Endurance Nation | Triathlon Coaching, Ironman Training, Half Ironman, Beginner Triathlon

On September 12, 38 TeamEN athletes will put months of hard work to the test at Ironman Wisconsin. Most notably, 22 “EN Chickas” will be racing! What started out as a bet between Coach Rich and the gals has turned into an incredible movement, complete with a Moo Jo and 10-12 male members of EN pledging to wear pink speedos at mile 18 to support the ladies! IMWI ’10 will certainly be one for the history books so let’s begin by meeting the players!

Marianne Park

I am an original member of Endurance Nation.  I joined in the summer of 2007 after completing Ironman Florida in 2006.  Coach Patrick/ Coach Rich have been there to see me finish Ironman Kentucky in 2007, Ironman Coeur D’Alene in 2008, Ironman Lake Placid in 2009 and this year Ironman Wisconsin.  I have a goal of completing all of the United States’ Ironmans so I have picked different venues.  2011 finds me at Ironman Texas. I have been married for 26 years to Joe and we have five children:  David, age 21, Andrew age 18, Daniel age 16, Joshua age 11 and Grace age 9.  I also enjoy running with my Irish Setter dog Rudy.  My motto has always been “If I can, anybody can!” because I did not do sports in school rather started running/swimming just 6 years ago and cycling 5 years ago.  Five marathons and four Ironmans later….?  and the Bible verse “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me” Philippians 4:13 has been my inspiration!   Meditation, quiet time for prayer outside, good health, good friends, laughter,  mental toughness, stress relief, fun times, flexibility, speed, power, and healthy eating are all benefits derived from Ironman training.  Honestly?  I just like swimming, biking and running!!  and what better way than to do that all day with 2400 other people!!!

—————————————-

Linda Patch

I am so excited to be racing Ironman Wisconsin! I have been doing triathlons for nearly 20 years. This will be my third Ironman, and my second one training with Endurance Nation. I’m proud to an EN “original gangster”—a member since day one! I’ll be part of a posse of 20 incredible EN women who are doing this race. The support between us as we trained “together” is hard to convey. But let me put it this way—the connection and friendship I shared here is the most powerful experience of my training life. I am 52, and have been married to my husband Keith for 29 years. We have four sons, 24, 21, 19, and 17. I have had my own marketing and PR consulting business since 1991, Linda Patch & Associates. Training for Ironman Wisconsin has been a roller coaster to say the least. A perplexing health condition threw me far off my game this spring. It took months to zero in on a thyroid condition, get matters regulated, and get back on track. At the end of June, my husband had a serious cycling accident that caused me to stop all training and cancel all plans. After several weeks of touch-and-go issues and a major surgery, he was doing amazingly well. Training for WI was now back on the table. With great guidance from the coaches and the team on how to pick up the pieces—and with my husband’s total support—I decided to see it through. You can be sure that I will spend every minute of this race in profound thanks and gratitude that I am able to participate in this incredible event. Whatever the finish time is, I can assure it will be triumphant!

———————————————–

Moo Jo

I am a very busy cow who travels the country to train with and bring mooooootivation to the EN Chica’s training for IMWI this year.  Steering the 20+ EN Chica’s was not an easy job for one cow, but I am a true believer in the EN Motto, Work WORKS!  This year I have endured many 6-hour rides being very hot in a Bento Box,  supervised food choices at the grocery store and restaurants, navigated the Chica’s to various training camps, and put up with the Chica’s pets trying to eat me!  Through all of this, I’ve become a pro at staying inside my box (especially a Chica’s bento box) and I am really looking forward to riding the course there on race day.  I know the Ironman will be a long day, but my One Thing is to see all my EN Chica’s cross the finish line!  Oh, and in case you were wondering, hell yeah, I’m getting my calf branded with an M-dot tattoo when this is over!!!

————————————————–

Nemo and Joe Brauch

I’m a proud Endurance Nation Chica, L’il Peep, and OG (Original Gangsta).  This will be my second time racing Ironman Wisconsin.  The last time I raced in Madison I earned myself a 1:55:09 PR thanks to the training and racing guidance of Endurance Nation.  I’ve been nursing a chronic calf injury for most of this year (spending countless boring hours pool running) and was not able to do much run training, so I anticipate coming up about an hour or so shy of my prior IMWI time.  But that’s OK, I’m really doing the race this year for two reasons; 1) to raise money for the Outer Banks SPCA and 2) to celebrate the journey with approximately 20 other pink visor wearing Endurance Nation Chicas.  It is going to be a 140.6 mile party with the pink Speedo brigade at Mile 18 as the icing on the cake!  When I’m not racing Ironman you can find me living on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with my husband, Joe, and two cats, Otto and Lilly.

————————————–

Kris Frazier

I live and work in Louisville KY (right off the IMLOU Bike course).   I have a two grown children- daughter, Meagan, (25) and son, Michael, (19). Born & raised in Kentucky, I work in purchasing at Northland Corporation as well as teaching fitness classes part time. I started my athletic endeavors at the age of 30 with running.  After a stress fracture handed me a no running for 6 weeks sentence, I took up biking with the help of a good friend and training partner.  After 2 years of duathlons, I decided swimming had to be easier, so I completed my first sprint tri in 2005.  Since that time, I’ve been blessed to have competed in numerous sprint, oly’s,  half-iron & 2 full iron races. After my vow of an “IM free” year, I was lured by the opportunity to race with so many of my strong, supa cool EN Chicka friends.  Training with the girls this season has brought a whole new fantastic element to IM training.  I am truly thankful for my EN family!

