Bob Nelson's IMAZ 2015 Race Plan
Hey. Better late than never. But wanted to get this down on paper. Warning: it is long.
This will be IM number 4 (2nd time at Arizona where last year I finished in 11:11). My PR was at IM Austria in June in 10:48. I have not “raced” yet. I wanted to prove to myself that I could execute the plan. I feel I have done that. The last two times I have felt fatigued at the finish line but felt like I could have kept going. This time I plan to start to race at mile 22.
Bob’s IMAZ Race Plan 11/15/2015
FACTS:
FTP: 256
VDOT: 47
WEIGHT: 175 LBS 3.22 w/kg
GOAL TIMES:
No specific time goals. Will execute to the best I can and let the times fall where they will. I will not wear a watch during the swim nor look at the clock as I climb the stairs out of the lake. The swim is what it is and after it is done, I can’t do anything about it. If I have a slow swim, I will not try to “make up time” on the bike. On the bike, I will be a slave to the power meter and not look at my speed or total time. At T2, I will put on my watch and follow my HR (as a way to make sure I am not pushing to hard) and lap pace but will not look at my time or total time until mile 20. Then I will use my HR and my total time as a whip to push me to the finish line. That being said, I feel that at my current fitness, I can finish around 10:3X: Swim: 1:01-1:04; Bike: 5:3X; and Run: 3:4X
TO ORDER ON AMAZON.COM HAVE DELIVERED TO HOTEL:
ESF, Vanilla flask
CO2 cart x 6
TO PURCHASE ONCE ARRIVE IN TEMPE:
Unsweetened Apple Sauce (2 cups)
Soy choc milk
CLOTHES
Tyr Freak of Nature wetsuit, Tyr swim goggles, ear plugs, race cap
DeSoto tri shorts
EN Tri Top
Garmin 920XT watch
Garmin Edge 1000 on bike
RoadID above left ankle with timing chip
BIKE
2012 S-Works Shiv, Magura brakes and Di2 shifters with hack shifters on brake hoods with Zipp 808s and rear wheel with aero disc cover. Garmin Vector pedals.
Shoes: Giro
Front: Garmin Edge 1000 / Profile Design Torpedo with IM Gatorade Endurance (GE) +one Nuun, and in-frame 20oz bladder with water.
Frame: In Fuselage holder : CO2 cart, Tire patch, extra tube with valve extender
Top-tube bag: 5oz Vanilla EFS, 1 x Honey Stinger Choc gel with caffeine
In DeSoto shorts pockets: 13 x salt tabs in plastic pill container, Nuun tab x 3, Advil x 4
Behind Saddle: 24oz disposable bottle of IM GE + one Nuun & an empty gage
BAGS
T1 BAG marked with fluorescent green duct tape and numbers on it
Small towel
Helmet
Soy choc milk, 8oz
Go Bag (clear zip-lock) inside T1 bag:
8 salt tablets in plastic pill container to put in shorts pocket
Advil 800mg in plastic pill container to put in shorts pocket
3 Nuun tablets in plastic pill container to put in shorts pocket
BIKE SPECIAL NEEDS BAG
6 Salt tablets in pill container
2 extra tube
2 extra CO2
EFS gel 5oz
Chamois cream
Nuun x 3 tab
T2 BAG marked with fluorescent green duct tape and race number on it
Newton running socks in each shoe and rolled for easy entry
Newton Distance 4 lug shoes with Garmin cadence sensor attached
Go bag (clear zip-lock) inside T2 bag:
Visor
Race belt with number
8 salt tablets in plastic pill container to put in shorts pocket
Advil 800mg in plastic pill container to put in shorts pocket
Soy choc milk, 8oz container
5oz EFS, vanilla flask
Extra sunglasses in a hard case
Small towel
Chamois cream
RUN SPECIAL NEEDS
5oz EFS
Honey Stinger Choc with caffiene gel x 2
Chamois cream
Advil (800mg)
Soy choc milk
Salt tabs x 10
TO TAKE TO THE START IN ACCESSORY MORNING BAG:
Bike pump
Bottle Perform to sip
Toilet paper in zip-lock bag—never know if they will run out!!
2 tire tubes
24oz bottle for bike GE+Nuun rear of seat
30oz bottle GE+Nuun for torpedo bottle
10oz disposable bottle of water for bike bladder
Hand wipes -- in case I get dirty or sticky
Light jacket
5oz bottle EFS, Vanilla
TriGlide spray can
Throw away pair of socks
Latex gloves so I can apply TriGlide and keep hands clean – I’ve smudged my googles in the past after applying TriGlide with my hands
MORNING RACE BAG
Tyr Freak of Nature wetsuit
Tyr swim goggles
Finis ear plugs
Race cap
INTERARY: BEFORE RACE WEEK
Monday, Nov 2
Go through checklist and determine if anything needs to be purchased before leaving on flight
Saturday, Nov 8
Order Amazon.com items for Prime delivery to hotel
Charge Di2 battery
Start taking Airborne daily.
