Coach P's IM Texas 2015 Race Report
9:29:46 on a Wicked Windy and Hot Day...and headed back to Kona, baby!
For the speed readers, the full report is below. For the rest of you this was my 21st Ironman and I went 9:29:xx, good enough for 36th overall...26th male...5th age grouper...and 2nd in the M40-44 age group. My swim was baaaad. The bike was almost perfect and the run was a sufferfest...but my ticket is punched -- Kona #7, here I come!
The Build Up
Winter 2015 simply sucked. I wasn't able to ride outside in my town until mid-April...about. 5 weeks pre-race. I did have a full winter of quality running and a modified OutSeason (see below), plus camps in Florida in January (January Volume Camp), a shortened Texas Camp and the Blue Ridge Cycling Camp (here) which all afforded me some good bike volume.
The Winter Training
I decided to keep my run pace pretty high at the outset of my training -- think just slower than Z3 / Half Marathon Pace and then add the bike/run workouts of the OutSeason in to the point where I could still run that quality tempo pace. I wanted to do this as the bike is my current strength and I wanted to target the run with more quality.
Well after one week of training and real winter weather I realized that things had to change. First, I couldn't run intervals in the snow (no treadmill for me thanks!) and second, increasing the bike interval duration each week really hurt my run.
So I settled on a "fixed" week of bike intervals -- Tuesday was 2x12' @ Z4, Thursday was 4x4' @ 110% FTP / Z5 and Saturday was 2x12' @ Z4 again. This allowed me to push the effort of the intervals up each week since the duration was fixed. I could also easily tell when I was tired as the numbers would drop.
I ran 60' to 70' at the sub-Z3 pace on both Wednesday and Sunday and then a few shorter runs during the week when possible. Monday and Friday were 2500y swim sessions.
Overall I was pretty pleased with the results. My run quality was pretty high -- not my fastest running but a lot of quality. My bike was super strong and my swim had been fairly consistent.
The Race Prep Training
Race Prep started right around mid-February. With about 10 weeks to go, I decided to use a modified version of the EN*Full Minimalist Plan as I knew I couldn't do 2 long rides a week with the weather (as we usually do) and I wanted to maintain my run.
<img class=" size-large wp-image-16203 aligncenter" src="http://www.endurancenation.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Screen-Shot-2015-05-17-at-7.01.20-PM-1024x146.png" alt="Race Prep Phase One" width="570" /></a></p>
This meant more Tempo (no real run intervals), more swimming and a three solid bikes. A HUGE shout out to the TriFit Lab (run by Todd and Lisbeth Kenyon of TTBikeFit fame --
After 4 weeks I transitioned to better weather and a "consolidated" long run, which you can see reflected in the schedule above.
Swim Training
This was about the time that Mike Roberts had posted on his year-long swim hack for IMNZ and how he dialed in his swim. I read, learned, and did my best over the final 10-ish weeks to implement the knowledge. I was pleased with my swim progress in the pool but am bummed it didn't play out on the race. Regardless, I have a few more months to continue making progress!
Bike Training
Aside from some technical issues getting my TT bike back into workout shape , the transition from my road bike to the Tri bike at the end of the OutSeason was pretty uneventful. The indoor sessions made me mentally tough and the other sessions were short enough I could still get in some good intervals.
Given the long rides were indoors they were more at IM Race Pace / Z2 as I couldn't really ride sustained Z3 inside. I was happy when the weather turned so I could go back outside! Overall the numbers were good, combined with the Blue Ridge Camp work I did (back on the road bike) I had a high degree of confidence.
Run Training
While my "Tempo" pace fell from 6:30s to 6:45s as the training load increased, I was still pleased with my run. Durability was high and all my sessions were solid. I felt like another 3:15 here in TX was possible for sure. An unintended benefit of the running, I believe, was really good body composition. And I have to say I am a real fan of the Split Long Run to ramp up run volume safely.
Race Week
This is always fun! We had a smaller crew as this wasn't a "Key Race" for 2015, but what to we lacked in size we made up in AWESOME! Our Team Dinner was delish and filled with some great laughs. Mariah made the Four Keys Talk a success -- thanks to all who attended! -- and was my pre-race Sherpa. My amazing wife Maura arrived on Thursday just in time to keep me sane and help me get mentally ready.
Race Morning
Super simple using my checklists. The bike is all set, fueled and powered up. Shoes on the bike with a little rubber band trick for the left one so I can mount quickly. T2 and T1 bags are untied and prepped for the race. A quick drive to the swim start has me on the ground an hour before with plenty of time to do everything and make sure I am ready. A quick kiss to Maura and it's time the swim start!!