—————————————

Gina Hamel

48 yo residing in Chattanooga, TN with my partner, Susanna, and our dogs, Indie & Belle. This will make IM #3 for me, having completed IMFL ’08 & IMA* ’09. 2010 was going to be a non-IM year for me, but the collective vibe of the EN Chicas convinced me to sign up. It is that spirit & the many wonderful friendships I have made, that has gotten me to the line. People think our forum is busy? You should see what goes on behind the scenes! I truly am fortunate to have come to know such a great group of people. I am looking forward to sharing race weekend, once again, with my family. They have been with me to each IM thus far and there is nothing more special than sharing the day with them. ( I really think they are coming to be sure I don’t sign up for one in 2011!!)

————————————-

David Wonn

I will be working on EN Race Day Execution this year at Wisconsin.  After 2009 IMKY, I immediately transitioned into several months of sitting in a chair doing finger aerobics (day job is main frame code slinger – programmer).  That resulted in barely being able to walk by the start of 2010.  Well that is in the rear view mirror now … Right now I feel the best I have felt since last year.  The problem is, my power on the bike and my pace on the run is way behind previous years due to the injuries earlier this year.  But for due to various sob stories, I have yet to put together a good Ironman …

IMLP ’99 – bad nutrition – so walked 20 miles to 14hrs,
GFT  ’03 head cold so inner balance problem – 16hrs,
IMKY ’07 – my best year leading up to race but stomach bug race morning led overdoing the “Racing in a Box” – it was a Green Box (20+ portaJohn stops lost track) 15hr,
IMCDA’08 cold water, lowest body fat for a race, plus being a slow swimmer bit me in the behind resulting DNF w/hypothermia & 92deg core body temp,
IMKY ’09 – close to ’07 fitness leading up to race, Ergomo died right before race – but the killer was stepping in a hole on the bridge after running on the side of my foot for 10 miles, did substantial walking/hobbling but still a 13:44 IM PR

————————————-

Kitima Boonvisudhi

IMWI was never on my radar (I had never thought to ever travel to WI!) until a certain pink speedo bet was announced on the EN forum a year ago.  I am excited to show up for my second IM as part of a tremendous social event complete with many matching pink garments and plastic cows. Also, this race is my first IM under the tutelage of EN: finally a chance to execute to the best of my ninja ability.  I don’t have any aggressive time goals for this race (good thing given it’s the second slowest IM), but I would be tickled pink to “chick” my hubby’s 2006 IMLP time. I could then claim the title of “Fastest Ironman” in our house at least until he races another one and blows that time away. Most of all, I am looking forward to sharing this big race party weekend with my EN friends and family!

——————————————————————-

David Williams

IMWI 2010 will be my first ever Ironman attempt.  I have been training with EN since October of 2008 when I lived in Hawaii and started training for the Honu 70.3 in 2009.  Now I live in Minneapolis, MN with my wife, Cheryl, of 12 years and our three kids – Joseph, 12, and Phillip and Emily who are nine years old.  My goals for this race are to 1.) finish, and 2.) want to do another Ironman.  Of course, in the back of my mind I have some time goals, but those are really wishes – I’ll focus on time goals in any subsequent Ironman events.  So far the training and group camaraderie through EN has been a tremendously enrishing experience – one that I will always remember and value.

——————————————————————-

Beth Schwindt (standing)

Beth Schwindt –  I’m a Chicago dweller who has had the privilege of training with the NIL Sleeper Cell, and the EN Chicas this season. In my second season with Endurance Nation, I’ll be tackling my first Ironman.
What a journey it has been! New powermeter and TT bike to master, along with making four and half hour bike rides and eating lots of fake food the new normal. With all the work in the bank, I’m looking forward to racing with the bet-winning Endurance Nation women, and all of Team Ironman Wisconsin 2010. This is the year of Endurance Nation bringing the pink!

——————————————————————–

Leigh and Dave Boyle

IMWI ’10 will be Team Boyle’s third household IM throw-down (it will be Dave’s 3rd and Leigh’s 5th). This years “friendly wager” = best even or negative split run. The winner will enjoy lazy evenings and weekends while the loser will be in the backyard with a flamethrower and machete scrambling to tackle the jungle yard before all the leaves come down. The neighbors are particularly happy that the spandex couple will go into hibernation for the fall and winter and that “that house on the street” will finally be taken care of. In terms of preparation, both Leigh and Dave are happy with their preparation and ready to race! No time goals are on the table other than to run to the best of their ability in true EN ninja fashion and enjoy the Moooooo-party!

——————————————————————-

Todd Glass

Todd Glass –  I have been with EN since the very beginning.  IMMOO is going to be my 6th IM.  This will be the forth time I have raced in Wisconsin and I am looking to exact a little revenge on this course.   My wife Kate and 3 kids, Justin(6), Tyler(4) and Vida(2) will be supporting me in Madison.   If you see the kids wandering about, be careful, they might ask you to take them to the bathroom (ask Coach P about that one).  This year has been one full of incredible highs and awful lows, all of which made training a little crazy.  In the end, my one goal is to execute the best race that I can.

