Kate's IMLOU Execution Plan (a bit long, sorry...)
Here we go...
IM LOU 2013 Race Execution Plan
Goals:
- Finish.
- Finish well.
- Finish wells means setting myself up to execute well in miles 20-26.2 of the run
- Deep down inside, I dream of going sub-13 hours. There, I said it. Shhh......
Sunday AM:
FOCUS:
- I will do what I need to do to get ready and out the door without stressing out about arriving at the swim line at o-dark-thirty. I plan to leave the hotel NLT 5:00 AM, although I will likely be ready earlier. I will stay calm and go through my pre-race steps.
WHAT I NEED TO DO:
- Wake up! Critical first step
- Breakfast will be in two shifts, aka the Coach R. model
- Apply bodyglide, put on race kit, incl. HRM and timing chip
- Give myself a little pep talk in the mirror, admire my svelt legs (hey, if nothing else, my legs look awesome!)
- Put morning clothes on over race gear
- Grab morning clothes bag (pre-packed)
- Put in separate bag inside morning clothes bag the stuff I’ll pull out in TA: liquid (refridgerated) and dry nutrition (pre-opened/cut) in Bento box+ Garmin (which I charged the night before) for the bike
- Don’t forget GOGGLES and SWIM CAP
- Walk to TA, ca. 5 minutes
- Put Garmin on bike, turn on to search for satellite. Turn off.
- Mount bento box, bottles in bottle holders
- Check tires. Adjust/fix if need-be.
- I aim to leave TA NLT 6:00 AM
- Walk to Swim Start, ca. 15 minutes
- Get body-marked
- Put on sunscreen
- Get in line. Sit down on piece of cardboard/plastic I brought because I don’t want to sit on the wet grass and get bitten by those little gnat-thingys
- Put on iPod, sit, re-read execution and nutrition plans one last time, think about race execution. I will take in the moment and stop stressing and worrying. I’ve trained hard for this, but it’s only IM#2. I’m gonna screw stuff up. What’s important is how I respond to adversity.
- Drink, use portapotty
- Drop off morning clothes bag (incl. iPod) as the line moves forward
- Once the line moves, it moves fast: Be ready! Have cap and goggles on. Have GPS ready, too.
- Hit START, JUMP IN, GO!
SWIM
FOCUS:
- The beginning of the swim will be crowded and rough, because the channel is narrow. I will not let that distract me. I will keep my head down, keep moving forward, and focus on my stroke: PULL!
- Relax. It’ll get smoother after the turnaround. Stay steady, count strokes, the pace is what it is.
WHAT I NEED TO DO:
- Smooth strokes. Keep moving.
- Pee before I climb out.
- Climb out on stairs, cross mat
- Hit LAP on watch
T1
FOCUS:
- It’s a flat transition. Take it easy and go through the steps. Calm is smooth.
WHAT I NEED TO DO:
- Take off goggles and cap
- There’s an aid station right there, I will take two cups of water to splash on face and rinse taste of Ohio River out of mouth
- Jog to TA, call out #445, grab bag from volunteer.
- Thank volunteers!
- Jog to tent.
- Dump out bag.
- Sit, dry off feet, put on socks and bike shoes
- Stand up, hand sunscreen to volunteer. Have volunteer do back/shoulders while I do face and arms. Don’t skimp on sunscreen. It’s not worth it.
- Put on sunglasses and helmet
- Put spare tire (left) and salt tab tube thingy (right) into jersey pockets
- Put stuff back in bag, thank volunteer, leave bag with volunteer at tent exit
- Jog to bike. I remember where I racked it the day before, because I counted racks/landmarks. Plus, I was just there a few hours ago!
BIKE
FOCUS:
- Be smart and ride steady: first 30 minutes @ 65-69% of FTP, then 69-72%. That will give me a IF between .69 and .71. During my RRs it was between .72 and .74. I wrote the watt numbers on a sticky note and taped it to my Garmin. No excuse to exceed them. If I go higher, how will I justify that to myself and the team afterwards?? All that being said, watch HR. Avg should be ~120, max ~135. Adjust watts downward if need be. Watch power spikes on the hills, and remember to pedal hard on the downhills.
- Be prepared to adapt pace and fueling for heat.
- Beginning is pancake flat. Out and back on Route 393 is the most unpleasant part of the course. It’s narrow, no shoulders, crowded, people go way too fast because of the descent and because it’s still early in the race. I will stay in my box, NOT get annoyed at all the people blocking, stay focused and get through it. I will smile at the Devil if he’s there
- No false pride, I will downshift on all hills, and pace myself during the loop. The second loop is where over-cooking comes back to people. Remember that the second loop finishes at ~ mile 90, not mile 80. Then ride back into town, be careful not to overshoot just because it’s flat/downhill. Pay attention to effort in the wind.
