Kane's IMChoo Race Plan.
Hi, this is my first time but no need to be gentle. Let me have it if anything doesn't seem right. Also thanks to Emily cause I kinda sorta stole the format from her report. Sorry already for the length and thanks in advance for looking it over.
Kane Murphy – IMCHOO
Background
Last Tested FTP: 226
Training VDOT: 43 / Pacing VDOT for IM: 40
Weight: <180 lbs for the first time in my adult life</span>
Goal Time: Just finish and execute within my abilities
This will be my first IM. I have never even done a standalone marathon or even an Olympic/70.3 unless it was part of a relay team. I think I did a small sprint last summer and before that it had been several years since doing any 3 sport event. Oops, too late to worry about it now.
Nutrition Targets
Bike – 440 cal/hour
Run – 280 cal/hour
TRAVEL AND PRE-RACE WEEK:
Monday:
Probably think about packing is about it.
Tuesday:
Pack up Tuesday morning from checklists and head to Starkville, MS for a campus recruiting trip – happens to be kind of on the way to Chattanooga for me. Should be a completely stress free trip as far as work trips go, no real work stuff to worry about. Spend 2 nights in Starkville and head to Chattanooga Thursday morning.
Thursday:
Arrive in Chattanooga. Go straight to athlete check in and then check in at hotel.
5:30 - Team Dinner Blue Water Grille
Friday:
10:30: 4 Keys Talk
Pack transition/special needs bags, probably get nervous, dump everything out and repack stuff (at least twice).
Saturday:
Big breakfast whenever I wake up
Bike/bag check in before lunch
11:00am: small lunch and get take out for dinner
Sip on sports drink, snack on pretzels all afternoon
6:00 – Light dinner
Prepare bottles for race day and lay out breakfast, agree on departure / transition arrival time with roommate
Bed as early as possible
RACE DAY:
Up at 4:00am (negotiable). Breakfast will be applesauce, banana, sports drink, and power bar. Same breakfast as before all my big/long training days. Skip the usual coffee.
Drive to transition since we are not staying downtown. Bring bike pump, Garmin, watch, nutrition, and water bottles. Inflate tires. Turn on Garmin; calibrate PM. Load up bike with nutrition and flat kit. Leave watch on bike. Grab swim stuff, drop off morning clothes bag, get body marked, and head to shuttle for swim start. Not seeing a real need or benefit to get to swim start early? One gel and swig of water 30 minutes before expected swim start time. I would rather have this a little early than right before I jump in.
SWIM: (TARGET <2:20) seriously have no idea what to expect on the swim as far as times go. I don’t have enough experience to compare pool times to open water times, to Tennessee River current times, to wetsuit times, etc. I will jump in and just try to stay relaxed, smooth, and swim easy. Counting strokes works to keep me relaxed and focused on me. I will wear a wetsuit if it is an option. Don’t own a swim skin so it is wetsuit or bust for me. If I stay relaxed and get out of the water in 1:15 or so, I will be happy that my race halfway reflects my pool times (which have been in the 1:10 – 1:20 range).</span>
T1: (no goal time just smooth and steady) I will wear socks and calf sleeves on the bike. Practice putting the compression sleeves on wet legs. If it’s a no go, I’ll just wear them for the swim if allowed.
BIKE: (Target 06:30ish) The first day of training camp I did the course with a moving time of 6:33 and a NP of 155W. I would be happy with a repeat of similar effort. Priority 1 will be getting the heart rate down to less than 130bpm and keeping it there to at least the second Dollar General. In training, this requires an effort of 135W – 140W. With race day excitement, I may have to ride slower to get heart rate down, no worries. After Dollar General I may do an extra 30 minutes with a power target of 150ish as a continued warm up. At about 1 hour, l let my effort come up to the goal of 160W. The plan is to ride laps at 160W until my heart rate reaches 145bpm. I will then keep to a heart rate cap/max of 145. Learning about this heart rate cap at the training camp has been money to me. Since the training camp, I have done my long rides with this heart rate cap and I know it leaves me in a good place to be able to run (ok jog slowly) off the bike even in the south Louisiana heat/humidity. Generally this means I can hit my target watts for 3 to 4 hours, then the sun comes out to play, and I let heart rate dictate how hard I ride and the watts fall where they may. When the heart rate cap is in effect I feel my body does better if I drink more often – so instead of my normal 15 minutes, I will increase the drinking frequency to every 7 or 8 minutes. If race day is cool, then I may be able to ride target watts to the finish, but if not no worries I will slow down. Average power should end up around 150ish and average heart rate mid 130’s. Remember to shift early and often on the bike.
Bike Nutrition: All summer I have targeted a minimum of 1 bottle of sports drink and 2 power gels per hour (slightly more liquid when it gets hot). I pre-load the bike with 3 bottles of my favorite sports drink that isn’t Gatorade Endurance, after they are gone I drink only Gatorade - I will duplicate this on race day. I mix my sports drink to have more calories per ounce than the GE, which slightly front loads the bike nutrition with just over 500 cal/hr. As I switch to Gatorade, this becomes 380 cal/hr. The gels stay consistent at 2 per hour. This setup has me peeing 3 – 4 times on a long bike ride in the heat and keeps my post ride weight consistent with where it was when I started in the morning. I can fit 6 gels on my bike - will pick up 6-8 more along the course. The gels I start with won’t have any caffeine, if the ones I pick up on the course happen to be the Roctane/caffeine type, consider it a bonus. On the first lap of the bike make sure to take note of the last aid station location on the loop since I think this will be the last aid station on the course the second time around. I will make sure to hit this aid station on the second loop, getting what I need, and eating/drinking as soon as possible before the roads turn crappy on the ride back into town. This should give my stomach enough time to absorb the fluids before T2. I don’t like drinking from an aero bottle with straw on my bike, and also I don’t like trying to re-fill this aero bottle with the hand up Gatorade bottles (funky tops). I will just use regular water bottles in regular cages on the bike and toss them when empty.
