James IMMD race plan
Ironman Maryland Race Plan:
Over all goal is to complete but shhh secretly want to do sub 13 hours or better..... just have to respect my training self and bring my race guy to execute as my fitness is there for the time i want
Arrive in Baltimore Wed at 230ish get rental car( was goinjg to get cab but searched and it was 200 bucks to and from cambridge so just opted for the rental and a little more freedom..get to hotel Americans Best Value Inn( i highly doubt it) unpack rebuild bike and if light enough recon the area..not sure how far i am from event start
Swim goal 1:20 bike goal 6:00 or better Run goal 4:30...transitions ...smooth is fast(still working on this lol
the details
up at 12-1am to eat 5 cups Applesauce and a naked juice then back to sleep
back up at 3ish an;other naked juice and coffee...morning constitution , shower shave etc out the door by 5ish..fill bike nutrition ,check tires turn on garmin and let it sleep. sip on sports drink and relax gonna be a long day
swim- not my strong suite 1:20
seed myself in the 115 range after a little warm up..i did the same as Steve and ordered a skin suit hopefully it will show up as promised or ill just go without and use Al's tri top dressing plan(it really works good but dont want to get over whelmed with the little pesky jelly fish so lets hope it shows up) sip sports drink and have a gel 30 mins prior to lift off
- start off smooth but faster than overall race speed for first 2 buoy then settle in a smooth and comfortable pace i can hold
- count strokes...im good for three then start over not concerned with drafting or contact ...done the mass start at CDA so this is easy stuff..will try to stay straight sighting every 20 or so strokes
- out and around for second lap...i have a tendency to cramp up either calf or more so the insteps of my feet(am working on my plantar faciatis which i think is my main problem..have swam thru all so if it does happen this time ..no kicking allowed ..a good swim and a so so swim for me is only 5-8 mins difference..small in the scope of the total day
- out of the water pass the strippers and grab the bag
T1-5:00 or less
- Dump bag-...skin suit off(if have)if not tri top on
- socks- bike shoes- helmet and glasses (spray sun screen)
- start 510 mount and go
Bike-600
- first 45 minutes goal watts 145-150 easy get heart rate in check and start feed after 20 minutes and every 10 minutes there after
- roughly 50oz perform per hour(will have to keep eye on this as humidity will be a factor on sweat rate. additional salt tabs on the half hour and a gel on the hour...about 450-500 calories per hour with approximately 1200 mg sodium as well...will dial in better on the bike based on my pee rate...in Vegas with that amount i peed every 40 or so minutes...cant pee on the bike tried lol
- settle in at 160-165 watts keeping my NP at around 160 for the duration....70-.71 if is goal
- if windy dont force it just believe in the power because the return trip ill be sailing same watts
- stay areo as much as possible occasional stretching..think happy thoughts cause this is fun Right?
T2- 4:00 minutes
- dump bag-helmet off- change socks ...slip on shoes , race belt grab zip lock bag(salt tabs,Ibuproohen 4 gels.hat ) stop get sunscreen(look for the pretty girl for sunscreen)
run-4:20-4:30
- check heart rate needs to be 120 ...slow and steady at first
- first 6 miles 10:30 pace...control breathing and dial in the pace( walk if heart rate not complying)
- 6-8 oz perform every aid station(walk 20-30 steps while i feed) salt tab on the 1/2 hour and Gel on the Hour..subject to modification depending how i feel..IMCDA left me leaving my lunch on someones front lawn and caused a 3+mile walk before i was able to continue running
- next segment of run get into 9:45 10 minute mile and keep the suck off my back as long as i can
- 8 to go get into Beast mode and test the waters on a little faster pace possibly 9:30.lets count the people i pass
- last couple let it all out ...finish strong and represent the team with the gang sign at the finish
- BEER BEER BEER..recovery drink
.
Comments
Hey James,
Looks good. I like it. I'm confident that they'll have a sunscreening crew as you exit T1 if you want to skip spraying yourself.
On the bike, I would definitely plan on wind - just focus on your watts and ignore your perceived pace. Having done AZ and FL a few times, the two things to keep in mind on flat bike courses. First, it's difficult to pee on the bike (no downhills). If you have a tailwind, just coast for 15 seconds, think of the sound of a waterfall, and let it go. Second, you need to stretch the lower back/hamstrings a lot. I set an audible alert every 15 minutes on my Garmin to remind me to eat (every other beep), drink and stretch. 6+ hours in one position, using the same muscle group, is tougher than it sounds.
120 HR seems really low on the run. I hit 120 just sneezing. If I need to actually run, I'm quickly in the 140's or 50's. But you may have a really low max HR. If you've done the math and have verified it in practice, go with it.
Most importantly, enjoy the experience, including the post-race recovery liquids.
@steve- thanks on the heads up for stretching ...yes regular time slots will give me something to do on the 6 hour event..lol
@mike- yes need to leave tent at 120 ...imcda i never got down below 150 even resting which made getting in the groove tough i realize it will creep up around 140-150 as i progress but need to start slow and gradual or could be a long Marathon and the suck come so much sooner