——————————————————————–

Michele Cellai

I live in Massachusetts, about 20 miles west of Boston, but I am not a native, I don’t say “wicked”. Work FT as a Nurse Practitioner. When cable came to my home town in 1980, I saw Kona and knew that someday I wanted to do that kind of racing. I have been racing tris for 16 years. IMWI will be my second iron distance event, but my first M-DOT. Endurance Nation prepared me for my first independent iron race, I raced by HR and PE. This time around I race with POWER! No amount of “thank you’s” could ever express the gratitude I have for teaching me how to train and how to execute a race. My race is dedicated to the men and women of the armed forces that have fought for our country. I have met my fund raising goal for the charity “Homes for Our Troops”. This charity custom builds homes for permanently disabled soldiers. None of this would be possible without the support of my wonderful husband, Max. Go Chickas!!!

———————————————————————–

Kathy Nelson

I live in Minneapolis, MN with my husband Andres and our 5 boys, Joel (21), Jonah (19), Jon (17), Josh (15) and Joseph (12)…oh and I can’t forget our 8 year old yellow lab, Job (also male)!  I began my journey into triathlon 7 years ago at the age of 40.  I had a running injury, so ended up in the pool and decided since I had to be in the pool I might as well learn to swim; because pool running was really boring!!  So, taught myself to swim, joined a masters class, learned lots more and entered my first triathlon. Since then have done many sprints, olys, halfs and now training for my first IM!  I have enjoyed my first year training with EN. Love the vibe in the haus, the massive amounts of information and the great people!  I want to publicly thank my awesome family…they are an inspiration to me and have supported me 100% in this IM en devour!  Thanks guys I love you!

—————————————-

Heather La Freniere

Heather La Freniere, 41, resides in Evanston IL, married, mother of three (ages 11, 8, 5), senior executive at fast-growing technology finance company based in Denver CO.  I’ve always been a competitive athlete, part of that first wave of Title IX girls – started soccer at age 8 and played through Club level in college at Univ of WI. Competitive swimmer through college at UW as well, ok, 2 years anyway, then I went abroad to Madrid Spain for a year, way better than swimming at the SERF in Madison….Started running by accident after college, got hooked on the competition, ran my first marathon in 1993 – 3 hr 33 min. Completed my first Oly triathlon in 1994 and was completely addicted. Since then have completed 8 marathons (3’10 PR), 8 HIMs, god knows how many Olys and half marathons and one IM – WI in ’08. Preparing for IM-MOO in ’08 was one of the best experiences of my life, enjoyed every new challenge that each week brought; race day was a dream, everything went well and I had a smile from start to finish. Completed the race in 11 hrs 38 min quite satisfied. Found out I was 8th in my AG, 4 Kona slots – so close. Too close, in fact, to just check the box and move on, must try again. Spend next two years working on the bike which included joining EN to improve cycling power. In addition I hopefully have learned how to race properly in order to make use of that new found power and still take advantage of my strength, which is the run.

——————————————–

Robert Matusiak

Hello everyone. My name is Robert Matusiak. I’m 36 y/o and work as a 5th year surgical resident. I have a wonderful and supportive wife Jenny and three beautiful kids. This is my 4th. IM race. Took a couple of years off after my last IM (IMAZ ’07) to work on getting faster at the olympic and 1/2 IM distance. My goals for IMWI ’10 are to execute a solid race plan and finish with a strong marathon. Would love to finish sub-12 hours but will see what the day brings. Looking forward to seeing all of the EN racers and supporters out there!

—————————————

Mark Erkenswick

Sooo…..8-10 sentences about me.   First, I’m a dad x3 (Chloe-8, Ryno-5, Bella-3).  After that, the order isn’t really important.  This is my third year doing this tri-thing, started with a sprint, moved to an oly and a HIM (Augusta) in year 2 and up to the full monte for IM Moo in year 3.  I still fear the swim and dread the run (at least at the IM distance).  I love being on two wheels – MTB, road bike, street motorcycle, dual sport mcy, off-road mcy, you name it.  Mo wheels does not equal mo better in my book.  I live west of Chicago in Wheaton, IL.  For my day job I’m a partner at KPMG and basically deliver professional services mostly related to accounting and auditing.  Here’s me with Bella…

——————————————–

Pam Kassner

Two years ago Pam Kassner thought she said good bye to the hills of Verona, Mt. Horeb and beyond. But she’s headed back to Madison for the 4th time and her 6th Ironman. The pressure is on since she PRed the course by over an hour in 2008. But this EN Cowgirl saddles up with the support of the vast EN knowledge-base and the many wonderful friends that she’s made during the past year, and can’t wait to meet.  She can’t join us at the Team Dinner as she’ll be celebrating the Jewish New Year holiday but look for her on her little pink Guru and sporting some pink clothing including the stylish EN Chica visor come throughout the weekend and race day.

—————————————–

Trevor Garson

Born and raised in Melbourne Beach FL, but live and work in Cedar Rapids IA as a Software Engineer developing fixed and rotary wing displays (avionics) for Rockwell Collins, Government Systems. Started triathlon in 2009 completing my first sprint and Olympic in June and first half in August (Pigman Long Course). Started off 2010 with my first Marathon (Walt Disney World), joined EN shortly after and have been looking forward to my first IM ever since. Picture is of my mom and I on the right from RAGBRAI this year. My mom got me to sign up for my first half marathon in 2007 (my first race ever), and bought me my first road bike. She is flying up from Florida to support me and I would never have started triathlon if it wasn’t for her.