Monday, Nov 9
Start drinking beet juice every morning
Tuesday, Nov 10
Beet juice
10:30 Online check-in with Southwest
Clean and pack bike. Let some air out of tires for flight.
Wednesday, Nov 11
Drink beet juice
Wear compression stockings during flight.
Depart for airport at noon.
Wash hands frequently
Arrive Sacramento airport 12:30pm
On arrival to Phoenix at 5:40, call hotel (480-675-9799) for shuttle pick-up To Red Lion Inn on N. Scottsdale
Arrive at hotel. Ask if Amazon.com packages have arrived?
Do not take up entire hotel room with my tri stuff leaving only a small sliver of the bed for Christi’s usage. Let her have at least half the bed!
Assemble bike. Install UltraFast optimization chain. Ride bike to check set-up.
Thursday, Nov 12
Drink beet juice
9am Check-in. Walk Expo.
11am Race Briefing
Visit grocery store to purchase needed items
Ask hotel front desk if Amazon package has arrived
Review race day plan
Friday, Nov 13
Drink beet juice
10:30 am EN Four Keys Talk
3pm Go to Avis to pick up rental car
5pm Jog the hill on E. Curry Rd.
Attach race number to race belt. Put in Run bag.
Attach numbers to bike and helmet.
Fill Run and Bike SN bags from pre-filled generic bags packed at home
Begin to slightly increase protein and carb intake.
Trim finger and toe nails – don’t want to put a hole in wetsuit.
Review race day plan
Saturday, Nov 14
Celebrate wife’s birthday – yes, she is spending her birthday with me in Tempe as the Sherpa!
Drink beet juice
7am Carbo/protein loading breakfast of waffles, bacon, and coffee at Ncounter on Mill Ave. (Great breakfast place)
9:30am Kids and grandson arrive from airport
11:30 Bike check-in, run bag, bike bag. Plastic bag over handle/aero bars attached with rubber bands.
Noon Birthday lunch
Drink GE throughout the day
Buy Starbucks latte to drink with breakfast on race morning
Take 2 salt tablets three times today (Na=1290mg during the day). (Will get the rest of Na requirement from meals/liquids.)
Avoid fat and fiber today.
Review race day plan
Mix IM GE+Nuun for bottles x 3 + Profile Design Torpedo+Nuun Put in refrig
Pour soy choc milk in bottles x 2. Put in refrig
Charge Garmin watch.
Give Christi bike check-out ticket
Charge Garmin 920 and Edge 1000
Review race day plan
8:30pm In bed relaxing
RACE MORNING
3:30am Wake up, Smile!, Execute! BE THE PLAN
Eat 2 cups of unsweetened apple sauce (ok, gulp it down as fast as possible!!),12 x Ensure, bagel with 2 TBS peanut butter, drink beet juice, banana, Starbucks latte, 1 scoop of protein powder (1100 calories)
Apply sunscreen to body and Body Glide to nipples. Apply chamois cream to groin.
4:00am Put on DeSoto shorts, top, warm-up pants, sweat shirt, socks, sneakers, timing chip, RoadID, HR monitor chest strap. Add to water and GE bottles.
4:30am Bottle GE x 20oz to sip throughout morning
Take an Allegra 180mg pill
Afrin nasal spray each nostril
Grab soy choc milk bottles and put in morning bag.
Give Christi my cell phone and $10 in zip-lock bag so she can give it to me in the Finishers’ Chute at our meeting spot (30yd on my right along the temporary fence) so I can call her when I’m done in the finishers’ chute and give a tip to the massage therapist.
Write “EXECUTE” on left hand where I can see it while in aero position.
5:00am Walk to Start. Light jacket if chance of rain—not forecast for 2014. Drink GE during walk. Smile!
5:30am Body marking and give Christi Run and Bike SN bags to drop off at designated areas. Find out where.
5:40am Transition: Pump up tires. Confirm chain on smallest gear. Add bottle to rear. Add GE + nuun to BTA. Water to Shiv bladder. Turn on Garmin Edge and calibrate with Vector. Sunglasses on bike. Attach shoes to bike with rubber bands. Give Christi pump before it disappears from people asking to borrow it.
Put soy choc milk bottles in run and bike bags. Make sure to visualize the run to the bike bag coming out of the water, fastest routes from transition tent to the bike and the run bag off the bike. Make sure fluorescent green duct tape can be seen when bag is on the ground. Do not “tie” the bags.
5:45am Sit with Christi along canal, SMILE!, and remind myself how thankful I am for what I have. Tell Christi thank you for supporting me through all the training, early alarm rings, and tell her I love her! Check Garmin set to auto sport.
6:20am Spray TriGlide on body (wrists, forearms, arm pits, shoulders, ankles, legs). Put on wetsuit. Googles under cap to help prevent them from getting knocked off.
6:30am Head over to water entry.
6:40am Take EFS Gel x 2oz (160 cal) with GE sips
6:41am Line up just behind the 1 hr sign
And…SMILE! EXECUTE! BE THE PLAN!
