Ep. 9: Ironman Wisconsin 2024 Build, Community, and a Cutoff-Clock Finish
Holly, Laura, and Maggie discuss the purpose of Average Age Groupers—sharing everyday endurance-sport stories and perspectives on training, rest, and balance—then dive into their Ironman Wisconsin build and race-day experiences. They describe winter base work indoors, a key 70.3 at Musselman, and how training escalated after mid-July, including nutrition struggles, bike discomfort, and the mental toll of long solo rides. They emphasize the expense of Ironman, the value of coaching for accountability, and especially the community that formed around their training, highlighted by a large supported “simulation” long ride where Laura hit a breaking point but kept going. On race day, Holly manages the windy bike and finishes with late-run support, while Laura battles headwinds, barely makes T2 cutoff, runs with Casey, and finishes in an emotional last-minute sprint amid news the run course was about a mile long.
00:00 Welcome Back Crew
00:55 Why Rest Matters
01:27 Ironman Wisconsin Tease
02:30 Bike Bag And California
03:19 Why Full Ironman Now
04:58 Winter Base Building
07:02 Musselman Tune Up Race
08:12 When Training Gets Real
09:42 Bike Struggles And Bonking
11:55 Coach Costs And Budget
14:44 Community Makes It Possible
18:33 Longest Ride Simulation Day
21:22 Cemetery Breakdown And Coke
26:58 Race Day Starts Swim Calm
30:55 Bike Headwind Reality Check
33:10 Chasing on the Bike
34:01 Mount Horeb Breakdown
35:17 Wind and Three Hills
36:48 Loop Two and Empty Crowds
38:54 Tailwind Back to Town
40:50 T2 Tales and Cutoffs
43:01 Illegal Pacer Run
44:36 Course Changes and Safety
47:49 Watch Dies and Bargaining
51:15 Finish Line Reflections
53:16 Cutoff Panic Sprint
58:45 Tears and Unfinished Business
01:01:27 Wrap Up Goodbye
Listen to the Pod here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/average-age-groupers/id1889949099
https://open.spotify.com/show/2LJ6G7l1oIRZUIa3lo7NFp
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUYFKP1OYAMiMR1Ve36fOAw
https://www.instagram.com/averageagegroupers/
https://waterfallracing.com
https://www.instagram.com/forwardenduranceclub/
