Keith Shireman - 1st Ironman 70.3 - Kansas - Race Plan

Keith Shireman

This will be my first Ironman 70.3 triathlon. I have competed in 6 sprints and an Olympic distance last fall. This is my 2nd year as a triathlete. I will be traveling on Friday to drive to Kansas and I've done a lot of homework on the course. Any opinions or suggestions about my plan would be greatly appreciated.

I've spent the last 6 months training and preparing for this race. It's not a bucket list item for me just another opportunity to see how tough I really am. My background is in sport medicine and I compete in half and full marathons outside of triathlons. No injuries in preparing for this race just a chance to learn more about myself and how to compete better.

Friday

Traveling to Kansas. Go to athlete checkin and meetings at the end of the day. Pick up gear bags at checkin. Keep taking in water and carb load at the end of the day. I'll to recon a bit if time allows.

Saturday

Early Morning recon if I couldn't get it in on Friday. Big breakfast and snacks throughout the day. Lunch with friends and head back to Clinton park for bike checkin and envision transitions from swim to bike. Continue with hydration all day with Powerbar Perform and water. Stay out of the sun. Weather could be rainy this weekend but 'it is what it is' at this point.

Gear bags: Green for anything I may need to take to the start But usually I take my TYR bag. Blue for all the swim stuff (wetsuit/goggles/swim cap, etc.) Red for all the run gear (shoes/visor/FuelBelt/Gel).

Sunday

Nutrition: 3 hrs before my swim start 6:50am. Oatmeal and cinnamon raisin bread w/peanut butter or blueberry preserve jelly is my usual breakfast. Perform or water to start hydrating that day.

6am I will take a half Powerbar of gel depending on my nerves that morning and sip on Powerbar Perform until time to make my way to the start.

SWIM START: 6:50am

BIKE:

HOPE to be out of the water by 7:35 and transitioning to the bike. Vaseline around the cuffs of the wetsuit for an easy take off. Computer will already be on the bike. No need to have extra stuff to carry. Grab my half Powerbars already cut up to avoid littering penalty. PowerGel will already be in a small flask to again avoid a littering penalty. PowerPerform will already be mixed up on the bike. (Should I already have it mixed up of just powder and grab water to mix it along the way?) Nutrition on the bike will be 1 PowerGel at 10 min after the hr and half a Powerbar at the 40 min mark each hr.

HOPE to be out of transition by 7:40 and finish the bike 11am at the latest. 

RUN:

HOPE to be out of transition by 11:05 and off for the final leg of my journey. Fuel Belt with Powerbar Gel in flask again to avoid littering penalty. Powerbar Perform in the bottles each mile. 1 gel every hr. Water sponges if they are on the course to keep my body cooled off. Plan for the run to go as long as I can w/o bonking. I can run a half marathon under 2 hrs but after the bike I think it will take 2:15. We shall see what happens.

HOPE to be finished my 1:15 pm. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. My goals for this race are primarily to finish in the allotted time. If that goes well then finish well. If things are really going good then pull the trigger! (LOL)  

Weather is suppose to be in the 70's on race day so It won't be too hot. I will be taking bags and such to cover my bike incase it rains overnight. I think I've done all I can to prepare. I'm reminded always on my Road Id bracelet a quote from Winston Churchill: 'Never Ever Give Up'. Cross the finish line and achieve the unbelievable.

Mike Roberts

@Keith, good luck this weekend.  I absolutely love the KS70.3 location, course, people, vibe, etc.  Lawrence is an awesome town.  Swim is in a nice, clean lake.  TA is a bit cramped, so make sure you know exactly where your bike is.  The bike course is beautiful and, along with the setting and friendly people, is the crown jewel of the race.  Many expect Kansas flatlands, but it's non-stop rollers throughout, with a few reasonable climbs.  It's almost totally exposed, so crosswinds can play a factor if you ride deep-profile wheels.  You don't mention your bike pacing strategy.  Whether it be power, HR, or RPE, it's critical that you "flatten" the course and ride at a steady, consistent power/effort.  Lots of people knucklehead their way around that course and pay for it on the run. I would never eat solids like a Powerbar on a HIM, just a few gels, but that's me.  Overeating on the HIM bike can create an uncomfortable-gut run.  As for bringing Perform mix on the bike, skip that.  Just grab a bottle of Perform at one of the aid stations.  You don't need to waste time on the side of the road mixing liquid when a volunteer is waiting to serve you.  The run is pretty nice.  You'll face a pretty steep hill 1/2 mile out of TA.  It's probably only 100 yards long, but it's steep.  On Lap 2, many/most will be walking it.  Most of the rest of the run is flat and through spectator-jammed campgrounds.  It's also totally exposed, so it can get quite hot.  I would again skip carrying Perform, as you'll have plenty available every mile at the aid stations. If it were me, I'd also skip carrying gels/food unless you have particular needs.  The aid stations have plenty to offer.  If the temps are in the 70's, count your blessings.  If you feel good, use your running background and see what you can do the last 3 miles.  Most importantly, have a blast.

Keith Shireman

This race will be a learning curve for me. I can't fit another 70.3 in my schedule this year. But I plan to do 2 70.3's next year and then try to commit to a full Ironman triathlon. As far as my bike pacing strategy, I have been going by HR but keeping it around 18-20 mph consistently. I'm notorious for pedaling my butt off and paying for it on the run. But I've learned to slow down and try to concentrate on the numbers I've practiced so I don't bonk! The Powerbar and gel combo have worked well on my training rides. I only do gels on the run so my gut doesn't pay for it. I've learned the hard way unfortunately. LOL! I've calculated 3-4 bottles on the bike and try to take a drink of Perform every mile on the run. I'm really hoping the temps will stay down so I don't overheat. Thanks for your insight and advice Mike!