—————————————-

Eric Rueppel

I’m married with two children. My wife’s name is Angella. I have a 14 year old daughter, Anna and an 11 year old son, Aaron. We live in Sturgis, MI-located in the heart of the Amish community. I am an Electrical Contractor with my own business, Prime Quality Electric, LLC. I have been running since high school cross country. I got into triathlons in 2008 doing sprints. I have been with Endurance nation since May of 2009. I really enjoy the triathlon sport and being on the EN team. I have completed two HIM races (Steelhead 2009 and Race for Recovery 2010). At the HIM race this year, I had a 1 hour + PR. I give all the credit to my offseason plan.   Ironman Wisconsin will be my first full Ironman.

—————————————————————–

Mike Castle

This is my fourth Ironman.  All have been at Ironman Wisconsin.  I gracefully entered the 50-54 age group this year.  By the rules I an 51!!!  For those of you who might know him I am Mike Biarnesen’s (Mike B.) brother in law.  Mike has be an EN racer in the past.  In fact his picture is on one of the website banners.  Joined last fall and was able to follow the OS plan and that in combination with a more focused diet resulted in my losing 25lbs.  I can now wear the rehearsal dinner suit from our wedding in 1994.  Married to Kathi with two daughters, Sam(13) and Madison(10).  They will be back and forth during the weekend as they will be playing soccer just west of Milwaukee in a tournament.  While I am the fittest I have been in terms of body composition I have never been known for speed.  Work this spring/summer (it’s good to have a job!) has been a real bear and along with a nagging ankle injury I am not where I planned to be from a fitness perspective so I will just manage accordingly.  Overall, I hope to cross the line between 14:00 and 14:30 right at bar time for the EN crew!  Finally,  racing in the same race as the EN Chicas will be quite the privilege!!!

————————————————————-

Jim Hansen and Family

I’m 35 and live in Gurnee, IL with my wife Andrea and son Drew (2).  IMWI will be my second Ironman, my first being Louisville in 2008 after joining Endurance Nation earlier that year.  This will be my first attempt at racing for Kona qualification.  So, while I’ve announced that goal, I have not set the expectation that I will get it.  This has helped immensely with my mindset going into this race since I always tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to perform.  However, I will do everything I can to achieve this goal that so many spend years chasing.  I will need all the positive mojo from the on-course and on-line Nation to help me get there.

—————————————-

Tony Stocker

Number of previous Ironman finishes: 3
Goals for IM-Moo 2010:

• Make cut-offs (especially challenging will be T2)
• Finish race
• Have decent transition times
• Make up for DNF at IMC 2009

Stretch Goals:

• PR marathon section (5:38:10)
• PR race (16:07:02)

Random thoughts/facts: After IMC last year I was highly motivated to come back strong, but a series of professional and personal issues has pushed IM training farther and farther back in the priority list.  My original goal of not just finishing the race but killing it with 2+ hour PR is long gone and at this point I just want to finish the race on time.  Swimming has been almost non-existent this year, so while I’m a big believer that swimming is just the price of admission and without fixing your stroke your swim times stay basically the same, I’m not sure what my swim will be.  Hoping to be in the same (crappy) ballpark as the last 2 years and come in around 1:40-1:45 but concerned that lack of swimming this year is going to bite me in the untrained muscles big time.  I should be capable of an 8:00 bike on the course if I stay on top of my nutrition and ride steady; most difficult part will be around mile 80-90 when ‘the blues’ sets in and I have to use the One Thing to fight them off — hopefully my One Thing is strong enough this year.  The marathon is a total crap shoot for me; my running base and speed was killer in the spring but hasn’t been up to par recently.  The good news is that if I get off the bike at T2 in time I’ll finish the race in time.  So, unfortunately, as it’s been for me the last 2 years this race comes down to making it to T2 in time, I was hoping to avoid that this year but it is what it is.  It’s about executing now, and executing smart.

————————————————————————-

Mike Blackburn

I am 45 and this is my second Ironman after doing Lake Placid last year on my birthday.  This is my 4th year doing triathlons and I am completely addicted!   I listened in and used some ideas from Endurance Nation at Lake Placid last year, but seriously drank the Kool-Aid this year and am feeling good and looking forward to a great race thanks to all of the words of wisdom!  I am a Team in Training Triathlon Coach and a Certified Level 1 USAT Coach.  In 2009, I co-founded a triathlon club called Detroit Iron and 14 of us raised $20,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  This year we have about 55 members of the club (about 25 doing IM Wisconsin), and will raise about $30 – $40,000.  As a result, I will be wearing a Detroit Iron jersey with our sponsors represented on the jersey, (it is basically the same light blue as the EN Jersey).  However, I will have an EN hat on for the run and my heart is with the TEAM EN!  I have been practicing the gang sign and hope I can pull it out at Mile 18 with a smile on my face!  Can’t wait to officially meet everyone!

