10 Day Forecast

You can click here for the 10 day forecast for Madison.
Please only check the weather a maximum of 75 times per day as it may change.

14 Day Forecast

And the 14-day forecast is up boys and girls. On September 9th it's suppose to be a little chilly with thickening clouds and a little rain for the run.

Well, it looks like Tommy might get his wish - this is shaping up to be his kind of day. I cannot imagine how much shopping Pepper will now do to prepare for these expected temperatures. Remember, you can click here to order sweatshirts for all of your TEAM STL supporters!!!

Team Profiles

With Ironman Wisconsin 2007 fast approaching, we figured it was time to profile the men of TEAM STL and the lovely ladies who have supported them throughout this journey. Completing Ironman is only worthwhile if you have friends and family to hold you up when you cross the finish line. Who says that triathlon is not a team sport??? Without the support of all of our wives, none of this would be possible.
Click Here for the team profiles.

IM MOO BABY!
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

Support The Team

For those that are traveling to Madison to support TEAM STL, make sure that you do it in style by wearing the right apparel. Click here for all of your supportive TEAM STL wear. Just think about how cool you will look while cheering the guys to the top of Verona!

YES - you can actually order this stuff!!!

WARNING: Ironman Wisconsin takes place in a college town and college women go crazy for TEAM STL apparel. Wear this stuff at your own risk.

Ironmeeting - REVISITED

With less than three weeks to go, I decided to go back through several past entries. I have been in a very reflective mode lately and this helped me remember everything that we have been through just to get to this point. I could not help but laugh when I went back to November 12th, 2006 when we all got together to discuss this adventure...




In a scene that was reminiscent of the heads of mafia families getting together to divy up the world, the Peppers, Rosenthals and Strassners convened to set the training and travel schedule for next year. John provided a five tabed binder that layed out a comprehensive program. Julie countered with a folder detailing massages and manicures for the ladies. When all was said and done everyone felt good about the overall balance of family and training. Much was accomplished including absolutely overwhelming one Marianne Rosenthal but hey, you have to start somewhere.

Pleasant Prairie

While I spent the entire weekend on the couch with my foot elevated, Bill Cragg continued training Hawaii style, and the remainder of TEAM STL headed north to Pleasant Prairie for a sprint triathlon. I am not quite sure how this sprint (which required 12 hours of driving and an overnight stay) made it on to the schedule but I do know that it was Rosenthal's idea!!! Despite the fact that it rained the entire time, all was not lost in the fact that the boys got to have dinner with Amy. These guys will do anything just to be able to hang out with her.

Nutritional Plan

After endless discussion, research, debate, emails to Luc, trials and tribulations, I believe that I have my nutritional plan dialed in for Ironman. It is a good amount of eating and drinking that takes advantage of both solid and liquid calories. I have practiced this on my long rides and will give it another go again this weekend before setting it stone. Click here to see my current nutritional plan for Ironman Wisconsin.

Dr. Blair Is The Best

Not only is her last name the same as Jack's middle name but she also really knows what she is doing. I will say this though, every one of her sentences begins with the pre-amble... "now, I have to warn you, this is not the most comfortable feeling in the world." And then, she inflicts pain on your ailment. The kicker, however, is that she makes you feel better.

I went to see Dr. Blair and Dr. Cragg today and they both worked on my foot. The good news is that nothing is broken and Bill tells me that I will be good to go for Madison. He gave me a bunch of stretches and recommended continuing with the ice baths (this is more painful then the injury) in order to get healthy for IM Moo. I cannot tell you how helpful it is to have a friend in the sports medicine business. The folks at SLIR really know their stuff. I felt much better after they worked on me - both physically and mentally.

Trainer Luc

As for the training... I would advise the following...

- Ice for 12min every 2hrs until swelling is down
- Elevate your foot, higher than heart, for 15min anytime that you can
- Compression with an ace-wrap during the day.

Training... Nothing for the next five days or until the swelling id down anddiscoloration is less...

It will not affect your level of fitness... but if you keep training (swimming or cycling)... it may prevent you to complete your race because of pain.

Reduce your calories during the rest period...
Increase Iron and vit E, C, B and protein with L glutamine for recovery ofinjury... if you can have so ultra-sound perform on the injured area.

Luc

Iced Foot

I got up early to run today before catching a flight to Chicago. Less than one mile into the run I rolled over on my ankle and sprained it. I hobbled back home and put some ice on my now swollen foot. By the time that I returned from Chicago in the evening my foot was huge and bruised. Not good!

Special Needs

With three weeks to go, I was searching the internet and found some great tips from coach Mike Ricci of D3Multisport about what to have in your race day special needs bags along with some frequently asked questions and answers. Thought that I would pass them along...

I hope everyone is getting excited as we count down the days to your Ironman. Here is a quick note on Special Needs for Ironman and also Nutrition. I think most of you have these dialed in but just take a look to see if you have any questions.

Special Needs at Ironman
For an Ironman race you are given a Run Special Needs bag and Bike Special Needs bag. You drop both of these bags off the morning of the race in the appropriate bin (make sure your number is on your bag!).

