Dan's IMAZ Race Plan
My sincerest apologies to the IMAZ EN Crew. Life happens and my participation this year on the thread has been 0.1%. I did introduce myself at some point this year. Look to improve on my rookie effort from IMAZ 2014. Although I don't deserve it, appreciate your input.
Race Plan: Ironman Arizona 2015
Bid #1286
Mental Approach:
I am grateful. Approach this day and week with gratitude, appreciation, love and enthusiasm. I am, I can. I appreciate everyone who is supporting me, everyone who has wished me well. I am grateful that I have been blessed with the physical and mental ability to participate in this wonderful sport with so many wonderful people. I am grateful for the unconditional support of Family, Friends and Strangers. I am grateful for everyone who will be thinking about me one race day. I am honor to be able to uplift and encourage anyone who is moved by what I do. I am uplifted and encouraged by so many beautiful motivators. My body is a masterpiece formed by our creator. The limits are mental not physical. Push those limits to where you’ve never been. I am, I can. Uplift and encourage.
Targets
Swim: 1:25:00
T1: 0:02:30
Bike: 5:20:00
T2: 0:02:00
Run: 4:00:00
Total: 10:50:00
Pre-Race
Monday (Nov 9)
Full Work Day
Last visit to Schlegel’s for any last minute needs (check list)
Pack everything and ready to drive out next morning
Tuesday (Nov 10)
Bike 60 min (Road bike on Trainer)
Go in to work in the morning. Leave by 11 AM.
On the road by noon to ABQ
Make sure to wear compression socks during drive.
Overnight in ABQ
Wednesday (Nov 11)
Run 30 min (Hotel Treadmill)
On the road by 9AM arrive in Tempe at 5 PM
Unpack and relax with family
Thursday (Nov 12)
6:30 AM Bike 90 min (Trainer)
9 AM Athlete Checkin
10 AM Expo
11 AM Athlete Briefing
6 PM Dinner
Friday (Nov 13)
Start some carb loading
10:30 Attend 4 Keys Talk
1:30 Bike Recon with GMG Team
Prepare gear and special needs bags (see below)
Dinner with Family and Friends
Saturday (Nov 14)
Continue with Carb loading
9 AM Practice Swim (bring timing chip)
10 AM Bike and Gear Checkin before the place get too crowded
11:30 AM GMG Lunch at Red Devil Italian (Family and Friends) 208 W. Southern Ave.
Big lunch, take left overs for dinner.
Relax rest of the day with Jasmine condo
Light dinner
Early to bed
Bike Bag
Aero Bike Helmet
Oakley Sunglass (with case and lenses)
Mavic Cycling Shoes
Arm warmers (pre-rolled, half on half)
Under Armor Gloves
Bike Special Needs Bag
Extra tube and tire levers
Chamois Butt’r Singles
Sunscreen (extra)
Aleve, Pepto Chewables
Bike Itself
Extra tube under the seat, (possibly additional repair supplies)
Bento bag with for repair supplies (Hammer gels in Castelli T1 pockets)
Rear set up, single cage
Run Bag
Luna Running Sandals with Garmin foot pod
Race belt with number
Divide and Conquer Visor
Divide and Conquer running bottoms (pre-sauced with Bag Balm and Chamois Butt’r mix)
Run Special needs Bag
Under Armor Florescent long sleeve pullover (if it get cool)
Stinger Waffle
Powerbar Blasts
Back up pair of Luna Sundals
Morning Bag
Wetsuit
Goggles (2) in case of issues
Swim Caps (2) IM, TriOKC
Trislide spray and Roll On Glide
Gatorade Bottle to sip (Sip until 1 hour to go)
Stinger Strawberry Waffle (1 hour prior to start)
Minimal food/drink until 15 min before start, then Hammer Gel, 2 Powerbar Blasts + 8 oz of water
Bike Nutrition
-Aero bottle filled with Gatorade
-Load bento with Hammer Gels (11); or possibly carry elsewhere
