Francis Picard 70.3 Mont Tremblant Race plan
70.3 Mont Tremblant
Second time racing and also raced the 140.6 last year.
Mont-Tremblant 70.3 2015 race stats:
AG : 47/231 (I was 79 out of the swim, 78 out of the bike and was able to go up in the ranking on the run) - same logic happened in the 140.6 last year (130 out of the water, 100 out of the bike and 51 out of the run)
Swim: 34:42
T1: 5:55
Bike: 2:41:54
T2: 2:17
Run: 1:41:41
Total : 5:06:29 - that was PR for me.
CTL: INSERT RACE WEEK DATA
VDOT : 54
FTP : 270 - 4,02w/kg
5th 70.3 and first one using EN plans.
This is really the first time I am writing a race plan, I usually have everything in my mind but never follow it, its stupid I know 
anyway, here we go and its a long one!
Tremblant is only a 2 hours drive for me, as such logistic is really easy, also it will be a big holiday week end in Quebec, Friday is the National holiday here, as such we will arrive early on Friday morning or arrive on Thursday morning - not fixed yet, but will not be on Thursday night because traffic will be awful. But actually the plan is to arrive on Thursday morning.
Pre Race week:
I am already on the advanced IM training plan, Patrick told me to keep the same workout up to Wednesday and will follow the advice.
Thursday:
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Get to the hotel, unpack stuff,
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Walk to the lake for a swim with friends which are also racing MT - will swim the full 1.9K
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Lunch with the traditional pre-race beer. - only allow to one.
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45’ run with some 5K pick up as suggested by Patrick.
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Go to the beach so kids can play and swim etc
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Have my wife get a massage etc - SAU INCREASING HERE!!
Friday
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Wake up, stretch, small walk to town to get croissant and coffee
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Walk to the lake for a swim with friends which are also racing MT - will swim the full 1.9K
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Ride the “hilly sections” of the course, Duplessis and Montée Ryan back & forth - about 30-35km rides that takes about 1h00, also a ride to check if all mechanics is alright etc, if anything I got enuff time to get anything I needed.
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Lunch with family etc
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Get rid of admin stuff (registration etc) - AWA should be fast
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Relax, stretch, expo etc
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Prepared supper while listening to ghetto hip hop
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Start carb loading
Saturday
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Will wake up early to go see the oly and sprint departure at the lake (during the 70.3 week end - there are also a sprint and oly races happening)
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Come back home with coffee and breakfast
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Walk to the lake for an easy relaxing swim - 20’ max
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Shake up run - max 15’
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Lunch
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Ramp up hydration (will need to adjust depending on what will be the temperature)
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Carb loading, stretch, relax
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Starting at 14h we can check in our bikes since oly and sprint are done, will take care of that.
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Have a nice early light supper
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Last check up of bags to see if everything is there.
Race day
Pre-race hours on race day is a list to execute.
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Wake up around 4h30AM to eat breakfast:
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Wash teeth
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Take a pre-race shower
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Port of potty
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Prepared bottle, put ice in the BTA
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Sip sport drink (1 bottle before leaving hotel)
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Walk to the transition - hotel is 3 mins walk.
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Start to make my way to the lake - about 8 mins walk from transition.
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Be sure to put vaseline on the neck to avoid wetsuit burns.
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Put the wetsuit on.
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Sit in the lake to do what's needed in the wetsuit to get warm.
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5’ warm up to stretch the shoulders and arms
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15’s before start, eat a gel, finish sport drink bottle and go one last time to the port of potty.
Swim:
Last year : 34:42 - 1:47/100m
Goal : below 32’
This season I decided to take swim more seriously because I know I can swim fast and I have seen my regular swim to be at 1:40-1:45/100M in the last weeks, which gives me good confidence to achieve goal this year.
I will do my best to draft the fast guys in front of me, will keep smooth technic until the last turn over and will try to go a little faster on the last 750M up to the shores.
The lake is smooth since no boats allowed in the area and there are no winds in that section of Tremblant.
Nothing exciting here.