Bike Special Needs
Some athletes carry all their nutrition for the race with them – for me that’s around 1800 calories BUT you should put an extra bottle of nutrition in your Special Needs bag in case you drop a bottle during the race Another important item to in there is an extra gel flask and sometimes something to keep you going such as: gummy bears or a frozen snickers bar. That tends to keep the motivation high on the 2nd half of the bike. Also, put an extra tire and CO2 in there as well so if you have a slow leak on the bike or have already flatted you will have back up. If the weather is predicted to be wet, may put a rain jacket or vest in that bag as well.

Run Special Needs
In your run Special Needs bag put an extra bottle of your favorite drink, something sweet to suck on like gummy bears, maybe a change of socks, Vaseline, salt tablets and a long sleeve shirt or jacket if you are going to be out on the course after sunset.

FAQ:

Do I bring the first half of my race nutrition with me and leave the second half in my special needs bag. Or do I pack it all and carry it with me the whole time?

My suggestion it to carry everything you want for the race and then put an extra bottle of nutrition in your Special Needs Bag. I have split my nutrition before and it has worked well so either option is ok, but I prefer to bring it all with me on the bike. I know to put things in the bag that I might want; ie peanut butter sandwich, etc. But how do you strategize and pack what you know you'll need?I tend to put everything I want in there – no doubt about leaving anything out.

FAQ:

My plan was to have the first 3.5 hours of CarboPro with me on the bike and pick up the second half of the powder in a bottle at special needs. Do they have water at the special needs areas to then mix my powder?

There is water at the aid stations which is ‘usually’ next to a Special Needs Station, but I would not count on that. If you end carrying 2 bottles full of powder for 10 miles and you are thirsty, that might throw the overall plan off. What you could do is get water at the aid station, fill your bottle with it and carry the powder in a plastic bag that you could empty into your bottle that has water in it.

FAQ:

I was going to carry all my Shot Bloks and Nuuns for the whole ride with me from the beginning. I'm not sure how to prepare for this.

What do you do? I would use a Bento Box for this: http://www.tri-sports.com/tnitrzbentobox.html

30 Days To Go

I read somewhere that those who train for IM tend to get emotional during the last 30 days. It is easy to understand why- this journey provides us with so much to look back on and so much to be grateful for. There is something very special that unites those that are on the quest to earn the right to wear the IM logo. Lifelong friendships are made during the long hours spent on hilly roads. Bonds form between those that delight in pouring over the minutia that encompasses the debate over Cytomax vs. Nuun. Relationships develop between those that have already achieved what the rest of us are trying everyday to attain. The importance of family is highlighted with every swim, bike and run workout. And, like the song says, you learn that "even the best fall down sometimes."

There are a select few that summon the courage to attempt what most deem impossible. They very quickly come to the realization that family, frienships and health are what life is all about. And most importantly, the road to IM teaches you that yes, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

IM Moo Run Course

I gotta tell you, Bill Cragg pointed out just how hilly the run course is in Wisconsin. I have been so focused on the bike portion (the run will be a moot point if I am not able to get through the swim and the bike) that I have not been stressing out about this. However, take a look at the elevation gains that we will get to experience once get out on the run course - pretty major.

Got Nuun?

According to Luc, this is the nutritional item that every racer should have. You just add these tablets to water and you have an instant electrolyte replacement drink. With the STL temps in the mid 90s it is critical to stay well hydrated. This was a pretty tough week for TEAM STL that included two 3200+ swims, two fartleks, a 10 mile run, a 22 mile run and a 70/5 brick. Phew! No wonder I am trying to get a bunch of NUUN in me. Now, if I can only get 8 bottles down on the bike come race day then I will be in pretty good shape.

John's At Bat - According To Seiichi Noda

From Dr. Seiichi Noda in response to the story about Alec...

That is an absolutely heart warming story. You are right, not even Hollywood could have scripted that any better. It reminds me of a story of a boy I know. He too has Crohn's. He lives his life in fear and trepidation every day. Constantly worried that his actions may anger others and is rushing through his life. He loves to do triathlons although he too like Alec, does not do it well. He spends hour after hour worrying about whether he will be ready, will his nutrition be adequate, is he getting home in time. There are times when he feels that his schedule is
overwhelming, his pressures oppressive and the weight of the world is on his little head. Sometimes, even his little "escapes and pleasures" such as The Ghost in the Bikini let him down.
I have a message for that little boy. Buck up little buckaroo and plan on riding your bike this evening (time to be determined) and nourish your body and soul at Cafe Napoli this evening. And someday, God willing, you too will be an ironman. :)

Alec's At Bat

A fellow CCFA Board Member emailed me about a wonderful piece that was published in the Detroit Free Press by Jeff Seidel. It is the inspirational story of a boy named Alec, who lives in excruciating pain because he suffers from Crohn's disease. Alec lives a life his friends don't understand. When he's not in the hospital getting IV treatments or spending time in a wheelchair, Alec tries to play Little League baseball. He's not very good -- Alec went almost the entire season without a hit -- but he tries, and his coaches didn't hesitate to send him to the plate against the best team in the league in the bottom of the 7th with two outs and two men on. What happened next is like something from a Hollywood script, but better. You'll want to read the whole story by clicking here.