After a short break we continue with our random age group interviews. Mike Lorenzen is from Chicago and he became part of our random interviews when he became slowtwitch Facebook fan 11,111 on 11/11/11.
Slowtwitch: Mike, we almost had to interview after that fun coincidence, and we are glad you are willing to play along.
Mike: No problem! I was actually surprised I didn’t "Like" Slowtwitch already. I’m not the most active Slowtwitcher or Facebooker, but I thought I was already a fan by this point.
ST: After you became slowtwitch fan 11,111 on Facebook on 11/11/11, you mentioned possibly going out to buy a lottery ticket. Well, did you buy one?
Mike: I bought two actually. I live in Chicago where we have Megamillions and Powerball, so I bought one of each. I suppose I should check if I’ve won, eh?
ST: Are you a lucky guy in general?
Mike: Heck no. I can’t remember ever winning anything that ever required luck.
ST: So have you found out if any of your lottery tickets served you well?
Mike: They served me best as a coaster. I am not instantly wealthy because of my Slowtwitch luck! Too bad - because I could really go for an extended vacation right now.
ST: Chicago is where you currently reside. Has that always been your home?
Mike: Just about. My family spent 6 months in Columbus, OH when I was in high school, and I don’t count going away for college. Truth be told, I didn’t grow up in the city proper, but out in the suburbs. Now I live a couple of blocks from Wrigley Field, which is awesome. We don’t go to as many Cubs games as you’d think, but we get to a few each year and the ambience in the neighborhood is pretty great.
ST: It would appear that triathletes in Chicago fall into 3 camps, those who race the Chicago Tri as a "local World Championship event," those who will avoid this huge event under all circumstances and those who do it once as part of a bucket list. Which camp do you belong to?
Mike: Funny question actually, and you’re right on with your assumption. I’ve done it 3 times now, 2007, 2008 and 2010. After 2007, I found I qualified for the elite wave for 2008. Had I not qualified for that, I would’ve been done with it. I ended up doing it in 2008 because I had a bet with some friends that also were in that wave. Same idea for 2010. So, if it weren’t for my propensity to take on challenges from friends, I probably would’ve been in the “bucket list” camp. I think I’m done with it now, at least from a racing perspective. It’s still a fun event to spectate, especially when I feel like I know half of the field.
ST: What other triathlons in the Chicago area should folks consider?
Mike: Naperville, my hometown, puts on some that are pretty well run. I can’t remember if they did it this year, but in year’s past there was a women’s only triathlon that I’ve heard good things about. Leon’s Triathlon is just across the border in Hammond, IN and now that I have a friend setting up the course, I may race it next year. Apparently it’s pretty fast.
ST: What is your favorite race and why?
Mike: Hmmm, I’d have to say, thus far, the Tempe International Triathlon. I did it a couple years ago in early May, I think. I liked it for a few reasons. In Chicago, our roads are garbage, so going out and riding in Arizona is the greatest thing for my unborn children. I also liked it for the timing. It was early May, and I spent a week out there, so I was able to get a really good head start on my summer tan. Lastly, it was fun to go to it with just my mom. She’s always supported us (I have a younger brother and sister who are much better athletes than me) in sports growing up, but it had been almost 10 years since she came and supported me. I’ll never forget her reaction when I finished. It was 110 at the finish that morning and she looked at me and said, “Michael, what the heck? Did you roll in the sand on your way back? What’s all the white stuff all over your shorts?” That was the first time she had seen me have that salty sweat thing going and she was thoroughly grossed out.
I will say that I’m really looking forward to Ironman Wisconsin in September. I love that bike course. It goes by really quickly because you’re always having to change gears, turning here and there, dodging cowpies, etc.
ST: With Wisconsin being your first Ironman, do you have a goal other than finishing and having fun?
Mike: I have a few actually. Don’t get beat by Brigit, finish before sunset, and don’t swear too much on any of the three big climbs on each loop. I have some time goals that I’d like to hit, and no one but me knows what they are.
ST: How much do you train in a week?
Mike: I’ve never been one to follow a specific training plan, so it’s hard to say. If I feel like riding hard 5 days in a row, I will. If the lake is unseasonably warm for a week, I’ll go down and get in every day. On average though, I’d say I swim, bike and run 3-4 times per week of each sport. And now that I’m signed up for my first IM in September, I will have to follow something more consistently. Maybe we revisit this one in July!
ST: Of the three disciplines of a triathlon, which one do you consider your strength?
Mike: I’d have to say the swim. I grew up swimming and swam through high school, though I was never anything to write home about. I say the swim is my strength because I usually don’t try my hardest and finish relatively close to the front of the pack, especially in a wetsuit, and save my energy for the bike and run. I’ve had a few friends give me some crap for my style in the water, but its how I choose to race.