The Swim -- 1:10:xx, 50th AG.
The swim was a rolling wave start -- like your local half marathon. Folks self seeded and when the gun went off we waded in and started swimming. No warm ups allowed. It was wetsuit optional, so those folks were in the back.
It was crowded at the start, and while I planned to to inside the buoys I saw the course curved right and so I headed for the final buoy. This meant solo swimming vs in the pack -- breaking my swim plan instantly.
And honestly it was really hard to tell if I was swimming well without the feedback of a clock. I feel like my swim has improved, but that my open water swim game sucks. I really need to solidify my stroke and get better at swimming with others for sure.
That said, aside from the top swimmers, times seemed slow. The water felt surprisingly choppy / angry for a lake; I think we all just sloshed it up. The canal, for the last 1300 just sucks. No two ways about it. It was really hard to maintain any good swim stroke in here.
T1
I executed this perfectly. Removed the swim skin just out of the water; got my bag put on my helmet and walked top right thru the tent. Gave a volunteer my bag and cap, etc, and then used the GoBag to fill my pockets while I got sunscreened and sloshed to my bike.
Sloshed you say? Oh yes. Daily downpours had tuned the transition area into a Woodstock worthy experience...complete with the smell of raw sewage. Not awesome. Since my shoes were on the bike, however, I just rolled out and got on the bike.
The Bike -- 4:44:xx, 2nd AG
After 2012's sub-5 ride I knew I could really fly here. I had the bike dialed in, complete with race tires and latex tubes, and I was ready to rock. My goals were to ride about 245 Watts and to be strongest when it mattered in miles 60 to 80 -- the usual headwind area (plus some chip seal).
The start was crowded, given my swim time. I was in that place where every guy is riding like they might win....surging, swerving, cursing, etc. I tried to just stay in my mental box and get my fluids in while trying to get my HR down below 130.
I could tell by Mile 20 that things were going to be funky. That's a flat slightly downhill section where I was going to skip an aid station as I'd be going 28mph there. Except I was in a group fighting wind!!! Aargh!
Skipping the aid station and the surprise wind turned out to be a good thing, however, as it gave me the momentum to create a gap and leave those other guys behind. As a result of this group stuff, my power was all over -- I resolved to keep my HR in check around 130 to 132.
With the wind picking up I knew the return trip would be much harder, so I played it safe on the rollers, sitting up and spinning. Sure enough, at the highest point on the course, the winds were screaming. But I just put my head down and kept the pressure on the pedals. There was really no one for me to work with legally on the bike; from mile 65 onwards it was really a solo TT effort.
The wind wasn't terrible on the chip seal as it was a cross-head, but that only meant there would be wind all the way into the woodlands...which is why everyone's last split on the bike just stinks. I focused on getting wet to stay cool and drinking up. It was overcast for almost the entire bike, but the heat was evident when the sun poked though and the humidity was in full effect.
By the time the bike wrapped I was feeling pretty solid about my placing on the day and physically as well.
Here is the data from Strava:
T2
Reverse slopfest here, and I struggled with my T2 bag as I left it tied b/c of the afternoon showers that were forecast (but never showed up). I tried to maximize my time in transition by peeing as I sat down putting on my shoes — it kept my feet try but I was a hot stinking mess for sure. Out the door with my GoBag, I finished my admin items as volunteers put sunscreen on my back and it was time to run.
The Run — 3:26:xx, 2nd AG
I made a few changes here to my usual set up. First I didn’t take my FuelBelt with me as I was trying to reduce all weight. Instead, I used a FuelBelt SuperStretch Race with a pouch, gel loops and race number toggles. All in one baby! I also upgraded my trucker hat to a Zoot Ultra Icefil Cap, with the flaps secured around my neck with an arm cooler. I blatantly copied Ben Hoffman’s race set up for Ironman Hawaii last year, and it turned out to be total money.
Without a doubt, however, the biggest upgrade was once again due to the Team….Dave Tallo’s suggestion to take a ziplock bag for carrying ice was killer. This was part of my “run the aid stations” strategy — which I think was a massive success for 2/3 of the race!! — and it really help offset the heat and manage random aid station placements where things really got hot. I simply dumped ice in it as I ran. Then I sealed it and stuck in my top….or I could hold in my hand(s)…if my head got hot, I turned it upside down as I held the ice in a ball and the cold water fell on my head…and I could chomp ice or put in my arm coolers whenever I wanted. It. Was. Awesome!
