Nemo's Challenge Roth Plan 2016
I'm doing Challenge Roth as my swan song to the Iron Distance and to celebrate turning 50 this year. Challenge has a 15 hour cut-off (from the last wave) so my big focus will be meeting those cut-offs. Shouldn't be a problem if I stay focused and disciplined, but as we all know, shit happens out there! I'm traveling with RaceQuest, so much of my pre-race schedule is dictated by them, but from what I understand getting around in Roth is a bit crazy so I think it will be nice to let someone else do the driving that week! Post race Mr Nemo and I head to the Swiss Alps for a little hiking and hopefully to catch a few Tour de France stages. With that intro, here is the plan!
Pre-Race Week:
Sun: Wash and prepare Fawkes (re-tape bars), Pre-travel checklist & Laundry
Monday: AM: Swim (just to stay loose and calm- no pressure)
Final Packing
Travel Day (Flight 7:15PM Norfolk)
Tuesday: Travel (Arrive Munich 1PM, 4PM Xfer to Roth) Adjust/tour on our own a little
Wednesday: AM: Swim (45 min), Tour around and relax.
After Lunch- Put Bike Together & do a 60 min shakedown ride with 30min run.
4-7PM: Welcome Party International Guests
Thursday: AM: Swim (45 min max) Tour around and relax. Take care of any technical issues with bike & get supplies for pre-race dinner & B-fast.
2-6 PM: Expo Check-In
Friday: 7am- Noon: Swim Practice & Bike Course Tour (Bring Snacks & Water)
Noon-4pm: Lunch, 30 min spin/30 min run, last check of the bike.
Start packing Bags & Put numbers on Fawkes
4-8pm: Welcome Dinner
Saturday:
??:00am SLEEP IN- wake up whenever and just relax.
9:00am Breakfast (nlt 9:00 or rest of day meals will be messed up). Last time to eat any real fiber. Biggest meal of the day.
10:00am Bike Drop-off for Transport
12:00pm Big Lunch then just relax
1:00pm Bus Pickup for Bike Check-In (with helmet)
3-5:30pm Mandatory Athlete Briefing
6pm Light Dinner (salmon, salad, potato)
7:30pm Pack bottles & nutrition. Set out Breakfast for the next day and set alarms. Charge & setup the Garmin, Clear memory
9:00 Bedtime
3:15am Wakeup Call. Eat Breakfast- Coffee, Oatmeal w/Peanut Butter & Banana.
(sip H20 but not too much). Get Dressed & Relax, let morning ritual take place.
4:00am Bus Departure to Start
5:00am Drop off T-Bags. Pump tires, set H20 and UCAN bottle on bike. Calibrate Power.
5:30am Stand on line Bathroom & Relax
6:10am Put on Wetsuit/speedsuit, take 2 scoops UCAN w/protein (made w/cold coffee)
6:30am Give Dry Cloths Bag to Joe to take to bag drop-off. Walk over to start
Swim: 6:55 Start. Estimated 1:15-1:30. Relaxed and easy. Stay calm and smooth.
T1: No Rush. Don’t let HR spike. Apply Chamois Cream & Apply sunscreen first before grabbing anything else in the bag. Make a Port-o-pottie stop before mounting bike.
Get from T1 Bag: Bib # & Belt, Chamois Cream, Sunscreen, Sunglasses, Bike Shoes, Gloves, wristband, & Ziploc baggie (lipbalm. sunglass wipe, Imodium, Gas-X, Chamois Cream, Base Salt(for run)).
Bike: Estimated 7:15-7:30
1 Bottle UCAN, 1 Bottle H20 (swap for new at aid stations)
Bento box: Gas-X, Base Salt, Caffeine pill, Almond Butter, 3 scoops flask of UCAN.
Toolbag on back: tools, tube, duct tape, $1, C02, Tire Levers, electrical tape.
Helmet
Bike Pacing: FTP = 140
0-1:00 JRA
1:00-7:XX 95watts
Max HR 155
Bike Nutrition and Hydration
UCAN every hour on the hour
Base Salt every hour on the 0:30
Banana w/ AB at 4:30 MS Time
Refill UCAN at 6:00 MS Time
Caffeine pill at 6:30 MS Time
Gas-X at 7:30 MS Time (if needed)
Water every 15 min
T2: No Rush, stay calm, Hand off bike & walk to transition. Re-apply Sunscreen
Get from T2 Bag: Sunscreen, Socks, Shoes, Visor, ipod.
LS Tech Shirt & gloves if cool (or give to Joe for hand-off at mile 13ish).
Run: Estimated 5:00-5:30
Run Pacing
Mile 1-6, Max HR 150
Mile 6-20 Max HR 155
Mile 20-24 Max HR 160
24+ Just finish
Run Nutrition
Gu every hour on the hour (4 max)
Base Salt every hour on the 0:30
Caffeine pill at 11:30 MS Time
Water at every aid station
Coke & Chicken Soup last half
Comments
You've got this wired. Keep checking all those boxes, and don't let era-ending emotions intrude until sometime after its all done.
Thanks Al. I'm gonna do my best on that front. The climb up Solar hill is a point where I know I'll have to turn that emotional energy into joy.
Don't be afraid to go under your HR cap for the first 6 miles.
155 BPM for 6-20 i'd say is a nice to have but also identify an HR cap in that range, one you'll walk/chill to stay under.
Of course, with ^these^ you're also looking at your real time pace at these HRs and comparing them to what you've seen in training and making decisions.
I found it useful to identify a no-shit aid station where you're no-shit going to switch from using HR as a governor to using HR as a whip. In my experience, that's about mile 22, as that's still 4 painful miles in which you're in Terminator mode. Putting your head and body in that place for more than 4 miles may be too much to handle, setting you up for a VERY rough last 2 miles. Recommend you see how you're feeling at about mile 20 determine if you step on the gas at mile 20 or 22.
Good luck!
Aha- this makes a lot of sense for me. It's often at this point where I start to suffer and HR drops because I'm suffering & slowing- then I get cold & suffer more. HR=150-155 is my "I can do this all damn day long as long as someone keeps feeding me". So recognizing that if it drops under 150 I might actually be hurting myself more than helping is a great eye opener. Thanks! I'll adjust those HR plans to move the 160 (which is the- "I feel fairly good and I think I can push a little now" out to the 22 mark and think of 150 as the "whip" if things get rough).
Eric- We'll be at Ramada Nuremberg Parkhotel. But mostly, I think if you find the gaggle of RaceQuest folks milling about- I'm bound to be there somewhere! Hope to see you there- or on the run course!
Nemo,
I almost missed this thread. Have a great race in your IM swan song. Of course never say never. Maybe the tide will turn and in the future you will be pulled in to an IM by a number of guys in pick speedo's.
Gordon