—————————————-

Sheryl Woodworth

On March 1st of 2000, my world changed when I was diagnosed with Stage III cervical cancer. Because the tumor was too large for surgery I had radiation and chemo.  My husband and I cried for one evening then decided that we needed to find something positive in all of this.  I credit my faith and support from friends with enduring the treatments.  In a small way, I credit my fear that if I didn’t survive my then young daughters would never have their hair fixed or matching clothing since my husband, by his own admission, doesn’t really want to braid hair or match clothing.   In response to cancer survival I knew I needed to do something to become more fit and fight the effects of early menopause. A friend told me about triathlon and I signed up for my first event, Heart of the Lakes Triathlon in Annandale, MN. What a blast, I signed up for another, purchased a bike for more than my first car and I was hooked. In 2003, I watched my husband complete Ironman Wisconsin and thought, yeah…I’ll never do this. I have now attempted Ironman Wisconsin twice and third time is the charm in 2010. Hear this, I am not an athlete. In fact, I really needed to lose 40 lbs before this race but failed. I’m just an average 49 year old woman wanted to do something fun to stay at some level of fitness.  Call me crazy but I’ve already signed up for Ironman Texas and have a dream of completing 5 Ironman before I call it a day in the Ironman world.   More important than all this is my family, two daughter, Kelsey and Shelby, 18 and nearly 20 and a husband of nearly 23 years.  He is the most patient and long suffering person I know.  They have supported all failed attempts and still plan to be there for this one.   Ya’ll probably won’t be at the finish line when I finish but believe me, all the support for Team EN will make the difference in me finishing!

Bob Arsenault

Bob Arsenault,  age 47, Hampton NH, Chiropractor.
Thanks to my wonderfully supportive wfe, Ellen and kids Ryan 18, Connor 17 and Kelly 11 and their enthusiasm for the sport of triathlon, that once in a lifetime Ironman event in Lake Placid last summer, gets to be repeated again this year in Wisconsin. I chose IMMOO  because of it’s reputation for being hard and I thought by training and executing the EN way that it would allow me to best compete within my age group.  My goal is to improve on my LP time which was 11:03:00, and also place in the top 10 of my age group, which I figure I will need between a 10:30:00-10:40:00. As always my one thing is to make my family proud and to show my kids that by working hard, smart, making the necessary sacrifices, and having a strong will and being disciplined that you can achieve those goals that you set your mind to. I feel this being my 2nd IM that I’ve been able to enjoy the journey a little more this year which has been made particularly special by being a part of such an awesome team.   I will be eternally greatful to EN  and all of it’s members.

———————————————————————-

Interested in joining TeamEN?
Become an ENFan today to receive a 14-day free trial membership opportunity, a FREE Four Keys DVD, and 10% training plan discount.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Athletes preparing for Ironman Wisconsin are eager for any information to give them a leg up on the day.  Having seen the recent reports from Ironman Coeur d’Alene and Ironman Lake Placid, everyone is sure to be excited about their preparations. Without a doubt, a large part of success on race day is being 100% ready to handle whatever the event will bring in terms of the course, weather, the competition, etc.

While no one has all of the answers, here is a quick review of the top questions inside Endurance Nation about racing Ironman Wisconsin.

What is the swim like?
The Madison swim is pretty unique…well, not the swim itself but rather the stadium-like feel the venue offers. The swim is a two lap, counter-clockwise rectangle, with the long sides parallel to the shore, and with a deep water start from the bottom left corner of the rectangle. However, Monona Terrace, packed with spectators at each level and in the parking deck, is on your right shoulder (on way out), giving the swim a very unique feel! Be sure to moo like a cow when you make the first left turn, in true Wisconsin fashion! Note: You do not exit the water at the end of the first lap, just continue swimming.

I’ve heard the Wisconsin transition is crazy? Something about a helix!?!?
Yep. Upon exiting the water and having your wetsuit stripped, you then run up the “helix.” Think spiraling ramp up a parking deck. Everyone has to do it, it’s no big deal, and the spectators lining the helix will make it an experience you’ll never forget! The changing tent? Think huge convention center room with convention center chairs. You then exit, run to your bike, mount at the top of the opposite helix and ride down it. Don’t worry, everyone runs the same distance, and don’t sweat riding down the helix. Again, think parking garage ramp and just take your time. Safety is your number one priority here.

I’ve heard the Wisconsin bike is tough…how tough?
Yes, the IMWI bike course, in our opinion, is the second most challenging on the US Ironman circuit, holding the title for years before IMSG stepped up to take the title. In our opinion, what truly separates one course from another isn’t total elevation gain, winds, etc, but rather how often it forces you to make a decision. Lots of little good decisions create a good day. Lots of little bad decisions add up to create a very bad day. At Wisconsin you are making decisions for the entire 112 miles. Flat, false flat, up, down, left, right, head/cross/tailwind, do I shift/not shift into my small/big ring? Do I power or noodle up this little/big hill?
On the Wisconsin course you are never doing any one single thing for longer than about five minutes.

This creates the opportunity to make a lot of little (and big) mistakes that express themselves somewhere on the run. Wisconsin, more than any other US course, rewards the smart, patient, and disciplined cyclist. Strength can be a liability on this course, if you don’t know how to use properly. We highly recommend you read our Climbing Smart on Race Day article. It’s helped thousands of athletes have great races on hilly courses.

The  course is a stick and loop affair: out of town and generally uphill 16 miles towards Verona and the start of The Loop. Twice through a 40-mile loop, then return to Madison. As we said, the entire course is a never ending affair of rolling hills, turns, and constant terrain changes. We highly recommend you drive (not ride!!) the course before race day.

Ok, what is the run like?
The Wisconsin run course is two laps, winding, urban, mostly flat and not nearly as challenging as the bike course. There are two sorta-significant hills on the course:

1. Observatory Drive, at about miles 8 and 18. A couple of rollers, then a short, steep, switchback downhill that rolls into State Street.
2. State Street, at the end of each lap. Actually, you need to climb up to the Capitol before heading to the end of each lap and, depending on how you’re feeling, that climb can feel like it starts on State Street…or much sooner! Either way, State Street is packed with spectators to cheer you on!

