EB's IMTX RACE PLAN -- First Draft
Emily Brinkley – IMTX
This will be my first full distance. I’ve completed my first RR at camp with Coach P, and learned a great deal of what works, and what needs attention. I welcome comments and suggestions please! A big thanks to Juan for laying out a perfect template for my first race plan.
I'm a little nervous about nutrition execution since I have chosen not to use course fuel. Again, any help there is greatly appreciated for this noob.
TARGETS:
FTP: 193
VDOT: 45
WEIGHT: 57 kg/127
TIME: Swim: 1:15:00 – T1 – 00:04:00 – BIKE: 6:00:00 – T2 – 00:03:00 – RUN: 4:15:00 – Total: 11:37:00
FOCUS on maintaining form in the swim, hitting numbers on the bike, and setting myself up for an epic run. Finish around goal time.
TRAVEL AND PRE-RACE WEEK:
Monday: Race Week will be the day I double-check everything on the bike before taking it apart and packing it up for the flight.
Tuesday: Use checklist while packing. Check item off, AFTER placing it in suitcase/bike case.
Wednesday: I’m travelling down with two other IMTX athletes from Charlotte. We have rented a house in The Woodlands that is exactly 3 miles away from the swim start. Wednesday will be the day to put our bikes together, and do a quick run through of gears, co2 run, nutrition check.
Thursday: Head over to athlete check in around 10, try to make it to athlete briefing at 11:00am.
NUTRITION:
Although I did have a race plan drawn up through Core Diet, I did not have much luck with the fueling plan. I began using Generation UCAN last July and have seen amazing results. I’ve been training with it since then, making sure to stay on top of my sodium intake with The Right Stuff and Salt Sticks.
Thursday: The day to check ALL gear:
SWIM:
AquaSphere Swim Skin over my EN Tri Singlet, along with my Garmin HR monitor, and tri shorts. I am not planning to wear a watch for the swim. I will also bring a sleeveless wetsuit on the off chance the swim is legal.
BIKE:
Front: Garmin 500/Aero bottle w/ The Right Stuff, Salt Sticks, nutrition schedule, and power chart
Frame: Fuelbelt Aero Bento box with 1 Espresso Chip Bonk Breaker, 5 vials of The Right Stuff, 5 Salt Sticks, Ride Glide.
Behind Saddle: 2 Bottle of UCAN, each with 3 servings for a 6 hour bike, one with protein powder to curb hunger.
Saddle Bag will include 1 tube, inflate valve, 2 CO2 cartridges, mini-tool.
BAGS TO PREPARE:
T1 BAG: With visible colored duct tape, colored mark, and number:
DeSoto Cool Wings
Small water bottle: 1 serving of Ucan before getting on bike
Helmet: Rudy Wingspan
Bike shoes
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
BIKE SPECIAL NEEDS:
An extra water bottle
3 packets of UCAN
5 Salt Sticks
1 extra tube
1 extra CO2
Extra Ride Glide
T2 BAG: With visible colored duct tape, colored mark, and number:
Newton Gravity Shoes with Garmin footpod – Socks inside shoes
Race belt with number
Fuel belt: 4 servings of UCAN Salt Stick Dispenser Fully stocked
Ziploc GO bag: Frog Cool towel, Trucker hat, Sunscreen, Sunglasses, Garmin 910, Fuel Belt with 4X Ucan, mini salt stick dispenser.
RUN SPECIAL NEEDS:
Dry Shorts
Dry socks
1 packet of UCAN
1 The Right Stuff
FRIDAY BEFORE RACE:
10:00am Practice swim. Get an easy 15-20 min swim in, change clothes in bathrooms at swim start.
11:00 Eat Lunch – Head over to Marriott for mandatory bike and gear check-in(T1/T2) After bag drop off we will walk transition, study terrain from bike position to mount area and return to the house.
NOON on -- Stay inside house with Mike and Wendy, watching movies, legs up as much as possible. Leave only to pick up Jay, Cyndi, Nana, and Poppy from the airport. Stretch a few times during the day. Have a big protein breakfast in the morning, and tapering meals throughout the day, ending with a sushi dinner no later than 6:30pm. Lights out by 9:00pm.
RACE DAY:
BEFORE RACE:
Rise & Shine 4:00am
2xUCAN Shake w/ Vega Protein powder and a frozen banana
1 cup of coffee w/ honey and rice milk
1 btl of The Right Stuff
5:30am: Be at transition when it opens. Check air pressure, turn on Garmin 500, mentally place landmarks with bike position. Exit T1 and relax. Go drop off special needs bags.