T1
Last year : 5:55
Goal : 4:45
For those who have done MT, you all know that we have a 800M run between T1 and the lake.
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Use the wetsuit strippers
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Will monitor HR while running to my bike.
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Will already have my HRM and Tri top under my wetsuit, as such will save time in here.
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Put on the helmet, throw wetsuit on the rack and make my way to bike out.
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No need to worry to grab food, put HRM and top since everything will already be setup, I think the time gained will occur here.
Bike:
Last year : 2:41:54
Goal: 2:35
First time racing with a PM. Also last year was my race after my downhill crash that also happened on the MT course, so I mentally had to fight this and wasnt able to go over 20mph on the downhills but have no problem going over 23mph on the flats.. Go figure ! anyway, will see how my brain will go that day. But since 2 weeks I start to go a little fast on downhills.
Tremblant is a fast bike course, roads are awesome and closed to the cars, not much wind and 3 major climbs, that I managed to ride almost 100X, I know this course and almost gave a name to all the road signs we cross on the road
When I did my last RR, I was able to ride at 80% and that will be the plan, depending on how I feel I might raise it to 82-84, will see on that day, but will only increase the pace on my way back to town after the turn around.
Goal is also to stay in zone 2 and build to upper zone 3 power (84%-85%)
My 520 is already setup to remind me when to eat gels, drink, eats shot blocks. The plan is actually:
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Each 10 mins to drink
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Each 45 mins to take a gel
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Each 25 mins to eat 3 shot blocks
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At the turn around mark eat a banana
Pee once on the bike each way.
On my way down to the town on the Duplessis downhills, will eat one last gel.
Have open mind for race time decision to either push harder or relax on the bike, will see how is the RPE.
T2:
Last year : 2:17
Goal : 2
The way I think I can improve my time time on T2 is by removing my biking shoes while arriving at the transition line and take a bag with everything in it and run out. In the past, I was putting my bib on me, the cap, grabbing food before running out of T2 - pick up this trick by reading your race plans!
Run:
Last year : 1:41:44, all time PR is 1:31 (stand alone half-marathon)
Goal : 1h35-1h37 translate to 4:38/km aka 7:27/m
For me, the race starts here, as in all my other races, I always go up in the AG during the run. This year, can’t explain what happened to my runs but I’ve seen a huge improvement in that area, I ran a shitload of hills - about 2000M per month, once on the flat it was a lot easier to go faster etc, I really feel stronger.
Out of T2, will monitor the HR vs RPE to ensure everything is in line, will take the first 2 miles to go easy, have everything setup in the legs, grab a redbull at the first aid station, a coke too. Goal is to “fast walk” the first aid station, grab what I need. Will increase the pace afterwards to the pace I wish to keep for the next 4M.
Will eat gels at the 30’ mark, Garmin is already programmed to remind me that.
Will drink at each aid stations, coke, sport drink
Put ice in the cap if needed
At the 6M mark, I should be near the turn around and that's where I will open the engine and depending on how I feel again here will move my pace to the “should pace” for the next 2 miles. Will try to keep HR below 150BPM in those 2 miles, that will indicate me on how to approach the end.
When I get to the 10M mark, will switch to the “could pace”, pull out the whip and will do a 3X1M @ zone 4 pace with 1’ “slower pace” in between. “If” I feel good and confident, I might start this at mile 9, but I think it’s more reasonable doing it the 10M mark. This section of the race will be the get ugly moment and don’t know what It will look like but I really want to completely empty the tank here. What helps in the last 3M is that we are also going downhills, that might hurt even more but I don’t care.
Overall:
It’s really one of the first time that I am mentally ready to “race”, in the past I’ve been cruising on the course and always felt I could do more and was never sore or fatigued after (I am talking about 70.3). I am conscient that this plan is aggressive and its sometime against EN words on some aspects
This year I really want to push myself to the limit as it will be my only 70.3 of the year - I got 2X140.6 later in the season.
With all my target times I should finish in 4:45-4:50 which is the 15-20 AG ranking.
Thanks for reading, it's my first race plan that I write and it seems long!
Any comments, suggestions etc will be appreciated !