The rest of the run course has a little of everything: turns, roads through campus (and even a lap of the Camp Randall football field!), a shaded dirt walking path next to the lake, hundreds of spectators on State Street, and more. In fact, there will likely be only about 400 yards on each lap where you will not be cheered on by spectators.

What Can My Family Do on Race Day?
If they want to see you on the bike, the town of Verona puts on a neat family festival they can attend while they wait for you to come through town twice. The race should offer shuttles to Verona. Another option is to take one of many county roads to the hilliest hills on the course (Old Sauk, Timberlane, Midtown) and contribute to the Tour de France vibe on the climbs. If they want to stay in Madison while you ride, downtown Madison, and especially State Street, offer a range of activities. In fact, if you look at the run map, you’ll see that your family can station themselves near the ends of State Street and only walk a couple blocks to catch you coming and going many times.

What’s the biggest mistake I could make?
Without a doubt, overcooking the bike, especially on the hills. You really, really need to be thinking out there 100% of the time. We highly recommend that you commit yourself to Just Riding Along (JRA) for the first 90-120′, ignoring the others around you. Coach Rich rode a 5:12 and qualified for Kona in 2002 doing just this: a 72 mile bike ride after a 40 mile warmup.

What is the temperature like on race day?
Temps for IMWI have historically been highly variable. In 2005, it was 95+. In 2006, 55 and raining. Best to be prepared nutritionally for a hot day and gear-wise for a cold one — you just don’t know. At the end of the day, everyone else has to race under the same conditions!

What’s Your Top Swim Tip?
Only go as fast as your ability to maintain good form. If your form begins to go because you are tired or working too hard, just slow down. It’s a long day, so don’t sweat 2-3 mintues on the swim.

What’s Your Top Bike Tip?

You’re basically warming up until about mile 40 of the bike. Don’t worry, the hammerheads will come back to you or you’ll see them on the run. The bike course is very unforgiving and they will pay, don’t worry.

What’s Your Top Run Tip?
Run very easy for the first 6 miles, ignoring the crowds in the first mile. Then settle into your pace, preparing for the real race that starts at mile 18. At mile 18, put your head down and get it done. Count the number of people you’re passing and keep your head in the game. You can do anything for 8 miles!

Additional Resources:

• Podcast: Coach’s Tips — Ironman Wisconsin. More insights on IMWI from Coach Rich.
• Podcast: Four Keys of Ironman Execution Pre-Race Talk, IMWI Edition, from our Ironman Wisconsin Tri Rally.
• Podcast: Advanced Ironman Racing Topics — climbing, descending, bike handling, bike fit principles, bike setup, nutrition and much more!
• Podcast: The Ironman Taper, De-MYTH-ified — Join Coach Rich and Coach Patrick  for this 20-minute podcast on the myths and truths of Ironman tapering. Why we do it, when to do it, and how to do it. Eliminate some doubt, pick up some tips, get ready for your next race EN-style!
• Podcast: Ironman Race Week — Rich and Patrick talk about what to do, and what NOT to do, for every day of your Ironman race week.
• Event: Ironman Wisconsin Four Keys Talk, Friday, 10am at the KSwiss booth.  Join Rich, Patrick, 40+ TeamEN athletes and 100+ other competitors for our patented get-your-head-screwed-on-straight session!
• Complete TeamEN Race Weekend Schedule, including training and beers with the coaches
  

Become an ENFan today to receive a FREE Four Keys DVD, 10% training plan discount code, and a FREE trial membership opportunity.

Popularity: 26% [?]

Here is another weekly installment of updates from our Team members who use Twitter. If you’d like to be considered, be sure to write really cool or witty stuff and include the hashtag “#workworks” into your tweets! Go Nation, Go!

Popularity: 14% [?]

On August 29th, almost 20 TeamEN athletes will put months of hard work to the test at Ironman Louisville. It will be hot, it will be difficult and they will be challenged. But these folks are ready. Let’s take a minute to get to know the people behind the names and bib numbers…it’s a great bunch that we can’t wait to support on race day!

I’m Barb Spitler, a 51 year old triathlete, preparing for my first full IM, in Louisville, KY.  I’m a marathoner, having done 12 thus far; The Great Wall Marathon in China being the most difficult.  I have completed 2 HIM’s (Steelhead) an Olympic distance, and numerous sprint distance races.  My other pursuits include: martial arts, scuba diving, kayaking, hiking, reading, and paranormal research!

This picture is of me and my beautiful Mother, on her 90th birthday in July.  She is a strong woman who has always encouraged me to pursue my dreams.  Completing an Ironman has been a dream for many years.

As a teacher, I strive to inspire my students to believe in themselves, that they can set goals and accomplish them.  Using myself and my experiences as an example, they look at me through different eyes, and at themselves with possibility.  My favorite quote, that I keep on my chalkboard all year is: “Imagine what you would do if you knew you couldn’t fail.” (Anonymous)
I consider myself so fortunate for having found Endurance Nation, Rich and Patrick, and all of my wonderful teamates who make this truly a triathlon family!


Chad Scott — This has been an exciting year for me! I just recently married (2 months ago) the love of my life and I’m so thankful that she is so supportive in all my training and racing. This will be my 3rd Ironman, I’ve competed in IMFL and IMAZ. This particular Ironman was suppose to be my first Ironman about 4 years ago, however, due to injury’s I was not able to compete. So this is my revenge on this race as the first time around I was injured. This will be my 2nd Ironman racing EN style and I have complete confidence in that I can execute my race plan. My goals for this race are to just execute my plan as best as I can and to not dwell on obstacles that might be thrown at me through the course of the day, just stay focused and race in my box! My one thing is “I can do all things through he who strengthens me”!


