Steve Beyer IMFL race plan
This is my 2nd full IM, the first being IMFL last year which I did in 12:45:xx
Relevant stats: FTP 270 (260 in 2013)
Weight 168 (175 in 2013)
LRP 9:07 (9:30 in 2013)
RR bike splits: did 112 in 5:55:xx in first and 112 in 5:45:xx in 2nd (108 in 5:59:xx in 1st and 112 in 5:55:xx in 2nd in 2013)
Feel like have trained smarter, and have adapted to training much better this year. Was DYING for taper to come last year, and this year didn't have that feeling.
The BIG issue that I want to get to right up front is nutrition, as last year I had horrible gut cramping most all of run. I was thinking a 4:30 was realistic, and instead I suffered thru a 6 hr. Marathon. So what I did last year was:
-4am breakfast of banana/almond milk/protein powder smoothie with bonk breaker bar (blueberry oat) and bottle perform- 2 scoops/24 ounce
-About 100 cal shot EFS gel 15 min. before swim and after in T1
-On bike per hour: two 24oz. Bottles, Alternate between perform(2 scoops/140 cal) and EFS (1 1/2 scoops or 150 cal.)
35 cal "block" of Bonkbreaker bar
100 cal. Shot of EFS gel, washed down with perform
1 S cap
This worked out to be about 430 cal. And about 1200 mg Na per hour.
Even though I did this without any cramping in the two RR's in 2013, the general consensus from the team afterward was that it was the undiluted EFS gel, and wrong mixture of powdered drink that caused a bad concentration in the gut....possibly made worse by high Na levels. Gut felt " funky" toward end of bike and cramps came on by mile 3. Didn't overcook bike as IF was .69, which was same in RR's.
So changes made this year (practiced since JOS):
-Same B-fast routine
-bonk breaker bar 1hr. Before swim....done it many times this year without problem
-power gel 15 min. Before swim
- on bike per hour: 8oz. Perform drink(3 scoops/24 oz bottle) on 15,30 and 45 marks
35 cal. Block of Bonkbreaker on 15 and 30 min. Marks
Power gel on hour mark, washed down with 8 oz. water
This works out to be about 390 cal. and 900 mg Na per hour.
So basically I cut back the calories and Na ( have NEVER had muscle cramping issues), and made sure the concentration of sugar in my gut was appropriate by having prescribed perform mixture, and washing down gels with water
****in training, when temps rise above about 75 degrees, I notice I naturally increase my fluid intake to 12 oz. every 15 min., and when this happens I compensate for the extra calories taken in via perform drink by stopping the Bonkbreaker bars. This keeps the cal. And Na intake about the same per hour.
Having said that...ESPECIALLY would like feedback on nutrition info above....here's the rest:
SWIM:
Same approach as last year (1:09)...line up in 1:10 group, little hard first 400 yards, then settle in to "as fast as good form allows" pace. Stayed nearly on the bouy line last year, was congested but that really doesn't rattle me too much.
T1:
SKIP wetsuit strippers this year. Ask volunteer to stuff in bag. Helmet on, carry shoes and glasses(put them on last year in changing room and immediately fogged up) till get to bike, then put on....steady/safe to mount line and go. NOTE.....turn Garmin 500 OFF of auto shutdown before swim so doesn't have to search for satellite at start of bike.
BIKE:
First 15 mins at 175 Np, second 15 at 180, and third at 185. Then settle into 5 mile laps of 187-192 NP. Shoot for having NP at 185-186 at BSN, and then maintain it there by executing well paced 5 mile laps. Nutrition per above. Will carry own perform bottles(3 at start), and grab water every 20 miles to wash down preform and cool off. Will grab three new bottles own perform at BSN, and if needed( temp. Determined) will grab bottle of RTD perform along with water at 100 mile mark. NOTE.....a bit paranoid about effect of super sweet RTD a perform on gut, plus just don't like it
split last year was 5:24:xx.....fitness and RRs are all better this year, but going to focus on disciplined execution.
T2:
Dismount with shoes on bike....new this year, practiced many times. Will really ease up last 1/2 to 3/4 mile to stretch and drop HR. Socks,shoes,fuel belt on....grab Baggie with race belt, Garmin, hat and put on while heading out to run.