RACE EXECUTION PLAN
SWIM
Possible Finish Time: 1:01-1:04
This is the first year of the rolling start. Once in the water and under the Mill Street Bridge, sight off the second pillar from the right of the Scottsdale-Rural bridge that you can see while in the water. This is just left of the bend on the right side of the canal. Will not swim the buoy line until return leg due to the bend in the course.
Head down. Extend hand, then fingers/wrist down to set up catch. Feel the water over/under my fingers. Slow catch. Strong pull. Two beat kick with small oscillation. Maintain form. Count strokes. Breathe every 2 or 3 strokes. Don’t hold breathe. Find your rhythm. Stay in box. Water is not that clear. That’s ok, expect it. Can be rough and tumble at the beginning. That’s ok, expect It. Find bubbles to draft off..
After second turn buoy and heading back, stay constant. Good rhythm. Racing self owes it to training self to keep up effort. Will be over soon. Once under the bridge, start a 4-6 beat kick to get blood to the legs but keep oscillation the same. If you kick deeper, you increase your drag=going slower.
At exit, put legs up on first step and allow volunteers to pull me up. (Practice this on Saturday!) Thank volunteers. SMILE!
T1 Target time: 4 1/2 min
Pull goggles up to forehead but not off to keep hands free. Unzip, pull arms out, and wetsuit to waist. Find strippers. Point at them. Make eye contact. Pull wetsuit below butt and sit down in front of them. Let them pull it off. SMILE! Thank them. Pick up wetsuit and run (or jog) toward bike bag. Find green fluorescent taped bag with #1087 all over it. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Jog to end of tent. Sit in chair. Put bag and wetsuit on ground next to me. Take out helmet, shoes. Take off goggles, cap, and ear plugs and put in bag. Helmet on and buckled. Gulp choc soy milk. Grab closest volunteer and ask them to put wetsuit in bag and also to put bag in T1 bag pile. Grab go bag and run out of tent—thanking volunteers as I go. SMILE! If sunscreeners there- YES. While jogging to the bike rack, open to go bag and put salt, nuun, motrin in pockets. Roll bike to beyond the mount line and to the side. Carefully get on. Be very aware of others around start line not paying attention as they try to clip shoes. Pedal steadily away from mount line. Smile—and head on a swivel-- at all the spectators lining the fence of chute. Smile and blow kiss to Christi.
Bike
Possible time: 5:3X TSS = 280 VI < 1.02
First 60 min (to about the turn around): IF at 0.68-0.70 (175-180) – “Bucket of Chicken”
Then increase IF to 0.70-0.72 (180-185W). No need to go above 210 on this course except near top of Beeline.
Cadence=85-90rpm
Bike Nutrition:
GOALS: Cals: 400cal/hr= 2200
Carbs: 0.6gm/hr/pound=580
Na>1400mg/hr (I sweat a lot!)=>7800mg
Fluids>200oz. Remember that humidity will be in the 30s% while on the bike so remember to drink even though I may not be sweating
10 (240 oz) bottles of GE+Nuun (1718 cal , 614 Carbs, 5515mg Na). The torpedo bottle tube is right in your face to remind you to drink. Each gulp about 1/2oz.
10oz EFS, Vanilla (800 cal, 200gm Carbs, 800mg Na). 1 swig every 30min. (5oz flask=6 swigs)
Water 30-40oz—2-3 gulps after each EFS swig
Salt tabs x 12 (2 every hr and 2 before getting off bike) (2580mg Na). If I start to feel a cramp, take another salt tablet.
SMILE! EXECUTE! BE THE PLAN!
Start Garmin. Back pedal 8 times for Vector. Stay aero. Be a slave to the power meter. Let other’s pass me all they want. Easy it goes during the admin miles to the Beeline Hwy with watts of 175. Be aware of the false flat up the Beeline Hwy and avoid pushing too hard as others pass me. Watch power and drink. There are plenty of aid stations on this course. Stretch back and hit lap on Garmin at the turn-around. Stay aero on the way down with watts at 180-185. At end of Beeline while still going downhill before right turn on to E McDowell Rd, try to urinate. Right after the turn, there is an Aid Station where I will grab GE and also grab water to rinse. Stay aero to turn-around at Mill Rd. Expect winds the entire ride. Repeat.
Read your arm: EXECUTE
Aid Stations: grab and rack GE. Water for head and rinse if needed.
Stop for bike SN bag. Stretch back. Grab 5oz EFS flask and Vaseline if needed. Also tubes, CO2, Motrin, Nuun, Salt if needed..
If you haven’t urinated by SN bag, drink more fluids. Urinate at least twice while on the bike.
By now others will be sitting up and stretching their back. They will be slowing down on the downhill of the Beeline. Expect it. It’s ok for them. But DON’T JOIN them. It is easy to feel sorry for yourself when you see others slowing down. Don’t let them be an excuse for not executing the plan. Be mentally strong. You can control your thoughts. If I think about joining them, SMILE! EXECUTE! BE THE PLAN! and pass them. It will get crowded on the second and third lap. Especially keep eyes up during the third descend of Beeline since it will be very crowded for those coming up and some of them will cross the midline of the road in order to pass others who are sitting up.
