AMT IM AZ 2014 Race Plan
INTRODUCTION
This is IM # 28 and third this year. I’ve done IM AZ in 2008, 2009, 2010 (registered, but did not race, d/t bad accident earlier in the fall), 2011, 2013. I placed 2nd, 1st, 1st, & 6th there respectively, setting the course record in ’09 (since broken). My IM bike PR was there in 08, IM run and overall PR in 09, and miracle recovery win in 11. And in 13, I went 6 minutes faster than ’11. Without doubt, it's the place when I’ve had the fastest, and arguably the most successful racing. My primary goal is to keep that string of success going.
RACE WEEK
Thursday - Arrive early afternoon, head to motel, build bike while Cheryl grocery shops. Short run along the lake in late afternoon. Evening dinner with team.
Friday - 9:00 AM - Register, buy CO2 cartridges at expo, attend Four Keys talk in Tempe, drive to Beeline for one lap 12:30-1:30
Saturday - Morning swim in lake. Lunch out. Prep bike and T1, T2 bags. Afternoon movie: “Interstellar”. Evening dinner at Jamba Juice, then prep Special Needs bags, listen to IM AZ 2014 Playlist: "The Last Time"/Rolling Stones, "In My Hour of Darkness"/Gram Parson, "Floating Bridge"/Gregg Allman, "Racing In The Street"/Bruce Springsteen, "You Don't Get Much"/BoDeans, "Don't Stop"/Fleetwood Mac.
RACE MORNING
If I wake up after midnight, drink one bottle of Ensure.
4 AM Wake up. Go through usual routine. Start breakfast of oatmeal, OJ, maybe another Ensure. War paint, race kit. Leave @ 5:15.
5:30: Body mark, drop off Special Needs
5:45-6:00: Prep bike: 2 x 24 oz frozen bottles of Infinit, Joule, Fenix - calibrate to bike, Solids, EFS to Bento box, check tires, wrist band and possibly arm coolers to aerobars, sunglasses on bike, remove Hefty bag (if needed), confirm gearing is set to start out.
6:00: start to don wet suit, drop off morning clothes. Gulp some gel.
6:15: Hang out by transition exit until allowed to enter holding area.
6:45: Standard IM AZ water entry.
6:55: In water, line up where it looks best.
EQUIPMENT
Morning clothes: Convertible pants, EN Race Team T shirtwarm top as needed, sandals, headlamp.
Race kit: Black Forza tri bibs, EN race top, Garmin HRM..
Swim: DeSoto FIrsst Wave wet suit, dark Tyr goggles, WTC issue swim cap. Ear plugs.
Bike: trusty Frankenbike. Zipp 404 wheels, wheel cover ion back. Bento box, tools under saddle. Three bottle cages, two on frame, one as torpedo mount on stem cap.
Run: Saucony Type A5’s, Sock Guy socks, EN visor, wrist band for my nose.
BAG CONTENTS
Morning tri bag: goggles, body glide, swim cap, wrist bands, arm coolers, bike nutrition - 2 x 26 oz frozen bottles of Infinit, bottle of 6 Perpetuem Solids, flask with 4.5 oz of EFS gel, Joule, Fenix, glasses (in case), run nutrition - one flask of EFS gel, travel pump, tire, tube, special needs bags (see below)
T1 Bag: Helmet, shoes, socks, spare contacts.
T2 Bag: Shoes, spare socks, spare glasses. Go Bag containing: wrist band, EFS flask, Visor, Sunscreen spray-on, number belt with # showing through, sunglasses.
Special Needs Bike: 32 oz, 26 oz frozen bottles of Infinit, spare tube and CO2.
Special Needs Run: Wrist band
NUTRITION PLAN
In Transition before race: swig of gel, about 6 oz of water.
On bike: Infinit - 104 oz with about 1260 cal and 1.5 gms of Na, Water as needed based on temps, hydration status; 5 oz of EFS gel with about 400 cal, 400 mg Na. Solids, one tab an hour: 200 cal, 100 mg Na. Totals: 1860 cal/300 per hour for anticipated 5.6 hour ride; 5 grams of salt. Every fifteen minutes, sit up to drink, amount increasing as day warms. Every thirty minutes, either one Solid, or 1 oz of gel.
