Rich's 2015 IMMT Race Plan - DRAFT
2015 IMMT Race Plan
This is my third IM season and IMMT 2015 will be my 5th full IM. This is my second time at IMMT. Early season was a struggle with hamstring issues washing out nearly all of my OS. I started building in April following the IM Advance plan for bike with modifications on the run plan to replace the higher intensity workouts with increased volume, lower-intensity runs. Training was very consistent through late July., but I had a slight scare and missed most of a week’s runs, then had a strong finish through RR2 and taper.
I have done 12 century-ish rides leading into this race with the purpose of specific improvements. Hydration/nutrition and rides with whole-ride IFs from 0.70 to 0.84 in order to better understand my performance in the 5-6 hour range. These rides were used to establish the planning parameters (TSS, Pnorm, VI) for my ride.
This season is dedicated to details. My goal for this race is to find every minute available on the course. I plan to do this with efficiency: fast transitions, eliminating slow spots on the course, excellent hydration and nutrition, effective weather/temperature management, and, Not. Slowing. Down.
CURRENT STATS:- FTP = 260
- VDOT = 44
- Weight = 152
WEATHER:
- Planning based on no rain and race temperatures between 55º and 80º
- I am bringing kit for rain, cold or hotter temperatures and will adjust as needed
- Pack using checklist – race day clothes / bag items already in zip locks
- Charge Garmin 920 / Garmin 500 / Di2 Battery
- Travel day
- Unpack & organize gear.
- Final assembly on bike:
- Clean & lube
- Check limit screws etc.
- Optimized Chain
- Short test ride
- Run – 30’ – EN Plan
- Shopping
- Water
- Bananas & Oatmeal
- Red Bull
- Morning Swim – 30’
- Bike course recon (Coach P suggested route)
- Descents
- Goal watts on climb
- Pick up race pack at Expo
- Prepare rice cakes for bike
- 3x Beet Juice
- Hydrate
- Extra carbs
- Team Dinner – 6PM ???
- Morning Swim
- Short swim / technique focused
- Identify swim exit sight targets
- Bike – Recon the run course – last spin up to make sure it is locked in
- Run – 45’ – EN Plan
- Pack race bags (contents below)
- 3x Beet Juice
- Hydrate
- Extra carbs
- Big breakfast (early)
- 3x Beet juice
- Salt Loading
- Stay off feet
- AWA Bike check in 12:00 – 4:00
- Drop off bike and bags
- Light dinner
- Back to hotel & relax
- Race Numbers tats
- Prepare Skratch bottles
- Bike – 20 oz
- Bike – Feeder Bottle @ 6x 2oz/20oz water
- Run belt bottles @ 2x 9oz
- Flash light
- Electrical tape & park Tool wrench
- Goggles
- Anti-fog spray
- Extra goggles
- Glide
- Wetsuit lube
- Wetsuit
- Extra sunscreen
- Hand towel
- Pre-race nutrition
- Red Bull
- Power Bar
- Gel
- Bike nutrition (put on bike)
- Skratch Bottle
- Skratch Feeder Bottle
- Skratch for Shiv bladder
- Rice Cakes
- Run nutrition (add to run bag)
- Skratch Fuelbelt bottles
- Rice Cake
- HR monitor chip (put on bike)
- Garmin 500 (put on bike)
- Arm warmers rolled into donuts (put on bike)
- 2x CO2 & nozzle (put on bike)
- Spare tube (put on bike)
- Tire tool (put on bike)
- Multi tool (put on bike)
- Hand towel (throw away - put on bike)
- Wrist sweat band (put on bike)
- Helmut w/ visor
- Bike shoes
- Just in case: Glide (chafing)
- Running shoes
- Socks with Vaseline in toes
