JB's IMCHOO Race Plan
JB’s IMCHOO Race Plan
BAGS
Bike bag:
· Helmet
· Sun glasses
· Heart rate sensor
· Dz Nuts
· Bottle of water
· 2 x Gel
· Bike shoes
· Socks
· Sun Screen
Bike Special Needs:
· Small thing of Dz Nuts
· Extra Gels and chomps (just in case)
· 2 X tubes
· 2 X CO2s
Run Bag:
· Running Shoes
· Race belt with race number on it (Gel’s already attached)
· Hat (or Visor depending on the weather)
· In a sandwich bag:
o 1 Gels
o 2 chomp
· Sun screen
· Extra socks
· Body glide
Run Special needs:
· Tooth Brush
· Tooth Paste
· Band-Aids
· Small thing of body glide
· 3 extra gels
· T-shirt depending on forecast
· Extra socks (Again depending on the forecast, hot or rain will have extra socks to switch out if needed)
Morning bag:
· Wet suit (Depending on the weather and water temp)
· Goggles
· Body glide
· 2 gels
· 3 bottles for bike (1 water and two Gatorade)
· 10 gels for bike (4 will be in my saddle bag already)
· 3 bags of chomps for bike
Breakfast:
I will get up at 3:30 (well get out of bed since I know I will not be sleeping)
Breakfast will be:
- Bottle of Gatorade
- Bowl of Oatmeal with peanut butter and honey (my typical breakfast all training season long)
- Can of monster (yes this stuff is really bad for you, I know… )
Hit bathroom to take care of business after breakfast.
Swim:
10 minutes before the swim, I will take a gel.
Jump into the water, take 60 strokes (sight every 9 strokes) to get out of the way… then float for 20 seconds to relax (most likely pee), and just breathe for a second. Take in the day and identify why I am doing this and how I am going to have a fun day. This is my short little moment to myself before I start to get kicked and punched.
So the swim plan is simple, STAY IN MY BOX. Breathe every 3 strokes. Start to sing in my head some song. (This relaxes me) Yes, I am crack pot. Try to keep people on both my left and my right. This can help me reduce my sighting needs.
At the half way, stop singing in my head and start to think about my bike and my bike execution. (my watch will buzz at 1900m.)
As I approach the finish think about my transition and how I will execute the transition. (Helmet, sun glasses, attach my heart rate sensor, gel, socks, shoes, water, dz, and sun screen.)
Goal time: 1:00 to 1:20 (depending on the current, should be about 1:15ish)
T1:
Walk/jog to the bag rack- My bag will be marked with some fun duck tape to ensure it is noticeable. Grab bag and head into the hottest most humid tent in the whole world. The goal is to keep transition simple. The less moving parts the less time it will take me. So I will put on my helmet, sun glasses, attach my heart rate sensor, take a gel, put on my sock, then my shoes. Drink some water to wash down the gel. Add Extra Dz nuts to my bits. Then some sun screen to my shoulders. (I will ask the volunteer to help put on sun screen if they can). This is simple.
Then head to my bike. The bike will have drink and nutrition on it already.
Goal time: 6 minutes
Bike:
Goal for average watts: 141 to 145
Goal for NP: 145 to 150
Goal for Average HR: 155 to 165 bpm
Nutrition on the bike:
- 2 bottle of Gatorade every hour (Calories per hour: 320 Sodium per hour: 1160)
- 1 gel every 30 minutes (Calories per hour: 220 Sodium per hour: 400)
- Total Calories: 540
- Total Sodium: 1560 (??? Not sure this is 100% correct)
Goal Time: 7 hours
Goals for the bike: Stay aero and stead on my power. Do not spike on cadence, do not spike on power, do not get out of aero for as long as possible. Keep head down, keep the breathing steady.
The Plan:
For the first 60 to 75 minutes, keep my watts at about 105 to 115. Get the heart rate down and feed. My heart rate is always high and it is hard to keep it lower than 150 on the bike. So I will not freak out with my heart rate being high. The goal for the first 75 minute is to relax. By this point, I will be at the 20 mile mark where a really nice old guy and I had a conversation at the gas station. He told me his life story in about 3 minutes while smoking a pack of cigs. Let the shoulders relax, settle in and take in how I am feeling. (Keep in mind; I have major issues with my shoulder blades and a pinched nerve) I will need to pee within the first hour. So I will make sure I do this. I am not 100% sure if I will pee on the bike or not. Never done it and I typically like to stretch my shoulder blades.
For the remainder of the bike, the goal is to keep on my watts at 145 to 150 watts and do not let my heart rate go above 165. I have alarms set for every 30 minutes to eat on both my bike and wrist Garmin.