RUN:
Will carry 4 10 oz flasks of own mixed perform on fuel belt...5 oz. every mile, and a gel with with water every 4 miles. Again, little paranoid about RTD perform, and figure carrying own is a "better safe than sorry" approach. This will carry me thru to mile 11 at which point I'll use coke until RSN when I'll get 4 new 10 oz. flasks, and repeat as long as can until switch to coke. Will shoot for getting in 5 gels on run....should be around 300-350 cal/hr. on run. LRP is 9:07, but going to use HR as the gauge this year....tracked HR on all long runs and RR runs. Based on data from training, keep HR under 140 first 6 miles( didn't track HR on bike so don't ask how this compares....just going by HR from long runs and RR runs). Then keep it in low 140s as long as possible...hopefully to near or at 18. Then, if can, push it to 150's. In long runs this year, at below 140 I can be at low 9's to slightly under 9 min/ mile. And on RRs, keeping it below 140 lined up perfectly with LRP plus about 20-25sec/mile, and the low 140s usually put right around LRP. OBVIOUSLY want to crush last years split
, and have a goal of 4:15 or less.
Overall goal for race as a whole is to execute so as to have my body perform what it's capable of, ie...not have nutrition or stupid execution derail me!! I think if I accomplish that, then a sub 12 hr. is very realistic
ONE LAST POINT......While I feel very confident going into it, the demon in my head is that the gut cramping never happened in RRs last year, and the nutrition practiced was very consistent on race day. All I can add to that is that there were times last year when later in the day after a long WKO (a lot of nutrition consumed) there would be "gurgling " in my gut. I simply dismissed it then, AND that has never happened this year. SOOOOOO, hoping can get some reassurance (I know there's NO guarantee), that likelihood of gut issues is decreased significantly this year.
Any and all input appreciated
Relevant stats: FTP 270 (260 in 2013)
Weight 168 (175 in 2013)
LRP 9:07 (9:30 in 2013)
RR bike splits: did 112 in 5:55:xx in first and 112 in 5:45:xx in 2nd (108 in 5:59:xx in 1st and 112 in 5:55:xx in 2nd in 2013)
Feel like have trained smarter, and have adapted to training much better this year. Was DYING for taper to come last year, and this year didn't have that feeling.
The BIG issue that I want to get to right up front is nutrition, as last year I had horrible gut cramping most all of run. I was thinking a 4:30 was realistic, and instead I suffered thru a 6 hr. Marathon. So what I did last year was:
-4am breakfast of banana/almond milk/protein powder smoothie with bonk breaker bar (blueberry oat) and bottle perform- 2 scoops/24 ounce
-About 100 cal shot EFS gel 15 min. before swim and after in T1
-On bike per hour: two 24oz. Bottles, Alternate between perform(2 scoops/140 cal) and EFS (1 1/2 scoops or 150 cal.)
35 cal "block" of Bonkbreaker bar
100 cal. Shot of EFS gel, washed down with perform
1 S cap
This worked out to be about 430 cal. And about 1200 mg Na per hour.
Even though I did this without any cramping in the two RR's in 2013, the general consensus from the team afterward was that it was the undiluted EFS gel, and wrong mixture of powdered drink that caused a bad concentration in the gut....possibly made worse by high Na levels. Gut felt " funky" toward end of bike and cramps came on by mile 3. Didn't overcook bike as IF was .69, which was same in RR's.
So changes made this year (practiced since JOS):
-Same B-fast routine
-bonk breaker bar 1hr. Before swim....done it many times this year without problem
-power gel 15 min. Before swim
- on bike per hour: 8oz. Perform drink(3 scoops/24 oz bottle) on 15,30 and 45 marks
35 cal. Block of Bonkbreaker on 15 and 30 min. Marks
Power gel on hour mark, washed down with 8 oz. water
This works out to be about 390 cal. and 900 mg Na per hour.
So basically I cut back the calories and Na ( have NEVER had muscle cramping issues), and made sure the concentration of sugar in my gut was appropriate by having prescribed perform mixture, and washing down gels with water
****in training, when temps rise above about 75 degrees, I notice I naturally increase my fluid intake to 12 oz. every 15 min., and when this happens I compensate for the extra calories taken in via perform drink by stopping the Bonkbreaker bars. This keeps the cal. And Na intake about the same per hour.
Having said that...ESPECIALLY would like feedback on nutrition info above....here's the rest:
SWIM:
Same approach as last year (1:09)...line up in 1:10 group, little hard first 400 yards, then settle in to "as fast as good form allows" pace. Stayed nearly on the bouy line last year, was congested but that really doesn't rattle me too much.
