Product Description
Each year, more than 2,000 athletes converge on Madison to participate in this Ironman, which features a 2.4 mile swim in Lake Monona, a 112 mile bike ride through Wisconsin farmland, capped by a 26.2 mile marathon run through the University of Wisconsin campus to a finish line at the state capital building steps.
It's a tougher race than meets the eye. Weather conditions can fluctuate wildly. A seemingly tame bike course, based on comparing elevation changes with Ironman races in Lake Placid and Canada, can actually be as challenging. And if the heat reaches 90 degrees or more, as it has in the past, the marathon becomes a race of attrition.
I've completed the event five times, and observed it as a spectator twice. So, having seen it from both sides, I can tell you just about everything you need to know to finish Ironman Wisconsin.
The experiences are all presented here.
The first chapter, What to Expect on the Ironman Wisconsin Course serves as a general race overview.
The next six chapters detail my experience and perspectives from each Ironman Wisconsin since the race’s debut in 2002.
Chapter 2, Ironman Wisconsin 2002: Debut in Madison, describes my first race on the course, compares the course to the Ironman Lake Placid course (which I had finished seven weeks earlier), and includes strategy during the race to finish with a qualifying spot for the 2003 Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona Hawaii.
Chapter 3, Ironman Wisconsin 2003: 100-degree Finish, describes the hottest Ironman Wisconsin ever, what it was like to compete in the vigorous heat, while trying to earn a repeat visit to the Ironman Triathlon World Championship.
Chapter 4, Ironman Wisconsin 2004: Down, But Not Out, details what was my best Ironman race ever, until it all went bad deep into the run. It was my first stunning defeat on the course, but I was able to extract new lessons while finishing under 11 hours.
Chapter 5, Ironman Wisconsin 2005: Finishing Against the Odds, steps back to observe the overall race while still racing. I posed the question ‘what drives you?’ and examined the way others competed, what made them thrilled to become Ironmen and Ironwomen, and their emotions at the finish.
In Chapter 6, Ironman Wisconsin 2006: Observations From the Sidelines, I tell what it’s like to watch an Ironman as a spectator. I had become a little burned out by Ironman racing in 2006, so I skipped the race. My son and I visited various spots of the course during the race, and saw some amazing athletes. It opened my eyes about Ironman races from a different point of view.
Chapter 7, Ironman Wisconsin 2007: Rider’s-Eye View Perspective, is dedicated to breaking the bike course down, mile-by-mile in terms of elevation changes and speed from my actual 5:53:57 bike split during that race, and provides access to the complete archive of photos I shot from the bike.
The last chapter, Everything You Need to Know to Finish an Ironman, resulted from answers I’ve given hundreds of athletes over time regarding what to do before and during the race, relative to all the details. It assumes you’ve done the training, and focuses on everything else you might need to know, from nutrition to bike setup, from transition to finish.
Photos throughout this book were taken by me before, during and after various Ironman Wisconsin races in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
You can live a lifetime in an Ironman Triathlon. This book describes what it's like, and what you can expect at Ironman Wisconsin.
It's a tougher race than meets the eye. Weather conditions can fluctuate wildly. A seemingly tame bike course, based on comparing elevation changes with Ironman races in Lake Placid and Canada, can actually be as challenging. And if the heat reaches 90 degrees or more, as it has in the past, the marathon becomes a race of attrition.
I've completed the event five times, and observed it as a spectator twice. So, having seen it from both sides, I can tell you just about everything you need to know to finish Ironman Wisconsin.
The experiences are all presented here.
The first chapter, What to Expect on the Ironman Wisconsin Course serves as a general race overview.
The next six chapters detail my experience and perspectives from each Ironman Wisconsin since the race’s debut in 2002.
Chapter 2, Ironman Wisconsin 2002: Debut in Madison, describes my first race on the course, compares the course to the Ironman Lake Placid course (which I had finished seven weeks earlier), and includes strategy during the race to finish with a qualifying spot for the 2003 Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona Hawaii.
Chapter 3, Ironman Wisconsin 2003: 100-degree Finish, describes the hottest Ironman Wisconsin ever, what it was like to compete in the vigorous heat, while trying to earn a repeat visit to the Ironman Triathlon World Championship.
Chapter 4, Ironman Wisconsin 2004: Down, But Not Out, details what was my best Ironman race ever, until it all went bad deep into the run. It was my first stunning defeat on the course, but I was able to extract new lessons while finishing under 11 hours.
Chapter 5, Ironman Wisconsin 2005: Finishing Against the Odds, steps back to observe the overall race while still racing. I posed the question ‘what drives you?’ and examined the way others competed, what made them thrilled to become Ironmen and Ironwomen, and their emotions at the finish.
In Chapter 6, Ironman Wisconsin 2006: Observations From the Sidelines, I tell what it’s like to watch an Ironman as a spectator. I had become a little burned out by Ironman racing in 2006, so I skipped the race. My son and I visited various spots of the course during the race, and saw some amazing athletes. It opened my eyes about Ironman races from a different point of view.
Chapter 7, Ironman Wisconsin 2007: Rider’s-Eye View Perspective, is dedicated to breaking the bike course down, mile-by-mile in terms of elevation changes and speed from my actual 5:53:57 bike split during that race, and provides access to the complete archive of photos I shot from the bike.
The last chapter, Everything You Need to Know to Finish an Ironman, resulted from answers I’ve given hundreds of athletes over time regarding what to do before and during the race, relative to all the details. It assumes you’ve done the training, and focuses on everything else you might need to know, from nutrition to bike setup, from transition to finish.
Photos throughout this book were taken by me before, during and after various Ironman Wisconsin races in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
You can live a lifetime in an Ironman Triathlon. This book describes what it's like, and what you can expect at Ironman Wisconsin.
