Dan Vescuso IMLP Race Plan
Goals:
- To finish, period. (This is my 1st IM - means no silly mistakes that end my day early)
- Finish with the sun still up. Rough goal: about 13:30 (S – 1:45, T1 – 0:10, B – 7:00, T2 – 0:08, R – 4:30)
- Manage nutrition well - avoid cramps, slush-gut, excessive calories, and dehydration
Saturday Meals:
- Saturday Breakfast: Big breakfast (pancakes) with max carbs, limit fat + fiber
- Saturday Lunch: High carb, low fat bread (sub roll) with turkey, limit veggies + fat
- Saturday Dinner: 1x grilled chicken breast, 1.5 cups clean pasta
- Other: Perform + other small carb snacks all day
Race Morning: 4am: dry bagel, greek yogurt (non fat), banana, Perform
- · Sizzipin on Perform all morning
- · Head to transition, pump tires, load bike nutrition (2x powerbars, 3x PowerGel, extra salt stick – more in T1 bag, 2x bottle perform)
- · 1x gel (PowerGel) 15-20min before swim
- · Turn Garmin on before leave transition
Swim: Estimate 1:45
- Gear: Goggles (tinted), wetsuit + cap, race chip anklet
- Will swim with tri top under wetsuit, not tri sorts – want these dry out of T1
- Not using wetsuit if over 75 degrees, sweat too much, wearing just jammers if so
- Seeding around 1:45. Not seeding faster, not strong enough of a swimmer to deal with extra people fighting past me. Going to attempt to swim in the “middle”. Not on top of tow line, but not far outside
- Get into smooth groove as early as possible. Have bad tendency to push too hard when others are around, will keep in “box” as much as possible
- Walking beach in between laps to recover arms a bit
- Focus on form especially after final turn. Not thinking about transition or I’ll lose form completely
T1: Estimate 10min
- Find wetsuit strippers, carry cap + goggles + wetsuit and run to transition
- T1 Bag: Bike shoes, helmet, sunglasses, tri shorts, bike socks, salt stick, arm coolers, 1x PowerGel
- Change into tri shorts, socks
- 1x PowerGel and Salt stick (kept in Nuun tube) into tri-top pocket (I will NOT forget this)
- Sunglasses, helmet, shoes on
- Flag down sunscreen volunteer somewhere in here
- Arm coolers will be rolled into donuts, take with and put on while walking to bike
Bike: Estimate 7hrs. Watching HR all day. z1 to start, z1- low z2 after
- First 60-90min: HR at 110-115
- Really focus on hill out of town, let people pass, keep HR down
- Start to drink (small sips) right away. Feed as soon as HR levels out (expect 15-30min). Drinking extra to recover from the swim – want 1 bottle down before major decent begins
- Stay in control all the way down to Keene, no stupid moves and seeing line in front of me
- Remainder of bike: HR at 115-120, might creep up to 125 towards end but that’s OK
- Steady on the flats, push a bit on downhills (keeping within HR range)
- Perform every 15 minutes (about 1/2 bottle, depending on heat), PowerGel/Roctane/Gu (depending on where I am / what’s available) every 45min. Add in Salt Stick as needed, probably only 1x per lap unless very warm/humid
- Start with 2 bottles. Will attempt to polish off bottle before each aid station; ditch bottles and get new ones at each station. Will probably be ditching one single bottle and grabbing one single full one at each station, with 1 or 2 exceptions during the day where I might slow way down/stop and grab 2 bottles + gels.
- Will be substituting 1-2 Powerbars in for the gels (1/2 Powerbar for 1 gel) in the middle, around lunchtime
- Bike Special needs Bag: Extra tube + tire, additional salt stick, extra socks, roctane w/ caffeine (only if in big trouble), maybe an extra bottle Perform
- Try to hop off bike to stretch once a little into 2nd lap at aid station and grab extra gels
- If hot – dumping water on head + coolers. Ice at bike aid stations? I don’t think so but if hot I may grab some once or twice if available
- Careful not to: Raise HR, get out of saddle on uphills, get lazy/complacent on downhills and not pay attention, miss any aid stations, and most important of all - get competitive when someone passes me
T2: Estimate 8min
- Remove Garmin when coming in to transition, put on wrist
- T2 Bag: Running shoes + socks, small towel, visor, extra salt stick, body glide, extra shorts, long sleeve shirt, 1x caffeinated gel, Race belt + bib
- Idea is to run in same tri top + shorts used on bike, will change either/both if soaked or cold etc.
- Dry off feet with small towel, socks + shoes on
- Mo sunscreen = mo betta, flag down volunteer
- Sunglasses off, visor on, race belt on, Garmin on (double check..)
- Add extra salt stick to carry tube if needed, gel in back pocket
Run: Estimate 4:30
- Being my first IM, I’m keeping the run pretty conservative. The RRs and “big days” are the only things that I’ve done that are close to this, but nothing more than that. Have no idea how body will react at miles 10-20 into the run
- 9:30 pace to start, allow 9:15 if going crazy trying to go that slow off of bike for 1mile, then back down to 9:30 (if hot, slow down to 9:45/10s to start and go from there)
- Keep 9:30 pace until 6-7miles, then can increase to 9:15 if feeling really good…will prob increase by 3-5secs/mile starting around 10mile mark just for negative split (obviously minimal time gained… just to keep head on straight), down to as low as 9:10
- 18miles in, have a heart to heart with “the line” and take stock, adjust pace accordingly
- Perform at every aid station, as much as stomach can handle. Probably about 3-5oz per station. First mile or two, will ‘temper the pot’, and probably take slightly less (3oz/per).
- Walking if necessary so that I get enough Perform down. I spilled half my Gatorade on my chest trying to drink during Boston Marathon…so will be more careful here.
- Gu or Roctane every 45min (on course gels are fine…slightly less sodium vs PowerGel but worth it not to carry)
- Add Salt Stick in (~200mg sodium + electrolytes) as needed, around 1x/hr depending on heat
- Walk aid stations as needed. For me, it’s best to keep running as long as possible. That said, if hot, will probably walk all of them
- If hot: Ice in arm coolers, and possibly in shorts. Water on head, sponges, etc. Leave with ice in hands and use wherever
- Will hold back on caffeine until mile 10-15 if possible, then take caffeinated gels
- If caffeine needed earlier, will try to manage 30mg/hr, capping at 150mg
- Watch HR on the uphills. Attempt to run first half, walk to top if need to keep HR in control. Will manage this based upon heat/fatigue.
- Special needs bag: 1x caffeinated gel, extra socks, long sleeve shirt…most likely won’t stop
Did I miss anything?? Any and all feedback is much appreciated
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Comments
Don't forget to zip up your kit top near the finish and smile and soak in the finish. Good luck!
Thanks all! See you up there