00:45:00 before start (15 min before heading out to canoe) 1XUCan
SWIM: (TARGET 1:15:00) follow EN protocol picking up pace for the first 300 m and settle in to my box. Only swimming as fast as I can maintain form. I’ll swim out about 30 minutes before race start to get my blood going, and then settle in finding a canoe to hang on until start. From what I’ve read, although the course looks straight, it actually bends a bit so I will plan to stay to the left; away from the shore to help keep a straighter line and shorten the swim a bit. Coming up on the first buoy turn, there are two landmarks to help with sighting. A large two-story building and a cell phone tower will help keep me on course if I cannot see the buoys due to crowded swimmers. After the turn, I will be just under a mile in, headed back north. Remember not to be fooled by the first large peninsula on the right. Use the Woodland Pkwy bridge/buildings for guidance in. After passing the BIG NO NO inlet, use the shore for guidance into the waterway. Once in the waterway, grab the left side and swim there being careful of depth and stoke – remembering this is not the end. There will still be just under 500 meters to transition.
T1: (00:04:00) SLOW IS SMOOTH>>SMOOTH IS FAST
Immediately start working on unzipping swim skin, headed to gear bags. Grab bag and head somewhere just outside of change tent. Helmet on. Grab shoes, drink UCAN, place skin & bottle back in bag, run through tent. Grab bike and find a clear spot outside of tent to put on bike shoes. Run along outside of the bike racks to the shortest row, and out onto the bike course, passing all athletes trying to clip in.
BIKE: (TARGET 06:00:00) Stay in my box. Remember the first 30 miles are free. Goal watts is 125 for this section. Focus on bringing HR back down after transition. Settle in and enjoy the tailwind out to ranch country. Set Garmin 500 alarm for every 15 min, drinking then, fueling with UCAN on the hour. Finish one and a half bottles of The Right Stuff (1 btl/.5 btl water) every hour so you can fill back up at each aid station. Remember to stay cool, keeping the cool wings wet. Focus on getting fluids in and peeing twice. Ride miles 30-50 section at 131 watts, careful not to surge on the hills. Miles 50-75 Chip seal and headwind, make sure to be smart, do your work, in your box, focus on holding 138 watts. Miles 75-112 headed home. Take a Tylenol if lower back is talking to me. Focus on staying aero, and hydrated bringing it home at 144 watts. **EVERY AID STATION THINK: HOW DO I FEEL, WHAT DO I NEED?** Find out how many aid stations there are.
T2: (TARGET: 00:03:00) SLOW IS SMOOTH>>SMOOTH IS FAST
Don’t change in tent (Thanks Al & Juan!). Grab bag, and drop somewhere outside of tent to put shoes on. Put helmet, sunglasses, shoes in bag. Grab GO BAG, stand up, potty break if needed, out RUNNING through the tent. Once on course, open GO BAG Trucker Hat, fuel belt, run belt with number, sunscreen, sunglasses, salt sticks.
THE RUN: (TARGET 04:15:00)
Out running the EN way :30 slower than Z1 pace for the first loop of 3 – Watch HR and keep it between 130-140 bpm. Walk all aid stations and ask HOW DO I FEEL? WHAT DO I NEED? Do I need nutrition? Salt? Fluids? Am I hot? How is my HR? Can I see straight? Focus on keeping core temp down by taking advantage of ice (hold it, put in hat), water on cool wings, cool towel on neck. Take in 4 oz of water with salt stick, and 1 8oz UCAN every hour (salt stick every 2 miles). Focus on form when it gets hard. It’s 26X1 mile repeats at easy pace. Break up pace in 3 loops. Hold off for coke until mile 20 if at all possible.
When I get to the finish chute, slow my pace, give high fives, look for my Jaybird, and finish strong…..