At mile 80 when we turn back on to Hog Jowl road (near were a dog tried to attack me), I need to remember it is mostly downhill and to start the positive thought process in my head. Look for land marks to keep my mind occupied. (Count things, such as: churches, pick-up trucks, confederate flags, chickens on peoples’ front lawn, people sitting on their front porch with a confused look, storage units, road kill, random things like that.)
By the time I start to head back into town, my goal is not throw my bike into the river. So just get off the bike… keep in aero because the longer I am in aero, the faster the bike will be over with. My back, legs, and the bits will hurt, but stay in aero. Keep focused on the watts and just focus on those.
T2:
Keep it simple, Keep my shoes on the bike as I get off it. Grab my run bag, empty it, Put on my shoes, race belt, hat, glide nips, and take a gel from my plastic bag as I leave the tent.
Goal time: 4 minutes or less (unless I have to hit the bathroom)
Run:
Goal time: Sub 5 hours
SLOW DOWN!!! My heart rate is going to be high, 155s to 165s. The goal is keep my pace and my heart rate as low as possible for the first 6 to 8 miles. Heck, I would like to keep my heart rate as low as possible the whole run. I know the goal is to “speed up” after the first 6 miles. HAHAHA, my goal is to not walk unless I am at a water stop. The goal pace is 11:05 pace for the first 8 miles, then maybe move it to a blistering pace of 10:55 for the remainder of the race. Walk the big ass hill around mile 8.5 and when coming back into town. (repeat on loop two) I do not plan on speeding up much more because I do not want to walk. I am looking at moving that SUCK line as far away as possible. Heck if I never hit it, I am will be event happier. I do not embrace the suck that well. I am like a day old cookie, I crumble. BTW, I know the level of suck will increase, but I want to avoid the type of suck that induces crying and lying on the side of the road in a massive heap of nastiness.
Nutrition:
- Take a Gel every 3 water stops
- Drink Two Gatorades and Two waters every water stop (non-gel stop). Get the fluid and salts into my system (gel water stops, drink water only).
- By mile 13 or greater I will switch to coke every other water stop then I will switch to coke and water later in the miles. This is a gray area because I am not sure at what point I will say “I hate Gatorade and I never want to touch it again”
Mental areas to focus:
- I am doing an ironman, this will hurt, suck it up buttercup
- Smile
- Thank volunteers on the run
- Run, always run… It can be slow but run.
- Walking also hurts, running may hurt a little more but you will finish faster
- Thank friends and family for coming
I always have a goal during all of the races I have run. Smile! Life is too short to not smile. When you are in pain, smile, it will make you feel better. Smile because you are doing something that most people could never imagine doing. That smile on your face can inspire someone to get off the couch, quit smoking, and try something like this. So have fun during the race. This is the number 1 goal.
Comments
2. Bike special needs bag, are you getting a toothbrush with toothpaste already in it? I would, less moving parts.
3. Swim (I always have one song that goes through my head each race, my brain picks it at random, I know races by "oh I sang titanium that race") So you and I are one in the same, I'll make sure to ask you what your song was! ha
T1 - make sure you have no moving parts at bike mount as that part is downhill - was very congested last year and I remember seeing people so calm cool and collected during the chaos and they just mounted and head off no problem.... EN peeps know how to execute! There were people trying to shove pbj's in their mouths down hill at bike mount in the craziness... uh no!
I see you're drinking gatorade now?! Tummy ok?
Your smile is infectious and I can't wait to cheer you on. You're always so positive and making a joke I know you will have fun even in the dark parts. Nice race plan, me likes it! See you in CHOO friend!
Most of the time there are volunteers to put on sunscreen for you and they supply it. I usually put sunscreen on before the swim and have them top it off at T2. I use Neutrogena sunscreen and it lasts for a long time.
Smiling is awesome. Try singing out loud on the run. It makes me feel better and it often cheers up those around me as well. It doesn't have to be long. My favorite is an old Jerry Jeff Walker song that has the lines,
Pick up the tempo just a little bit and bring it on home,
Singers been singing and the drummers been dragging too long
Time will take care of itself so just leave time alone,
So pick up the tempo just a little bit and bring it on home.
I do usually save that for the last 6 miles or so. ;-)
Have an AWESOME race!! Great attitude!
@Rachel and Mariah - I will brush my teeth on the run as a treat. i do not brush them on the bike, i can deal with the film on the bike without an issue. But for the run it is more just a treat halfway through to say, "hey you are almost done... get ready."
@Mariah - Thanks for the idea of everything in the bag. So so it is shoes then grab the go bag.. out the door.
I will also not touch food until about 3 to 6 miles out of T1. Just to say safe. As for the Gatorade, i am sucking it up. Screw the belly and just keep my water consumption high also.. to dilute the sugar from the gatorade.
BTW, i found something else i forgot. The last water stop on the run, rinse off with a couple cups of water for final picture. I hate when i look like a giant salt stick at the end of the race. So cleaning up makes my face makes my pictures look a little better.