Comments
You will definitely set a PR. Actually, if you really push it I think you'll be under your predicted times. (I've seen your Strava workouts!)
Sounds like a good plan, but are you sure you have the course right at the 10 mile mark of the run? Isn't this when you come off the path to head back into town? From what I remember and from the course profile, this is when you start to run back uphill until you take the left which brings you back through the path in the woods, right?
I had in mind the downhill just after the swim start when you get back in the village.
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/868171023/5
Francis, I am so excited to see you race! We both started together with NOS, but went different paths since swim camp. I have been following you on Strava and in the forums, and I have no doubt going to have a great race!
The only thing that hits me is your pre-race shower. I heard a podcast once that warned against doing this or using any kind of antiperspirant products, because it prevents your body from the natural sweat/cooling process. If your doing it to wake up, just skip the soap and deodorant.
Have fun!
Francis I have watched you train smart, consistently and effectively over the last cycle. Your postings have been a great example and helped make all of us strong at EN.
Your first time racing with a PM, you are well trained, you had quality RRs..........recall your HR during your last RR on the bike and make a mental note of that so that you can have a second reference while racing at your wattage target. If you begin to see that HR rise well above while holding target watts make a mental note and fall back to the HR you know (Z3 level)...........Don't blindly follow the wattage target into a whole that could cost you on the run. You should be just fine given your quality training leading up to this race but it is always smart to have a second reference point given this is the first time racing with a PM and you will have just come out of a race swim.
I've probably done 25+ HIMs.......those last three miles are really going to be painful and they should be. If I have swam and biked effectively I cannot hit a Z4 pace normally. Also, strategically, I normally just give everything I have at that point with no breaks on the last three bringing it home. I also pretty much disregard my HR and pace, I am all RPE on the last three, stretching it out and leaving nothing on the table at that point.
Wish you a safe, fun and successful race. I have a suspicion that you will exceed the goals you have posted in this thread. Have a great time and, no matter what, KMF!
Given the profile of the course, I think there is time to be gained from a pace perspective on the out portion of the run. The path on the way back seems flat, but I believe it is a slight uphill false flat. Once you come off the path and work your way uphill on the road, I'd think about dialing in a comfortably hard pace, knowing you have that left hand turn/downhill section on the path again, then another downhill into the final aide station. From there it's guts as you climb back up to the swim start, over that painful hill and then up into the village.
Francis,
Great race plan the only thing is see, which is not a big issue is the vaseline. The use of petroleum based products is not recommended for use on wetsuits. From blue seventy's website:
"If required in any area (such as wrists or ankles) a lubricant will aid getting the suit off quickly. A lubricant will also benefit any chaffing area. Do not use petroleum based products like vaseline. Ok to use are products such as: baby oil, body glide, vegetable oil, silicone gel."
If you've never used body glide I'd recommend trying it at one of your swims otherwise just stick to what you know. I had not been in a wetsuit all season prior to Lake Placid last year and I did not use enough on my neck area.
Gordon
@SS : as for the recommandation regarding HR, I already had RPE based on some HR and wattage written on my BTA based on my last RR, as such no need to remember anything ! If anything goes off the roff, i'll adjust
@Gordon : Thanks! I knew about it, just too lazy to go buy body glide
Thanks all of you for stepping in!
Final race week weight : 65.50KG = 4.12w/kg
CTL 155.8
expected weather for Sunday is 93F with 40% humidity.. will need to hydrate well. Not much winds.
I hope the weather stays the same
Francis - I love that you included Ghetto Hip Hop in your race plan. That's awesome! Not much to add. I think your plan looks very solid. Training on the bike course is a huge advantage so if you'll know if HR/RPE is off from your RR's and if so don't be afraid to dial back the power. If all systems are good then let it fly! You have trained really hard (And tapered like a rock star!) so go have fun and know that we will be sending EN mojo your way!
Francis, good skill. With your knowledge of the course and your numbers you should do well. Go out and crush it.
You've certainly have the fitness and the magic (well earned) threshold numbers, so stick to that great plan and race smart!