Swig EFS/Honey Stinger with caffeine when turn on to E. Rio Salado for the last time.
As approach chute to T2, increase cadence. Feet out of shoes. Check what my average HR has been over the total bike and over the last hour or so.
Hit Stop button on Garmin
T2 Target Time: 2:10
Hand bike to volunteer. Thank them for volunteering.
Jog to T2 bag with green fluorescent tape--#1087. Unbuckle helmet.
Jog to end of tent. Grab a volunteer. Sit down on chair. Wipe off feet if needed. Socks on. Shoes on. Grab “To Go Bag”, ask volunteer to put helmet in bag, and get out of the tent.
If sunscreeners: YES. Thank them for volunteering.
RUN:
Possible result: 3:4X
VDOT: 47
Cadence=90+
Run Nutrition: 10oz EFS gel. (800 cal, 200gm Carbs, 800mg Na). Swig every 20-30 min prior to aid station.
Carbs=0.3gm/h/pound = 210 gm
Fluids: GE, water, ice on the course. Cola starting at mile 10. Honey Stinger Choc with Caffeine every 2 aid stations after mile 10.
2 salt tablets with water every hour.
Miles 0-6: Start jogging. Visor on. Race belt on. Put Garmin on. Containers in pockets. Sip choc soy milk. SMILE! EXECUTE! BE THE PLAN! 8:45/mile plus walking 25 steps at aid stations. HR should be around 140 but will compare to what my average HR is over the last hr or so of the bike. Will use the lower of the two. Pace should feel SLOOOOWWWWW! That’s ok. Let other’s pass you. That’s ok. It’s to be expected. Remember how last year 6 people passed you within a quarter mile of leaving T2. They flew past you and you caught 5 of the 6 by mile 10. You have trained at this pace. Remember the tri-kits of some of the people passing you and try to guess at what mile you will pass them. (Always fun and energizing to do.) If you need to walk to force yourself to slow down at the beginning, that’s ok.
Aid stations: Point at the last volunteer holding GE. Make eye contact. Smile! Take cup. Say thank you for volunteering. Water over back of head but try to avoid it going in your shoes. Ice in tri-top and/or shorts. Sponge a little over back of head then inside race top. (Make sure to wring sponge out a little. At Oceanside, you didn’t wring it out and the water ran down the front of your tri-kit and in to your shoes by mile 6=wet socks for the rest of the run.) Walk 25 steps. Get moving. Stay in box. Don’t bring the suck any sooner than it needs to be.
Miles 7-18: 8:25/mile if HR below 140. Keep cadence at 90. Think: “Is what I’m doing preparing me for Mile 18?”
Mile 9: Curry Street hill: SMILE! EXECUTE! BE THE PLAN! Maintain HR going up and going downhill. No HR spikes or valleys.
Feed off energy of crowds as you start your second lap. But be careful not to go too hard due to the energy!
Run SN: If socks wet or feeling a warm spot on feet, will stop. Change socks. Grab 5oz EFS
Miles 18- 26: Monitor HR. Keep below 155. After mile 20, look at total time and use time and HR as whips to push. After mile 22, now you can start to race. Look at the calves of people passing. If start to cramp, take more salt tablets. BE THE BOX! Slowing down is not an option! You are a machine. Keep good form. Visualize Carfrae and Alexander’s form. Cadence of 90+. Light feet. SMILE! Monitor form. Push off toes. No shuffling. Keep a Positive Mental Attitude. SMILE! as you pass the tri-kits that passed you earlier.
Remember the 1 Thing: To show my daughters that a dream with action can become a plan and with action that can become a reality. I am an Ironman. You owe it to your training self to give it your all. No more slowing down because you’re tired. Others will be walking. Expect it. It’s ok for them. But DON’T JOIN them. SMILE! or fake it til you make it. Count steps with breathing (3 steps per breathe in and 3 steps per breathe out, repeat). Remember that the pain is temporary but the memories are a lifetime.
Mile 22: Curry Street hill: SMILE! EXECUTE! BE THE PLAN! Maintain HR going up and going downhill. No HR spikes or valleys. You are lucky to be here. Think of all the people who would love to be doing this but can’t due to physical limitations or lack of support from family. Remember what our high school football coach made us repeat after every practice: I am somebody!
Finish Chute: SMILE! Find Christi along the right bleachers. Thank her again.
After the finish line: Find Christi at meeting spot on the right side along the fence. Get phone and $10 from her. She will go get bike (with pick-up ticket) and bags. Go sign-up for massage. Grab pizza. Drink fluids. Call/text Christi when done.
11:30pm Return to finish line to cheer others on. Be prepared for rain and cold.
Monday, Nov 16th
11am Go watch Kona rolldown. Image how it will feel to one day to have my name called. Cheer on any ENers who qualify!
3pm Turn-in rental car to Avis.
Arrange shuttle from hotel to airport,
7:05pm Depart Phoenix Southwest Flight 696
8pm Arrive Sacramento
Sorry, it is so long. But would appreciate any feedback that you have. Thank you!
