Mark L.'s IMFLA Race Plan
This will be IM #2 for me, both with EN. I've tried to keep my plan as simple as possible-easier to execute for me.
Personal Stats: age 57 6'3" ~190# FTP-244 vDOT-37
Taper weeks: Watch diet(I gained about 5# last year during taper), stretch, roll, and sleep. Hit all workouts.
Race Week: Travel (drive) Tue. & Wed. Arrive midday Wed. check into IM and Shores of Panama. Possible short ride/run to loosen up from traveling. Do some grocery shopping. Thur.: Swim recon 1 loop. 4-keys talk, team dinner, start packing bags charge Garmins, replace batteries in HRM and PM. Fri.: Big breakfast, turn in bags and bike, and have a very low key day. Early dinner, early bed.
Race Day: 3:30 wake up. coffee, cliff bar, bananas = ~800 cal. start hydrating. Make it to Transition by 0430. Pump up tires, load bike nutrition, turn on Garmin 500. Have WS, goggles, cap, socks, and hopefully get a short WU in.
Swim: Seed in 1:20-30 group. Find some space, get in rhythm, and just keep swimming.
T-1:Slow, smooth and deliberate, WS stripping area probably sandy, strip myself in T. Add chamois crème generously, put on shoes, helmet, glasses and go.
Bike: Start out in JRA, and get HR into 120's. Start nutrition plan, 24 oz. bottle Infinit per hour, as the day warms increase fluid intake with some GE-keep sodium intake up and not too much carbs. Garmin is set to alarm @ 15'-bottles are marked with lines for correct amount per-keep it simple. After about 30' of JRA, lock into 165-170w=.68-.70 IF, and ride steady staying aero as much as possible. Watch HR, should be low 130's, adjust power to keep it there. Pee at least 2X, once at SN while reloading bottles- this is wasted time, but if I get off bike for a few, I'll feel so much better for the final push. Take feet out of shoes with about a mile to go.
T-2 Slow, smooth, and deliberate.( took way too much time in Trans. on my other IM.) Socks, shoes, hat, a little vasilene, belt and go.
Run: Start very easy, HR has a tendency to spike up first mile or so. Have some GE every aid station, some caffeinated gels early, then a cliff block every other mile. Try to lock in HR at ~140bpm and run-even when it hurts. This is 26 1 mile runs.
Comments
Mark: the two most important phrases in your plan" "Start out in JRA" & "Start out easy". Those are the key to success. As you know, it's possible to ride the entire route in an aero tuck. It might be a good idea to program in periodic standing or stretching breaks, just as you have timed nutrition/fluid intervals. Shifting up the leg muscles on a frequent (every 10-15 minutes) basis even if only for a few seconds will probably pay dividends on the run.
@Mark, I like it. Sweet and simple. Watch out for those transitions. It seems whenever I hear someone say they want to be slow, deliberate and in no rush through TA, they end up spending 8 or more minutes in there, then wonder after the race WTH they were doing. If you honestly don't care about time, won't look at the results afterwards and would never even consider looking at your competitors' times to see how you compare, ignore the above entirely and just have fun. But if you will/may care about those times, then simplify and memorize your TA plans, get in and get out with purpose, but not haste. Each can be done in less than 4 minutes without rush.
The fact that a bathroom break on the bike will help you loosen up and feel better only proves Al's stretch recommendation. You will see hundreds of people sitting up into the wind during Miles 80-100, many of them claiming their necks and/or backs are in spasm or locked up. 5+ hours in aero is pretty brutal. I stretch every 15 min, with a focus on the early miles while things are still loose and pliable. If I waited until I locked up at 85 to start stretching, probably wouldn't help much.
Look forward to meeting and racing with you.
Mark,
Looking forward to meeting you! Consider hydrating up to swim start with one bottle of sports drink and 1 caf GU just before entering the water.
24 ounces during early hours of the bike is not enough for this 174 lb man. I am drinking 48+ ounces per hour up front and eating well early on to try and get ahead of the nutrition game as I find it gets more and more difficult to do that later. That makes a big difference in my performance later on in the day.
Also consider implementing the Go Bag trick in T2 - saves tons of time for me on T2.
Lets get this done! See you soon.
SS
SS