Mike W IMC Race Plan
Any feedback appreciated! IM Canada will be my first IM. Last month I rode and ran the course, so I'm familiar with what's coming. Training has been going pretty well; last weekend I managed two 6-hour rides at 0.68 and 0.66 IF, about what I plan for the race.
FridayDrive up, check in
Pack T1-T2 bags
Charge watch, bike computer. Turn off Bluetooth and GLONASS. Make sure bike computer starts up in race profile
Treat goggles with anti-fog
T1 bag (w/ colored tape, tied at the top, cup over the top for rain)
helmet, bike shoes, socks, sunglasses, towel
cold / wet weather bag - light full finger gloves, Zap Versa jacket / vest, 9x11 padded envelope, shoe covers, arm warmers, wool socks, plastic bags for feet, insulating layer, nitrile gloves, heavy cycling gloves, skull cap [most of this only needed for the 1% chance conditions are as bad as last year]
T2 bag (w/ colored tape, tied at the top, cup over the top)
running shoes, socks, small towel
go bag - bib on race belt, 2 Gu gels, 17 oz Gatorade bottle, Race Saver bag, hat
in case of emergency bag - tri top, shorts, long sleeve shirt, headlamp, Scosche HRM, socks
On bike
Torpedo bottle, bento, aero pouch w/ flat kit
Bags to cover seat and handlebars?
Saturday
9:00 kids run
Ride bike to T1; drop bike and T1 bag; shuttle back
TBD - 20 min recon swim? To adjust to water temp more than anything
Drop T2 bag
Pack bags for Sunday
Early dinner and bed
Morning clothes bag
Wetsuit, tinted goggles, clear goggles, race swim cap, second swim cap, Trislide, bags for feet, gloves for pulling on wetsuit, anti fog
Gatorade, 2 gels, 5x Clif Bloks, 2 bottles Infinit (mix Sunday morning)
bike computer, aerojacket valve cover sticker, electrical tape, scissors, extra spare tube, crack pipe
Bike special needstube, CO2
Run special needs
socks in ziploc bag
To wear Sunday
LG M2 suit, Garmin watch, Stryd HRM strap w/ pod, timing chip, band aids for nipples
socks and shoes, wind pants, fleece pullover
Sunday
3:30 wake up
Down Clif Bar, granola bar, banana, Gatorade, coffee
Mix Infinit bottles
4:30 Drop special needs, ride shuttle to T1
Body marking
Inflate tires; aerojacket stickers on and secured with electrical tape
Fill Torpedo with Infinit; second bottle behind saddle; Clif Bloks in bento
Bike computer on (sync with power meter and HRM!!), BBS power course loaded, started and auto-paused
Stryd pod in bike shoes in T1 bag
5:50 Gel with a few sips of Gatorade
Swim gear on; drop morning clothes bag
6:25 Second gel with Gatorade
Swim warmup
Line up for start around 1:15 sign
6:50 AG start
Swim
Calm but with a little intensity. Find good feet and follow them. Patience; unless the pace feels really slow I'm probably better off staying on the feet
T1
Wetsuit unzipped and top pulled off. Find wetsuit stripper. Cap and goggles in wetsuit sleeve
Dump bag; socks and shoes on; Stryd pod on; helmet on; glasses on. If pouring or below 50 add cold weather gear. Give bag and swim gear to volunteer (if one available)
Sunscreen from volunteers?
Grab bike and go
Bike
Target power: 171 NP (0.67 IF). If I believe Best Bike Split this will get me in in 5:47, for 260 TSS (I beat the BBS prediction by 6 minutes in Victoria so I'm optimistic). If the hills take longer or I have to take the descents easy due to wet roads, I have some margin for error.
Nutrition: 2 bottles Infinit, 5x Clif Blocks, at least 3 bottles Gatorade from the course before switching to water. About 2,000 calories total
First 40 minutes: get the heart rate down to 130, and focus on hydration. Goal is to drink the Torpedo bottle by mile 9, before the descent to the bottom of Callaghan. Power should be around 160, a little higher to get over the first couple of short hills
Callaghan climb: fill Torpedo with Gatorade at the aid station, and start focusing on power. Targets are 162 for flats, 180-190 shallower hills, capped at 210 for the steepest sections. Expect to be passed by a lot of people here. Keep drinking and eating. Watch for the flats on the way up and get in aero. NP will be climbing but should stay below 180
Callaghan descent: mostly in the bullhorns, going fast where safe but being smart about risks
Climb from Callaghan to Whistler: more than 90 minutes in, time to take stock. Have I been drinking enough? Second bottle should be done. How is my power? I should be pretty close to 170 NP here
Descent to Pemberton: keep pushing on downhills, staying aero where it's safe. A couple of steep uphill pitches in here; shift early and watch the power spikes. Keep drinking and eating!
