IMAZ Week 19 - The Box

Clark Mitchell

Welcome to taper!  Congratulations to everyone on the forum: strong, consistent work, week over week.   Excellent job.

Key #3: The Box

Summary: All day long you are going to race inside a box defined by what you can control. Ask yourself "What do I need to do right NOW to create the conditions for success at The Line? Is what I'm doing right now counter to this goal? From what we've seen first hand on the IM courses this season, we believe you should ask yourself "Am I participating in some short-term tactical masturbation?" If yes, STOP!!

Advice: On the swim, the Box is the space your body occupies in the water: focus on your form and the rest will come. On the bike, the box is probably about one aid station long. On the run, the box begins as 2-3 aid stations long but often diminishes to "from here to the next lampost/manhole cover/mail box." Regardless:

1. Keep The Box as big as you can for as long as you can.
2. Keep in The Box only the things you can control. Let go of the rest.
3. Exercise this decision-making process inside your Box: Observe the situation, Orient yourself to a possible course of action, Decide on a course of action, Act (OODA Loop).

Only two weeks left until race day.

Mariah Bridges

popping my head in here to say that I can't wait to see everyone soon! Make sure you're promoting the four keys talk to friends and social media - ON FB there is an event to invite people to and here is the website to get free tickets https://thefourkeysaz.splashthat.com

If anyone needs anything don't hesitate to reach out!

rbogle

Great work getting to the taper gang! You've done all the hard work, everything else is gravy and your race will be a piece of cake by comparison if you keep to your box and follow the 4 keys!

There is an increased chance of illness at this point (every year a few people get sick) probably due to turning off the pressure of hard training. Make extra double sure you eat right, get extra sleep, and it doesn't hurt to take your vitamins! More than anything dont try to do any last minute heroic workouts. Whats done is done, no work out at this point will make any increase your fitness for race day. 

Hoping to come down and cheer you all on race weekend! 

 

David Howard

.....But I "need" to raise my FTP by 20 and drop 10 lbs and Raise my VDOT by 8 by race day! .Oh and make up 20 missed pool days.

Betsy Kantor

Me too!!!

Starting week 19, the good and the bad:

Equipment malfunctions Saturday on ride:
Bad: Garmin watch fell apart
Magnets holding plastic eye shield into aero helmet fell off
Good: REI took my 3yo 910 back and let me upgrade to brand new 920 for he $99 difference
Replacement magnets for helmet easy to find and order on Amazon and are on their way
All good: most comfortable long ride of season-have corrected Balancr issues and no right sided pains, minimal saddle sore

Local bike shop that has done all my fittings and I got my P3 from are getting out of retail and having big sale:
Good: my Reynolds race wheels I was going to buy have now dropped to $1500
Bad: my old 650 power tap cannot be adapted/built into the wheel-wants me to get into quark (sp?). OMG, probably not a good idea this close to race

good: Got up for morning run-Right foot 4th/5th metatarsal inflammation gone!
bad: Messed up new Garmin half mile into first z4'and couldn't get it back to run screen-learning curve!!!
Looking forward to trying Garmin in pool this afternoon

Clark Mitchell

@Mariah - Thanks for checking in with the details on the 4Keys session. Last year was a great session and I expect this year will be great too.

@Rian - Good tips all the way around. I find myself washing my hands more frequently when those around me are sick. Maybe I'll have to make that a taper thing also.

@David - Let us know how all of that goes for you ;-)

@Betsy - I have both a Quarq and a Power2Max power meter. I like them both very much, they are both easy to use and they seem to be accurate. The P2M has estimated L/R balance which my quarq does not have, but I don't really do anything with that data. That said, you're talking about a pretty major change this close to race day and thus I would not recommend it. When I switched from a powertap to spider-based power, I ran both units until I had a feel for how closely they matched each other. Then when I was comfortable with the new setup, I tested with it and used that number moving forward. If it were me, I would not switch from hub-based to spider-based two weeks out from race day.

david ware

@ Betsy:

Make sure you have updated the software. When I did my first swim it stopped at 250 yds although the timer kept going. I contacted Garmin and they said that had been a bug. *Updating resolved it for the future.