On Run: 6-10 oz of fluid each aid station depending on temps. Start with diluted Perform, no more than 4 oz of total Perform per aid station. 1 oz EFS gel @ miles 6, 12, & 16-18. Coke, again diluted, whenever I need it.
PACING
Swim: anticipate 1:14 in water time. Unilateral breathing, alternate side every 50-100 strokes, or if sun is to intense on one side. I know how to swim, I’ve been doing it for 5 decades now, just lock in and ignore everyone else. No real sighting needed, just follow the crowd and keep the effort up. Be prepared to work on the whole way, up to but not past the point of stroke disruption. Find and follow feet when at all possible. If course buoys make a curved line, remember to cut the tangent.
Bike: Anticipate 5:34-5:40 ride time, but wind will dictate this. FTP is 212. Try to forget it was 262 8 years ago and ride based on my current capabilities. That would be: initial out and back, to hill: ride in the 130s, or .61-.65 IF. Going up the hill, don’t go over 150, or 0.707. An any event, NEVER see 160 on the watts dial. Keys to success on this course: ride extremely steady; remain aero at all times, except when drinking, eating; push up AND down the hill @ 0.71 IF; avoid drafting, blocking.
Display on my Joule: Two columns, four rows, left to right: Avg Watts, Watts; Cadence, IF; % grade, interval time; bottom row toggled. On Fenix: PWR/HR; Fenix is back-up Power Meter, as well as 15 minute timer, auto lap.
Run: Anticipate 4:05-10 run time, dictated by temps. Start out of transition fiddling with Go Bag; by second mile, should be below 10 min/mi unless temps are above 72, then go with HR and RPE. First 6 miles in the 115-119 range; stay in the mid 120’s through return to Mill Ave Bridge on the second lap, then allow to rise up and over 130. After mile 16, start using the mantras of “No more half-assed races”, “This is who I am, this is what I do,” Slowing down is not an option”, etc all the way home. Call on the Playlist for variety. Remember I've been building for this race the past three years. Don't fear the Reaper (RPEr) who will start to appear after mile 11; keep ratcheting the RPE continuously from that point on.
Fenix will display on main screen: Total distance, HR, Cadence. Auto Lap every mile.
RACING STRATEGY
My job in this race is to (a) not blow up on the run and (b) not slow down after mile 14-15. Primary means to that end: sufficient calories and fluid on the bike, keep my effort up on the latter third of the bike. Remember my best race here was when I followed that plan.
Comments
Speaking of cutting tangents, Coach Rich mentioned there are a lot of turns on the run course. Does the run course get so crowded that it is hard to cut the tangents? Or do things thin out by then?
Looking forward to seeing the master in action!
By the looks of the below report, it appears you may have done this type of thing before? :-)
Every time I read one of your posts, I learn something. So many good points.
It is not clear to me, based on the below, your REAL one thing? I understand your goals, not slowing down, not blowing up on the run, 4:05 time, etc..... but what is the internal One Thing that will drive you in your hour of darkness?
Lay that out there for us/you....
SS
@ Gabe … the Tempe Town Puddle follows a curve along the route , angling to the right. Years past, the buoys have been set up parallel to that curve, meaning if you start far left, near the buoys, you'll get pushed from the left by the kayakers, and from the right by swimmers aiming for the straight line to the turnaround. Starting on the far right, near the canal wall, you run into a dock, and so starting there is problematic. With 3,000 swimmers all starting at once, there's no point in sighting - you just have to go with the flow, literally. So lining up at the start in the least crowded area is the best strategy, IMO. Usually that's somewhere near the middle.
On the way back, for some reason, the crowd simply disappears. Again, the buoys track a curved course, and its possible to cut the tangent straight to the Mill Ave Bridge. But doing that usually means there are no feet to draft off of, so its possible that if you;ve got a good draft along the buoy line, that's a better choice.
@ Shaughn … One Thing. It's actually two things, hidden within my Playlist. I've been unable to put it down in a succinct phrase, so I just laid some thoughts down in my blog.
Alright Maestro make this a masterpiece. You've laid in huge work this year my friend and and crafted the fitness and determination you need to perfect this race. Execution and mental grit are the keys to getting what you want done, and you have those in spades, so now its time to unleash yourself on this course the way you have before. The Ironman is all about patience and discipline, and no one does it better than you do. Be the machine and the Terminator that you are. I'll be watching for you out there!
Al,
I read the blog and loved it.......enough said!