Rob's IMLP race plan

Robert Sabo

                                                               IMLP 2013

Race Plan

Saturday

Big breakfast, light lunch and early dinner.

Go to sleep early 8:30 in bed, the night before having already mixed perform and measured applesauce the night before.  Bottles premixed in the fridge.

 

3:30AM Wake up-- 2.5 cups applesauce and scoop of protein powder and banana and Gatorade/+lytes

4:45 head to transition

5:15AM powerbar and perform

Speedfil A2/ frame bottle with Perform

Will need 4 powerbars and 2 Powergels with caf and 1 pack Gatorade chews for ride 2bars/1gel in T1 and same with chews in BSN

PUMP tires load fluids put Garmin on bike

Head to lake

Drop off SN bags

Suntan lotion lube and put on wetsuit

 

6:15 gel no caf/h20

6:30AM start  short warm-up and shoulder stretch

  seed in 1:01-1:10 middle of this pack

Expect to have some contact and elevated speed but settle into race pace as fast as good form will allow; finger tips down, deep entry pull, wrist bend, good body roll.  Last 1/4 Long and strong

 

T1

I plan on skipping the strippers and will get the top half off while moving and remove the rest of the wetsuit in tent.  SMOOTH.  Don’t forget more sun screen for shoulders arms and lower back.

 

BIKE

 

 FTP=250W

1^st gear 166W

2^nd Gear 175W

3^rd gear 184W

4^th gear 193W

 

1^st 45 min at JRA pace 65%  ~ 166W till left turn on 9

  THEN 70% 175W (goal watts)

Second loop shoot for 185W because my NP usually lower then what I think I’m riding by watching my Garmin.

Strong effort on last run into LP from Wilmington

 

1 ½ bottles(24 oz/bottle) 1^st hour then 1 1/2bottle(20oz)/hour more if I can handle it or if hot  PEE x2 at least

1/3 powerbar/ 30 min and caf gel at end of Ausable out and back and Gator chew from BSN

This should give me about 440 cals/hr and 950mg Na/hr

 

FOCUS on effort for 2mile lap NP.  I will ride my race.

If I have mechanical, be calm/ ZEN.  If I get off my bike I will eat something.

Ride easy parts hard and hard parts easy.  I will take advantage of free speed on crest of all hills and use all my gears to keep steady effort going up and down. Gain a gear or two if hill flattens out.  Stay Aero often.   Eat on Haselton road.

At aide stations, I will be careful, I will be ready ahead of arrival.  I will point to my volunteer to grab Perform for my frame cage and water over my head.  No littering and thank the volunteers.

 

T2

SMOOTH.

Sit by door.

First thing is to turn on 310.  Lube, socks, sneakers, hat race belt with #.  Put 4 gels in pockets and don’t forget more sunscreen.  Grab 310 and put on while moving.

 

 

Run

I will walk all aide stations~20sec.  I will drink Perform 4oz then splash water on my head and grab ice then right back to pace.  I will have a caf powergel every 4miles with perform(no water), starting mile 2.

If I keep this up, I will get about 30oz of fluid/hour, 960mg of Na/hr, and 390 cal/hr.  These numbers are a little high but I will probably not take that much perform and only 80% of each gel.

LRP is 7:47 so goal is 8:15 for first 6 miles up until river road turnaround.  Actual run pace here will be 7:50-55/mile plus 20sec walk at aid.

I will run miles 7-18 at 7:30-7:40pace with 20 sec walk at aid.

18-26 will try to increase my pace.  I understand I will need to increase my effort just to keep my pace steady.   River road turn around is where I get to start to stretch it out and bring it home.  I will continue to walk all aid as I know I’ll be on the edge.  I will monitor how I feel and my HR and make adjustments as needed.   Run or walk hills as needed.  Hills will require absolute concentration on form and turnover(think baby steps).  I will run tangents and look 30ft ahead of me.

Focus on form:  Chin up, Elbows back, shoulders relaxed, loose fingers, high cadence

Smile and cheer on EN Crew.

Finish up strong, smile at the finish, don’t be pushing buttons on the watch.

 

While I would like to set a PB, and go under 10:30, and run sub 8’s,  I want to enjoy the day and get the most out of what I’ve got in the conditions that we’ll get.

 

Steve West

Strong plan. Nothing to add. With your decent FTP and strong run you're likely to do really well.

trisumai

Why would your NP be lower than you think? Is it a Garmin? Do you have it set as a general overall NP or lap NP?

Robert Sabo

I have 3 sec np and 2 mile lap avg. when I try ,unsuccessfully to hold say 175 I seem to drift down. It's my pacing problem not the garmin.

trisumai

I get it. So you target 185 knowing that at the end of the interval it will be closer to 175, right? I have the same issue. However once it drifts down, I can't seem to get it back to target without expending an inordinate amount of energy. Good thing that there are hills there to help keep the NP up more easily.

trisumai

@ Rob, question for you. In your previous years, what FTP/kg did you have to achieve the times that you did. I am at 3.6 W/kg currently (260W, 71.8 kg) and hope to race @ 2.53 W/kg (approx 70% FTP). I have a fairly good setup ie not too much crap hanging off the bike, race wheels, aero helmet, latex tubes, etc. I have absolutely no idea what this will get me. Could be 6:15 or could be 5:45. My very scientific estimate has been to determine how I am riding compared to a friend and estimating based on his time.

tim cronk

@Rob... I wouldnt skip wetsuit strippers unless you have practiced , timed , and are confident you can do it faster yourself (or unless none are available when you need them but that has never been an issue for me yet) ....For T2 I usually leave my garmin on from before the swim , usually a 310or 910 and have had no issues also consider gels etc in a small baggie , that way its socks , shoes , everything else in hands , put stuff away while on the move.... Cant wait to watch your race but specially that run! Good Skill!

dvescuso

Looks good Rob, envious of your ability to take down so many cals/hr. Good luck see you up there!

Robert Sabo

@Kar Ming My W/kg is about the same and have been 5:50 -6:00 but have lost/wasted time getting off bike to pee. Wind will have big effect on actual time as well.

@Tim strippers have ripped my wetsuit on multiple occassions. Avoid the hot chick with the long nails. My 2XU comes off easily. Practiced today coming out of the ocean.

Dave Tallo

Any plans for Salt? Or salt tabs?

bc4ua

Nothing to add Rob except good luck! I'll be tracking

Kevin Walter

I second Tim's advice on the strippers. The tent in LP will be jammed with athletes. Easier and quicker to have the wetsuit off already I think.