I set out knowing my bike Average HR was 131…so my run target of 140 seemed right on. However I could tell within the first 1/2 mile that it was going to be a friggin tough run. The sun was out in full force and the heat was on. Legit, Kona-style heat. My HR popped right up over 140 and I had to really slow myself down as I found my legs.
I focused on nailing the aid stations per my plan and getting in the food and salt I needed. I took in 2 caffeinated gels in the first 1/2 marathon, as wells 3 tiny Clif Bloks (Margherita with 3x sodium, of course!) as well as plenty of Gatorade Endurance.
I was passed round Mile 3 by the eventual winner of my age group, and he looked super strong and smooth. No way I was moving my HR anywhere, so I continued trucking. Even though I didn’t feel like I was running well (no peeking at the mile splits, thank you!), I was passing 90% of folks. I think maybe 15 people passed me all day and I caught all but 4 of them by Mile 25.
The fan support was incredible; from the Moxie music-fest to the Crotch Catapult station to the bearded-garbage can bangers…and the normal people were great too. I really never said anything to anyone…I was just trying to stay in my zone. My stomach felt pretty good after some colorful bike burps, but I could tell my calves were borderline in terms of wanted to cramp. At about Mile 8 (of that 8.55-mile loop) there were two sets of stairs DOWN…which I nearly killed myself on as my quads were so tight. I oped to walk these on Lap Two (Lap Three you headed to the finish instead).
Lap Two was purgatory. You can see from my HRM file that I backed off a bit here. Reflecting with race friend and fellow coach Tim Snow of QT2 Multisport Systems, I think that this was really due to a lack of mental toughness. I visualized the final 4 miles, but neglected the middle…not next time.
I was basically biding my time to the third lap. On lap three I started to pull things back together and run the tangents. By this time the course was wicked crowded and it was hard to get what I needed at the aid stations without actually stopping as there were just too many other athletes in the way. Note to self, I need to yell at volunteers more for what I want.
By Mile 22 it was game on and I was running down the last two guys I could see who had passed me. Some solid work here, even if it’s not reflected in the pace. Then at Mile 24 turnaround I could see that there was at least one person close to me in bib numbers…I was about to get a banana for tingly fingers, but instead I had to suck it up. I really picked up the pace and I was surprised to see how good it felt to stretch out my stride and really run. The HR went up, for sure, but there is something here for me to learn from really running vs getting buried in a shuffle. I really pushed, running a 7:24 and 7:04 final two miles, making sure I was in the finishing chute by myself and safe from getting pipped at the line. Always good to finish strong.
Here is the data from Strava:
The Finish
I had enough time for a massive smile and the EN-gang sign.
It was great to be caught by teammate and good friend Vic Kaiser, who shepherded me to my wife and the finish area for much needed cold water, cooling towel and a massage. Interesting enough there were no chairs or table for athletes to sit at…that really stung as folks were left to sit on the concrete or go off in the bushes. Can’t imagine that’s a big line item that can’t be added back in.
I was able to see many of my teammates in the finishing area, and we also were able to meet up at The Goose’s Acre for some post race food and drink. A burger never tasted so good. After getting home and trying to sleep, Sunday brought the awards banquet and Kona slot allocation. It was a nice wrap to the weekend and a good chance to say hi to the folks I met on the run course. A lot of really tough and fit men and women out there. I took my slot to Hawaii, making this my seventh trip in my last seven tries. I am excited to rest, and plan our Hawaii Race Week Camp (for racers and just folks who want to train and experience the biggest week in our sport!).
Massive Thanks
As always, to my understanding and amazing wife Maura for lifting me up more than she’ll ever know. To my daughters who inspire me and love me no matter how sweaty and tired I am. To my training partners Lisbeth (who also raced, won her Age Group and is headed to Hawaii!, Peter and Todd who push me when we connect. To my mentor, Vinu Malik whose wisdom on all things endurance could fill several encyclopedias..thank you for all your advice. To my teammates on Endurance Nation who continue to push me athletically to be my best, you never cease to amaze me with you new perspectives, tips and strategies…that run was dedicated to you! If I forgot anyone else, please know I am sooooo thankful….and thanks for reading!
Random Lessons Learned
* Shoes on the bike is a gajillion times better than in a T1 bag; I hope IM continues this trend at other races.
* The best thing for your chafed parts post race is chamois cream. Who needs bike shorts for permission?
* Be ready for a scary post race pee if you have been beet juice loading.
* Chocolate milk is NOT a sponsor / at the finish line this year. BUMMER.
