Syracuse 70.3 Race Plan
Syracuse 70.3 Race Plan
Friday: Drive to Syracuse after work with evening arrival; light bite to eat (on the road or on arrival); unwind; bed.
Saturday:
Big breakfast; sports drink throughout the day.
Admin: lay out race gear, nutrition, bike once over, course recon.
Meet with teammates around noon for lunch.
Check-in/packet pick-up; transfer race day items to transition bags; race numbers on bike & helmet; bike drop; stroll through expo; Back to hotel to relax, continue to hydrate; light dinner; race numbers on body; bed.
Sunday/Race Day:
1st feed: 2 a.m.; 3.5 cups apple sauce, 1 tbls protein powder, banana, 16 oz Perform; back to sleep.
Wake-up at 4:15; ½ powerbar, sip Peform; sunscreen; dress; head to race site by 5.
Arrive; park; to transition to set up gear.
Bike set-up: helmet, shades, shoes; 40 oz Perform on bike (hoping to use event bottles, but will have own just in case; rest of race, refills from aid stations), 4 GU and 3 salt tabs (just in case but Perform/GU should have all the sodium I’ll need).
Run set-up: race number belt, socks, shoes, hat, 3 salt tabs, GU and perform on course.
Transition closes at 6:55; race start at 7; expected wave start at 8:10.
Find a place to chill away from the pre-race chaos; ½ powerbar at race start.
7:50: GU Roctane (espresso love) & 8oz water.
Swim:
I’m a strong swimmer and plenty comfortable in the water. Still, I don’t like to be in the scrum of the start. Usually hang toward the middle to rear of the pack off to the side. The positioning leads to a slower start, but I’m a builder, so moving through the pack helps me settle in and not over do it right out of the gate. Settle in, find my water, own it.
Expected swim time: 29-33’
T1:
Easy out of the water. Goggles up but stays on with the cap until wetsuit off.
Easy jog from water to bike. Regain balance from horizontal to vertical.
Gear up, shoes in hand w/ bike to the line, shoes on, mount up and go.
No time expectation, but no lollygagging.
Guessing at T1 time: 3-4’
Bike
1st 20’ at low Z2. Once through the first couple of miles (watch out for the railroad crossings), settle in for the climb btwn ≈ miles 2-12. Not sure what HR will do once on the hill as this is my first race with TT bike and new cassette (from 11-25 to 11-28 to get better climbing gears). Aim is to stay between low to mid-Z2. Expect moments of mid-high Z2, but will focus on backing things down. Stay in the saddle, light on the pedals, aero as possible, watch the competition grind it out and sprint to the top; say hello to them (in my head) as I pass them on the way down and in the later miles.
@20’: start feed cycle. Per hour nutrition goal of 40oz Perform and 1 GU; salt tabs if needed (450 cal, 100-107 carbs, 950-1075 sodium, some caffeine depending on GU flavors I choose). Drink every 10’, GU every hour on the 30s (may take a GU every 40’ instead of every hr. depending on how I feel; same with salt tabs; this has been a successful adjustment on training runs, so willing to give it a go on race day). Depending on heat/humidity, may skip a drink cycle or two every hour so actual calorie intake may be a little lower. Luckily, I’ve had no problems processing the fluids and calories in training.
After 20’: Assuming I’m still on the initial climb (which I should be), continue to hold as best as possible to low to mid Z2. At the top, take stock, and since I held at mid Z2 for the climb, I will be ready for mid to high Z2. Added bonus: ability to take full advantage of any descent and/or leveling of terrain since I didn’t fry myself on the long climb. Rest of the terrain looks very similar (rollers) to home turf. Don’t let short, steep climb around mile 19 catch me by surprise. Looks like a steady descent starts around mile 43 on into T2. Depending on how I feel, may consider low Z3 from there to T2.
Goal: Not to spike the HR during the initial climb and if I do, make quick corrections. Once the long climb is done, focus on holding target HR zone. Also, keep to nutrition plan to come off the bike as topped off as possible. Lack of focused hydration on the bike has resulted in a strained run (especially with heat and humidity) in the past. Looking to minimize this strain.