- Ziplock
- Headband
- Race/hydration belt with number
- 2x gel on belt
- 4x Skratch mixes
- Salt tablets in pouch
- Sun glasses
- Sweat towel
- Just in case: Wet hand towel (sweat/salt in eyes)
- Just in case: Vaseline tube (blisters)
- Just in case: Glide (chafing)
- Just in case: Sunscreen (sun burn)
- Wake up at 3:45 am
- Morning constitutional
- Breakfast
- Skratch Drink
- 2x Banana
- 2x Rice cakes
- Imodium & Salt tablets
- Beet juice
- Get dressed
- Sunscreen
- Glide and Chamois Butt’r everywhere
- Timing chip w Safety pin (left)
- Road ID
- HR Monitor strap
- Tri Shorts & Tri top
- Flip flops
- Garmin 920
- Final pack Bike bag
- Drinks
- Rice Cakes
- Transition open 5:00 AM
- Bike-to-Run setup
- Lay out shoes with socks rolled and in shoes
- Ziploc bag beside shoes
- Wet towel in bag beside shoes
- Swim-to-Bike setup
- Bike setup
- Pump tires
- HR Monitor chip taped to bike
- Garmin on bike and turned on (auto power down disabled)
- Rolled up arm warmers on aero pads
- Salt tablets loaded into dispensers
- CO2 in cartridge holder
- Nozzle & tube in Shiv storage
- Nutrition
- Rice cakes in Shiv storage
- Throw away with Skratch in cage
- Fill Shiv bladder with Skratch
- Feeder Bottle on bike
- Wrist sweat band taped to bike
- Hand towel in case needed
- Pre-race
- Swim warm up if possible
- 45-minutes pre-race: eat a bar and continue to drink
- 15-mintues pre-race: eat a gel
- Swim (Fluorescent Red caps – Wave 6 – 6:51am)
- Orange/Gray/Green caps ahead of me
- Blue/White/Pink caps behind me
- Good balance / high-elbow catches / Just like the Vasa
- Find feet
- Straight to targets / buoy turns at corners
- T1 – fast but smooth
- Run to tent – pulling wetsuit to waist as I run
- Helmut on & strap fastened
- Run with shoes to bike
- Run with bike to exit
- Shoes on near bike mount (Athlete guide says no shoes on bike)
- Bike
- First few miles
- Heart rate chip in
- Arm warmers & wrist sweat band on
- Heart rate down
- Eat and drink
** Very focused on establishing nutrition / hydration during hour 1 of the ride **
- NP Target = 190 (IF 0.73)
- Flat/Roll 185
- 1-2% Hill 195
- 2-4% Hill 210
- 4-6% Hill 220
- Climbs 210
- Descents spin out at 35 mph
- Target Power Adjustments
- If the ride varies from expected parameters (Speed, VI, NP) due to weather, health or the Ironman Gods in a manner impacting TSS getting off the bike, I will make mid-course adjustments to my targets in order to protect the run.
- TSS planning target = 289
- VI planning target = 1.04
- NP planning target = 190w
- Reduce NP target to 180w anytime > halfway point if:
- Avg speed < 20 mph
- Pavg >> 182 (worse than expected VI)
- Increase NP target to 195 if:
- Pavg << 181 (better than expected VI)</span>
- Avg speed > 21 mph
- Nutrition
- Drink & eat on auto lap
- 275-325 calories per hour
- Skratch: 100 – 125 cal
- Rice cake: 200 cal
- 1 Saltstick w caffeine each hour
- 20-25 oz Skratch per hour
- The Ride
- Eliminate the slow spots… don’t get caught with admin speeds anywhere on the course
- Pee 2x
- Start in swim wave 6, take advantage of the legal draft on the pass
- Patience! Let the ride develop!!
- Finishing the bike
- Increase hydration and calories leading into final Lac Superior climb. The is little opportunity on the descent and I want to start the fun in good condition.