* Someone needs to make an “aid station volunteer” video manual that folks can watch. Simple things like how to hold bike bottles or two cups in one hand would make a massive difference.
* Yelling what you need at run aid stations really does help.
Comments
Couple of questions if I may?:
1. Did you pee on the bike? How many times?
2. What IF and VI did you finish with (perhaps you hesitate to tell us your IF, lest we try it!? But no....we know to follow the chart with the green/gray/red IF goals base on our personal estimated bike split, right?!)
3. Do you have a pic of this hat you used? I see no hat in the finish chute photo!
4. Details on the ice bag trick?...that is a great idea. Just a 1 gallon ziplock? Poke a few holes in it or leave it alone to allow ice water drainage where you want it when you want it?
You are an inspiration to us MOP folks. Congratulations again.
JL
Your bike was textbook. At ~225 NP (?) and 75-77 kg (?), that would put your effort right near 3 w/kg. You just overpowered the field. And arguably more important on a non-hilly, windy course, I bet your position was great and your w/cda was incredibly high as well.
As expected, the run was a matter of heat management, suffering and survival. Everyone looked bad on video. 3:26 is amazing. I think you could have gone 3:45 and still grabbed a Kona spot. That's how killer your bike was.
Congrats again.
Swim- tend to agree with MR and its usually the one thing we think back on and have a hard time finding "what went wrong".... IMTX without a wetsuit is just a really hard swim.... My Delta between with and without at IMTX was 12 minutes ! For comparison sakes what are your KONA swims?
Transitions- Sounded like 3rd world country conditions... Was gonna as if they changed them since so many peoples Transitions seemed slow this year but I guess it was just those mudpit conditions...
Bike.... Would love to see more metrics from your bike ? A garmin file or TP file to see the power graph better ? (Love the graph's on STRAVA for the Run but find the Range for the bike all wrong on STRAVA)..... 4:44 is just freaking insane.... I'll admit I was a bit worried for your run after I saw that 4:44 , my thoughts were oh no he may have over-biked to make up for the swim..... Happy to be wrong here ! Was it difficult to stay in your box on the bike?
Run--- For such a big Dude you can really handle that heat/humidity combo.... That pacing was a thing of beauty.... Yes a tiny fade on that second loop ... It has to be mental , very similar to every 20min bike interval you look at that has that fade at the 2/3 mark and then somehow rallies at the end???
CYA in KONA !
Here's my analysis on your swim. It was slow (relatively speaking), BUT. And this is a big BUT. I think your swim is what set up the rest of your day. And not just your swim time, but your swim preparation. I know you logged more swim training this yr than in years past. I am starting to develop a theory (maybe not so revolutionary, but based on my data and of others I a seeing) that really solid swim fitness is essential if you want to nail a solid, fast race. I'm not talking about OS swimming because I still don't believe in that. Btu the swim volume in the last 8-12 weeks before your IM. Can you talk about how many hours (or yds or whatever metric you have) of swim work you did in the last 8 weeks before your race? My theory is that you had better swim fitness. So even though you might not be happy with your swim split (strategy or seeding might have effected the absolute time), I really think the Stress it put on your body was absolutely minimal. Therefore, your monster bike split was the same as any other Race Rehearsal. Then your smart (and blistering fast) bike setup your solid run. The TSS bike math is in definitely in your favor when you only have to be on it for 4:44.
I had a couple of other friends (fast guys) that did IMTX this yr and simply melted on the run. So it's a little funny hearing you beat yourself up over the little lull at the ~2/3 point of the run. I'd say the ability to turn it back on after that in those conditions is something to be very proud of. And of course you guys in the pointy pointy end have to find something to focus on. My advice for you going into Kona, Swim, Swim, Swim brotha! (but doing it without reducing any of your work on the bike or the run)
Question: did you notice any improvements from beet juice loading? I started supplementing with it regularly a few weeks ago and noticed an immediate boost.
Good thoughts John... I am one who will fluff on the swimming closer to my IM race, because I do ok within my ag in most IM races, BUT, I want to be solid on the bike and run this year too in Choo. Good food for thought!
Tim, I just looked into Bestbikespilt and would love to hear Coach's perspective!
Gabe, if you are a responder to the beet juice loading, keep at it!! I've tried it with some success myself. BUT, my most success was my first with EN and I was super consistent in my training. So, yeah, theres that.
This type of Walk the Talk inspires us all to dig a little deeper, try a little harder, find ways to serve and support a little more and makes that whole haus that much stronger!
No words!
Thank you Coach P and Congratulations!
