Bruce Thompson 2014 IMAZ Race Plan
Big Game Hunting: Looking for the Eye of the Tiger
Short Version: Race hard, do the best execution I can at each moment, string together thousands of good moments. Let the results be whatever comes my way.
As background, I’ve had two great IM races this year, so a third good race would be icing on the cake. At IM Mt. Tremblant, I qualified for Kona. At Kona, my mind and body told me to go easy, & not race hard while my spirit wanted to race hard with all the other great triathletes there. My mind and body prevailed, and still Kona was a fantastic experience. Thanks to my EN teammates & other friends for helping me put my Kona week in the proper perspective. For IMAZ, my mind, body and spirit are all telling me to race hard, so I will be looking for the eye of the tiger on the race course.
Thursday: Fly to Phoenix & get checked in at hotel. Pick up race packet & pick up bike at TBT. Go to EN dinner.
Friday: Sleep in. Go to 4 Keys talk in the am. Go for a short ride on the Beeline Hwy with EN teammates to make sure bike is ok. Meet up with JT for early dinner. Make up gear bags.
Saturday: Big breakfast early– pancakes, eggs, OJ, meat. Short swim after breakfast, then big lunch – chicken or turkey sandwich by noon, rack bike and drop off gear bags, back to hotel to rest, review training log, watch Kona broadcast. Dinner – early meal @ 5 pm, grilled chicken, pasta with marina sauce, bread. Bed by 9.
Race Day: Wake up at 4 am
Breakfast: 2 bananas, 2 bagels, 2 bowls cheerios, coffee. 1 power bar 1 hour before swim start, sip on 20 oz Infinit
Special Needs Bags: drop off bags, put Infinit bottle into SN bags
Transition: work from my list: pump tires, check brakes, turn on garmin, fill torpedo bottle with water, rack Infinit bottle, use toilet, get in/out, find a quite place to rest & hang out with JT. Feel blessed that I “get” to race an Ironman.
Swim: wet suit, plastic bag with cap, goggles, body glide. Drop off clothes bag. Warm up swimming a little, then rest last 2-3 minutes, pee. Get in 2nd or 3rd row near the middle. Go semi hard at start, then settle in, find feet & go steady to end. Site every 15 stokes. Kick harder last 100 yards to loosen up legs. Find a big guy to help pull me out of the water. Walk first 5 steps out of water, then begin running. Goggles up & strip wetsuit down to waist, use wet suit strippers, cap and goggles off while running to T1
T1: Get bag & find a seat. Put on headband, glasses, helmet, (put on arm warmers & gloves if cold) grab shoes, go. Steady jog to bike & put on shoes at bike.
Bike: 175-180 watts until reach Beeline, then 185 watts until turnaround. I plan to push harder on the downhill section of each loop, so will target 190 watts downhill until the end of the loop. Then 185w back up to the Beeline, 190w back down for loops 2 & 3. Goal: 185NP for entire ride. Cap watts @ 210 on all steep climbs. If above 80F, back off by 5-10 watts. Get and STAY AERO the whole way except when making turns or going thru aid stations. Target HR: 130-135. Drink water right away. Drink Infinit after 10’, and sip at each 5 mile lap. Take water bottle at each uphill aid station & refill torpedo, pour extra on back of my head. Take a banana on uphill aid stations. I’m going to take a chance and skip the downhill aid stations to keep my speed up. At BSN, get Infinit bottle, and bagel. Take banana at each aid station. Take one S-cap at start of 3rd loop. Pee 3 times, including last 5 miles.
T2: feet out of shoes last ¼ mile, unstrap helmet while running. Grab bag & go into tent. Find a seat near the exit, put body glide on toes, socks & shoes on, grab run go bag (visor,scaps, race belt, Quick Shot with Infinit bottle).
Run: Put on stuff in this order while running: visor, race belt, Quick shot bottle with Infinit and Scaps in pouch, adjust fit of everything while running. Take short, quick strides. Count strides for first 3 miles to get turnover right. Target pace – 9:25 first miles, then 9:15 next 2 miles, then 9:00 next 3 miles. Then 8:55 to mile 18, then whatever is left to the end.
Keep HR under 140 thru mile 18, then let it drift up to 150+. If above 80F, adjust pace targets upward by 30” per mile. If above 90F, adjust pace targets up by 60”. If hot, focus on HR, and not on pace. Walk 10 steps each aid station just to drink water. Take 2 cup water at each aid station, take cup of ice, and sip Infinit after drinking water. Take a banana as needed. Take 1 Scap at miles 0, 6, 13, 20. At RSN, drop bottle, visor & get go bag with new Infinit bottle, head band, extra Scaps. Put on stuff while running.
Count people I pass to keep mind occupied. Focus on keeping turnover at 180/min in last half of race. Be happy & thank God that I am healthy & strong enough to be racing my 3rd IM in 13 weeks. I am so lucky. Race all the way to the finish line. Smile when I cross the finish.
Comments
Solid. You are so ready! This is going to be one great race for you Bruce. Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Your first sentence says it all Bruce! You are process oriented not outcome oriented! Perfect! Although I think the outcome will be KQ!
Go get it my friend. You have had a massive year. Top it off with a smart, strong, complete effort. Empty the tank.
Good luck!
Thanks everyone. I'll do my best. Looking forward to see all the ENers in Tempe.
@ Scott - yes JT will be there. He arrives late Thursday nite, so will miss the team dinner. He has business meetings on Friday am so really won't be in Sherpa & EN Team Cheerleader mode until Friday afternoon.
Practice makes perfect … you've done this twice before in the last few months, so now's your chance to get it right
Remember, sub 10:52 = free beer @ Rula Bula.
riding with you yesterday was great, you look fitter now than you did at Tremblant (if that's possible)
Kick butt, have a great day and keep the hammer down, another KQ possibility is there... since beer's the incentive, i will double Al's free beer if you KQ!