T2: (no goal, smooth and steady) Consider changing socks after getting off the bike if feet are soaked. Every training ride/run I have done this summer results in soaked socks (OK soaked everything) within 20 minutes. I think I’m just used to running in wet stuff by now. Otherwise put shoes on, grab ziplock bag and go. Put on race belt/number and hat. Try to remember to start watch at some point. Number belt will be loaded with 2 tubes of the Cliff shot blocks – margarita flavor.
RUN: (Target <5:00) I will go as slow as possible up that first hill out of T2. For the first 8 miles (before crossing the bridge for the first time) I will keep heart rate less than 155 or pace less than 10:45. If there is any kind of heat/sun I fully expect heart rate to be limiting. From mile 8 – 20 (before crossing back over the bridge) I will allow heart rate to creep up to 162, without pushing the pace any higher (not sure a higher pace will even be a possibility). After mile 20ish (whenever we cross the river again) I will not look at the watch anymore and try to go with whatever is left. Remember whenever I am struggling on the run it helps me to count steps/cadence. As with swimming it seems to put me in my box and makes me think only about me and what I can control. When cadence is 90 (per leg), then form, pace, effort all seem to fall back into line. Get ready for that final march over the hill on Barton Avenue. </span></p>
I will walk every aid station for about 30 seconds or 10 deep full breaths. Keep an eye on heart rate and make sure it drops as soon as the walking starts – if not walk longer and up the fluid intake. I have 25 times to check and ensure heart rate stays coupled to effort. Plan is to get a cup of Gatorade at each aid station and re-fill the ice bag on my head as needed to keep cool. I will have 2 tubes of margarita shot blocks (12 pieces total) with me and plan to eat one piece every 2 miles – may eat them quicker if stomach is feeling OK on the beginning of the run. I’ve done the Gatorade/shot block routine for all my long runs and brick runs in training - no issues so sticking with it. If I need to switch to coke sometime in the second half, be sure to also grab a base salt to make up for the lost sodium from the Gatorade. They may not hear me on the bike, but be sure to thank the volunteers at all the aid stations and along the course.
Comments
Kane - you've hit the essential points in your plan. My advice is focused not on specifics of the numbers, but more on what to expect and how to deal with things entering the unknown, meaning running for 26.2 miles after 6.5 hours or so of biking.
So here are some things to think about for the run:
Thanks for the tips - all appreciated. Your posts have helped me along in the last couple of months. Also don't take any offense to me calling your Mr. Al. Al is my father in law's name and the name of my first mentor at work. Even though I am 42 years old, I would still feel comfortable calling you Mr. Al in person.
Much appreciated.
Only a couple of comments jump out at me but they may not change your plan any:
- You mention only drinking sports drink and gels on the bike. Do you not ever drink water to help with the gel digestion? I would think you would want something to help dilute the gel to go easier on your stomach. I don't know if my body can do that but if yours does then great.
- You mention "toss the water bottles when empty". Just make sure that is at a aid station so you don't a 5 minute penalty. (I read the athlete guide yesterday so now I'm a rules expert)
- I don't think your HR cap on the bike ever comes into play, judging from how camp went and the conditions we train in. You will be able to stay on your target wattage, just don't be a hero and overdo it because you are feeling good. Remember the 26.2 miles of running are still ahead.
- What's your mantras? I've got a few that you can read when I post my finalized race plan hopefully later today. One that I use is from Ken Chlouber (the founder of the Leadville series of runs/races). At the start line of all of his races he says "you are better than you think you are. you can do more than you think you can. commit to not quit." It's kind of long but I love it even though I've never heard him say it. Also, since you are a cyclist, you've always got Lance with “Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."
Good job on your training and your plan. Can't wait to get to Tennessee.
Brandon
Watch on bike in the morning of race. Make sure it doesn't go into "sleep" mode.
Coach Patrick does a great job of breaking down how to roll through bike aid stations - He knows an aid station is coming up. He finishes the liquid in his aero bottle upon approach. Throws away bottles on bike at beginning of aid station. Points to volunteer holding bottle correctly and says you, gatorade. takes it and racks it (never looking down because bottle racks don't move) then takes the next volunteers bottle and fills his aero bottle. Takes a water from volunteer washes himself down. Takes a gel if needed. Throws water bottle at end of aid station. Rolls on. (he does a better job of discussing how he does this but thats the jist)
Socks on the bike? WOW, brave. If its what you've practiced go for it but maybe because I'm a girl but those would be pee socks at the end!
Coach Rich talks about transitions as a function of how many moving parts are there. The more moving parts the more space for something to go wrong. Simplify. Use the "GO BAG" method for T2 its a lifesaver!
Remember to have your one thing practiced. (and have a couple extra just in case) its your first time and things will get dark. Have your mental game prepared with answers on why you are doing this crazy thing and confidently tell your body to KEEP MOVING!
Pee socks? That's what the calf sleeves are for, to soak up anything before it gets to my socks! I seriously have no idea how that part of the day is gonna go.....