Clark Mitchell

On a side note, there were a number of posts in the IMFL Week 19 thread about taper, which taper workouts you should do and why. I consider it a recommended read, but if you don't have time I can summarize it for you. The taper workouts in our plans have been specifically designed to maximize recovery while preserving fitness, thus getting you to race day ready to rock. If you are feeling well, do them. If you are injured or excessively tired, then do what you're comfortable with.

Second side note - scientific studies have shown that athletes with written race plans perform better on race day than those without. EVERYONE here should have a written race plan prior to race day. There are many examples of solid, useful race plans in the forums that you can copy and adapt as necessary. When I get a free minute, I'll post a couple of links here for everyone.

Take some time this week and work on your race plan including your nutrition plan. Write them down and post them to the forum for feedback. The feedback that I got last year was super helpful and directly contributed to my successful day.

Happy first taper Monday!

Betsy Kantor

Forgot to add to my week 19 good and bad:

As a Kansas City native, hometown team wins the world series!! Go Royals!  I have lots of happy family and friends.  Bad-they miss out on their game 6.

I got my new garmin 920 to work for me in pool swim.  Really cool to have the distance in big bold numbers on the watch.  Bad-it  told me what i already knew-same slow rock pace.  I managed 3000 in my 60'

Clark Mitchell

@Betsy - If a watch could make you swim faster it would cost way more than a $99 upgrade...

As promised, some sample race plans. Keep in mind that the swim start has changed this year so that will not be reflected in any of these plans...

Coach P, IMTX 2015. Good example but not course specific for us - http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/18609/Default.aspx

Al Truscott, IMAZ last year. This is the goto plan for insider course info. http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/17222/Default.aspx

KMF Man, IMAZ last year. Another solid race plan that is course specific. http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/17212/Default.aspx

My plan from IMAZ last year - http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/17221/Default.aspx

fittodo

Hey Clark,

Can't tell you how much I appreciate your service to this group. Really helps. I've got a question about aid stations on the bike. Will they be on the side of road yelling "water, water, water, gatoraide, gatoraide, etc?" Holding out bottles for us to grab? I volunteered on the run course last year but never checked it out.

Once again thanks for the help.

Kevin

Clark Mitchell

@Kevin - Glad to be of assistance.

Yes, the bike aid stations are setup similar to the run stations. I don't recall the specific order but they are something like: trash -> water -> GE -> food -> water -> GE -> trash. Typically they are all setup in the same order so once you hit one you will know the order for all others. ALSO, this is something that is covered in the 4Keys talk - spot what you need, point at and call out a volunteer, make eye contact, take what you need from that person, say thank you... Aid stations can be a cluster f*#k, so slow down and be careful. If you don't need anything stay as far to the left of the fray as you can without blocking faster riders.

Clark Mitchell

--FYI--
Ironman Arizona webinar has been rescheduled for tomorrow, Nov 4, at 5p PST. Reg here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8428649800671556353

tim cronk

@Clark- thanks for the webinar update....

Taper- yesterday easy easy swim and massage... today was a windy day in Tucson... How windy? Checked the current forecast right after parking my bike and it said 25mph steady out of the South.... Thanks to that wind I got a 2nd out of 959 and 3rd out of 1300 on a couple local segments... Only missed 1st by 3 seconds.... It was so windy I ran out of gears 50-11 on the uphill segment.... Sure hope we dont see a race day like today in AZ.....Anyway cut the am run back by a mile from last week and the bike 1/2hr with only 1/2 the FTP from last week as well...

Tom Glynn

@Tim. With all that wind are you going disk covers on your rear wheel? Too windy?

Coach Patrick

@tom, ALWAYS Disk covers.

tim cronk

@Tom - yesterday I trained with 60/90 and I could definitely feel that 60 front- I would only reduce the size of my front wheel if I had high speed descents and high winds expected- I plan to ride my DISC and would do it all day every day under the most extreme conditions if allowed- I rode a DISC at REV3 Venice w/30 mph winds when the swim got cancelled due to a hurricane , I had a bunch of really big guys (they were scared and took there disc's off) laughing at me when we were in the TT line to start the race, but I had the last laugh! It was a piece of cake and very fast!

