Ivan Sosa's IM Brasil Race Report
History: I’m from Venezuela but I live in Brazil since 2004. 37 yrs old. Married and expecting our first child in October. This was my first Ironman distance. Prior experience was 1 sprint, 1 Olympics, 1 HIM (70.3 Brasilia last year), all in the past 2yrs. I was an elite athlete (karate) back in the day when I was living in Venezuela. After college I moved to Canada to continue my education and I stopped doing karate or any other sports. Before Triathlon I had no experience at all with bikes. No formal swimming training. So before jumping into triathlon my only experience was running short distances, 5K and 10K. I was completely out of shape before triathlon. I went from 200 lbs to 154 lbs in two years.
Training: After Brasilia 70.3 (September 2013), I was not happy with my coach and I decided to find a new one. Searching the internet I found EN and I knew this was the right place to take my triathlon journey to the next level. I joined EN and started with a BF for 6 weeks and I quickly improve my bike fitness. At that time I was training with Power using a kickr power trainer. Running and swimming was not a focus during this period. After BF I was planning to do a GF but I injured my lower back after a 5K test. I have osteophytes in the lower back and usually a short period of rest after a crisis was enough to get back to normal. This time I waited and waited and nothing happened. I was living with radiating pain into the thighs for almost three months until I decided to try Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment. In 4 sessions and lot of core training I was free of pain. Too late to Get Fast but I was ready to attack the IM training and focus on execution. I can say that I completed 80% of the beginner IM training plan.
IM Brasil race week
Friday – . I started carbs intake early with a big breakfast following a race fueling plan prepared by QT2 (520 grams on Friday). My wife and I arrived at Florianopolis around 10 am. This city is a one hour flight from where I live in São Paulo. I did not do the swim practice. I picked up my bags, chip and number and went straight to the hotel to relax and watch movies all day
Saturday – Continue with my carbs intake plan (690 grams on Saturday).
Checked in bike and T1/T2 bags around 5 pm. Last meal around 7:30 pm at the hotel. I went to bed around 9pm.
T1 bag: helmet, sunglasses, shoes, towel and a 2nd skin long sleeve shirt to keep me warm during the ride. The weather forecast was a cool day with a light rain at the end of the bike.
T2 bag: grab bag with nutrition, hat, shoes and socks
RACE GOALS: SWIM: 01:20:00 – T1: 10:00 – BIKE: 6:45:00 – T2: 05:00 – RUN 5:00:00 à TOTAL:13:20:00
SWIM (Goal <1:20:00) Actual 1:16:47 </span>
The Ironman Brasil swim course is an M-shaped course with a short beach run in the middle. There are only four turn buoys on the course, but the buoys are HUGE and easy to sight. Swim is always wetsuit legal here in Florianopolis, Water temp was 66F. I found a good place to line up in the middle, third row, not too crowded. Swim was not as bad as I had imagined. A total of 2000 swimmers started this year. The first 500 m were a total chaos but after that I found an open space and I could focus on my form, staying in my box, counting strokes. The sighting back to shore was a little tough. I was always adjusting my way back to the shore. I finished the swim feeling strong and ready to get on the bike! http://connect.garmin.com/activity/508500680
T1:Goal <10:00, Actual 7:03.</span>
Ran from the wet suit strippers to the bags, found mine ( I used color stripes to differentiate my bags), then found a clear spot outside the tent. When I started to open my bag a volunteer told me that I can only change inside the tent otherwise I would be disqualified. Now inside the tent I found a small place to dry torso and arms to be able to put the long sleeve shirt. It was not easy. Next time I will swim with the cloths that I will use on the bike. Put glasses on, helmet on, grabbed shoes and ran thru tent. Found my bike, put my shoes on, got the bike, ran to the mount line and was off to take care of business.
