Ken Adler IMChoo Race Plan - My First IM
OK, IM Chatanooga will first IM after having done 5 half IM's and and 2 marathons over the past 4 years. As some more background I am 51 years old, 5'8" and 154 pounds. FTP is 240is, VDOT is 43
All comments appreciated. I suspect particular help needed with thinking through transitions as the events I have done in the past have not been organized with transition tents and bags as are IM events
Tuesday
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60 minute bike
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Pack what was not sent with TriBike Transport
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Cyclops Joule and charger cable
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Garmin 910XT and charger cable
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Heart rate monitor strap
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Flip flops
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Running shoes
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Casual clothing
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Safety pins
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Sleep at least 8 hours
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Electric tape
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Colored tape to identify bags
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Beet powder
Wednesday
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30 minute easy run (only if Archilles feeling great!)
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Beg Dinhoffer to call hotel and confirm late check in time for Thursday
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Sleep at least 8 hours
Thursday
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30 minute swim
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Leave work no later than 5PM, take taxi to Airport
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Fly from Westchester Airport to Chattanooga
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US AIR 3945 departs :6:59 PM arrives 11:39
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Taxi to Stone Fort Inn, East 10th Street 1-866-599-6674
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Hopefully asleep by 1am
Friday
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Athlete check in at Ross’s Landing (9am-5pm)
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Pick up Scott Dinhoffer’s swag bag and only give to him if hotel works out, otherwise post it on Ebay
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4 keys talk (10:30am-12:00pm) DoubleTree Hotel, 407 Chestnut St
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2pm athlete briefing at Ross’s Landing
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Pick up Bike and gear at TriBike Transport at expo and get it back to hotel (2 trips?)
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Drink electrolyte laden drinks all day, good meals, early dinner
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Review of Bike / Bags
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Morning Bag
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T1 Bag
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T2 Bag
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Bike Special Needs
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Run Special Needs
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Test ride bike in late afternoon, check out a little of course
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Pack bags in evening
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T1 bag
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Bike shoes, socks, gel flask, mini pump??, belt with gels or use gel from course?
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Bike special needs
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2 Co2, 2 tubes
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T2 bag
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all in to go bag except shoes and race belt (still open on if will carry fluid nutrition or not and which belt to use)
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On sock in each shoe, with shoes on top of to go bag
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Hat, sunglasses, extra socks, Naproxen
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Keep to go bag for ice
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Run special needs bag
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Band aids, vaseline, peanut M&Ms, Water bottle with iced coffee drink
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Morning bag
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Post race shirt, shorts
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Saturday
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Bike and Gear check in (10a-3p)
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Ride bike again for a mile or so to check
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Walk route from water to bags to bike to exit.
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Look for landmarks and markers for bike rack position. Note row/column of t bags.
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Get lunch and order a to-go dinner for later
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Buy breakfast for next morning, bagel, 2 banana, yogurt, 2 bottled iced coffee
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Safety pin chip to ankle before bed
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Charge bike computer and garmin
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Set up Garmin
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RACE DAY
Wake Up at 3:30
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Eat Breakfast, 700 calories
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Naproxen
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Dress, HR strap / EN kit / Garmin
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Bring sports drink bottle, wetsuit, goggles, cap, bike computer, morning bag
Out the door at 4:30
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25 minute walk to transition
Transition Check
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Nutrition bottles on the bike
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Two bottles of Perpetuem on Frame ???
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One bottle of Perpetuem in Between Bar Hydration system
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On Bike storage
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Zip ties
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1 canister of salt tabs
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Computer mounted, calibrated.
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Check/pump tires.
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Head to get Body Marked
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Team Picture -- 6:30am SHARP – in front of Ice Cream shop right by body marking and bright IM light
Final Suit Up
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Body glide
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Wet suit
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Cap, goggles.
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Clothes/flip flops into Morning (white) clothes bag.
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Hand off bag
PreSwim
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Drink and Gel at 15-20 minutes to start (about 7:30a).
Swim (1:15 target):
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Go out easy, focus on low heart rate for first 10+ minutes
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Use the shoreline and nearby swimmers to sight for me.