Betsy Kantor

@Tim-I rode my disc last year IMAZ with the 25+mph winds. I did fine and I'm small-5''2 and 110lb. I didn't have a race wheel in front

I guess it will feel like taper this weekend....
Yesterday am bike, hit 1.0 FTP in my 3x6'
No time for run. Worked late so didn't get run in pm

This am-25' run, though not as aggressive as rx'd yesterday, then swim (not even approximating the 3800 in my 50')

After tomorrow's run I have last swim lesson before race(my form is a work in progress) hopefully nail down my race strategy-i.e. Tempo trainer pace as I have been swimming in a wide range and observing best stroke counts in each

Vicki Meadows

Nothing like the last minute sign-in. Second attempt at IMAZ. Didn't finish last year with the perfect storm of issues. This year I have been crazy busy with work, family, training and fundraising but am in much better shape than last year. (1) Heath - good during training, no string of illnesses brought home by my pre-K daughter and K-teacher living at home like last year; (2) Nutrition on race-day: worked out a strategy for all nutrition from drinking - no eating, very simple - no need to chew with arid mouth or take my hands off the handlebars if we have 20+ MPH winds (3) Training - much better than last year (see number 1 regarding being healthy!) (4) Mind going dark places regarding my husbands health - feeling guilty for not being home with him - this is honestly the biggest challenge and I think what did me in last year; This year, I know now how excited he is to see me finish and how proud, I got into endurance sports at the ripe age of 46 for leukemia society after he was diagnosed and went back to my roots this year raising money for them and other cancer organizations. I've also been reminded that I do a lot for other people, my employees, my family, and charity so I should do something for myself - even it if is an ironman which people think is an odd choice. Ironically, the training is the best way I have to deal with stress. I've peeked in occasionally at the forum emails and saw at least a couple of other people from San Diego. I hope I get a chance to meet you! Working on my raceplan and packing list. Last year was easily the most disorganized I've been for a race (or anything else) - just had too much going on in my life. All of you are amazing, I'm lucky to just get the high priority and a few low priority work-outs in. Also, very slow by EN standards but should be able to finish assuming I put together and execute a good plan... and much faster than last year! Very excited to finish - 1 year and ~15hrs later!

Clark Mitchell

@Vicki, welcome! It sounds like you have lots going on but you are managing well. Raceday is all about execution and not fitness. Copy one of the plans posted above, modify the times and intensity to fit your goals and the go out and execute. You've got this!

Clark Mitchell

Race plan posted - http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/20026/Default.aspx

Shit's gettin' real...

tim cronk

Well I guess I shouldn't have joked about a long ride feeling like a "Dentist Appointment" last week.... I've had a tooth bugging me a little for about 2-3 weeks now and I was delaying until after IMAZ... But yesterday said tooth took it up a notch... Concerned enough that I will be calling the dentist first thing Monday AM (er well after my wko's of course).... Grrrr..... Had a good taper week , dropping volume down to 11hrs , 9700 yds swim , 109 miles bike, 26 run...

Clark Mitchell

My usual extreme taper is going nicely. I intended to do more this year but work and life have conspired against me. Oh well.

Not to nag, but I've only seen a couple of race plans posted... I know it seems like a pain, but writing something down really does help!

I'm packing my bike today (one of my least favorite parts of IRONMAN). Once that's done I can shut down my brain and work off of the checklists for the rest of the week.

Can't wait to see everyone on Friday.

tim cronk

{Not to nag, but I've only seen a couple of race plans posted... I know it seems like a pain, but writing something down really does help! }

X2 Clark... Race Plans and Race Reports are some of the most valuable tools we have here at EN... Heck , they are good to do even if you don't post them.... Just going thru the motion...

fittodo

Thanks Tim,

Just posted mine. I could use some wicked smart input!

Kevin