I’m  Matt Seaton and I joined EN this past December.  I live in Pineville, Louisiana with my wife Cindy and we have three boys (23,18,17).  This will be my third IM and my second time at IM LOU.  After being injured all of 09, I’m really looking forward to IM LOU.  My wife Cindy will be at this race with me and you might hear on the course with her bullhorn supporting the team. Look forward to meeting everyone.


Frank Haun — Both guys will be doing the race in KY.  This being my 6th and my nephew’s first Ironman. We’ll be support by the two lovely ladies in the picture – my wife and mother-in-law along with other family members. Wishing everyone the best Luck and Looking forward to meeting everyone in KY.


Dan Kerr — Lancaster, PA has been my home for the past 19 years. I’m married to Lori and we have two boys, Colin (14) and Kyle (12).

I’ve been with Endurance Nation since the beginning, joining the team after Coach Patrick helped me to my first Ironman finish in 2007. I think I heard Coach Rich deliver one of the first Four Keys talks (though it wasn’t called that at the time) at the epic camp in Lake Placid the month before the 2007 race. “There’s no such thing as a good bike followed by a bad run” reverberated in my head on race day!

Louisville will be my second Ironman. I’m feeling more pressure to perform this time around, but am still fired up about the opportunity. Like many others in haus, the last few years have presented a number of personal hurdles to cross. I’m extremely grateful to be able to toe the line healthy and strong. That will be my race mantra.


Aimee Hendrigan – I live in Boston with my husband Bob, directly across the street from Fenway Park! I was raised in Cambridge, Mass and grew up a swimmer. In college I played varsity water polo (little-known fact: my team nickname was “Killer” – trust me, it was ironic!). After college I spent many fun-filled years in California, where I first dabbled in triathlons. I lived in Santa Barbara, and then in the Bay Area, where I got my masters in city planning at Cal. I’ve been back in Boston for six years and currently work at a foundation, making grants aimed at ending homelessness and creating healthy communities. This is my first Ironman; I’ve done two half IMs in the past year and many sprints and Olympics prior to that. Looking forward to a HOT day!

Scott Liston
Fairfield, OH
M45-49 age group, Ironman Louisville Bib Number 2598
My wonderful family! Eric (18), Deb, Mark (16), Aimee (12), Me, Brian (20)
This is my first Ironman.  I did sprints from ’03-06, Olys from 07 to 09 and also did Muncie Endurathon HIM (5:25) and Toyota Challenge HIM (5:57 in Hurricane Ike, gusting to 60 MPH winds) in 2008.  2009 was a tough year with some knee issues which were diagnosed to be a functional leg length discrepancy that showed up with all the HIM-prep biking.  4mm shims on the left leg later, and voila, I am back in the game!  Time to move up to Ironman!

In high school, I did one year of swimming, one year of cross country, and some soccer.  I was interested in triathlon in the mid 80s and even subscribed to Triathlete mag and bought a Trek tri bike of the era in 1986.  Life (graduate degree, four kids, career) managed to get the priority but I lost weight and did a marathon in 2000 then switched to triathlon in ’03.  In October, I celebrate a decade of fitness and am truly blessed to have family and friends support me on this journey.
I live in Fairfield, Ohio near Cincinnati.  I am a finance manager at Procter & Gamble in corporate new business development getting P&G into new business models, primarily services.  I am married; my beautiful wife, Deb, comes out to races a couple times a year and usually takes home hardware in the duathlon! I have four beautiful children ages 20, 18, 16, and 12.  I am thankful to God for the opportunity to do the sport of triathlon and I look forward to meeting my teammates on Thursday, August 26th.


Dan Gilliatt 31, Winterset Iowa.  This is Ironman #5, I’ve done IMFL x3, IMOO 1x.  I’m not exactly sure why in the heck I chose IMLV.  I’m married to Brittany and live on an acreage in rural Iowa with our two dogs.  In real life I’m a firefighter/paramedic for the Des Moines Fire Dept.  My goal is to nail my execution and put myself in a good spot (relatively) to start racing at mile 18.


Yasko Howell — I started my tri career in 2001,  trained with a friend to do Danskin triathlon in Seattle (women’s sprint race series nationwide), have done bunch of Sprints, Olympics, HIM since then, and finally did my first IM AZ in ’06 (13hr51min), and then IM Japan in ’07 (12hr50min).  It’s been 3 years since IM Japan, and I am very excited to do this race (hopefully in EN way), especially after I had to withdraw from IM China in March due to an injury.  For me (and my husband), IM training/races is a way of life, and we enjoy the journey together.  I feel blessed to be healthy and strong to be able to train and race, and enjoy all the people we meet along the way.  I hope we are showing many good/positive aspects of what triathlon brings to our life to our 12 yr old daughter. (She is a competitive swimmer, and does triathlon occasionally)  Our goal is to do at least 1 IM race in each continent, and we have conquered North America, Asia, and hopefully Europe next year (signed up for Regensburg in ’11).  Maybe I could qualify for Kona when I am in the 60s!   I can’t wait to see Coach Patrick and all the IMLou peeps I got to know via the group forum!


Michael Johnson – 7th IM of career. Did IMLOU last yr. with the WRONG gearing….still set a PB!! (12:37) Definitely looking for another PB..Hoping for sub12hr if all goes well. I will be entered in the Executive Challenge this year (will be wearing their white kit) on raceday. If I see any EN kit it will say hi.


