RobbyB's WIBA Report

When IronWil first announced she'd registered for Ironman Wisconsin, I immediately contacted her and invited her to Madison to check out the course. After some planning and a bunch of e-mails, the weekend was picked and an itinerary was set.

I was a bit nervous for my role in the weekend. I was playing host, offering my lone year in triathlons as "expert" experience. Thankfully, there were others, particularly Thomps and SimplyStu. Both had also completed several tris and IM WI in previous years and would be along for the ride. I was also a touch apprehensive because I knew the others only in digital form. Although lots get shared via blogs, that is only one part of the person. There's much more to a personality than a digital representation.

I met up with Stu and Jeff (Thomps) for dinner on Friday. Then SLS and her husband arrived from the Twin Cities. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. It was all good because the five of us shared lots of fun stories. And then the ladies showed up. In walked IronWil, TriSaraTops, and Elizabeth and took the place over. All had fun sharing stories of eating, training and fender-benders long into the evening.

Saturday morning would dawn bright, hot and windy. Perfect conditions for a training ride. Because, as tradition has it, Ironman Wisconsin tends to be on the hottest day of the summer. I met Thomps and the ladies at their hotel and we caravaned to Fireman's park in Verona. It traditionally is the base for all IM WI training rides, but IronWil thought (at first) it was all for the WIBA ride. Alas, not all 50+ riders were there for WIBA, but about 15 were. A very nice crew set out.

Based on a tip from Stu, we decided to visit the entire course, rather than do two loops. So, we set out for Madison on what I call the IronLink. In 2005, I rode the IronLink 20 times in various training rides. Seventeen were just the Link itself; the remaining three included rides with the loop (aka IronLoop) in some capacity. In 2006, I had only been on it once. It felt good to be back on the familiar course. We got ourselves a touch spread out, but were able rejoin as we reached Madison and the Monona Terrace. We spent some time staring up at the parking ramps, used on race day as the swim-in and bike-out & bike-in entrances to the transition area within the convention center. The lake lapped at the shores, begging the future Ironman competitors to go for a swim. And they will in two months. Defueled (we peed), we made our way back out to Verona to tackle the main section of the course, the IronLoop.

Now refueled, we set out for the hills on the Loop. Not too long into the ride, I get a call from IronWil. She took a digger and thought she was lost. A quick review of her turns got her back on course (she never left it) and then my phone froze. It didn't shut off or drop the call, it actually froze up. The screen froze, no buttons worked, no beeps, nothing. I checked the battery, took it out and put it back, but nothing came back on. So I turned back to see the group coming along. Phew. Now I was just down a phone. Who cares? Let's just keep riding. We got caught up at the next turn and made our way to Mt. Horeb. (You also might hear it as "Mt. Horrible.") Just a few rollers and then the long steady climb.

Wait, my phone's ringing...It's Stu! Turns out he missed us in Verona and now will meet us in Mt. Horeb. Sweet! (And good news that my phone works again!) Out next rest stop was at the Kwik Trip and featured another stop to record some audio and comment on Elizabeth's sweet purple helmet. She promised us a new one with a custom paint job was in the works. Stu added a huge spark to the group and the change in scenery from the valley to the hilltops wowed our flatland friends. Up and down the rollers along Witte Rd and the big descent on Garfoot Rd brought us into Cross Plains and our second rest stop.

Now the tough stuff. From Cross Plains, we turned south into the wind and heat. This is always the hottest part of the course. I could sense some tension rise as we talked about the hills to come. This next section has three: Old Sauk Pass, Timber Lane, and Mid-Town Rd. The first and longest is Old Sauk Pass, followed nearly immediately by Timber Lane. Back to back, this section is formally known as the Degree Toughest Section and draws the largest crowd (including the local Devil) next to the party held on Main Street in Verona. Everyone cruised right up the hills without any problems. We did run into some issues on Midtown Rd. It was recently chip sealed and the loose gravel proved to be a bit much for some of us and traction was lost.

Traction aside, it was amazing to see the confidence of SLS, IronWil and TriSaraTops grow as we announced there were no more hills. Like any good fish tale, with every thought of the course, the hills in their mind had grown to be insurmountable peaks that lift straight into the clouds. The weight of the course dropped off their shoulders as we cruised back into Verona. They knew they have the ability, strength and courage to complete the course.

Overall, I had a blast riding the course with everyone and it reaffirmed that having fun is just as important as any workout. When I'm asked how the Ironman was from me, I still surprise everyone by telling them that most of all, "I had fun." If I'm not having fun, it's not worth it. So, to those that spent the day together sweating, swearing and climbing the hills, thank you for reminding me that it's all about the fun. Amongst a hectic life, I've missed that this year and didn't even know it was gone.

My one last piece of advice for all those out competing, enjoy what you're doing. You're doing it because you choose to do so. You're doing it because someone told you you couldn't. You're doing because you saw someone else and said, "me, too." But most of all, I hope you to do it because you enjoy it. I know this group does.

Pictures from Steve (click on each for a description):