- Feet out of shoes after the roundabout on the descent, heading into Transition
- Choose a side (prefer the left) for the dismount. Use the fence and the bike to protect from other riders
- T2 – fast but smooth
- Flying dismount – run bike to volunteer / rack
- Shoes & Socks (Vaseline already in toes)
- Run out with Ziploc bag
- Run
- I will be running with a hydration belt & Skratch drink. This is not ideal for me. I don’t like baggage and I prefer to feed off the course. I am trying to eliminate the rot gut that has plagued the last few IM runs. My build to IMMT has included a major focus on hydration and this is a solution that I am confident will work for me (for this race). Plan to run through all the aid stations with 3 short stops to reload liquids.
- Pacing / Run Strategy
- Establish HR @ 145-150ish (this should be ≈ avg of the last hour of the bike
- Climb out of the village controlling HR, re-establish HR < 150 after the climb
- Keep HR super conservative all the way out (≈6 miles).
- Critical to get HR established early. If it hasn’t stabilized near my bike HR within 30 minutes walk a few steps (or more) to drive it down.
- Somewhere around mile 6, allow HR to slowly climb to 155-160. This is the steady pace number fro all my long runs.
- Run a loop (return to town then back out again) maintaining HR 155-160 expecting slight drift upwards
- Best effort to finish, protecting the climb just before mile 23
- Coke only to finish – visualizing a cold beer reward!
- Nutrition
- Hydrate and get calories early (honey stinger)
- Minimum of 20 oz Skratch/hour
- 1 Saltstick / hour first two hours
- Prepare bottles with Skratch powder before getting to aid station (have practiced this)
- Run to the person with the big water bottle, not the little cups.
- Save the coke until ≥ mile 18
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Comments
Rich, your race plan looks terrific and I predict the same for your race. Good Luck! I know you did this last year. Are you skipping the wet suit strippers? I assume it's still a fairly long run to the T1 tent. Will you take off your wet suit the rest of the way when you get there? For me, with cold hands and fingers and a tendency to get thigh and calf cramps immediately after a cold swim, I let the strippers do the work right after I exit the water. I look forward to following you and the other EN'rs online.
Small point: "Wrist sweat band taped to bike" - I;ve never had a problem with simply sliding it up the aerobar, then pulling it off and slipping it on after the initial madness out of transition. I have learned to slip in on inside out; then it more easily rolls into right side out position as I put it on. With arm armers, I just bunch them up on aerobar, with the upper end turned inside out, so I can easily flip it up when I pull the sleeves up.
Question: EN guidance for "gearing" (watt targets for hills) is based on length of time hill takes to climb, not the gradient. Why are you increasing the power based on gradient? And if you are doing that, is there any similar adjustment for going downhill?
"I want to start the fun in good condition." Is this a typo or attempt using the power of positive thinking?
"Plan to run through all the aid stations with 3 short stops to reload liquids." I won;t argue with this, only say that when I started *strategically* walking 20 steps each mile, my IM marathon times got faster.
@Al - Thank you too. I always look forward to your input; always very thoughtful insight! Raleigh was the first time I used a sweat band on the bike. I think that I did end up just sliding it over the aerobar. The arm warmers the same. I typically roll them like doughnuts with about 2-3"unrolled so that it is clear which direction to put them on, slide them over my wrist and then roll them up my arm. My hands/wrists are narrow enough that I can slide them in pretty easily.
With respect to the gearing - I am somewhere between the EN Gearing Guide and the BestBikeSplit gradients. (if you use BestBikeSplit - keep in mind that their targets are Pavg, not NP targets) On a flat course, I can pretty reliably nail a NP target and keep the VI around 1.01 for a long time. I am very comfortable in the aero bars on my bike and I have my gearing set so that I can lock in a cadence and shift up/down to hold the power steady. I ride the flats exactly like this on any course. On rollers or hillier courses, I've found that regardless of the length of the hill, there is a "speed" advantage, as well as an energy savings, to be had by protecting momentum over the top. It takes more energy to accelerate than it does to maintain a constant momentum. This falls into the category of "all TSS is not created equally." The numbers that I have listed in the plan are essentially my guidelines for punching over smaller hills or over the tops of hills where there is a downhill following. When I let the power climb like this, I do so at a higher cadence - ≥ 95. This also falls into the realm of minimizing the TSS impact.