Race Morning
Wake up at 3:30
Whole Foods Vanilla Protein Shake, Egg Whites, 2 Pkt of instant Oatmeal, Stinger Stawberry Waffle all blended I Vitamix (600-800 kCal)
Quick shower, lots of sunscreen, saddle sauce (bag balm and chamois buttr)
Put on Giodana Exo Bid, D&C top, Casetlli T1 Stealth, HRM, Band Aid Nips, Sweats and Hoodie, Hokas
Depart at 4:45 and arrive at 5:00
Gatorade Bottle to sip (Sip until 1 hour to go)
Stinger Strawberry Waffle (1 hour prior to start)
Minimal food/drink until 15 min before start, then Hammer Gel, 2 Power Bar Blasts + 8 oz of water
Setup gear in transition and load bike with nutrition, get gels into bento bag
Connect HRM, with Garmin 520, and Garmin 920 FX, and put on wetsuit inside out style
Pre-race nutrition (as above)
Swim
Target 1:25
Make lots of space in your wetsuit, work slack up your wetsuit into the shoulders especially
Seed yourself appropriately (1:20-1:25), you don’t want everyone swimming over you.
Embrace the cold, let some water into your suite, start out smooth and easy, count your strokes
Start with strong easy strokes, protect your head, relax your breathing pace.
Count your strokes and sight every 10, swim straight! Sight with neutral head position
Count on congestion, this will not be a surprise to you.
If you can find the draft, keep it, but don’t sacrifice you form or pace to chase it.
Keep your rhythm, keep your form.
As you approach the exit, swim to a volunteer and extend you hand. Boost your butt onto the lowest step.
Regain your balance, you’ve been horizontal for a while.
Run down until finding a free wetsuit stripper. Hold wetsuit, goggles and cap in left hand and head toward transition
T1
Target time 2:30 min
Jog from strippers to bag area.
Jog to bike and grab bag with free right hand. Memorize location and number on walkthrough.
Jog into Changing Area (or find an open area just outside the tent and “dump” out bike bag)
Stuff wetsuit, cap and goggles into then swim bag.
Take arm warmer #1 out of upside down helmet, it’s pre-rolled by half on itself, and slip arm in.
Repeat for Arm warm #2.
Put sunglasses in mouth.
Put helmet on head and buckle.
Put on Oakley Sunglasses.
Grab shoes, keeping them in you left hand.
Garb swim bag one hand, shoes in other.
Head to exit, handing swim bag to an unsuspecting volunteer.
Jog to bike area, running to bike location. Memorize during walkthrough.
Jog down aisle to bike. Un-rack your bike.
Jog/Walk bike to mount line. Shoes are in your left hand.
Clear mount line, put on your shoes (no socks and don’t pull strap too tight), pedal away softly and safely as you confirm PM is up and running.
Bike
Target Time: 5:20:00
Target NP (Hour 0:30) 185W
Target NP (Hour 00:30 - 5:20:00) 195W
Ride the Bike Split you Should, not the Bike Split you could. That being said, for are very capable of push 195W to 200W depending on how you feel. You can always make this up on the run if it felt “too easy”.
Stay aero 99% of the time.
Try Keeping Cadence 95+ RPM
Pee twice during the bike. You know how.
Single rear holder set up. Can always keep an additional bottle in back pocket.
*Execute clean hand ups, since you will be living off the course. Slow down if needed. (Read up on this)
Pace
First 30 min 185W (65% of FTP 285W)
Rest of bike portion 195W (70% of FTP 285W)
Nutrition Plan
Goal on bike is to exit completely fueled, having lost min weight to fluids
Water is useless on race day except to cool you.
