SS IMFL Battle Plan
48 years old, 174 lbs, vDot ~48-49, FTP ~300, 5 hr power ~208-212, 5 hr w/kg ~2.7 (IM number 6 will be FL)
TARGETS:
SWIM: 1:16 – 1:18 Steady all the way
T1: <4:00</span>
BIKE: 5:20 Targeting NP watts of 208 - 212
T2: <4:00</span>
RUN 4:00 – 4:15
T1 BAG:
Helmet - Bike shoes - Sunglasses
BIKE SPECIAL NEEDS BAG:
Tube / C02
T2 BAG:
Shoes no socks
Hat & Zip lock bag for ice on course
Fuelbelt w/2 bottles of GE and 2 rolls of Clif Shot Bloks
Race belt
RUN SPECIAL NEEDS:
Duct tape
WEDNESDAY BEFORE RACE:
Travel
Check in
Find MR for dinner
THURSDAY BEFORE RACE:
30 min run
Go to Athlete Check In
EN 4 Keys
Pick up bike from TBT
Bike / Preview course w/ team mates
EN Team Dinner
Carb Load all day / Hydrate
FRIDAY BEFORE RACE:
Swim recon
Carb Load all day / Hydrate
Prep morning goggles, flip flops, timing chip, sunscreen, swim cap
Prep T1/T2 Bags, stickers on helmet and bike, number on race belt
Prepare special needs bike/run bags, bottles
To bed early
SATURDAY - RACE DAY:
Wake up 4:00 a.m. – Eat oatmeal, banana, sports drink, bagel
Apply sunscreen, body glide & get Dressed including HR monitor & timing chip
Leave hotel at 5:00
Drop special needs bags off
Arrive at transition, body marking, set up, inflate tires,
Top off fluids, set Garmin up on Speedfill
5:30 drinking sports drink
6:15 eat one gel and warmup in water
6:30 seed in 1:05 - 1:10 group
SWIM (TARGET 01:15:00)
Line left middle
Focus – FORM, Count strokes, re-commit and stay patient.
Exit, strip
T1: <4:00 min</span>
Smooth and steady
Get T1 Bag and go through tent out the other side and dump bag
Helmet, Shoes glasses bananas
Grab wetsuit, googles, cap and bag and hand to volunteer
Exit tent and locate bike and move quickly passed the mount line
BIKE (TARGET 208W to 212W):
Garmin display is: NP Lap, 3 sec average power, Heart Rate & Cadence
Smooth and steady
First 5-10 miles is time to settle down to 130 HR. STAY AERO
Begin to drink, 2 Bottles per hour.
Drink more if temperature gets high and employ salt.
Stretch and STAY AERO
Caf Gu on the :10s and bar on the :40s
At Mile 80 check NP, TSS total, HR, get ready for headwind and final push while staying aero and patient.
STAY FOCUSED
T2: <4:00 min</span>
Shoes stay on pedals. Hand off bike to volunteer
Grab bag and go to T-2
Helmet, glasses OFF, running shoes on. Grab go bag and start moving.
Put on hat, race belt, Fuelbelt. Eat banana during first mile or at aid station one. Drink from aid station,
RUN (TARGET 04:00:00+)
Miles 1 – 3 @ 9:15 - 25/mile
Watch Heart Rate
Start drinking.
At mile 7 or 8 start Clif blok shots every two miles
At turn around evaluate how I feel.
Begin to mentally prepare for the LINE.
Continue to drink. Use ice and water to cool body as needed.
At mile 18, reassess and keep steady.
At mile 19 re-commit, leverage strength by supporting EN teammates out on the battlefield
At mile 20 go through the mental Dark Place protocol, dial it in and get it done.
Comments
SS, I was reminded that the Age Group start is 6:15 a.m. so you will need to start everything a bit earlier. Your plan is right to the point. I usually add too much to remember. Riding like you did at IMLP will make this a very short bike ride for you. Without those hills, you should also have a great run. I will be feeding off your energy all week and all through the race. I know who the real Gorilla is and he lives in Texas.
SS, nice report. Thanks for leading the FL group from the outset. Your relentless positive energy makes training for one of these things much more fun than it would be otherwise, and the coaches really should charge a KMF surcharge for those athletes who get to train/race with you. The surcharge would be totally worth it.
Yes, race starts at 6:15. Like your aggressive swim time. Now, go get it. You can leave your bike shoes on the bike, one less moving piece in TA.
You do have a significant typo in your RP. Next to bike, you mistakenly wrote "5:20" instead of "4:52." Ed and I are both much more runners than we are bikers, and we both plan on going sub-5:15. 5:20 - really? You went 5:15 on a tougher TX course, you're stronger/smarter than you were at TX, you've got a 300w V12 under the hood, and - for God's sake - you're KMF. I think you can drive a steady 22.5-23mph and have plenty left in the tank for the run. Just make sure you stretch a lot on the bike, as your chin will be stuck to your aero bottle for a very long time.
Speaking of . . . the run is gonna be fun. Out/back course where you get to repeatedly see everyone, including two coaches and a full team. The EN mojo will be flowing. The sun will set after 10:30 into the race. Hoping to be sharing war stories with you in the finish area, watching that sun fall over the horizon.
Looking forward to next week, my friend. Taper well.
Gotta ask - What is the duck tape for?
Looks like a good plan. Although I think that you are sandbagging the bike time also. But really, the times are gonna be what the are. We just ride watts and bpm and time takes care of itself. You have built a hell of a machine. Now you get to drive it. See you out there. Say hi when you pass me on the bike. I don't think I will ever see the other guys!
Thanks for moving us forward over the past few months.
It's been a great pleasure tracking you for this build and seeing your great support for all folks fast and not so fast. Your energy really has gotten me through many a day when I thought I would just bag the workout, then I thought I would have nothing to post on Strava knowing you would be there posting yet another epic workout. So thanks for all you've done and you probably didn't even know you did it.
It will be a pleasure to meet you at IMFL and look forward to not seeing you on race day because you will be just shredding the course!!
Although you don't say it, it sounds like sub-11 hrs is hot on your mind. Don't let that target overwhelm your patience and discipline at the start of the run. Maybe take 20-30 seconds of head space in T2 to keep yourself under control during the first 1-1.5 hours of the run. You've done enough of these that your RPE should play a significant role in keeping your effort in check during the first 6-8 miles.
Going without an overall race time on your watch may also be helpful in getting you there.
Simple, straightforward and direct....Love your race plan! You've done the work so now it's time to unleash the beast and have some fun. Will be watching and sending positive vibes your way. Go get it....
All, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to read and provide feedback/support.
I will update my schedule to the correct start time as well as have a discussion with my legs regarding the recommended bike times.
All this balancing the wisdom that Al keenly points out below while fueling on Cronk mojo come push time.
I also want to thank each and every one of you for constantly raising the bar, pushing me and leading every day, every workout!
as always,
KMF!
Great plan as always.
@ Jimmy I also had duct tape in Lake Place and for me I even used it as a precautionary measure in my arches as I had not done any running over 1 hour going in to the race. The stuff is great for keeping the feet together or once you have blisters, among other uses. I always have end of a roll or two in my transitions bags and particularly the run special needs.
Good Skill to you!!