike. Just in time to run 26.2.

Tour de Moo will also include my training, so check it out at: Stu's Training Peaks Log!

I want you all to know that these pictures are taken the week of the article, so if you have any requests let me know.

Hope you enjoy and thanks for my teammate "Bold" for the idea on Tour de Moo.  See you next week when I tell you about the upcoming trip to Temecula!

I'm ready?  Are you?  Final plans are done.  Check back soon for all the cool details.