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Get into a rhythm by concentrating on smooth breathing, smooth stroke
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Do not stop swimming during sighting
T1 (8:00 target)
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Hand wetsuit & T1 bag to nearest volunteer.
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Put on shoes, place sun sleeves and gel flasks in jersey
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Leave tent and find Bike
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Power On Computer
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Helmet On / Buckled
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Jog bike beyond Mount Line .
Bike (6:30 target)
Bike // Pacing -- Steady + Aero
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Settle In; confirm everything is good and working.
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Put on sun sleeves
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Target 165w all day (.70 IF). Climbs up to 200w as needed.
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HR in 120 area, never above 130.
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Remember to shift down on hills, small hills and false flats
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Stay in Aerobars as much as possible
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Never stop pedaling, coast as little a possible
Bike // First 20 Miles // JRA Zone:
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First 11 miles are super easy until the beginning of the loop
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Fluid target = Try for 2 bottles of Perpetuem for first hour (500 Calories).
Bike // Miles 20 - 90 // Ninja Zone
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Allow HR to climb but never over 130
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Settle into target normalized power of 155 to 165
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Do opposite everyone else and ease up on the hills, focus on constant energy
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Fluid target = 2 bottles of Gatorade Endurance per hour (300 calories)
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Use Gels to top off calories and get to 300 to 350 calorie / hour target
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Salt stick pill if hot and needed
Bike // Miles 90 – T2 // Strong Zone:
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Stick with a HR target of 130 max.
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Stay strong with a target normalized power of 165 all the way back into town.
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Fluid target = 2 bottles of Gatorade Endurance per hour.
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Mentally prepare for the transition to running.
T2 (7:00 Target)
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Hand off bike.
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Take off Helmet
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Find bag, head to tent.
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Bag down & Open.
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Race belt with number on. Have a 8 gels in loops on race belt and water bottle with Perpetuem or belt with no hydration ????.
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Shoes (on top), single sock in each.
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Start walking out with GO Bag.G
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Sunscreen station
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Exit transition to Run Out.
Run (5:00 Target)
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NO SUCK UNTIL MILE 18.
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30 steps walking reward at all aid stations.
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Don't walk between aid stations
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250 calories per hour (more if possible in first half of run) as much through hydration as possible topping off with gel, bananas, pretzels or whatever
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4oz Gatorate Endurance = 25 calories
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4oz coke = 47 calories
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10 mini pretzel = 50 calories
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Grab base salt, use salt stick each hour
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Miles 1 - 6
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Put on hat and sunglasses
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Hit the hill out of T2 very easy. Do not raise heart rate on this hill!!
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Force the pace to be slow…..STUPID SLOW
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Miles 6- 18
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Constant exertion
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No negative thoughts allowed
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Miles 18+
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Finish strong, decide what point pace can pick up to finish line
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Celebrate with EN team and wife if up for it
Comments
1. T1. Bag. You have a belt in there. Is that your race belt? If so, no need to wear it on the bike. If it's a belt for gels, then maybe skip that and use gels from the course if you've trained with them. Main thing is to do what you did in training.
Mini-pump?? Can you put that on your bike before hand so you don't have to worry about it in transition?
I don't see mention of your helmet in your bag. Don't think we can leave these on the bike if that's what you were planning.
2. I see you have questions about "2 bottles of perpetuem" on the bike and whether to carry perpetuem with you on the run. Main thing is to do what you have done in training. If you trained with 3 bottles of perpetuem then go with that, otherwise switch to on course GE. Two bottles on your bike is more than enough to get you to the next aid station. For the run, same thing, if you trained with it over the GE then go with it otherwise go with on course nutrition as much as possible. They have stuff every mile. One note from using perpetuem in my first ironman is that if it is sitting in your T2 in the heat and sun until you get off the bike then the perpetuem will definitely be warm. My experience was that it tastes pretty bad when it's warm.
3. Put your sun sleeves on while you run to your bike. Easier and safer to get on vs after you are on your bike and in traffic. You could roll them up and then unroll after you are on the bike.
