Up close with Mike Gadzinski
Mike Gadzinski finished 11th overall and 2nd in his age group at Ironman 70.3 Eagleman in Cambridge, MD. With a Kona slot and a Vegas slot earned, he made a decision that likely made his family and another athlete happy. At the very least it showed distinct priorities.
Slowtwitch: Hi there Mike.
Mike Gadzinski: Hello Herbert. Let me first start with an apology, again, and a sincere thank you! The apology is for my comment on Facebook. The thank you is for this interview!
ST: Mike, no need to apologize, it was seen in humor.
Mike: Ok great, you never know. Sometimes social media comments can be taken out of context and some folks get very touchy. Glad you have a good sense of humor. I was actually glad to see the spotlight on Sami. I spent the better part of the afternoon hanging out with him after the race and prior to the awards at Eagleman. We had some great conversation and he’s a very smart and easygoing guy. It was a true pleasure to spend some time getting to know him.
ST: You only a few days left to the Philly Tri.
Mike: Yes, the Philly Tri in late June is always a very big event here in the local area. It’s close, convenient and typically draws a lot of great local/non-local talent. It is also a great event for a lot of beginner athletes as it allows them to see some of the sport’s top professionals up close.
ST: Is that race kind of like your National local Championships where all the locals compete for bragging rights?
Mike: Interesting. I’ve never looked at it like that but I guess it could be. I mean you have a lot of local guys who have all been in the Top 5 Overall at Age Group Nationals. Each of these guys has raced Philly in the past few years so the field has the potential to get very deep and competitive. Additionally, the race always seems to draw a few out of town competitors that can blow the race apart as well. I guess you really never know what you’re going to get on race day. As for bragging rights, I guess if you were to lay it down and win here you could say so. But in the past, most of the guys I know, are very gracious and I don’t see it as their style. I think they just let their racing do the talking. As it should be…
ST: Do you mind the river swim?
Mike: Not at all. In fact I’ve only done the race in 2007 & 2008 prior to taking things a little more serious. The time’s I’ve been in the water it has always seemed very clean to me. I think the big concern is when we get summer thunderstorms. The storm runoff from the streets coupled with other debris can be an issue. I think back in 2006 the swim might have even been canceled due to those reasons.
ST: Thoughts on the rest of the course?
Mike: Funny you ask. As you know the Philly Pro bike race runs close to where the Philly Tri course is. You hear about the Manayunk Wall and all those crazy climbs but when I initially thought Philly Tri my thoughts went right to the flat road surface on Kelly Drive. I didn’t realize there were a few short hills on both sides of the bike course. Those hills certainly caught me off guard back then. It just goes to show that a little course recon would have paid off. I think the run course is fair. I know they hold a decent amount of local 10K races on that course all season. It’s nothing more than a few false flats with some shade on the first half and hardly any shade on the back half. There is one variable that can really make this course difficult. That’s the humidity and early summer heat. We’ve been lucky so far with a rainy and very mild spring and early summer. In the past it has been downright muggy for this event. If the heat and humidity is something you have a tough time racing in, be prepared.
ST: Did you grow up in NJ and PA?
Mike: Yes. I grew up in South Jersey just about 20 minutes from Philly. The town I grew up in is as close to South Philly as you can get. It seemed that in the 80s there was a huge migration for most of those residents from the city over to the town I grew up in. Arguably, you could probably get just a good of a cheese steak in my town as in Philly! I still currently live in South Jersey but have since moved to a more rural area of the State. I have the luxury of having some great roads to ride on and spend most of my weekends in the NJ State Pine Barrens for my weekly long rides. I can get 60-100 miles of riding without stopping most mornings.
ST: Talk about the hours you currently spend training each week.
Mike: I’m a big believer in consistent training. My biggest weeks heading into Eagleman were in the 16-hour range but I really track weekly mileage versus time. My prep for Eagleman was a solid 20 weeks of consistent training and then a two-week taper. Each week generally consists of 4 swims, 4 bike rides and 6-7 runs. I’m very injury prone so I like to keep weekly volume very consistent and gradually make changes to both volume and intensity over weeks. Sometimes, I’ll repeat the same volume for a few weeks until my body can handle it. The colder months really wreak havoc on me. Being a 180-190 lbs guy it’s a balancing act for me. Too much intensity and I’m hurt. Not enough and it’s tough to go fast on race day. But regardless of what I do, I learned that there’s no sense in showing up to a race hurt. It is better to be a bit under trained and injury free than hurt and unable to race.
ST: Are you actually a cheese steak fan?
Mike: I am not. I use to love them as a kid but it’s not really my thing anymore. In fact I was always a bigger fan of chicken cheese steaks with mushrooms and fried onions. But there’s not much room in my diet for that anymore.
ST: What is your day job?
Mike: I currently work for American Water as a Database Administrator. I’m disguised as a computer geek by day! The job is very rewarding and offers lots of different challenges. It’s something new every day. I really love the variety and flexibility of an IT job.
ST: Does that also make you a numbers geek in terms of power etc?
Mike: Yes. I track just about everything from power to pace to HR. I was always very big with HR training and then three years ago got a PowerTap. I stopped using the HR monitor as a guide on the bike and switched to power. I’ve not looked back since. If anything my riding has become more efficient since adopting the power based approach. I only ride 4 times a week these days. It’s helped really define a purpose for each of my rides. There’s not a lot of wasted time on the bike anymore.
ST: At Eagleman you recorded a very fast 4:08:32 and were 11th overall. We would think that you were pleased.
