IMRaleigh70.3 Race "Plan"
Long story short: Meniscus tear in right knee, bakers cyst and tendentious- at Beach to Battleship October 2014 Took 6 months off of training- "back" at it for a couple months. Lost major power, all fitness but gained mental strength
Was signed up for IMRaleigh IMSyracuse and IMAZ before the injury. Hurts me to say this but, I have decided to back out of Syracuse and AZ but due to racing for charity am going to attempt Raleigh. I will come back into OS healthy, fit and stronger than ever and ready to CRUSH 2016 season. But for IMRALEIGH- If I only finish the swim, then so be it. If I only Aqua Bike then so be it, if I cross the finish line, its a miracle. But my number one goal is to listen to my body and have fun.
However, because I am a trained EN'r --- going to write a race plan in the event a miracle happens on race day.
IM Raleigh 70.3 Plan
Thursday
Make sure everything is finished with raising money for charity https://itriforgood.org/athlete-profile/mariahbridges/
See family and get encouragement, go over any logistics with them
Friday
3 Bottles of NUUN throughout the day
2:00pm Expo get bags etc
4:00pm Organize everything run through check lists
6:00pm Pasta with Olive Oil and Herbs no sauce
** Charity Dinner tonight, decide whether or not to go ***
Saturday
8:00am Bottle of NUUN
9:00am Big Breakfast- Banana Pancakes!
10:00am Bottle of Perform
Noon: Lunch with EN crowd
1:30pm: Ironman Expo with crew
2:00 Bottle of NUUN
3:00pm Bike Check In- Jordan Lake
4:00pm Bottle of Perform
5:00pm Dinner- Chicken Sweet Potatoes
Sunday- RACE DAY
RACE PREP
3:30am Wake up, move around, stretch, devotional to calm nerves
4:00am Breakfast Banana, 1/2 Bagel with Peanut Butter 1 bottle of Perform
4:30am Drive downtown (less than 5 mins away from T2)
5:00am Set up T2 (last year I couldn't find my bike and wasted a lot of time in T2- PAY ATTENTION THIS TIME)
5:15am Get on first bus - I rather be early than late- it really calms my nerves - eat other 1/2 of bagel
6:00am Will already be body marked (I like to do it myself) Set up T1, pump tires, get Garmin 510 ready
Sip on second bottle of perform from bus to T1 set up eat 1/2 PowerBar
6:30am Hopefully last team EN photo if anyone is around - Give dad things I don't need, remind him I need chocolate milk at finish line
7:00am Head to swim start - 1 Strawberry Banana Gel 1 Clif Block 15 mins before swim wave
SWIM
- Current PR is 44 mins- this race is slower for me estimate 50 mins w/wetsuit 55 w/o
- Remember to swim on the outside and stay calm - this swim always messes with my nerves over others for some reason
when making final turn stay in the middle, sun is in my eyes and I have a terrible time sighting, staying in the pack tends to help
T1
Estimate 3:30
- Skip sunscreen - stay calm - slow is smooth and smooth is fast - do not eat anything until on bike and on Pea Ridge Rd
Leave wetsuit goggles swim cap in bag
Bike
2 Bottles of Gatorade Endurance on Bike
Helmet and Sunglasses
9 PowerBar Gels on bike 1 Stick of Clif Bar Blocks 1 tube of BASE salt
1 bottle of Gatorade Endurance per hour 1 Gel per half hour 1 block per 20 mins 1 lick of salt per aid station
Estimate: 3:50-4hours
T2
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY MARIAH NOT YOUR MIND- if my knee is killing me- CALL IT A DAY!
If I am extremely close to the bike cut off- CALL IT A DAY
Give yourself permission to fail. You're injured, under trained and not fit. Live to fight another day, SMILE THE WHOLE DAY!
*** If by some bloody miracle you're in T2 and feeling ok, run/walk***
Grab ziplock bag with gear, change into your boat shoes AKA Hoka's and consider yourself the luckiest woman alive
Estimate T2 time 3mins
RUN
The trick to this run is staying cool, smiling and focusing
Keep at 12-13 (if its really killing you walk) pace
1 lick of BASE per aid station - 1 cup of Gatorade per aid station- SAVE COKE FOR EMERGENCIES - 1 Gel per half hour
Estimated time- WHO THE HECK KNOWS!