BIKE(TARGET 06:45, Goal IF 0.7 (133W)) Actual 7:06:28 (IF 0.693, NP 132, VI 1.11, HR 145, 90 rpm)
http://connect.garmin.com/act...851
Power and Pace data:
FTP: 191
VDOT: 39
WT: 70 kg: 2,73w/kg @ FTP
Bike: Felt B11. I did a bike fit with Todd from TTBikeFit in March. I raced with standard training wheels and classic road helmet. I use a Garmin 910xt for all 3 sports. I don’t have a bike computer. During the bike I use a bike mount for the watch. I have a Quarq Riken to track power (compact, 12-30)
Bike Nutrition (12 bottles of Gatorade, 2 power bars, 11 bloks, 10 gels and 4 salt caps)
Total calories: 1440 from gatorade + 480 form power bars + 333 from bloks + 1100 from gels = 3353 cals = 515 cal/hr (considering a 6.5 hr ride). I carried the gels with me during the swimming in my back pockets and the rest of the nutrition in a XLAB STEALTH POCKET 400. Speedfill full with Gatorade at the start. No bottles in the bike.
The problem with my bike time was that I took too many pits stops during the ride. My actual time riding the bike was 6:36:16. (IF 0.704, NP 134, VI 1.08, HR 146). Almost 30 minutes of my bike time I was not riding. I will explain this later.
The bike course is two loops with four significant climbs, two trips through a tunnel, and several U-Turns, one of which was actually up and over a curb. Crazy!!!. At least one lane of the road is always closed to traffic.
My plan was to ride very conservative the first two hours at JRA (.65 IF) and keep my HR in 130’s. I fail to accomplish both. During the first two hours my NP:140 (0.73 IF) and HR 150. During the flat areas my power was on target but I found myself riding 3% climbs at 103 rpm, NP 181 and 6% climbs at 93 rpm, NP 193. I lost focus during the first climbs maybe because of traffic. After that I decided to dial back a little my watts to bring my overall NP close to 134. During the second loop I nailed the climbs riding steady with just a little power increase (NP: 158 @ 80 rpm)
Now back to the pits stops. Because I was drinking Gatorade like crazy (12 bottles total) to follow my fluid plan, I stopped 7 times at the port-a-john. This never happened to me before. During the HIM last year I stopped only once. Total ride fluid was 204 oz. My sweet test was 26oz/hr. If I consider swim and bike time (26oz/hr x 8 hr =208oz). Right on target. I tried to slow down fluids on the second loop but my mouth was getting dry after a few minutes. So I kept drinking as planned to avoid any hydration problems during the run. I have two theories. Weather or caffeine, maybe both. During the race the weather was cold and when I did the sweet test the weather was hot. Also I read this on the internet “Watch your caffeine intake. Coffee and tea are diuretics and will increase pit stops during the ride”. I was taking caf gels, 2xcaf gels and caf bloks on the second loop. I guess I need to learn to pee in the bike to take this variable out of the equation. No GI problems during the bike. I ate all my gels, bars and bloks without any problem during the bike.
I also stopped at the end of the first loop to talk to my wife. She was waiting for me all this time and I felt the need to stop. I thought that 5 minutes will not hurt my first IM time and this small time will make a huge difference to her for the rest of the day. Pretty long day for her and the baby coming.
The last hour I was inside the box, controlling my watts. My legs were very relax, my quads ok, no sign of fatigue. Last hour numbers (NP:130, VI: 1.03, HR 139).
T2 GOAL <05:00. Actual 4:35</span>
Jogged to T2 bags, easily found and grabbed mine, headed towards tent. I put on socks/shoes. Jogged through tent with go bag and put on gels and bloks in my back pockets and started the run
RUN (GOAL < 05:00:00) Actual 5:07:32 (11:41/mile)
Plan was miles 1 – 6 @ 11:00/mile. Walk 30 steps all the stations. Miles 7 – 18 @ 10:30. Control HR during hills
Nutrition: 1 gel every 45 min + 1 blok every 2 miles + 4oz of Gatorade or water every station.
