Marcelo RR #2 IM Los Cabos
Race Rehearsal #2
Hello Guys, This was my second RR for IM Los Cabos, just 2 weeks forward, the idea was to keep up the pace and practice nutrition during the bike stage.
Day Plan.
Breakfast, 2 bananas, 250ml nitric oxide, 24 oz GE, waffle peanut butter, Cliff bar.
Bike Gear; the same kit I will use in race, except that I added a cycling vest, a light jacket and long pants, also used the visor for my kask bambino helmet, which is sooo hot. The day started at 57° and finished at 84° so I have to get used a lot to the heat, which will be at the race at 83 in the beginning of the bike course and keep up to 95.My BH bike with Easton race wheels, xlab box in the frame, profile in aerobars, two bottles in the frame. And of course a very long playlist in Spotify!
I don’t know why, but I was so nervous about the RR, I think was a good practice with the excitement of the race, It has been a lot of work and sacrifices that I really hit that the date is getting real close.
The plan was to keep a steady pace between 135-140 watts with an IF of .70, with no surges in a couple of light hills in the road. I had a really good start with no problems at all, I ate a gel every 45’ a salt pill each our and GE one liter per hour, and then my competitive cyclist came to the party, I passed a five guys really easy in one of the hills, with no surges at all, and after five minutes the war started, 190-250 watts surges for six or seven minutes before I remembered that this was a RR and should not been done that.
By mile 60 I really hit the wall, I tried to stretch my right leg, which felt like a cramp and when I did that I really felt a cramp in my thigh, also my HR began to spike and I was suffering, I stopped in a store for a coke and a banana, that brought me back to the game; I did 2 hours laps and the numbers were the same 135 watts, with an IF of .72.
https://www.strava.com/activities/411278705
By the fifth hour I had pee seven times, and I felt really toasted by the jacket and the vest, I was sweating a lot, so I increased the salt pills per each 30 mins. That just helped a lot. I did one more stop by my car, which had a lot of fresh GE and a Power bar waffle, if you haven’t try those, they are great.
I cut my bike at mile 96, I did a 6 minutes transition, and started really slow, I took of the vest and the jacket and it felt really good, I put on my arm coolers, which are a great addition to my outfit, they’re amazing.
After that I just ran 30 minutes, I had to return home by the hour. I felt pretty good, my heart rate kept in 140 at a Z1 pace.
Conclusions about the RR.
I will use my Giro air attack instead of my kask bambino, it’s just too hot, a great helmet but I prefer a cooler brain than 5 watts gain.
Shorten the period with the salt pills, I think by 30 minutes or have a sodium source other than GE.
Eat more food, not just gels, when I got the banana and the cliff bars it really made the difference.
My IF has to be on the .68-.70 in the first half of the race.
Have sunscreen in my lower back, today I have a nice red smile 
So, I have mixed feeling about this, I read the Coach’s comment, You are official done with IRONMAN training, in one hand I’m sh*tting my pants because it’s my first IM, but on the other hand I have been very disciplined, I cut off the tacos, (yes that sucks) no alcohol in eight months, (not that I need it), and I had worked my ass off to have a great day, so I’m glad that the training is going down, my butt also thanks for that.
Thanks for the support to all of you team!!
Comments
"...I have been very disciplined, I cut off the tacos, (yes that sucks) no alcohol in eight months, (not that I need it), and I had worked my ass off to have a great day,..."
This is your fifth key to success, and you;ve already done it!