Check Lists:
Nutriton-
15 Strawberry Banana Gels ---- 2 Clif Block Sticks --- 2 tubes of BASE --- Gatorade Endurance, PowerBar Perform, NUUN, Bagel, Banana, Peanut Butter, Protein Shake, Pretzels, Fig Neutons, Chocolate Milk
Gear-
Garmin 920 --- Goggles-- DeFog drops -- Wetsuit --- Swim Cap --- Helmet -- Bike Shoes --- Garmin 510 and charger --- Bento Box ---- Sunglasses -- Run Shoes --- Socks --- Visor --- 1 ZipLock Bag --- Race Belt ---- Bib Number
Attitude-
SMILE ALL DAY - You're doing this for charity --- this sport is the love of your life --- Cheer on people struggling-- wave at friends and teammates --- one day, you will be an ironman - LISTEN TO YOUR BODY--- You are not letting anyone down --- You love this race
Comments
What time is your wave going off? I didn't see that noted. If we are in the same wave, then I'd guess you and I will see a lot of each other on the course since our times are pretty close!
You may or may not recall that I had a torn meniscus going into Ironman Mt Tremblant in 2013. I knew I was getting the surgery- but intentionally postponed it until AFTER the race. Anyway- I got through that 26.2 mile hilly run by following a 2 minute walk/1 minute run protocol. That sounds awful, I know, but it really did help me go the distance without doing more damage- AND believe it or not, it really made me look forward to every little time I "got to" run. I also trained that way (because there was no other way to get through the training) and originally started out with 5 minute walk/1 minute run and worked my way down to the 2/1 plan. You can set your Garmin up to do the alerts so you don't even have to think about it. Anyway- it's a strategy to consider.
2. That being said, yes, listen to your body, and set yourself up for a good recovery to hit the OS hard and rock 2016.
3. When will you take that salt pill on the bike? At the aid station? Before it? After it? Can you maybe line it up with a gel or something, rather than the aid station, so that you dont have all that admin at the chaos of the aid stations?
4. Are you riding by power or HR? Or speed? If so, what are those, and how are you assuring yourself that you're hitting those numbers and setting yourself up for a good run?
I like that theory on the run- wish i would have been training with that this whole time but I JUST started training again- up to almost 5 miles on the run and 35 miles on the bike- we shall see - Im in the second to last swim wave- Yellow swim cap!
@Chris its not a pill for salt its BASE lose salt- you lick your thumb turn the tube upside down like your thumb again and call it a day, the aid stations are just reminders to take the salt- i won't do it simultaneously as that would be a disaster! I am riding with HR and Speed for the bike- I haven't been able to do a rehearsal so I don't even know if I will be setting myself up TO run- basically my knee is driving this race and nothing more- I know my HR zones and will be watching it like a hawk
@Robert - yes I remember you were amazing to donate- THANK YOU!
Chris- I absolutely love this!
Maria- Ohhhhhhh, that makes a lot more sense!
MB,
Go have fun, celebrate the fitness you do have, and raise some $ for a good cause. Don't beat yourself up over a knee that's beyond your control. There's no failure in trying. And stop "planning" for quitting! Your body will tell you if you need to pull out. Mentally, 100% your focus and energy, from now until the finish line, is on executing and finishing. You'll get through the swim fine, and your 35-mile rides will get you through 56. Break the run into quarters. If you can go out, you pretty much have to come back because you won't be carrying camping gear. And if you make it half way, you might as well finish it because 63.5 doesn't have a nice ring to it. Oh, and remember to
MR
Pretty sure I found your quote for the day, MB! I'm on the same band wagon with these folks. Your mental toughness is WAY bigger than your fitness, and at the end of the day, that is what you need. You're like a pit bull on a meat truck with everything you do, DO NOT look at this race as a joke. This is your hometown. This is your race. Own it.
On the bike, are you planning to keep you HR in a good Z2/Z3? Not sure if anyone else would agree, but maybe staying in your small ring with high(ish) RPM will help avoid discomfort for your knee? Move to the big ring on the flats and down hills.
You have you're drinking 2 btls of Gatorade on the bike, and then write you'll have a bottle an hour. I'm assuming the latter is the way you're going, which is great. Make sure you pee once.
I absolutely LOVE @Nemo's plan for the run.