Brandt 2015 IMC Race Plan
Thank you in advance for reading my race plan and offering me suggestions, feedback or asking questions. This is IM #3 for me having done IMAZ 13 and IMCDA 14.
I have separate documents not listed here which is my detailed travel itinerary, packing list and projected split times for my family to help them watch for me on the race. Document below is my Race Day Plan.
Sunday, July 19thPack (As you have work travel Mon-Wed)
Thursday, July 23rd
Depart home 5AM. Ensure you have 4 passports
Arrive IMC Athlete Check In & Merchandise Purchase & Skip all other vendors, don’t hang around.
Recon the Bike course, ride miles 12-30 and drive the rest except pemberton flats. Ensure bike is ready for check in.
Dinner at TBD
Friday, July 24th
7AM Swim Recon 30 minutes (optional)
Morning Run 30 Minutes ~0930 AM (maybe on course or trails in village)
1215 Lunch at TBD
Lunch Carb Loading begins 456g for day
Gondola Ride for Family
Or Go See a Movie
6PM EN Dinner MJG Brewhouse
Saturday, July 25th
760g carbs today, low fiber, low nutrient density (bagels, sports drink, pretzels)
Can I find pancakes somewhere?
20 Minute Run
Lunch at TBD
1:30PM-UTC Bike Check In & Bag drop off (10AM-3PM). Check out setup of T1 and how long it is from bike corral to mount line. Do I want to run with shoes on, or in socks?
3PM Hang out with Bill & Kris or feet up or watch TV or lounge at hotel
5:30 PM Early Dinner
8PM Early bedtime for Jason
RACE DAY
Goals: Execute a Race that your Training Self would be proud of! Be Grateful for the opportunity to Race. Execute smartly. ~ 11 hours or less would be tremendous. Make my family proud!
Bags:
Morning Clothes: Wetsuit, Tinted Kayenne Goggles, ear plugs, race cap, body glide
T1 Bag: Socks, Bike Shoes, Helmet w/visor, Sunscreen, bag of Salt Caps
T2 Bag: Socks, Asics Running Shoes, Bib Number Belt, 1 gal Ziploc (hat, sunglasses, salt tabs in bag, sunscreen, 1 gel)
Bike Special Needs: Not used or if used then training tire & CO2
Run Special Needs: Not used
RACE DAY Specifics
0330 Breakfast 3 cups applesauce, 1 scoop whey protein, 1 banana, 1 bottle sports drink. Think about how great you feel and how great of a race I’ll have today.
0430 Race Day Outfit: EN Tri Top, Desoto Bike Shorts, HR strap & watch, Timing Chip. Sunscreened. Light pants and long sleeves for wear before wetsuit and post race. 3 Gel and 2 Sports Drink to take with.
0450 Leave Hotel w/Family –Walk with family the 2 miles from Village to T1. Unless EN community says I should be on the shuttle and family can walk and meet up with me there.
0545 Body Marking, Check Tires, Fill drink bottle, Put 2 gel on bike. Drop special needs bags. No nervous energy, stay quiet, find a place to be in my own zone.
0620 Don wetsuit, drop morning clothes bag. Visualize the great swim I am about to have. You’ve done this several times and last triathlon you validated this.
0635 Make way to beach.
Swim: Plan 1:08-1:10 swim. Plan to seed with athletes around me looking to swim 1:06-1:08 and line up in middle from left to right and a few swimmers back. Swim will feel anxious for first 200-400 yards, stay calm, big breaths, find your groove. Yes, I’ll get hit…it is all part of the experience, just keep making strong progress and maintain form. Will be looking for the right set of feet to follow (ones that I can swim my planned effort with and don’t constantly run into their feet) Sight every 6-12 strokes depending on my perception of fellow swimmers swimming the right direction and aiming for shortest line swim distances. End of lap one, just keep swimming and do another lap. Don’t look at watch during swim, let the time be what it is and remind yourself this is the only place you are significantly using your arms so you can push a little harder than you think.
T1: Goggles, Cap come off and remain in wetsuit sleeve, find big burly stripper, jog to T1. Look for family along the way. Find volunteer, shout out number, and assume I am retrieving my own bag. Find spot (outside of tent if chairs). Put on Helmet/Visor, ask volunteer to put wetsuit in bag. If weather dry, put on socks and run with shoes in hand to bike and then to mount line where I will put on shoes. If I pass volunteer with sunscreen stop for it. Mount the bike. Goal is less then 3:30.