Because I'm exceeding the NP target slightly on the climbs, I will ride the flats slightly under the target. In all cases, I spin out at about 34 mph. I have 50/34 chain rings and a 11-speed 12-28 cassette. the 50-12 combination at 100 RMP gets me ≈ 34 mph. I stop pedaling after spinning out (and VI will suffer in these segments). I will ride long, shallow descents where speed is significantly above my average in the 170-175 w range if needed to adjust NP down.For any kind of a sustained climb, I revert back to the EN Gearing for climbs, but as I near the top, I will let the power climb so that I am spun out as early as possible on the descent. The long climb on the Montée Ryan and Lac Superior will be at 200-205w.
I will hit my NP target (or elect to change that target if needed during the race). There will be some variance. Giving up 5w on the flats at 25mph doesn't cost much because of the high wind impact. Small spikes to preserve momentum and to push over the top of a hill have a bigger impact of race speed because the wind resistance is much less. I'm not doing anything major us selective application of force. Like spinning plates.
This is not the standard EN guidance and I wouldn't advocate it for anyone else. It is something that I've been working on to try getting more performance out of the ≈ 2.65 w/kg that I generate at 190w.
"I want to start the run in good condition..." That may have been a freudian typo!
There are sections of this run that I will absolutely walk a few steps in order to keep my HR in bounds. I am not a good runner and really want it to improve. I haven't tried having a routine number of steps yet. If my HR starts to drift, I normally walk until it starts to drift back down then start running again as a way to keep it in check. Seems like the runs where I never allow it to get too high are much better than the ones where I don't control it.
Wetsuit Strippers - I've only run past the strippers once (@IMFL) and it worked out very well , since they were making you sit in the sand , T1 was not too far away.... But the longer you leave the suit on , the harder it is to remove , as the water drains it creates a suction to your body....
Good Skill @ IMMT!
Rich,
Great plan. Best of luck. If this were my RP and I had a history of "rot gut" on the run, here are the two modifications I would make: 1) I wouldn't eat a bar 45 minutes before the swim. I'd replace it with a gel (or, more likely, skip it) and eat the bar the first 1.5-2 hrs on the bike. 2) I would front-load my calories on the bike (we're the same weight, and I push 350 or so the first couple of hours with a Clif Bar and tons of Gatorade), then move to chews/gels, then reduce the calories the last 1.5 hrs or so (maybe 200-225) with more water vs. Gatorade and maybe a gel. I prefer to get off the bike fully hydrated but perhaps with a small calorie deficit and emptyish stomach. If I feel famished at the start of the run (it's never happened), it's quite simple to add some calories just down the road at the next aid station. As Type-A tri-geeks, we tend to buy into the notion that we have to cram exactly XXX calories every hour on the bike, including the last hour. I firmly believe this is a mistake for many and helps lead to a lot of uncomfortable IM runs. But that's just me.
Above all, enjoy the day.
Mike
@MR - Thank yo for the suggestions! I do the bike calories exactly like you do. I figured out that when I force the calories in the first hour, even when I do not want them, that my energy level is much higher for the whole ride. My nutrition is Skratch & Rice cakes. I also make an effort to chew excessively during that first hour. Real or imagined, it feels like my whole digestive process engages better when I started doing this. In the past, my nutrition was all liquid/Gu - moving to the rice cakes was a big change for me (and a logistical challenge), but I've done it for six weeks and am really happy with the improvement. I also tend to fade calories towards the end of the ride in favor of hydration. I haven't tried any of this in a race yet, but I came off the bike on a really hot day feeling great for RR2. I think that having a drink that is not as sweet (about 80 calories per bottle) AND drinking this concentration on the run rather than the "pot luck" mixture of Perform/Gatorade Endurance will stop the "rot gut" and will increase my ability to hydrate. It has in practice - just need to execute!