ST: That doesn't sound like a bad strategy, but how do those friends finish in races compared to you?
Mike: The friends I regularly gamble with are also the ones who give the most crap. Of those, I’ve lost twice now out of 5 races and 3 guys each. Once was at the 70.3 in Kansas and my friend passed with me about 200 yards to go and I lost by 8 seconds. The other time a different friend destroyed me on the bike and I couldn’t catch him on the run and was about 9 seconds behind him. Other than those two, I’ve won by enough time to get through the finish, have a few snacks and get in position to cheer for them as they come down the finisher’s chute.
ST: Talk about your day job if you can.
Mike: Sure. I actually do a few things. I work as an energy broker most of the time. I’m not entirely familiar with how it works in every state, but in Illinois, consumers of any type are allowed to buy their electricity and gas from 3rd party suppliers, not just the public utilities. My company bids out electric and gas contracts (for example, a hospital) to these 3rd party suppliers and we choose a low bidder on behalf of our client and collect a commission from whatever supplier wins the contract.
I also do some part time work for a company called Spira Footwear. Spira is a running shoe company out of El Paso that makes the fastest running shoes out there. They use a patented technology called WaveSprings in both the forefoot and heel. The idea is that typical EVA midsoles don’t return a lot of the energy each stride puts on it during impact. Spira’s have been show to return about 90% of that energy, so they’re insanely fast. Currently, I’m working on expanding presence in the Chicago area in a sales role through specialty retailers.
Lastly, my girlfriend, Brigit, and I are working on some women’s sports apparel geared towards long distance athletes, like marathoners or Ironman racers. I can’t really go into too much detail at this point because it’s very early on, but I will try to let Slowtwitch know first!
ST: You sound like a very busy man. Keep us posted on the apparel stuff when you are ready to talk about it.
Mike: Will do. Although I don’t think I’m that busy. The Ironmoms make me look like a lazy bum.
ST: Rumor has it that you have an abundance of bike bottles at home. Is that true?
Mike: At home they’re called Baby Bottles, according to Brigit. She is also a triathlete, so you’d think she be more tolerant. But, since I always have one within arm’s reach, she thinks I’m like a baby with my bottle. I’m looking around our place right now, and I can see 5 from where I’m sitting that are either half full or empty from the last 12 hours. I’m actually sipping banana flavored Nuun out of one right now. All totaled, I’d say I have at least a dozen that are in full rotation, and I’m sure if I cleaned out some of my gym bags I’d find a couple more. I don’t know, is that a lot? I’m sure there are people that have more, right????
ST: Is there anything else we might find in your house in extraordinary numbers?
Mike: Clif products. Like everyone, we have a drawer in the kitchen for just nutrition. Right now, among other things, there are probably 20 Clif bars, 20 Clif Kidz bars, 25 Clif Gels, and a number of Clif Shot Blocks. If I emptied out my gym and work bags, I’d find a bunch more of each, as I have a thing with always having a snack everywhere I go. By law, I also require Brigit to carry snacks in all of her purses too. I also have a lot of chapstick. Probably 8 or so that I use regularly.
ST: What is your favorite Chicago restaurant?
Mike: Oh man, that’s hard. Brigit and I are pescetarians, so we don’t eat Lou Malnati’s deep dish sausage pizza, or Portillo’s Italian beef, or even Chicago hot dogs. But, I’ll answer this question in two parts. First, my favorite place to eat is Eleven City Diner, especially after a hard workout. They make some awesome brunch. If you ever come to Chicago for a race that finishes near Grant Park, I highly recommend ditching the finisher’s buffet and heading a few blocks over to Eleven City. They also have a really good Bloody Mary. Aside from the food, the place is just really cool inside.
Second, my favorite place to go with out-of-towners is Weiner Circle on Clark St in Lincoln Park. The food is typical late night greasy garbage, but the service is hysterical. The only thing I will say to those who plan on going is order a Chocolate Shake. They are world famous. You can thank me later.
ST: Anything else we should know about you?
Mike: There’s a lot! But I’ll leave you with one easy story. When I was 20, I blew out my knee on the first run of a ski trip to Crested Butte with all my college buddies. A year later, I had surgery to fix it. After 6-8 months of rehab, I was finally healthy again. Unfortunately I had put on 60 pounds! I went to college at 5’8” 155, and left at 5’9” (yes, I grew an inch) 216. I had never done a triathlon, but was a soccer player and swimmer growing up, and had just learned about spinning. After a year and a half of dieting, swimming, spinning and running on the treadmill, someone at the gym asked if I’d ever consider a triathlon. Oddly enough, later that same day, my good friend bet me I couldn’t beat him at Steelhead, 7 months from that time. I signed up, got my weight down to about 160, and ended up beating him by 20 minutes. I’ve been hooked ever since.