The run was steady for me. I gradually slowed down as the marathon continued, I switched to coke or soup at mile 18, instead of gatorade, Started to rain around mile 19 and I was forced to stop at SN on the last loop to get a jacket. Around mile 22 “the mental wall”. I started to walk without any reason. This is the only part of the race that I totally regret. My legs were tired, of course, but no reason to walk. And the proof is that around mile 24 I picked up my pace, 10:00, finishing with the best pace of the run in the last mile 9:15.
The only problem during the run was my stomach. As soon as started to run I felt gassy with abdominal gas pain. I visited the port-a-john three times during the run, just to keep the tradition of the bike (kidding!!!). I stopped eating gels but it didn’t help. I kept running only with fluids (Gatorade, coke and soup) to control the problem. Only the last 6 miles I was able to run free of pain. I need to review my bike nutrition to find out what caused the problem during the run.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/508500897
Improvements for the next race:
1. Get faster in all 3 disciplines.
2. Review and practice nutrition
3. Learn to pee on the bike
4. Practice riding steady
5. Not slow down on the run. Avoid the mental “wall” by focusing on the "One Thing"
6. Test FTP outside. I got the feeling that 130 watts during the race was easier than 130 in the trainer.
7. I need to ride more outside. Too much time on the trainer.
8. Communicate more with EN coaches and members to speed up the learning curve.
Thanks for taking the time to read this long race report. 
Comments
great work.
sounds like you have already identified what you need to do to get faster.
As I am still learning, adjusting nutrition and hydration, while racing, per the conditions and personal status, is a useful skill to learn.
p.s. I saw a posting from an American pro lady stating that the drafting on the bike was horrendous. She stated she would not be going back to Brazil. was the drafting bad?
@Robin, it is a shame what we saw this year here in IM Brazil. Not only this year. The illegal drafting problem has become endemic here in Brazil in all long distance races. Even professional athletes are drafting without penalty. Pelotons of 15 -20 “athletes” with bike officials close to them and nothing happens. Take a look on these videos of this year IM Brazil.
Ivan...congratulations Ironman! Great report too. As others have said, you have identified where you can improve going forward. That is a shame about the drafting. I can understand how they can't catch all of it, but to just ignore it left and right is disappointing to say the least.
Ivan - Excellent work in your first IM. It looks like you learned so very much, and have all the right focus for improvement. You are far ahead of most other first time IMers in terms of what it's going to take for you to improve. Looking at your race results, I think the #1 discipline for your attention is the bike - it occupies 4.3 of your eight improvement points. Especially pay attention to # 6 & 7.
Your point # 8 is also spot on - the more you ask, the more you share, the quicker you'll improve.
Nice venue? Fun trip for folks from usa?
Yeah, the drafting is pretty bad. I don't think it matters much unless you are in the hunt for a top spot. It makes me wonder if my competition is pulling away in a peleton. I've done Cozumel twice and it's a great race apart from the draft fest on the east side of the island. I won't be going back because of it. I had considered doing Brazil in the future until I saw the postings about the drafting on SlowTwitch. It's a shame because that race has such a good reputation otherwise.
Regardless, I think you are postured for a big improvement when you tackle another one with the lessons you learned on this one. Now go read all the threads on how to pee on your bike!
@Al: You are right. Riding with confidence is my priority.
@Robin: Florianopolis is a great place to travel. The climate is moderate for people from the north hemisphere. For us, from the south, is a little cold this time of the year. (55 – 65 F during the race). The island of Florianopolis is the perfect venue for an Ironman with its low humidity, endless beaches, mountainous terrain covered in rainforest; participants are surrounded by nature. Some pictures of Jurere in Florianopolis http://www.jurere.com.br/eng/eng_fotos.htm
@Paul: I will wait until 2016 for my next Ironman. So far, the plan is to do a couple of HIM in 2015.