Mike: Yes overall I am pleased. I gave all I had on race day but certainly it was not a great reflection of my current run fitness. Last year I went 3 minutes faster there in tougher conditions. I was very flat on the run and simply could not get going from the start. I ran faster last year and it was roughly 10 degrees warmer and I was injured. Funny how this sport works! But yes, anytime you can get out and test your mind and body and come away feeling like you gave your all…I think that’s a win.
ST: Going into the race what was the goal?
Mike: Going into the race the goal is always to push things as far as I can and see what my body will give me back. The last three years I’ve been 2nd in my AG here. In 2012 I was 2nd overall AG so I’d be lying if I didn’t have a goal of coming away with an AG OA win here. The funny thing about my AG placing the last three years is that I was literally passed at almost the exact same spot on the course three years in a row. Eagleman always draws a very fast and competitive men’s and women’s field. There’s no better place to test your early season fitness.
ST: Did you know who Sami Inkinen was prior to the race?
Mike: Yes, Sami and I met in 2011 on the podium at Vegas 70.3. I am a bit of a student of the sport and spend a decent amount of time researching my fellow competitors. I’ve always done that from an early age even in swimming. I think it’s great to know who is going to be there in advance especially if you have lofty goals. Knowing the competition’s strengths can help when coming up with your own race strategy. In the case of Sami…I’m not sure it matters. He seems to not have a weakness!
ST: Did you think darn why is he here or does it only matter what you can control?
Mike: I guess what’s funny about that is that I didn’t know he was racing prior to the gun going off. Chris Thomas mentioned it to me out on the bike course in passing. That was the first moment where I knew he was out there. From then on I didn’t give it much thought. Well at least not much thought until he caught and passed me between miles 8-9 on the run. But I fully agree with the sentiment that it’s beyond my control. I can only focus on myself and managing my day to the best of my fitness and ability. Honestly, I enjoy the fact that the fastest guys show up to these races. Racing is the most rewarding when it’s done against the best competition in the sport. I mean just to toss a few names out there; Sam Gyde, Sami Inkinen, Adam Zucco, Adam Webber, Chris Thomas, Steve Johnson. These are just a few of the more recognizable names in the Age Group men’s race to have done Eagleman in the last few years. That’s a pretty impressive list if you ask me.
ST: What did that mean for a Kona spot? How many were up for grabs?
Mike: My AG (35-39) is one of the larger ones. We typically have 2 slots for Kona up for grabs. So with the AG being split in two groups 5 minutes apart, it’s extremely important to realize that even if you don’t get passed out there you still may not be in contention for a Kona slot. I mean we had guys like Adam Zucco in the 2nd wave chasing so there is really no margin for error if you want that Kona slot.
Thankfully, this year my wife and I decided that Kona would not be on the table. I knew going into Eagleman that I was really only fighting for a Vegas slot. Sounds kind of odd but last year I spent a lot of long weekends away from my wife and kids while training for Kona. At some point, to me, it’s just not fun anymore. Meaning, I was getting a little burnt out with the 6-8 hour training session on the weekends. My kids are only young once and my time with them is much more important now.
ST: You sound like a very smart man with priorities in the right spot. There will always be Kona.
Mike: Thank you. I like to think my priorities are in order. I give a ton of credit to my wife. She’s extremely patient and also very supportive of this crazy sport. There’s never a time when she’s not willing to listen or motivate me to get out the door when I’m feeling sorry for myself because the weather isn’t favorable or some other lame excuse comes up. My family makes a lot of sacrifices at times and I want to be fair to them as well. After all this is supposed to be fun! That’s why I try to include my family in this stuff as much as possible. I want them to enjoy it as much as I do.
I also agree that there will always be a Kona but I don’t take it for granted either. A lot of hard work and preparation goes into trying to get one of those slots. I certainly have a high level of respect for that race and the amount of effort that a lot of folks put in to get there or try to get there.
ST: For folks not familiar with the slot allocation process, did you have to choose between a Kona and a Vegas spot or could you take both since you were second in your age group?
Mike: I was offered the Kona slot and the Vegas slot. The choice was both or either. I very well could have taken both. That sure would have been one expensive Sunday afternoon! I’ve actually had that Kona slot in my hand 4 times now and only taken it once.
ST: Wow, I think I can hear some people crying right now who don’t get that.
Mike: Yeah it certainly is a bit of a mind trip having my hands on the slot that many times and passing on it. But at the end of the day you have to do what's right for you. For me the times that I've passed on it I knew 100% that I was not ready to run that marathon after a swim and bike. I've always had goals to go there and race in Kona. I've had the patience to try and let my run develop over years. Last year in Kona it was not only my first Ironman but it was also my first marathon. Prior to last season I simply didn't have the confidence in my weekly running volume to support a good run in an Ironman. After being hurt as bad as I was in 2008 it was more important for me to take a very conservative approach over time. Ultimately, the goal is to go back there again and race it one more time in the future. I have the patience to put the time in now and hopefully build on what I've done in the previous years. I'd love to go back at some point and put it all together. I guess some people may not get that or understand it but the truth is…it's not for them to understand. All the decisions that I make are usually pretty well thought out.
ST: Moving past the Philly race, what else is on your calendar?
Mike: I’m planning on doing the NJ State Triathlon OLY Distance in July. Timberman sprint in August and then heading to Vegas for 70.3 Worlds in September. After that I’ll probably do a few of the local Jersey Shore sprint triathlons for fun between September and October.
ST: Anything else we should know?
Mike: My children are starting to get the triathlon bug and it’s been a real pleasure getting in some of my workouts this year with my kids. It’s a pleasure having them ride with me when I’m getting my run workouts in. I’m also a huge hockey fan and love Mexican food! Ole!