- Many people will comment that I’m on a pure roadie w/out aerobars. IGNORE and STAY IN BOX.
- Ride steady, stay focused. Don’t be stoopid.
- Don’t let enthusiasm and energy get the better of me. It’s still a looooong day. The LINE will come eventually.
- Be safe, especially at aid stations.
- Sh*t happens. Deal with it.
WHAT I NEED TO DO:
- Turn on Garmin, wake up Quarq
- Grab bike, jog to mount line
- Hop (gracefully) on bike
- Start pedaling
- Hit START on Garmin
- Hit LAP on watch
- Pedal backwards a few times to zero powermeter
- Start fueling
- Grab two Bottles of Perform at each aid station, and one bottle of water to pour over body. There are 6 aid stations., plus I will start with two full bottles of Perform.
- Spare tube and CO2 are in Bike SN if I need them.
- Careful of the sharp right turn over the bump back into T2
- Hit STOP on Garmin
- Hit RESET on Garmin
T2
FOCUS:
- It’s a flat transition. Take it easy and go through the steps. Calm is smooth.
- Jog, don’t rush. I don’t want to spike my HR before the run.
WHAT I NEED TO DO:
- STOP bike
- Unclip
- Hand bike to volunteer and say thank you
- Take off bike shoes
- Hit LAP on watch
- Shout out #445 to volunteer
- Jog to volunteer holding bag, jog to tent
- Take off helmet, socks
- Make judgment call whether to change shorts
- Sit, dry feet, put on run socks and shoes
- Put on belt with race number and gels in it
- Re-apply sunscreen
- Put on cap and sunglasses
- Pee
- Hit aid station at exit of T2, take ICE
- Hit LAP
RUN
FOCUS:
- This is what it’s all about. STAY SMART and START SLOW.
- I have a run plan. Execute the run plan. If I need to go slower, go slower. I will not go faster earlier just because energy and enthusiasm are high. No, no!
- Go by RPE, but watch HR. Try to keep below 150. If need-be, adjust run pace.
- Stay in MY BOX. Don’t make friends, and don’t get distracted by the chatter of those walking around me. I can do this.
- I’m mentally prepared for the turn-around. Yes, I can hear and see the finish line, but so what? I will have paced myself correctly so that I won’t be yearning for the finish line yet. I will enjoy the energy from the spectators at the turn: it’s the most energizing part of the course.
- Stay FOCUSED
- Be prepared for the “dark” miles. It’s gonna suck. Despite all the hard work I put in, it’s really, really gonna suck. Think about _________ to get through this. The LINE will come.
- Mile 18 is a dotted line. Mile 20 is my REAL LINE. Mile 20 is my REWARD for HOLDING BACK ALL DAY
- Execute and finish strong.
- Last step:
WHAT I NEED TO DO:
- Run My Plan. Be careful.
- Three segments: Miles 1-6. Miles 7-20. Miles 21-26.2.
- Stuff in Run SN if I need it.
- Execute. Execute. Execute.
- Keep Moving Forward.
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Comments
Kate:
I have nothing to add regarding your plan except are you going to safety pin your timing chip and are you using a race belt? I also wanted to wish you the best of luck! It feels like just yesterday we both started out in the Nov OS and I admire your tenacity and work ethic, I know you will do great!
Just wanted to wish you all the best and will be watching out for you on race day.
Go Chicka
I'm so excited for you and can't wait to stare at the tracker all day watching you. Every time you cross a timing mat, think of the hundreds of the people around the world who are 'watching you' and absorb those thoughts and that mojo throughout the day!
One of the nice things about IMLOU is not having to worry about that last porto potty stop... When the line starts moving for the swim start you walk by a whole bunch of empty porto potties.... 2nd year I did LOU as I approached them , just casually went in one, did my business , and got back in the moving line... Totally stress free.
Reference setting up your Garmin/Bike in the AM.... I used to do it your way... Then I found out I could turn the auto off feature to OFF on the Garmin 500(thanks Stephan). Now I put it on bike, turn it on , let it acquire, zero/calibrate... Leave ON... Starting bike just hit start, also ending bike just hit stop .... No need to reset!!! Minimal things to do is smoother and smoother is yep you got it faster!
Wishing you good skill....Have a great day.... I'll be watching!
Kate,
Nice plan. Other than the bike there is no mention of nutrition. To add to JW comment, don't assume that you will have a volunteer to get your bag (maybe Lou is different) but know where your Transition bags are in case it's a busy time in T1 or T2.
You have listed FTP % but do you have a bike segments similar to the run?
Judgment call on running shorts? - What did you do in the RR's? If you are unsure perhaps put a pair in Run special need might be warranted as well? (although you might not get them back).
Finally your run segments are pretty big especially mile 7-20, but if this works for you keep it.
Gordon