4. In T2, put your race belt on after you leave the tent and are on the move.
Have a great race.
I have made many changes to plan and based on your help will make a few more.
Was considering a race belt for bike to carry more gels, but am now eliminating that as have learned how accessible they are on course.
If helmets allowed on bike will do that, otherwise in top of bag and on my head quickly. Any idea if the helmets will be allowed on the bikes?
Will now alter plan to attach pump and nutrition to bike. I am comfortable attaching the sun sleeves to bike and putting them on in first half hour so will go that route.
I will continue with the 3 bottles out of T1 as I like Perpetuem and have been training with it
I hear you on putting belt on after leaving T2 tent and will make that adjustment.
Look forward to thanking you in person!
Electrolyte drinks less important while walking around town, but hydration is very important.
Ken - here are some of the many items we discussed at dinner saturday night as a list based on reading your plan:
Gels from the course – saves you the hassle, one less thing to think about if you have no special gel you need.BSN bag – do tubes need to be prepped? Valve core removed to be ready for extensions, etc?
Prep bags during day so you can get anything you forgot.
Do NOT ride bike again on Saturday. More chances to injure yourself in a city…
Bike check in – go around 12, it empties out and it’s lunch time..
Saturday -do NOT eat solid food past 2-3PM – find a jamba juice and get a supersecret (ask for that) high calorie version
Post race should be what you wear in the morning… wear it there, strip, put it in the bag, turn it in. Sweat pants, jacket. Your body may react differently than you think the weather says and want something warmer
Morning set up – I wear my EN kit under my wetsuit or swim speed suit (I may have mine arriving in time for you to borrow) I also put band aids on my nipples I chafe on the run…
What is your 700 calorie breakfast? When/ where are you buying it ahead of time?
Bike computer should be fully checked out prior to check in. you will never pair it to your bike/pm with 2500 bikes around you. Make sure you have set it up for 15-20 minute time alert so you press lap button for power & hydration/ nutrition reminder.
Read / listen to the swim line up procedure… if it is 1st come 1st serve, skip team pic and get there. If it is line up by time, you are good.
T1 – ask a volunteer for help, dump bag on floor, hand them bag and wetsuit, googles, etc… THANK them (do what Jeremy did and get some $5 gift cards to leave in bags for them.. and tell them… )
do NOT take off swim cap & goggles until after wetsuit is stripped from you(can’t be in hands when stripped.)
Be careful jogging in bike shoes, can be wet grass from people ahead of you dripping wet, and morning dew. Put on shoes right before mounting bike? Does rules allow you to put shoes on bike ahead of time(IM usually no, but not always)??
6:30 target?? You are WAY faster than that, If you want to be conservative – write 6:05, where did you come up with that from?? Long climbs up to 190, NOT 200. That will fry you for the run, but write it and let’s see the comments! (what do others have to say here?!)
Perpeteum?? Where did that come from? never heard you mention it at dinner?
130HR where is that from? Someone else’s report you copied/ or your own knowledge of your body from rides?
Race belt?? Do you NEED it? Did you train with this stuff? Will your stomach reject “gu" branded gels? If yes, go with it, if not, eat off the course and have one less thing to think about..
Read patricks running by hr thread… the guidance seems to be changing though the coaches have not explicitly said it. STUPID slow, 3-6 miles. Then run by HR=130-135
Do not be stupid and sprint the last ¼ mile or few hundred yards…
Look behind you in finish chute and space yourself between person ahead and sprinters behind for a good finish pic, as you said this is “one and done,” so get your pic right!
remember, you are doing this for you AND me :-) or else you have to do Madison next year :-)
Still wishing you were doing this race and thanks for your help all season and even preseason.
The lunch time tip for bike check in is great and gift card idea is especially awesome. Looking forward to thanking volunteers in this way, this will keep me smiling.
The reminders about being done eating early on Saturday are important
Buying breakfast the day before so will be efficient. Bike computer setup done!
Happy to inform you and the team my nipples are not as sensitive as yours.
Will up the bike goal just for you!
Perpetuem has been my go to for a few years and 20 to 130 has been my long ride heart rate for months