This will be IM number 4 (2nd time at Arizona where last year I finished in 11:11). My PR was at IM Austria in June in 10:48. I have not “raced” yet. I wanted to prove to myself that I could execute the plan. I feel I have done that. The last two times I have felt fatigued at the finish line but felt like I could have kept going. This time I plan to start to race at mile 22.
Bob’s IMAZ Race Plan 11/15/2015
FACTS:
FTP: 256
VDOT: 47
WEIGHT: 175 LBS 3.22 w/kg
GOAL TIMES:
No specific time goals. Will execute to the best I can and let the times fall where they will. I will not wear a watch during the swim nor look at the clock as I climb the stairs out of the lake. The swim is what it is and after it is done, I can’t do anything about it. If I have a slow swim, I will not try to “make up time” on the bike. On the bike, I will be a slave to the power meter and not look at my speed or total time. At T2, I will put on my watch and follow my HR (as a way to make sure I am not pushing to hard) and lap pace but will not look at my time or total time until mile 20. Then I will use my HR and my total time as a whip to push me to the finish line. That being said, I feel that at my current fitness, I can finish around 10:3X: Swim: 1:01-1:04; Bike: 5:3X; and Run: 3:4X
TO ORDER ON AMAZON.COM HAVE DELIVERED TO HOTEL:
ESF, Vanilla flask
CO2 cart x 6
TO PURCHASE ONCE ARRIVE IN TEMPE:
Unsweetened Apple Sauce (2 cups)
Soy choc milk
CLOTHES
Tyr Freak of Nature wetsuit, Tyr swim goggles, ear plugs, race cap
DeSoto tri shorts
EN Tri Top
Garmin 920XT watch
Garmin Edge 1000 on bike
RoadID above left ankle with timing chip
BIKE
2012 S-Works Shiv, Magura brakes and Di2 shifters with hack shifters on brake hoods with Zipp 808s and rear wheel with aero disc cover. Garmin Vector pedals.
Shoes: Giro
Front: Garmin Edge 1000 / Profile Design Torpedo with IM Gatorade Endurance (GE) +one Nuun, and in-frame 20oz bladder with water.
Frame: In Fuselage holder : CO2 cart, Tire patch, extra tube with valve extender
Top-tube bag: 5oz Vanilla EFS, 1 x Honey Stinger Choc gel with caffeine
In DeSoto shorts pockets: 13 x salt tabs in plastic pill container, Nuun tab x 3, Advil x 4
Behind Saddle: 24oz disposable bottle of IM GE + one Nuun & an empty gage
BAGS
T1 BAG marked with fluorescent green duct tape and numbers on it
Small towel
Helmet
Soy choc milk, 8oz
Go Bag (clear zip-lock) inside T1 bag:
8 salt tablets in plastic pill container to put in shorts pocket
Advil 800mg in plastic pill container to put in shorts pocket
3 Nuun tablets in plastic pill container to put in shorts pocket
BIKE SPECIAL NEEDS BAG
6 Salt tablets in pill container
2 extra tube
2 extra CO2
EFS gel 5oz
Chamois cream
Nuun x 3 tab
T2 BAG marked with fluorescent green duct tape and race number on it
Newton running socks in each shoe and rolled for easy entry
Newton Distance 4 lug shoes with Garmin cadence sensor attached
Go bag (clear zip-lock) inside T2 bag:
Visor
Race belt with number
8 salt tablets in plastic pill container to put in shorts pocket
Advil 800mg in plastic pill container to put in shorts pocket
Soy choc milk, 8oz container
5oz EFS, vanilla flask
Extra sunglasses in a hard case
Small towel
Chamois cream
RUN SPECIAL NEEDS
5oz EFS
Honey Stinger Choc with caffiene gel x 2
Chamois cream
Advil (800mg)
Soy choc milk
Salt tabs x 10
TO TAKE TO THE START IN ACCESSORY MORNING BAG:
Bike pump
Bottle Perform to sip
Toilet paper in zip-lock bag—never know if they will run out!!
2 tire tubes
24oz bottle for bike GE+Nuun rear of seat
30oz bottle GE+Nuun for torpedo bottle
10oz disposable bottle of water for bike bladder
Hand wipes -- in case I get dirty or sticky
Light jacket
5oz bottle EFS, Vanilla
TriGlide spray can
Throw away pair of socks
Latex gloves so I can apply TriGlide and keep hands clean – I’ve smudged my googles in the past after applying TriGlide with my hands
MORNING RACE BAG
Tyr Freak of Nature wetsuit
Tyr swim goggles
Finis ear plugs
Race cap
INTERARY: BEFORE RACE WEEK
Monday, Nov 2
Go through checklist and determine if anything needs to be purchased before leaving on flight
Saturday, Nov 8
Order Amazon.com items for Prime delivery to hotel
Charge Di2 battery
Start taking Airborne daily.
Monday, Nov 9
Start drinking beet juice every morning
Tuesday, Nov 10
Beet juice
10:30 Online check-in with Southwest
Clean and pack bike. Let some air out of tires for flight.
