David Pettigrew - 2014 Lake Stevens 70.3 Race Plan
I'd love any feedback on my plan. Thanks.
Bike Checkin Saturday Afternoon 1-2pm
- Bike with race number stickers
- 2 CO2
- Tires pumped to 120psi
- multitool
- Bento bag
- Tire levers
- Inflator tool
- spare tube
- 3 gels duct taped to top tube
- patches
Get familiar with the entry and exits from transition. Review swim course and if possible get in for a 15-20min swim.
3pm Race Briefing at LSHS.
Night before
- Prepare drink bottles for bike and put in fridge. Not sure whether to make two bottles for bike with rear cage empty or put a disposable bottle in rear cage.
- Set alarm on phone for 3:55am & 4:15am, on iPad for 4:00am & 4:30am
- Put Garmin in multi-sport mode and connect to charger.
Layout morning clothes
- Warm sweater
- Jacket
- Tri suit
- Vaseline
- Body Glide
- Running pants
- Crocs
- Timing chip and strap
Organize my bags as follows:-
Swim Bag
- Garmin
- Cap
- Vaseline
- Body Glide
- Goggles
- Spare goggles
- 1 Gel packet
- 1.5l bottle of water
- Ironman official race cap
- Wetsuit
T1 Bag
- Small Towel
- Helmet with number sticker
- Bike Shoes with talc inside
- Sunglasses
- Arm warmers
- Clif bar
- Two Chamois Butt’r sachets
- 4 packets of Shot Bloks
- mini-pump
- Spare CO2 (plan to leave in transition)
- Spare tube (plan to leave in transition)
T2 Bag
- Primal Socks
- Hokas
- Spare socks
- 2 packets of Shot Bloks
- 355ml Red Bull
- Race belt with bib 789 and two gels
- Body Glide
- Visor
Race Day
At hotel
- Get up at 4am. Eat banana, almond butter and jam, juice and coffee and hopefully take a dump. Get dressed in morning clothes.
- Get bags, bike bottles & Garmin. In car by 4:30am. Arrive LSHS by 5am. Park and get shuttle bus to transition. Arriving at 5:30am.
At transition
- Get body marking done.
- Go to my transition area.
- Setup all my gear
- Put bottles on bike
- Apply body glide and vaseline, put on wet suit.
Swim
I am in swim wave 8 with a start time of 6:53am. Transition closes at 6:20am. When ready head out and check out the swim course -
- checking out water conditions, the swim entry, exit layouts, along with turn buoy locations.
- Identify basic navigation points so that I know what I am swimming towards.
- If possible get in the water 10-15 minutes before my start time for a warm up.
At start, find some space towards the middle or back of my wave. Once started focus on the three Rs - Relaxing, Rythm and Reach. Count strokes and sight regularly. OK to swim inside yellow buoys. Follow the cable.
T1
Press lap button on Garmin on way in.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
Off with the wetsuit, goggles and cap. Quick rub dry of feet and on with socks then shoes. Put Chamois Butt’r sachets, Clif bar and Shot Bloks in tri suit pockets.
Don’t forget to get sunscreened on the way out.
Press lap button on Garmin on way out.
Bike
Focus on really watching my power for the first hour so it is really steady on my target. Flatten the course. Keep to target watts ~140W. Shot Blok every 10 minutes, 1 gel an hour, get 2 bottles of Perform at each aid station. Empty one into my aero bottle, second in the rear.
Aid stations are around miles 16, 28 and 42. I will stop at the mile 28 aid station for restroom and apply Chamois Buttr.
T2
Press lap button on Garmin on way in.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
Press lap button on Garmin on way out.
Bike racked, hemet off, bike shoes off. Hokas on, get bib and visor, put them on on the way out.
Body Glide between legs if sore after bike.
Press lap button on Garmin on way out.
Run
First 3 miles at 10:30 pace, next 7 at 10:00, then whatever is left in the tank after that.
Remember, the focus is to enjoy the journey, have fun, treat it as a health activity not a race, take care of my body/do not injure.
Comments
Made some revisions and notes to my race pacing
Bike
On July 19th I rode the Alsea Falls route - http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/544958906 . This ride had of around 3,713ft (according to Strava) I think this has a similar elevation gain to the Lake Stevens course comparing to Lake Stevens rides on Strava. My average power was 155W, NP 165W, IF 0.843 at my then FTP of 196W. I felt ok at the end, but did not run off the bike. This might have indicated my FTP was higher than 196.
On July 23rd I tested and got a VO2 max of 252W and an FTP of 177W. I really faded on the FTP test, struggling for the last 5 minutes. VO2/FTP = 1.42. I feel this FTP is probably low as I was obviously tired and/or had test execution issues on that test day.
My race rehearsal ride on August 2nd (http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/555466628) was done at an average power of 141W (0.80IF). I was able to run off the bike ok, but it was a flatter bike course than Lake Stevens.
The other unknown is the course. Ironman has the elevation gain of 2,159ft, but all the data I saw on Strava indicated it is more like 4,000ft. So I think I could be out longer than my race rehearsal ride of 3:16, probably more likely > 3:30.
Therefore, I will stick to my lower FTP. Riding the race I should not the race I could. If I go to easy it should help me on the run.
First 20’ @ Z2 (123 - 132W) Then keep to 0.76 - 0.78 IF (135 -138W).
Run
My race rehearsal on August 2nd was 7 miles @ 8:30min/mile pace. I felt good, but the pace was probably a bit faster then I should do on race day.
Here are my targets - First 3 miles at 9:30 pace, next 7 at 9:00, then whatever is left in the tank after that.
I will be wearing a HR monitor and will keep an eye on my HR, keeping it below 160 and averaging about 150.
That's a good tip. What do you think I should run in the tires? 110psi?