Rick Jansik, 48 years old, born and raised in Miami, Florida and currently living in Tampa. I have three children, twin sons who are 24 and a 14 year old daughter.

Two years ago I retired from 24 years in the Army, I am now working at US Special Operations Command as a civilian Intelligence Analyst.

I started participating in running events back in 2001 finishing my first marathon in 4 hours 20 min.  Since then I have finished 12 marathons (pr 3:45), 14 half marathons as well as many distances in between.

I competed in my first triathlon in 2007, since then I have finished at least 10 per year. I have steadily improved my age group finishes, July 30th I was second in AG at the Ft Desoto Top Gun Triathlon.

My first Ironman Louisville goal is to finish, second I would like to finish close to 11 hours.

Between running, triathlons and duathlons I will compete in at least 25 events this year.  With the help of my Endurance Nation training plan I am at my peak in physical fitness which I plan to take advantage of as long as I can.

I will be bringing my best friend and personal motivator Laura to the race; I look forward to meeting all my fellow EN competitors.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Our OS Seminar and recent series in the blog have solicited several emails from training plan customers, inquiring about how to stack our plans across a season. Let’s discuss:

The Plans Themselves
We currently offer:

• 20wk OutSeason
• 12 and 20wk IM and HIM training plans

OutSeason:
Low volume, high intensity solutions to make you much faster. Notes:

• 5-8hrs total volume per week
• Divided into 3 training plans: a FTP/Threshold/T-pace block, a Vo2Max block, another Threshold block.
• Swims are not scheduled into the plan, but the plan includes tables with 20wks x 2-3 swim per week x Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced options, so you can insert them into the weekly training schedule wherever you want, if you do chose to swim in the OutSeason.

Long Course Training Plans (HIM and IM)

• 20wk plans = 8wks of General Prep + 12wks of Race Preparation training. These are written from the perspective of “this person may be starting this plan without a good base of fitness = we start things out slowly and ramp up gradually.” Think you pick this plan up in January to train for IMCDA after having not done much organized training since your last race at the end of October…as an example.
• 12wk plans = this 12wk Race Prep phase above. That is, the 12wk plans are IDENTICAL to the last 12wks of the 20wk plans. In contrast to the 20wk plans, we assume that you have been doing at least 8wks of organized training before dropping into this 12wk plan. We drop you right into Race Prep training on Day 1 with no gentle ramp up.

Now, after this preface, let’s talk about how we recommend you fit all of this togther across season. Notes:

• The OutSeason plans are our bestest tools for making you much, much faster while also keeping your training volume committment very low for a long time. This is a very, very good thing for you as an age grouper. So, whenver possible, we like you to default to this OS flavor of training because it’s so effective, the volume is so low, allowing you to preserve your head and your lifestyle committments for a long time.
• You are going to exit the OS plan very, very fit, even with it’s low volume requirement. You will exit the OS plan far more fit than Week 1 of our 20wk plan assumes you to be. For this reason…
• We prefer that our OS graduates only train for their A-race (HIM or IM) for 12 to 16wks. By this, we mean feet on the floor at 5:30am, head focused and actually training for this one event 12-16wks away. In our experience maintaining this focus for longer than 16wks begins to take a large mental toll.

Let’s now apply these thoughts to some annual schedule case studies:

Early Season (April – mid June) Half Ironman:

• Start the OS plan on whatever date of the calendar you can committ yourself to hard, but short, work for 20wks. We strongly recommend that you do not end your season and then drop right into our OS plan. You’ll want 2-4 or more weeks to decompress, pretend you’re a normal person, etc before you committ to making yourself much faster. So when exactly you start the OS plan is not as important as “is your head in the right place to start?”
• Next, back plan 6-12wks from your early season HIM.
• How does the end of your OS fit within this 6-12wk window? In our experience, you can go straight from our low volume OS right into the last 6wks of our HIM training plan and have a very, very successful race. Not so sure? Exit the OS plan at 8, 10, or 12wks out. Or you can add 30-45′ to the OS long run option and 1-1.5hrs to the OS long bike option, to give yourself a head start on the HIM plan volume while still keeping yourself in the OS plan…and making yourself much, much faster.

The guidance above works for a sorta early season IM as well, like IMCDA, for example, or IMUSA if you are cold-winter athlete.

• Stay in the OS plan until ~16wks out from your IM
• Consider adding volume to the OS long bike and long run, per above, if weather permits.
• Better yet, schedule an April or May HIM, doing:
  • 20wks of the OS plan, or as much as you fit in
  • Then insert yourself into the last 16wks or so of our 20wk IM plan, inserting your HIM into this IM training plan.

Late Season Ironan (IMCA, Louisville, WI, etc)

• Full 20wks of the OS
• 6-12wks of HIM training for a May or June HIM, then…
• Transition to the last 10-12wks of our 12wk plan in route to your Ironman
• If you find yourself with some messy weeks or just not sure what to do, your default solution is the OS plan.

Within this guidance there are many, many more considerations and we could talk this stuff for days. Questions?

• TeamEN: post your Q’s to the Macro Thread here
• ENFans: post your season planning, training plan stackin’ Q’s to this blog post and we’ll try to answer them.

Become an ENFan to save 10% on our training plans, and get a FREE Four Keys DVD.

By Rich Strauss

Popularity: 14% [?]