Bike: Goal 5:45 under ideal conditions. At the start, focus on getting heart rate down, lots of folks will pass me. Think of it as entertainment and just smile knowing I will pass most of these folks later because I execute better than they do. Aim for 190-200 watts for first 12 miles. Remainder of race is target 202-204 watts (an intensity factor of .72-.73 validated in two race rehearsals). Don’t exceed the 204 for any lap or you’ll pay for it in the last 20 miles. No surges, no competing with others, let them pass me, eyes glued to road and watch. Aero the whole way except for turns and aid stations. Follow EN hill guidance, smooth out the hills and keep pushing on crest and downhill until I spint out or my comfort factor for conditions. No sightseeing….you already did this on your drive of the course with family …no conversations except short words of encouragement to others …don’t get bored in the second half…Stay on target watts. No really, don’t let your mind wander in second half, this is a race, stay on the gas…you owe it to your training self.
Drink and drink often. Drink until I am about burping the gatorade back up. Goal will be 2 bottles of on course gatorade per hour & 2 salt tabs/hour & 1 honey stinger gel / 45 minutes and no qualms about peeing while I bike. Watch will beep when it is time for my on course gel (every 45 minutes). Goal 412 cal & 1000mg/Na+ / hour. This course will have Gatorade not Gatorade endurance so I want the extra salt from the salt tabs.
Mantra: Stay on target, Stay on Target, Don’t worry what those around me are doing. I am going to ride my race. No draft except the legal kind when passing, Ride the smooth asphalt of main road not the debris strewn shoulder.
Coming to finish prepare for upcoming transition. Feet on top of shoes, easier gear and faster cadence. Don’t make the blooper reel dismounting.
T2 Hand off bike, jog to transition and call out race number to get bag, sit down, fresh socks, shoes on, helmet in bag, race number on and grab Ziploc with hat, glasses, ice bag, salt tabs, gel, sunscreen. If there is a sunscreen volunteer stop because its like a 20 second quick massage. Be wicked fast in transition, it is just a footwear change. Do this in less than 2 minutes.
Run. 9:00/mile for 6 miles. Put on hat, take 3 salt tabs, and either sunscreen or chuck it. 4-8 ounces of sports drink or coke every aid station (no red bull). Plan to hit that 9:00 pace in my very first mile even it means some strategic walking. Mantra: I’m light and strong and save the racing until mile 19. Breathe comfortably. HR in the 140s or low 150s
Mile 7-18 8:30/mile. Continue nutrition routine, add 4 salt tabs every hour and 2 honeystinger gels per hour.. Don’t refuse sponges or ice when offered. Run my comfortable long run pace and keep avg HR <160. If hot feel free to back it down according to heat factor</span>
Mile 19—Certainly don’t slow down. You worked way too hard to give in to an early celebration or negotiation in your mind that XX time is still a great performance. Rather this is the time to get gutsy and focus on leaving it all out on the course. I will not be passed, I will be doing the passing. Passing folks will give me energy. Maintain pace adjusted for heat but you need to leave it all on the course these past few miles. Be grateful that I am able to do this and have the loving support of my family. Revisit the multiple “one things” you’ve thought about which is going to keep you from giving in to race day discomfort or negotiation. Goal: 3:53
Don’t sprint in the finish chute, enjoy the glory, be emotional, thank the volunteers and most importantly my family! Find what food is appealing, get the massage unless the line is long and Thank the family for they too have had a really long day out in the hot sun. Snag a chocolate milk for the kids. Cheer on Bill when he crosses the finish line and then go get rest as you are off to Boy Scout camp in 5 hours.
Comments
Anyhow ... it's a small detail. Big picture: your day looks solid.
Jason....looks good to me! Looking forward to meeting you. I assume you've pee'd with socks on before? I could not tolerate wet socks for more hours than I will already have on the run!
yes take the shuttle.
four salt capsules per hour on the run. a bit much ? unless you have practiced this.
no dressing for cold on the bike? may be 40s when we start bike. i certainly am putting on layers. aero bike jersey. gloves. arm warmers. head band.
have a great one. see you soon.
--The amount of salt on the run. Opting for this since it is gatorade and not endurance. So I've consumed that level of salt on the run with liquids like endurance and perform but not have practiced that level of capsules in the run. I'm more concerned about the caffeine actually in the salt caps and if that might be too much.
--Cold on the bike. I'll have stuff in my car to make a race day decision but as weather looks right now, I feel comfortable in those temps biking. Perhaps its my body fat keeping me warm enough
--Thanks for telling me I needed to be on the shuttle. I can share that with my family so I won't feel bad not walking it with them
--Yes, I've done the honey stingers and agree with you, very different from the GU but they still work ok for me. Haven't trained with them much and didn't know that was the on course gel until I saw the athlete guide. I will have a few GU with me at start of bike and will add that to my go bag on the run.
--Yep, no problem peeing and my socks are soaked whether it is sweat or pee or water I've used to rinse myself.