SS
@Mike, I’d call it about 250 folks…I was right at start of the 1 hour group…but the entrance flowed more from the other side so I was held up…the bike file and pictures look good…I was really solid about staying aero…officially pics coming in a few days. Thanks for the run words…the aid station advice was killer…that was a 3:40 run day without your guys’ help!
@Tim, thanks. My swim time this year in TX was SAME as Kona last year! Yeah, no mat or anything to alleviate it..suck it up buttercup! Not hard to stay in the box on the bike as I never looked at the swim clock…just rode with my foot on the gas, no easing off. IT was hard to be restrained early with all the yahoos on the bike, but by the end I felt really strong. If anything I had to restrain from chasing a bike split number over the last 30 miles…can’t get too cocky on the bike. I think those Blue Ride 5 hour rides with strong finishes really helped. I will try to upload a file somewhere…it’s so big it won’t just go via bluetooth…here’s what I have for you on Garmin Connect: https://connect.garmin.com/activity/779475106 Yes to the mental stuff on the run…looking forward to trying to fix that in Kona…let me know if you want to join the EN crowd for the “EN Week” dealio…will have Anne as Admin and much fun…
@Stephanie, thanks!
@John, I agree with you on the swim volume stuff…I wasn’t tired, just tired of being in the water. My numbers are on Strava, but I was roughly 12,000/week average over the last 8 weeks (usually was 9,000 in past years) with two bigger weeks in the 15k to 16k. If anything, more time in the pool certainly helped me…now to get faster at it!!!
@Tim, no I don’t. Don’t think I really need it…just put my head down and ride and push what I know I can. I already know (after all these years) what “that” is supposed to be like…and I think it’s a fancy algorithm for just “flattening the hills and pushing the flats / downs”….
@Gabe, no idea…nothing to base it against, but i’d do it again! I felt better in taper workouts, but that could just have been the taper!
@Trish, thanks!
@Shaughn, you kept me going in the darkest of winter months and workouts…thanks for all your support!!!!
@Doug, still napping 3 days later…ugh!
@Brenda, thanks..and happy bday!!!
@Ed, so pumped for your PR on that day and can’t wait to see what you do next!!!!
thanks for this great report. great learning to be had here for us all.
will hope to get another chance to race with you.
see you in kona someday.
Coach P. Just an awesome performance!!!! Talk about putting the hammer down on the bike and the run. I guess this is what it's supposed to look like after 21 of these things!
A couple questions if you don't mind....
In past races, I believe what you carried in your fuel belt on the run was a concentrated solution of gatorlytes. In your report you mentioned eliminating the fuel belt. Did you forego the gatorlytes all together or did you bring the packets and mix something at one of the aid stations along the way? If you didn't use gatorlytes did you do anything for additional sodium over and above the margarita flavor cliff blocks?
Can you talk more about your split long run. Did you do both Z1 and Z2 in the AM and then again in the afternoon. Or did you do Z1 in AM and then Z2 in the afternoon? Were both the AM and PM splits relatively equal in time, or did you split time closer to 60%AM / 40%PM or something like that?
Thanks, Patrick, and congrats on your 7th trip to Kona!
Coach - you say little about what was really going on in your head during the bike and run, but I can see it in those Strava graphs. The bike numbers are thing of beauty - consistency squared!. And the run shows the beginnings of slacking off around mile 12-16, and then a re-committment to the effort - HR goes back up, even if the pace doesn't.
Sincere congratualtions, I'll be honored to be on the same course with you in October.
[ I can't help myself with two snidesh comments: The old saw, "You can't win an Ironman on the Swim, but you can lose it". (Second sucks, admit it) And, on a personal note, now I have to keep going just to keep up with you on KQs - you're only one behind me now!]
I agree with Withrow on the swim. Although with the swim volume you're putting in and my assumption about your fitness level I will tread into the questionable territory of dispensing advice to the Coach...would you benefit from some coaching on your swim??
Hey Coach P!
Congratulations and thanks for the detail. Learning TONS from you, as always. Couple of questions:
1 - You mention your AHR of 131 led to being on target at 140 BPM on the run. How did you come to that delta? I saw in Jessie's webinar (though he didn't talk about it) he looked for a delta of just 2 BPM, but clearly 9 worked for you. Just curious as to how you came about the figure.
2 - In the photos of you on the bike (P5 fist bump!) I see you have a fuel belt filled with goodies. Kryptonite? Additional fuel? Just curious... still working out how to get the fuel I want on to mine and wondering what you have stashed there.
Congrats again - totally inspiring!