NUTRITION BREAK DOWN:
|
TIME |
DESCRIPTION |
CALORIES |
SODIUM |
|
-2.5 hrs before start |
Protein shake: 2XUcan Vega Protein Banana The Right Stuff |
131 180 25 0 |
30 229 0 1780 |
|
-45min before Start |
1XUcan |
90 |
15 |
|
BIKE |
|
|
|
|
1:20 |
1XUcan w/ Vega |
134 |
91 |
|
2:30 |
1XUcan w/ Vega |
134 |
91 |
|
3:30 |
1XUcan w/ Vega |
134 |
91 |
|
4:30 |
1XUcan |
90 |
15 |
|
5:30 |
1XUcan |
90 |
15 |
|
6:30 |
1XUcan |
90 |
15 |
|
7:30 |
1XUcan |
90 |
15 |
|
3Xbtls (total) |
The Right Stuff |
0 |
5,340 |
|
6X btls H2O (total) |
Salt Sticks 1/2 w caf |
0 |
1500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RUN |
|
|
|
|
8:30 |
1XUcan |
90 |
15 |
|
9:30 |
1XUcan |
90 |
15 |
|
10:30 |
1XUcan |
90 |
15 |
|
11:30 |
Coke |
|
|
|
10X Salt Sticks total |
Salt Sticks |
0 |
2500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
|
1,458 |
11,772 |
|
Quantity per hour |
|
127 |
1,024mg |
|
|
|
|
|
UCAN: 1 scoop The Right Stuff
90 calories 0 calories
15 mg sodium 1780 mg sodium
22 g carbs 0 carbs
Vega Protien Powder Salt Sticks
131 Calories 250 mg sodium
229 mg sodium
4.5 g of carbs
Comments
EB, wow! Quite a plan. I haven’t drafted mine yet, but what I had in mind is about 25% of your detail. Couple of quick points/suggestions:
You plan to walk around transition and study the terrain on Friday after lunch. If it’s set up on Thursday as it should be, I’d do that on Thursday when you check in. On Friday, I like to spend 5 minutes max dropping off my bike and bags, getting out of there, back home, feet up and hydrating. Friday afternoon isn’t the time to be wandering around on foot.
If I understand your nutrition plan, it seems light to me. At 127 lbs, shouldn’t you be targeting 300 calories/hr on the bike, perhaps a few less on the run? And, for me, I like to eat every 30 minutes on the bike, as I suspect I’d get really hungry if I spread the feedings out to hourly. Also, 336 calories for breakfast is light. I’ll be targeting 800.
Finally, everyone’s different, but for me, fueling on a tight schedule on the bike is pretty easy. On the run, however, I have to build in some flexibility. I can’t plan to eat at a certain hour or certain mile because my stomach doesn’t like food during the IM run. So, I drink every aid station and use the 5, 10 and 15 mile markers as my deadlines to eat. I have to have a gel or equivalent (100 calories) before I reach each deadline or I stop and force it. I find it easier to eat/drink according to aid stations (instead of time), and those particular aid stations are easy for me to remember when the world starts to fuzz late in an IM. At 20, it's Coke time for me.
Last, you have a lot of moving parts, especially with your nutrition. Things can and do go wrong during a 140+ mile race. Make sure you have some Plan Bs and Cs, even if you only write them out mentally. Make sure you know what a Perform or Gu equivalent is to your nutrition, in case you have to use them. And if you’re like most, you’ll experience a dark moment or two out there, and some of them can be pretty dark. Make sure you have your weapons ready to respond.
All in all, though, very well thought out. You’re gonna kill it, and I can’t wait to celebrate 5/17 with you and the rest of the team. Please wait for me at the finish line.
Its all about execution... Everything appears well thought out... Execute and let time take care of itself....
Having said that ..... Your estimates...
Swim 1:15.... for some reason IMTX is a slow swim... my tests indicated a 1:10 or less last year and I ended up with 1:14.... DOES not matter ,execute and don't let a silly number on a clock that you see exiting the water affect the process if its not the number you wanna see....
Bike. 6:00.... virtually training with you and listening to the camp peeps I gotta say this is high.... I bet your crush 6hrs (assuming you pee on the bike and don't spend all day at SN) .... But again just ride your plan and let it fall where it may....
Run... I finally found the EN Temperature Impact Run Predictor (TIRP) but I couldnt get it to work..... Your 4:15 maybe optimistic based on a Vdot of 45 and the likely temperatures we will see @ IMTX.... Yes us little people will be suffering on the run in the Texas heat , but smile and know that ALL those big guys are feeling is so much more...
Very good, well thought out/documented plan EB!
Listen to the suggestions provided below from the Vets, very good advice in my opinion.
Staying in your box, maintaining self confidence at all times, managing what you control and Execution will be your friend as the hours stack up and the heat index begins to rise on the run.
Use RRI to identify what works and what needs to be modified and use this team to help with those adjustments.
Keep moving forward!