Laura B IMLP 2016 Race Plan
Laura Becker – IMLP PLAN
Well the day is almost here! I am psyched to head back up to Lake Placid for my 2nd full distance race. First 140.6 was IMLP 2014- and I had the time of my life! My hope is that the monsoon/lightning will stay away for this one though. I have to thank the team and coaches for helping me get to this point! I am honored to be a part of this team. Thank you for the mojo, the kudos, comments, advice and just being AMAZING peeps!!
I'll start by saying that as I lay this out there I need to be honest with myself. Since the Outseason I had battled some issues and had to adjust my training accordingly. So I may not be where I wanted to be but I am here and ready to go. I gave it everything I had and did all that I could and for that I am proud. So here it is….PLEASE let me know any of your thoughts, questions, concerns, comments….anything!
TRAVEL AND PRE-RACE WEEK:
Stay well hydrated all week! Water with me at all times.
Wednesday: Leave Connecticut and arrive in LP by 1:00.
Check in to hotel. 30 minute jog around town.
Thursday: Sleep in- Go to athlete check in- Do recon ride-Hop in the lake for a 30 minute swim. Start assembling race bags. Assess what you may have forgotten/need. Head to Plaza at 6:00 for team dinner. Enjoy spending time with my teammates!
Friday: Wake up and be to swim venue by 7:00 am. 30 minute swim. Attend 4 Keys Talk 10-12. Home for lunch. Go to Athlete Briefing at 3? Easy run 30 minutes between 4-5. Dinner- white rice with avocado small salad. 9- protein shake/ banana. Prepare gear and bags as described below. Check functionality of all gear, equipment, and electronics. RELAX for the night.
Saturday: Sleep in. 8- Oatmeal with peanut butter, banana, and protein shake for breakfast. 10-11 AM- Head over to mandatory bike and gear check in (T1/T2)- wait to hear about lines through GroupMe message. Lara bar snack/ fruit. After bag drop off we will walk transition, study terrain from bike position to mount area. Check out the back of the high school area where the steel grates are. Visualize race day and where I need to go. Remember coach’s advice- Find your row- grab bag- go towards the exit. Next, return to the house. Legs up as much as possible. Lunch- Sweet potato, snap peas, protein shake, and a pear. Snacks throughout the day- rice cakes, fruit. Prepare nutrition for race, lay out morning clothes race kit, morning bags, and listen to music/motivational speeches. Dinner 6:30- Dinner of Quinoa/cauliflower and Lara Bar for dessert. Bed by 9:00 the latest.
NUTRITION:
I will be using Tailwind with SaltStick, GU roctane, Cliff Blocks
GEAR:
Morning Clothes:
TIMING CHIP, sports bra, EN Tri Top, LG tri shorts, TYR wetsuit, Aquasphere Goggles, Speedo Cap, Earplugs, GU, bottle of tailwind or NUUN, sunscreen
Body glide on calf and under arms.
Garmin 920 fully charged - turn on 20 minutes prior to start
Throw away flip flops (or hand off to husband)
Bring Bike Pump
Wear HR strap
BIKE
Front: GARMIN 920 (will put on after swim), Aero HC system filled with tailwind
Wheels- 808's (front/rear) OR hed belgium back wheel with bontrager aura 5 front wheel
Aero frame box with with extra contact lenses, sleeve of blocks, and GUs
1 bottles Tailwind on frame
Behind seat:2 bottles Tailwind in rear cages.NOTE: I really hate to carry all this extra weight/fluid with me but I just cannot stomach the GE- it makes me so nauseous- so I have to use my own fuel- I was thinking of carrying just powder and grabbing water but not sure how to get powder into bottles successfully on the move…..ANY TIPS for those who carry their own fuel????
2 x C02 cartridges + 1 mini-tool kit + inflate valve extension, 1 spare tubes
If it’s going to be hot- freeze bottles, put on am
T1 BAG (WITH VISIBLE COLORED MARK AND NUMBER
Helmet Rudy Wingspan
Bike shoes
Towel
Gloves if its going to be cold?