T1:
SKIP wetsuit strippers this year. Ask volunteer to stuff in bag. Helmet on, carry shoes and glasses(put them on last year in changing room and immediately fogged up) till get to bike, then put on....steady/safe to mount line and go. NOTE.....turn Garmin 500 OFF of auto shutdown before swim so doesn't have to search for satellite at start of bike.
BIKE:
First 15 mins at 175 Np, second 15 at 180, and third at 185. Then settle into 5 mile laps of 187-192 NP. Shoot for having NP at 185-186 at BSN, and then maintain it there by executing well paced 5 mile laps. Nutrition per above. Will carry own perform bottles(3 at start), and grab water every 20 miles to wash down preform and cool off. Will grab three new bottles own perform at BSN, and if needed( temp. Determined) will grab bottle of RTD perform along with water at 100 mile mark. NOTE.....a bit paranoid about effect of super sweet RTD a perform on gut, plus just don't like it
split last year was 5:24:xx.....fitness and RRs are all better this year, but going to focus on disciplined execution. T2:
Dismount with shoes on bike....new this year, practiced many times. Will really ease up last 1/2 to 3/4 mile to stretch and drop HR. Socks,shoes,fuel belt on....grab Baggie with race belt, Garmin, hat and put on while heading out to run.
RUN:
Will carry 4 10 oz flasks of own mixed perform on fuel belt...5 oz. every mile, and a gel with with water every 4 miles. Again, little paranoid about RTD perform, and figure carrying own is a "better safe than sorry" approach. This will carry me thru to mile 11 at which point I'll use coke until RSN when I'll get 4 new 10 oz. flasks, and repeat as long as can until switch to coke. Will shoot for getting in 5 gels on run....should be around 300-350 cal/hr. on run. LRP is 9:07, but going to use HR as the gauge this year....tracked HR on all long runs and RR runs. Based on data from training, keep HR under 140 first 6 miles( didn't track HR on bike so don't ask how this compares....just going by HR from long runs and RR runs). Then keep it in low 140s as long as possible...hopefully to near or at 18. Then, if can, push it to 150's. In long runs this year, at below 140 I can be at low 9's to slightly under 9 min/ mile. And on RRs, keeping it below 140 lined up perfectly with LRP plus about 20-25sec/mile, and the low 140s usually put right around LRP. OBVIOUSLY want to crush last years split
, and have a goal of 4:15 or less. Overall goal for race as a whole is to execute so as to have my body perform what it's capable of, ie...not have nutrition or stupid execution derail me!! I think if I accomplish that, then a sub 12 hr. is very realistic
ONE LAST POINT......While I feel very confident going into it, the demon in my head is that the gut cramping never happened in RRs last year, and the nutrition practiced was very consistent on race day. All I can add to that is that there were times last year when later in the day after a long WKO (a lot of nutrition consumed) there would be "gurgling " in my gut. I simply dismissed it then, AND that has never happened this year. SOOOOOO, hoping can get some reassurance (I know there's NO guarantee), that likelihood of gut issues is decreased significantly this year.
Any and all input appreciated
0
Comments
Good Skill Steve!
I like the Macro of how many times have i peed on the bike. I don't think you mentioned that.
all of the below gives you 32oz an hour. I would only offer that if you get a Hot day in Florida you may need to crank the fluids up a bit so that you meet the "pee twice" guidance while on the course. In 2012 IMFL started cool in the morning out of the water but got into the high 80s.
"bike per hour: 8oz. Perform drink(3 scoops/24 oz bottle) on 15,30 and 45 marks
35 cal. Block of Bonkbreaker on 15 and 30 min. Marks
Power gel on hour mark, washed down with 8 oz. water"
"Will carry 4 10 oz flasks of own mixed perform on fuel belt" Do you need to carry perform with you when they offer it on the course? 5oz every mile is probably a cup and a half or maybe just a cup every aid station. Consider dropping the extra weight out of transition and go from aid station to aid station. just a thought.
best of luck. will be watching.
@Nate....Totally agree with the approach of turning the negative (nutrition demon) into a positive. I've been really focusing/meditating on how I've "figured the problem out, and it will be a non-issue this year", and just looking forward to letting/enjoying having my body perform what I've trained it to do. And yea I didn't mention peeing....I know I'm hydrating well if I have to go 3-5X.
@Dave...Even though I've never had muscle cramping issues over the years, I did about 1200 mg Na/hr. last year("just to be safe")...which included an S cap every hour on the bike. I think that MAY have been part of the problem, so went with 850-900 mg/hr this year....without S caps, but will carry some "just in case". Thanks!
REALLY appreciate everyone's feedback