Target: 550 cal per hour
Eating and drinking start at the 10 min mark into the bike
20oz Gatorade (2 bottles per hour)…160 cal/24oz
Stinger Energy Bar (@ 10min and end of first lap)…170 cal/serving
Hammer Gels (@ every 30 min)…80 cal/serving
Eat and drink regularly until your body burps it back up, at which point dial things down, even skip a feed cycle
T2
Target Time: 2 min
Roll downhill (come out of your shoes) to the dismount line, hop off the bike and hand to a volunteer
Careful not to fall over lift leg over rear bottle cage
Go to changing tent, find a seat, dump out Run Bag
Take off helmet, Oakley’s, T1 Castelli top, Giodona Exo bib, putting them in the T2 bag
Put on D&C bottoms, Luna Sandals, start heading out with race belt and visor in hand
Memorize location on walkthrough.
Give T2 bag to volunteer on the way.
Jog out of T2.
Run
Target Time: 4:00
Target Pace: 9:30 min/mi
Remember even though you have a well-defined target pace watch your heart rate
Pace
0-6 miles: very easy 9:20 min/mi
6-20 miles: easy 8:50 min/mi
Walk 20 paces at the end of every aid station (something to look forward to), take the last nutrition source
Nutrition: Gatorade at every aid station. Gu at every other aid station. Coke after mile 20 (or sooner if GI upset).
Remember they are just 26 (one mile) repeats, with a RED carpet finish. I can, I am. Alladin Dave, “Let go for a run!”
While everyone else slows down, just keep going your pace, it’s your race. I can, I am. Alladin Dave, “Let go for a run!”
20-26.2: Don’t slow down! 8:50 min/mi defines you here. I can, I am. Uplift and Encourage.
You’ve been thinking of several “things” including how pain can be wadded up and place on the top left shelf+, like Kate taught you.
Your mind is a powerful negotiator, but we have our plan, and knowledge of this is our distinct advantage.
Now you bust out your ONE THING! (A red carpet finish)
This is fun.
Finish: slow down, enjoy, you’ve earned it. Mike Riley calling my name and Picture!
Comments
Oh, and if you are doing a full change in T2, maybe count on a couple of minutes longer for that time?
Love the Luna sandals! I've never had the guts to buy them.
One note-I tried to run to bike barefoot last year. The volunteers made me put my shoes on before they would let me leave the tent.
+1 on two things things that Al called out.
Important - 550 calorie / hour on the bike makes sense only if that's what you did in your race rehearsals.
Not important - Your 2 minute time goal for T2 seems unrealistic if you plan a full change of clothes. The tent is a cruel, time sucking black hole...
One final important note to you and anyone else reading this - THE TEAM DINNER IS ON FRIDAY THE 13TH! I know it's been confusing as it used to be on Thursday and the confirmation emails have said Thursday but it is ACTUALLY on Friday the 13th.
Good luck and looking forward to meeting you.
Thanks for the advice Al. As you could tell, many of the components of the race plan are a credit to the collective intelligence and strength of EN. Your input is invaluable. Putting on the shoes after the dismount line was something I never would have considered until if read in one of your prior race reports (correct me if I'm wrong), and worked very well last year.
Thanks for the advice Al. As you could tell, many of the components of the race plan are a credit to the collective intelligence and strength of EN. Your input is invaluable. Putting on the shoes after the dismount line was something I never would have considered until if read in one of your prior race reports (correct me if I'm wrong), and worked very well last year.
Clark, thanks again for all your great work as Race Captain. I really appreciate all of your messages and input. Agreed, this isn't a sprint or Olympic where 90 sec transitions are the normal, my transition will be no where that quick. One of my favorite mantras that Coach P & R put out is...slow is smooths and smooth is fast (hope I got that one right), and holds most true during the chaos of transition.
Last thing, sorry to miss 4 Keys and connect with everyone. Spent last night at Fastmed Urgent Care with my wife who sustained a Jones (5th MetarsalFracture) during our easy run yesterday. Detail with increased pre-race logistics.
Good luck EN!