Rain Jacket- If needed
Arm Warmers/knee warmers- If needed
Vest
Sunglasses (clean)
Spare contacts
BIKE SPECIAL NEEDS
4 Bottles (frozen) prepared and ready to go.
2 extra tube + 2 extra co2 cartridge
Chamois Butter
Small towel or baby wipes
T2 BAG (WITH VISIBLE COLORED MARK AND NUMBER ):
Shoes w/ Orthotics – Balega socks (inside shoes)
GO BAG: Race belt with number, 4 Gu’s, Salt Stick in ziplock bag to go in tri top pocket, visor OR hat with Super Special Ice Bag
Small tube of sunscreen
Spare contacts
RUN SPECIAL NEEDS
10 oz bottle with extra concentrated tailwind
Dry socks
Long Sleeve Tech shirt if it might be cold
Band aids
Small towel or baby wipes
Foot pad
RACE DAY:
- Wake up 3:45am and have breakfast: Oatmeal with 1 tbsp peanut butter and a couple vegan chocolate chips, banana, coffee. Start sipping some sports drink. Stay calm and in my box. Work of a list.
- Leave house at 4:45.
- Arrive T1 at 5:00 am, body mark (look for open body marker), set up, and check wheel pressure, food into bento box, bottles on bike ready to go. Exit T1 ASAP and relax. Give pump to Steve to hold.
- Drop of special needs bags.
- 6:00 put on wetsuit, get rid of morning clothes, head to lake. Hop in for a few minutes if it is warm enough. (If it’s too cold I will have some circulation issues if I get in the water and then get out and have to stand around).
- 6:15 take one gel w/8oz water and seed myself----end of 1:05 or beginning of 1:10?
- 6:40- Age groups begin!
THE SWIM (TARGET 1:07-1:12):
- Follow EN protocol picking up pace for the first 300 m and settle in to my box.
- Only swimming as fast as I can maintain form. Line up when 100% ready.
- Lap one- think rhythm and feet. Find my happy place, pick a spot and swim.
- Out of the water clear goggles, deep breath, and back in for lap 2.
- Lap 2- think sustained effort. Final 200 m- review transition plan. Swim until my hand hits the bottom.
- Unzip wetsuit to my waist and go to a OPEN stripper.
- Wetsuit into a ball, goggles cap off/ run/jog to transition and focus on next steps.
T1 : THINK SLOW IS SMOOTH AND SMOOTH IS FAST
- Find my row, grab my bag and head towards the exit of tent.
- Ground up-shoes, helmet, sunglasses, if sunny- sunscreen on face and shoulders, Gus in tri top back pockets, give volunteer suit and bag.
- Grab my bike and go to mount line.
THE BIKE (TARGET 6:50-7:00): THINK EXECUTE LIKE AN EN NINJA- Stay in my box.
Target Power: 130- Hills can spike to 150, controlled power
- Drink and eat according to plan. Drink every 10, eat every 45. Focus on getting fluids in and peeing twice….on the bike! (it’s sterile)
- Ride first 30 minutes easy. Spin up the climb out of town- little ring. Focus on bringing HR back down after transition. Settle in.
- Take a look at water before decent to see what the winds will be like down the descent.
- Going down descent- Focus, keep upper body loose- don’t be rigid.
- Get in aero for next section- Rt9N- fast/flat.
- Be prepared to start climbing from Upper Jay to Wilmington. Watch power and stay IN MY BOX. Watch notch area.
- Rollers back into town (big chain through rollers).
- Lap 1- think conservative. Spin up easy and PUSH DOWN.
- QUICK stop at bike special needs for bottles- don’t take the bag or your volunteer will walk away.
- Lap 2 will most likely be more windy- be prepared.
- Think PATIENCE and DISCIPLINE.
- If need to stretch. Do it immediately before or after an aid station (or on any hills) then get back down.
T2 : THINK SLOW IS SMOOTH AND SMOOTH IS FAST
- Take Garmin OFF BIKE!
- Put helmet, sunglasses, and shoes in bag.
- Grab bag, dump it out, Ground up- socks on, running shoes, sunglasses still on, take GO BAG, out running, put on race belt as I head out…..
