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Friday's dinner at Gino's had lots of great stories and strategies being shared among all there. And the food was good, too! Evotri's very own Chris Sweet discussed the finer points of the whole race and shared his thoughts on strategies to make it through Ironman Wisconsin successfully.

Lots of folks showed up for the swim. We got to go right from Law Park and swim in front of the Monona Terrace, just like on race day. This allowed everyone to see the infamous helix parking ramps and get a sense of how steep they are. Most folks got at least 1.2 miles in, with some opting for the whole 2.4 miles.

From the swim, we made our way out to Verona's Veteran's park, where we took over the shelter and set up camp for the day. Stu stayed behind and took some great shots of the group. In all, I think we had about 50 people head out on to the course together. I set out with my Evotri teammates for a single loop.

This was going to be my longest ride of the year and my first time out on the Ironman course. Up the first rollers and then down, it felt good to be back. I knew I was having fun when I tore down Garfoot road. I got my 40+ miles and an relieved Stu at the park. There, Steve and I set up the blender from CycleOps and I went to get some alcohol and ice for blending. (See how much fun it was.)

Folks started coming in from their own loops, with many heading back out for a second loop. Some went into Madison and back for a 70-mile day. By now the sun was high in the sky, and the heat was picking up. All the more reason to stay hydrated with cold margaritas in the shelter.

After some issues with the grills, Steve and I got them lit and the meat cooking. Note, be sure to check the hamburger size on the packaging before purchasing half-pound burgers. Although tasty, they took a while to cook. But, many thanks to Steve for the grilling expertise and high-fashion sense. Although, I do think the Little League moms got nervous once the "Tickle Fight" shirt came out. (See Steve's photojournal of the weekend.)

Sunday morning we talked through the transition layout and I biked along the runners with a bike trailer full of water. Lots of humidity and sun made it tough for some after the day before. All were in great spirits, though.

Best of luck to all the WIBA folks doing Ironman Wisconsin this year. Thanks again for coming and we hope to see you again next year!

I'll get a WIBA summary up soon, but wanted to share with you the best part of the weekend. Speedo Steve put together a great video summary with a cameo by yours truly at the end. Thanks Steve! And a special thanks to CycleOps for use of the "trainer"!

UPDATE: TODAY is the last day the rooms will be reserved at the Sheraton at the group rate of $99. If you don't have one yet, now is the time!

There's still time to sign up for this year's the Wisconsin Brick Adventure on July 9-11, 2010.

The year promises to be as exciting and fun as ever, with a reduced, but action-packed schedule with clinics, training and camaraderie. Wisconsinbrickadventure.com has the tentative schedule, map of the starting points, and other essential locations, and lodging suggestions. We have rooms reserved at the Madison Sheraton for $99/night.

Please sign up via EventBrite. It's a necessary step for us to assist in planning dinners and the clinics for the weekend. If you don't register, we can't promise you'll be included in the events.

Check out the site, and let us know if you're coming.

I'm pleased to present, along with Team Evotri and IronWil, the Wisconsin Brick Adventure on July 9-11, 2010.

The year promises to be as exciting and fun as ever, with a reduced, but action-packed schedule with clinics, training and camaraderie. Wisconsinbrickadventure.com has the tentative schedule, map of the starting points, and other essential locations, and lodging suggestions. We're working with the Sheraton to set up a block of rooms at $99/night. Stay tuned on how to reserve a room, if necessary. Please sign up via EventBrite. It's a necessary step for us to assist in planning dinners and the clinics for the weekend. If you don't register, we can't promise you'll be included in the events.

Check out the site, and let us know if you're coming.

Have you signed up for The Wisconsin Brick Adventure (WIBA) yet? The laid-back, self-supported training weekend on the Ironman Wisconsin course is coming up really soon. Swim, bike and ride with Evotri team members and others that have experience in the race. Check the site out for more information and registration. Hurry! Registration closes soon!

Whew! What a weekend. Everything was a blast! So many good times had by so many great people. Be sure to follow along Steve's and IronWil's accounts to learn more about all the shenanigans.

The weekend started off with a bang after learning about a sewage spillage early Friday, I scrambled to relocate the swim to a location upstream of Lake Monona. We settled on the Memorial Union Terrace and Lake Mendota. Friday continued with a great dinner at Gino's (on the IM WI run course!) and Training with Power education from Angie Sturtevant.

The swim went very well at the new location, despite some friskiness between Pharmie and Steve behind one of the moored sail "boots."

We then headed back to Olin Park to start the bike ride. About 30 of us rolled out and head to the driftless area and the famed Ironman Wisconsin hills. I lasted until Mt. Horeb, where I limped in from a mislocated cleat riding my borrowed BMC from Stu. There, I traded spots with Stu, and hopped in with IronWil's spectacularly awesome husband, James and drove around snapping pictures of everyone riding the course.

We were hanging out in Mt. Horeb when all of a sudden, the sky darkened, winds increased rapidly from 20 mph to 50 mph gusts, the temperature dropped, and a short burst of a thunderstorm rolled through. But after the clouds left, the sun came out and everyone rode on, enjoying the strong winds back to Madison.

Dinner went very well at The Great Dane. I always enjoy the Saturday dinner because you can sit back and just listen to everyone sharing stories about the day, laughing away. And the beer is good, too.

Sunday brought the final run, bike clinic and the run-strike analysis at Endurance House. I got some new shoes that will hopefully alleviate my blister issues I was having in the Gel Nimbus. I ended up with the award wining Etonic Kendari. Justin and I worked through about 4 different shoes, even though these were the first ones I tried on.

We're always looking for ways to improve WIBA, so please let us know what we can do to make things better for you.

Signup for WIBA closes really soon! Have you signed up yet?

I'm pleased to present, along with Team EvoTri and IronWil, the Wisconsin Brick Adventure on June 27 to June 29, 2008. Don't forget support from BMC, CycleOps, VisionQuest, Sram, and Zipp.

The year promises to be as exciting and fun as ever, with a reduced, but action-packed schedule with clinics, training and camaraderie. What started in 2006 with about 15 people has grown to have its own domain name: wisconsinbrickadventure.com. Go there for all the necessary information about the weekend. It includes the tentative schedule, map of even locations, and lodging suggestions (which is extremely limited). NEW this year: We're requiring free, on-line registration via EventBrite. It's a necessary step for us to assist in planning dinners and the clinics for the weekend. If you don't register, we can't promise you'll be included in the events.

Check out the site, and let us know if you're coming.