Tim Cronk 2015 KONA Race Plan
Well its a little late with only about 40 hrs to game time but I wanted to get something in writing.... This will be KONA #3.... The 1st one was a victory lap @ 10:48 , the 2nd one was a disappointing 11:36 , 13 days after IMCHOO.... This one will be the ONE I Race...
Goals- Pretty Simple - PR every discipline for this course and go Sub 10:30....Granted those are time goals and I do not intend to race specifically to those times... I'm too scared of the Ocean, Winds, and Heat here... So I will execute with a cautious respect and let things fall where they may....
Training - After IMLP in July I was able to get in a couple good recovery weeks, then a solid 4 week build... Another rest/recovery week followed as we drove from NH to AZ... 2.5 very hot weeks in Tucson focussing on race specific training and heat acclimatization followed... Most of the taper has been here in KONA... I'm at race weight had a lot of heat exposure and feeling good....
Race Week- EN presence and MOJO is huge again this year.... Lots of taper WKO's with the team... Dinner was great last night... Tomorrow AM we meet for breakfast and then I suspect we all go into hibernation until Saturday AM... The usual drop bike and bags off , feet up , carbo load day....
Race Day- Up at 4am coffee and breakfast... Dress, chip, sunscreen , etc, relax , head to body marking....Visit bike with computer, bottles , nutrition, pump tires...
Swim- Goal 1:10... KONA swim history 1:15:40 and 1:16:01- the Ho'ala Practice swim on the course 1:19:32 , 1:12:30 , and this year's practice swim was 1:11... So a 1:10 looks possible but I'll be happy to just go sub 1:15 for the race course PR... Will line up about a 1/3 of the way off the pier and about 10 people back from the front ... NO WATCH... Will swim hard for 4-500yds and then settle in... I will be at race pace but I do not want to leave my race in the bay... Will focus on staying with people, specially on my way back.....Will be wearing EN Castelli race shorts and ROKA swimskin... Nutrition will be gel and GE 15-30min before cannon....
T1- Goal 3-4 min.... KONA T1 history 3:34 and 3:45... I will be doing 2 things different this year... 1. will be leaving my shoes on the bike...2. will be putting on the EN Castelli Race top....Exit water , run thru showers, grab bag ,unzip swimskin, removing cap/goggles while moving, enter tent, remove swimskin, grab the Shirt only thing in my T1 bag , hand bag , swimskin , cap , goggles to volunteer.... exit tent while putting on the Castelli shirt .... The shirt will have been prepped with tri-slide inside the sleeves and the sleeves rolled once ....Couple gels will already be in the back pockets as well...While I normally count every second in a transition I wont here ...If it takes me an extra 30" longer than normal I think I will get it back and then some in the form of EN MOJO, Aero time saved, sunscreen protection...So I will stay calm with slow smooth focussed movements ...
Bike- Goal 5:20... KONA bike history 5:25 (166NP) and 5:44 (155NP).... BBS estimates anywhere from 5:10-5:25 on (NP169) depending on the wind components...My overall target watts will be 165-170... However the focus will be a little higher around 175w on the first half whiles its cooler and closer to 160w on the last 30 miles in the heat of the day....I will allow 10% higher on climbs/head winds and 10% less on descents/tail winds....The weather has been very unique (Strong North Winds along the QK) this week and the forecast is more of the same as far as direction but much calmer.... So far the forecast is for pretty light North winds along the Queen K and these are pretty rare (normal direction winds in HAWI from the ENE but light 13-17mph)....If the forecast holds and there are NO surprises up at HAWI I would expect some KONA bike course records to be made on Saturday... Doesn't matter , it is what it is.... Execute , eat, drink, stay AERO! Nutrition will be 2 bottles of perform to start, switch to GE afterwards , 1/4 cliff bar per 30' first 2hrs , switching to 2 cliff blocks per 30' 2nd 2hrs , then switching to gels... 250-300 cal per hr, 25-30oz fluid per hr...
T2- Goal 3-4min.... T2 history 3:20 and 4:06... Leaving shoes on bike, dismount, hand bike to volunteer, while moving towards bags remove helmet/glasses, grab bag, enter tent, sit, socks and shoes on , grab go bag put in mouth, race belt with bib and watch in hands and move, put race belt on, then watch , start watch while exiting T2....
Run- Goal 3:50.... KONA run history 4:00 and 4:28....While moving open go bag , put on EN visor, put on sunglasses, put gel flask in top ... Look for my Heather (secret weapon) for energy KISS , I will stop every time I go by her...My race belt has a small pocket which will have a sample pack of sunscreen and saltstick in it... Run by RPE with a huge focus on managing heat... Walk every aid station minimum 20 steps... Small sip off gel flask every other mile with water , GE every other mile , ice/water/sponges etc for cooling... Repeat mile after mile constantly focussing on how I feel "Core Body Temp"..... 2nd goal on this run is to gain positions NOT lose like last year! Mile 18 gel flask should be gone so I will switch to coke , may even have a Mountain Dew stored in RSN...Will supplement coke with salt stick or Base Salt....Nutrition should be 250-300cal per hr and 25-30oz fluid per hr....
Thats about it...Let the waiting begin!
Comments
Nothing I can tell the Master except go out there and crush it! You got this!
Have a great race and I'll be watching from the other side of the planet!
@ Brad, Tim may be busy psyching up, so I'll give a partial response to you for him. EN designed a limited edition Kona kit for members who had previously done Kona or would be racing there this year. The top has a full zipper and sleeves down to the elbows. So it can't be worn under a speedsuit in a non-wetsuit race. If you check out JW's fat tire photos, you will see what it looks like.
Tim, I have learned so much from you with each race plan you post. This is no different. Execute this race like the master you are!
Tim, good skill, my friend. Can't wait to sit back tomorrow afternoon and watch the maestro do his thing. I ran a rainy race a few years ago in my Cliftons and they turned into squishy, heavy sponges. Terrible drainage. I went online afterwards and found many similar stories, with some folks drilling holes into the soles as an "answer." I see rain in the forecast for tomorrow afternoon, but don't know what shoes you're using and whether Hoka has fixed this flaw in the last couple of years. I'm sure you've addressed every contingency as usual, but throw that out there . . . just in case.