Wednesday, Nov 11
Drink beet juice
Wear compression stockings during flight.
Depart for airport at noon.
Wash hands frequently
Arrive Sacramento airport 12:30pm
On arrival to Phoenix at 5:40, call hotel (480-675-9799) for shuttle pick-up To Red Lion Inn on N. Scottsdale
Arrive at hotel. Ask if Amazon.com packages have arrived?
Do not take up entire hotel room with my tri stuff leaving only a small sliver of the bed for Christi’s usage. Let her have at least half the bed!
Assemble bike. Install UltraFast optimization chain. Ride bike to check set-up.
Thursday, Nov 12
Drink beet juice
9am Check-in. Walk Expo.
11am Race Briefing
Visit grocery store to purchase needed items
Ask hotel front desk if Amazon package has arrived
Review race day plan
Friday, Nov 13
Drink beet juice
10:30 am EN Four Keys Talk
3pm Go to Avis to pick up rental car
5pm Jog the hill on E. Curry Rd.
Attach race number to race belt. Put in Run bag.
Attach numbers to bike and helmet.
Fill Run and Bike SN bags from pre-filled generic bags packed at home
Begin to slightly increase protein and carb intake.
Trim finger and toe nails – don’t want to put a hole in wetsuit.
Review race day plan
Saturday, Nov 14
Celebrate wife’s birthday – yes, she is spending her birthday with me in Tempe as the Sherpa!
Drink beet juice
7am Carbo/protein loading breakfast of waffles, bacon, and coffee at Ncounter on Mill Ave. (Great breakfast place)
9:30am Kids and grandson arrive from airport
11:30 Bike check-in, run bag, bike bag. Plastic bag over handle/aero bars attached with rubber bands.
Noon Birthday lunch
Drink GE throughout the day
Buy Starbucks latte to drink with breakfast on race morning
Take 2 salt tablets three times today (Na=1290mg during the day). (Will get the rest of Na requirement from meals/liquids.)
Avoid fat and fiber today.
Review race day plan
Mix IM GE+Nuun for bottles x 3 + Profile Design Torpedo+Nuun Put in refrig
Pour soy choc milk in bottles x 2. Put in refrig
Charge Garmin watch.
Give Christi bike check-out ticket
Charge Garmin 920 and Edge 1000
Review race day plan
8:30pm In bed relaxing
RACE MORNING
3:30am Wake up, Smile!, Execute! BE THE PLAN
Eat 2 cups of unsweetened apple sauce (ok, gulp it down as fast as possible!!),12 x Ensure, bagel with 2 TBS peanut butter, drink beet juice, banana, Starbucks latte, 1 scoop of protein powder (1100 calories)
Apply sunscreen to body and Body Glide to nipples. Apply chamois cream to groin.
4:00am Put on DeSoto shorts, top, warm-up pants, sweat shirt, socks, sneakers, timing chip, RoadID, HR monitor chest strap. Add to water and GE bottles.
4:30am Bottle GE x 20oz to sip throughout morning
Take an Allegra 180mg pill
Afrin nasal spray each nostril
Grab soy choc milk bottles and put in morning bag.
Give Christi my cell phone and $10 in zip-lock bag so she can give it to me in the Finishers’ Chute at our meeting spot (30yd on my right along the temporary fence) so I can call her when I’m done in the finishers’ chute and give a tip to the massage therapist.
Write “EXECUTE” on left hand where I can see it while in aero position.
5:00am Walk to Start. Light jacket if chance of rain—not forecast for 2014. Drink GE during walk. Smile!
5:30am Body marking and give Christi Run and Bike SN bags to drop off at designated areas. Find out where.
5:40am Transition: Pump up tires. Confirm chain on smallest gear. Add bottle to rear. Add GE + nuun to BTA. Water to Shiv bladder. Turn on Garmin Edge and calibrate with Vector. Sunglasses on bike. Attach shoes to bike with rubber bands. Give Christi pump before it disappears from people asking to borrow it.
Put soy choc milk bottles in run and bike bags. Make sure to visualize the run to the bike bag coming out of the water, fastest routes from transition tent to the bike and the run bag off the bike. Make sure fluorescent green duct tape can be seen when bag is on the ground. Do not “tie” the bags.
5:45am Sit with Christi along canal, SMILE!, and remind myself how thankful I am for what I have. Tell Christi thank you for supporting me through all the training, early alarm rings, and tell her I love her! Check Garmin set to auto sport.
6:20am Spray TriGlide on body (wrists, forearms, arm pits, shoulders, ankles, legs). Put on wetsuit. Googles under cap to help prevent them from getting knocked off.
6:30am Head over to water entry.
6:40am Take EFS Gel x 2oz (160 cal) with GE sips
6:41am Line up just behind the 1 hr sign
And…SMILE! EXECUTE! BE THE PLAN!