Expected Bike Time: 3:20
T2
Roll in, keep shoes on to force slow jog/walk to bike rack. This will allow HR to settle and legs/back/neck to loosen up. Salt tab to prep for increased temp (real and perceived) and hydration processing (the run is where I usually have difficulty processing fluids and sticking to a hydration plan). Race number belt, socks, shoes, hat and go.
Guessing at T2 time: 2-3’
Run
Think 10-15 bpm higher than average bike HR.
First 3 miles at target Z2 pace + 30” (8:10). Depending on heat and actual HR, may need to reduce pace to keep within Z2 range.
Next 7 at Z2 pace (7:40). Again, may need to reduce pace to keep within Z2 range.
Last 3.1 at Z3 (7:10). Depending on my condition, pace may need to slow, but goal is Z3 with some left in the tank to push a bit in the last mile.
4 oz Perform every mile, GU every 40-60’, salt tabs every 30’. 30 steps at every aid station.
Goal: To take the good shape I will come off the bike with and use it to hold run pace. Reserves in the tank for strong finish would be nice, but main focus is to hold pace and avoid walking. Bad bike hydration and continued poor nutrition execution on run has left me struggling in the heat and humidity in the past.
Expected Run Time: 1:45.00
Expected Total Time: 5:45.00
Comments
There's also a huge disconnect between someone who can swim 29' and run 1:45 but takes 3:20 on the bike. Where's that number coming from? We're of similar swim and run ability but my bike time at 'Cuse was 2:30 the last time I did it. That's an outlier of a bike time given the much more competitive swim and run expectations. Just wondering what's going on there.
Just a few comments..
Swim: Be prepared to swim through some weeds in the lake.. Last year near the start and finish there were these large beds of lake weeds that you get all tangled up in as you are swimming.. Be prepared to deal with that as they get hung up on your head and arms..
Bike: Expect to be very quickly out of Z2 within 5-10 minutes of the bike.. The first hill is very steep but short.. After that there is a flat stretch to recover where you then have a gradual but very long climb. Again you will likely be well out of Z2 at this point. After that there are some sections where you can get some great speed. Roads are in great condition!!
Hydration: Make sure you are well hydrated during and towards the end of the bike as you will need this for the run. Last year it was screaming hot on the run and everyone was dropping like flies. The pavement was so hot you could feel the heat through the bottom of your running shoes.
Run: I highly suggest you drive the run course the day before.. Bob is correct, the run really is tough. Very likely as tough as the Quassy Half course. Take it very easy going out on the main road, you'll go up a slow hill then a progressive downhill. Then you will take the left off the main road and there will be a flat stretch and after a while a very, very steep uphill, a right and then another uphill then the turn around. Save as much as you can for these uphill sections. If you are able to run the entire uphill section you will blow past most everyone.. Last year this hill looked like the walking dead from the heat and grade.
Best of luck!
As you noted the first 12-13 miles are uphill. It will be slow going during that time. Then you get some rolling stuff until mile 20 or 21 where you hit the steepest descent/ascent. I went over 50 mph down that hill. It's pretty much shaped like a V. You go down and immediately go up. The ascent is pretty steep. Steep enough that even my 50 mph descent barely made a momentum dent hitting the ascent. There's another steep climb less than 10 miles after that around mile 28 or 29. That one comes right after a turn so be prepared and be in the right gear.
Ditto on what all of the wicked smart members said. I've done that race twice, and that course humbled me beyond words.
Last year was an epic experience and the news articles (My parents live 5 min from Jamesville Beach) ran stories on how even the pros consider it the toughest 70.3 on the circuit.
Parts of the swim course made me think of the underwater scene in one of the Potter movies, the bike course has the ditch of despair and the run course is well, tough.
@Darren, I was one of the walking dead!
That said, your plan looks well thought out and solid. Best of luck. watch the heat and we will look forward to your race report.