THE RUN (TARGET 04:20:00-04:30:00):
- Out running the EN way. SLOW IT DOWN.
Watch HR:
0-6 mile=140-145
6-18 mile= 145-150
18+= 155
- Remember proper execution. Plan to walk all the stations and use them to stay with nutrition plan. If feeling good in the beginning, EAT! Squirt of ultra concentrated tailwind in H20 every aid station. GU every hour
- Decent out of town keep it in control. Think baby steps.
- Find rhythm and run the tangents.
- River Road is quiet and rolling. Zone into the race.
- After River Road be ready for the climbs. Ski Jump Hill, Townie Hill, Pub Hill- Baby steps, chin up THINK GREAT FORM! 30 steps to get HR down if needed.
- Think PATIENCE and DISCIPLINE!
- At ½ way point, do a gut check. Remember that hitting ½ way is tough stuff. Take 5-10 seconds while running and mentally assess state of being. Do I need nutrition? Salt? Fluids? Am I hot? How is my HR? Can I see straight?
- Remind myself- 13.1 to 17.1 are down.
- Focus on form each time it gets hard!!! Remember one thing when it gets harder.
- Run aid station to aid station. Treating each stretch as its own event.
- Enjoy the last quarter mile. ENJOY THIS MOMENT. And cross SMILING!!!
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Comments
Also, race day is about execution. They "hay is in the barn" as they say. I think you have a great mental approach which you described in the first paragraph. Setting your expectations and executing your plan will lead to a great day.
I would say good luck but clearly you don't need it!
Regarding the Tailwind ... dealing with powder on the bike is going to be difficult ... how about one regular Tailwind bottle and the second with a super concentrated version? You could get water after you finish that first bottle. Looks like you're already planning on concentrate for the run leg.
Regarding the fluids, I use Skratch for the same reason you use tailwind. I make up a concentrate that equals 4 oz. of concentrate equals one 24 oz bottle of drink. That way I can get 6 bottles in one 24 oz bottle. I took a bottle and made marks with a Sharpie in 4 oz increments on the side. That makes it easy to see as I'm riding and squirting it into the torpedo.
So here's my aid station protocol. I ride with a torpedo aero bottle with a quick fill lid. I drink anything that's left in the bottle as I get close to the aid station and then put in 4 oz of concentrate. I'll grab a bottle of water and rack it and grab another if it's hot or if I need a shower. Empty the water and discard the bottle, fill the torpedo with water from the racked bottle and get back to work. The concentrate mixes with the water quickly and it's ready to drink.
Laura,
I noticed body glide on calves and arm pits was it. I did not put enough on my neck at LP 2015 and let me tell you how it feels to apply sunscreen to than. Not good.
I use what's on the course but for peace of mind I'd carry a bag of powder to replace and ejected bottle. Yes you might have to stop and put it in your empty one but it's better than having to go to course nutrition of nothing at all. I'd have a second one in my bike special needs as well. Maybe I'm just paranoid. As for the super-concentrate does it stay mixed to ensure you are getting even calories per 4oz? Make sure you test is prior to race day and shake up the bottle.
Edit: I forgot about the buy what I forgot. Coach P added this link to the checklist in another LP race plan http://bit.ly/2ab35Ie
Have a great race.
Gordon
Thank you for all your responses!! I appreciate you taking the time to help me out!
@ David I will def remember to be flexible with HR...I want to make sure I stay in my box!! THANK YOU for the advice!
@ Rachel- THANK YOU for saying that!! I appreciate it!! Getting my head right and ready to get out there and rock it. Will def check the weather before I freeze bottles- only if its going to be hot!
@ Rob- That is good to hear! I will ONLY freeze special needs bottles and ONLY if it will be hot. Can't wait to get up there! AND I can now add 808s to my plan....YOU ROCK!!
@ Paul and Mark- DUH! Why didn't I think about that!! SOLD! I will absolutely be doing that protocol Mark- you just saved me the headache of a billion bottles!! THANK YOU so much for your advice and feedback! TOTALLY just helped my race day!!
@ Gordon- THANK YOU!! I will be testing out the concentrated bottle this weekend....to make sure its good! THANK YOU!
You are ready!!!