RACE EXECUTION PLAN
SWIM
Possible Finish Time: 1:01-1:04
This is the first year of the rolling start. Once in the water and under the Mill Street Bridge, sight off the second pillar from the right of the Scottsdale-Rural bridge that you can see while in the water. This is just left of the bend on the right side of the canal. Will not swim the buoy line until return leg due to the bend in the course.
Head down. Extend hand, then fingers/wrist down to set up catch. Feel the water over/under my fingers. Slow catch. Strong pull. Two beat kick with small oscillation. Maintain form. Count strokes. Breathe every 2 or 3 strokes. Don’t hold breathe. Find your rhythm. Stay in box. Water is not that clear. That’s ok, expect it. Can be rough and tumble at the beginning. That’s ok, expect It. Find bubbles to draft off..
After second turn buoy and heading back, stay constant. Good rhythm. Racing self owes it to training self to keep up effort. Will be over soon. Once under the bridge, start a 4-6 beat kick to get blood to the legs but keep oscillation the same. If you kick deeper, you increase your drag=going slower.
At exit, put legs up on first step and allow volunteers to pull me up. (Practice this on Saturday!) Thank volunteers. SMILE!
T1 Target time: 4 1/2 min
Pull goggles up to forehead but not off to keep hands free. Unzip, pull arms out, and wetsuit to waist. Find strippers. Point at them. Make eye contact. Pull wetsuit below butt and sit down in front of them. Let them pull it off. SMILE! Thank them. Pick up wetsuit and run (or jog) toward bike bag. Find green fluorescent taped bag with #1087 all over it. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Jog to end of tent. Sit in chair. Put bag and wetsuit on ground next to me. Take out helmet, shoes. Take off goggles, cap, and ear plugs and put in bag. Helmet on and buckled. Gulp choc soy milk. Grab closest volunteer and ask them to put wetsuit in bag and also to put bag in T1 bag pile. Grab go bag and run out of tent—thanking volunteers as I go. SMILE! If sunscreeners there- YES. While jogging to the bike rack, open to go bag and put salt, nuun, motrin in pockets. Roll bike to beyond the mount line and to the side. Carefully get on. Be very aware of others around start line not paying attention as they try to clip shoes. Pedal steadily away from mount line. Smile—and head on a swivel-- at all the spectators lining the fence of chute. Smile and blow kiss to Christi.
Bike
Possible time: 5:3X TSS = 280 VI < 1.02
First 60 min (to about the turn around): IF at 0.68-0.70 (175-180) – “Bucket of Chicken”
Then increase IF to 0.70-0.72 (180-185W). No need to go above 210 on this course except near top of Beeline.
Cadence=85-90rpm
Bike Nutrition:
GOALS: Cals: 400cal/hr= 2200
Carbs: 0.6gm/hr/pound=580
Na>1400mg/hr (I sweat a lot!)=>7800mg
Fluids>200oz. Remember that humidity will be in the 30s% while on the bike so remember to drink even though I may not be sweating
10 (240 oz) bottles of GE+Nuun (1718 cal , 614 Carbs, 5515mg Na). The torpedo bottle tube is right in your face to remind you to drink. Each gulp about 1/2oz.
10oz EFS, Vanilla (800 cal, 200gm Carbs, 800mg Na). 1 swig every 30min. (5oz flask=6 swigs)
Water 30-40oz—2-3 gulps after each EFS swig
Salt tabs x 12 (2 every hr and 2 before getting off bike) (2580mg Na). If I start to feel a cramp, take another salt tablet.
SMILE! EXECUTE! BE THE PLAN!
Start Garmin. Back pedal 8 times for Vector. Stay aero. Be a slave to the power meter. Let other’s pass me all they want. Easy it goes during the admin miles to the Beeline Hwy with watts of 175. Be aware of the false flat up the Beeline Hwy and avoid pushing too hard as others pass me. Watch power and drink. There are plenty of aid stations on this course. Stretch back and hit lap on Garmin at the turn-around. Stay aero on the way down with watts at 180-185. At end of Beeline while still going downhill before right turn on to E McDowell Rd, try to urinate. Right after the turn, there is an Aid Station where I will grab GE and also grab water to rinse. Stay aero to turn-around at Mill Rd. Expect winds the entire ride. Repeat.
Read your arm: EXECUTE
Aid Stations: grab and rack GE. Water for head and rinse if needed.
Stop for bike SN bag. Stretch back. Grab 5oz EFS flask and Vaseline if needed. Also tubes, CO2, Motrin, Nuun, Salt if needed..
If you haven’t urinated by SN bag, drink more fluids. Urinate at least twice while on the bike.
By now others will be sitting up and stretching their back. They will be slowing down on the downhill of the Beeline. Expect it. It’s ok for them. But DON’T JOIN them. It is easy to feel sorry for yourself when you see others slowing down. Don’t let them be an excuse for not executing the plan. Be mentally strong. You can control your thoughts. If I think about joining them, SMILE! EXECUTE! BE THE PLAN! and pass them. It will get crowded on the second and third lap. Especially keep eyes up during the third descend of Beeline since it will be very crowded for those coming up and some of them will cross the midline of the road in order to pass others who are sitting up.
Swig EFS/Honey Stinger with caffeine when turn on to E. Rio Salado for the last time.
As approach chute to T2, increase cadence. Feet out of shoes. Check what my average HR has been over the total bike and over the last hour or so.
Hit Stop button on Garmin
T2 Target Time: 2:10
Hand bike to volunteer. Thank them for volunteering.
Jog to T2 bag with green fluorescent tape--#1087. Unbuckle helmet.
Jog to end of tent. Grab a volunteer. Sit down on chair. Wipe off feet if needed. Socks on. Shoes on. Grab “To Go Bag”, ask volunteer to put helmet in bag, and get out of the tent.
If sunscreeners: YES. Thank them for volunteering.
RUN:
Possible result: 3:4X
VDOT: 47
Cadence=90+
Run Nutrition: 10oz EFS gel. (800 cal, 200gm Carbs, 800mg Na). Swig every 20-30 min prior to aid station.
Carbs=0.3gm/h/pound = 210 gm
Fluids: GE, water, ice on the course. Cola starting at mile 10. Honey Stinger Choc with Caffeine every 2 aid stations after mile 10.
2 salt tablets with water every hour.
Miles 0-6: Start jogging. Visor on. Race belt on. Put Garmin on. Containers in pockets. Sip choc soy milk. SMILE! EXECUTE! BE THE PLAN! 8:45/mile plus walking 25 steps at aid stations. HR should be around 140 but will compare to what my average HR is over the last hr or so of the bike. Will use the lower of the two. Pace should feel SLOOOOWWWWW! That’s ok. Let other’s pass you. That’s ok. It’s to be expected. Remember how last year 6 people passed you within a quarter mile of leaving T2. They flew past you and you caught 5 of the 6 by mile 10. You have trained at this pace. Remember the tri-kits of some of the people passing you and try to guess at what mile you will pass them. (Always fun and energizing to do.) If you need to walk to force yourself to slow down at the beginning, that’s ok.
Aid stations: Point at the last volunteer holding GE. Make eye contact. Smile! Take cup. Say thank you for volunteering. Water over back of head but try to avoid it going in your shoes. Ice in tri-top and/or shorts. Sponge a little over back of head then inside race top. (Make sure to wring sponge out a little. At Oceanside, you didn’t wring it out and the water ran down the front of your tri-kit and in to your shoes by mile 6=wet socks for the rest of the run.) Walk 25 steps. Get moving. Stay in box. Don’t bring the suck any sooner than it needs to be.
Miles 7-18: 8:25/mile if HR below 140. Keep cadence at 90. Think: “Is what I’m doing preparing me for Mile 18?”
Mile 9: Curry Street hill: SMILE! EXECUTE! BE THE PLAN! Maintain HR going up and going downhill. No HR spikes or valleys.
Feed off energy of crowds as you start your second lap. But be careful not to go too hard due to the energy!
Run SN: If socks wet or feeling a warm spot on feet, will stop. Change socks. Grab 5oz EFS
Miles 18- 26: Monitor HR. Keep below 155. After mile 20, look at total time and use time and HR as whips to push. After mile 22, now you can start to race. Look at the calves of people passing. If start to cramp, take more salt tablets. BE THE BOX! Slowing down is not an option! You are a machine. Keep good form. Visualize Carfrae and Alexander’s form. Cadence of 90+. Light feet. SMILE! Monitor form. Push off toes. No shuffling. Keep a Positive Mental Attitude. SMILE! as you pass the tri-kits that passed you earlier.
Remember the 1 Thing: To show my daughters that a dream with action can become a plan and with action that can become a reality. I am an Ironman. You owe it to your training self to give it your all. No more slowing down because you’re tired. Others will be walking. Expect it. It’s ok for them. But DON’T JOIN them. SMILE! or fake it til you make it. Count steps with breathing (3 steps per breathe in and 3 steps per breathe out, repeat). Remember that the pain is temporary but the memories are a lifetime.
Mile 22: Curry Street hill: SMILE! EXECUTE! BE THE PLAN! Maintain HR going up and going downhill. No HR spikes or valleys. You are lucky to be here. Think of all the people who would love to be doing this but can’t due to physical limitations or lack of support from family. Remember what our high school football coach made us repeat after every practice: I am somebody!
Finish Chute: SMILE! Find Christi along the right bleachers. Thank her again.
After the finish line: Find Christi at meeting spot on the right side along the fence. Get phone and $10 from her. She will go get bike (with pick-up ticket) and bags. Go sign-up for massage. Grab pizza. Drink fluids. Call/text Christi when done.
11:30pm Return to finish line to cheer others on. Be prepared for rain and cold.
Monday, Nov 16th
11am Go watch Kona rolldown. Image how it will feel to one day to have my name called. Cheer on any ENers who qualify!
3pm Turn-in rental car to Avis.
Arrange shuttle from hotel to airport,
7:05pm Depart Phoenix Southwest Flight 696
8pm Arrive Sacramento
Sorry, it is so long. But would appreciate any feedback that you have. Thank you!
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