Pemberton flats: this is where all those aero sessions pay off. Steady power at 162. If a pit stop is needed, stop at the turnaround. Switch over to water at aid stations
Climb back to Whistler: nice and steady, watching power spikes. Play it safe on the steep descent just out of Pemberton
If rainy: slow well before the turns on descents. More rear brake than front
T2
Dump bag; helmet and glasses in bag; bike shoes and socks off; run socks and shoes on; grab go bag and go
Run
Miles 0-6 Heart rate target 140. Lots of discipline going up the hill at Lost Lake. Take in first gel at about 10 minutes and start drinking. If I feel good, take in the second gel early at around 30-40 minutes. Otherwise gels every 45 minutes. When the bottle is empty, refill with Gatorade at aid stations
Miles 6-18 If I feel good, let heart rate start to drift up to 150. Otherwise stay at 140 a while longer. Being disciplined here dealing with crowds on the out and back; minimize the weaving. Smooth over the rollers. Easy again over the Lost Lake hill on second lap
Miles 18-23 If still feeling good, let the heart rate drift higher. No more than 160. Keep drinking through mile 23 aid station; switch to Coke if needed
Miles 23-26 HR > 150, giving whatever is left
0
Comments
Very detailed plan, looks both confident and competent. I am really looking forward to your results. I suspect you are gonna crush this thing.
As for sunscreen, my plan is to spray two coats of 70+ in the am before leaving the condo, good to go until T2. I plan on using Truscott's sunscreen-in-a-bag trick (in the go bag).
I am curious why you switch to water on the final push of the bike? Preference?
With your speed, why stop to pee on the bike?
Why carry a bottle out of T2? Seems like they have ample fluids on run course...
I have never used bandaids on the nips, just vaseline. Guess I am not keen to shave the chest. Wouldn't those just fall off after swimming/biking for many hours.
I am going to pick up a vest just in case for T1, but I would be leary to leave with full cold gear (gloves, vest, jacket, cap, covers) - these 6 hour bike rides are so long the weather is likely to change and then what to do with all of that stuff if it gets hot?
Yeah, sunscreen in the morning isn't a bad idea. I thought it might wash off in the water but it's worth a try. I suspect the biggest issue sun-wise will be in the Pemberton flats; the run course is pretty shaded other than a few miles by the water.
Switching to water on the bike -- I've found that toward the end of a ride my stomach doesn't do as well with the sports drinks, particularly in warmer weather; for some reason a combination like Clif Bloks and water seems to work better. The better I'm feeling with Gatorade, the later I'll make the switch.
Peeing on the bike -- just never done it. Also, I found on my recon ride that a quick stop at the turn-around was helpful for a stretch, as by that point it's been ~45 minutes straight in the bars. I will play this one by ear on race day. Not really inclined to stop at any other spots, but there I figure not much time lost since you're slowing anyway for the u-turn.
Bottle on the run -- it's what I have done for a long time for any run/race over an hour. I can skip the crowds at the first few aid stations, I don't have to try to drink out of those paper cups, and it's a lot easier to monitor how much I'm drinking. The bottle is pretty easy to carry in my hand (I don't like wearing the hip belt contraptions). And when I'm done with the bottle I can just toss it at an aid station. What I haven't tried is refilling the bottle on the go. If that gets to be too much of a pain I'll toss the bottle and slow down and drink from the cups.
I find the bandaids stick pretty well, if I get them on before there is any moisture. They will stay on for days if I forget to take them off after.
Agreed on what to do with all the cold weather bike gear. By the time we get to Pemberton it will probably feel 30 degrees warmer. I think if the temp is over 50 and it is dry I will just race in the LG suit; I've used it before in those conditions. If I wear the vest and decide to take it off, I might try stuffing it in the rear cage once I toss that bottle. Or I could toss it at an aid station. I'm optimistic about the weather now but with as quickly as things turned bad last year, would rather have the stuff in T1 and not use it.
Years ago I experience GI issues anytime I ingested Gatorade. Let's just say it was stomach cramps for the rest of the day and some very weird colorful... well you know.
At the direction of the coaches and the team, I use every single ride as an opportunity to practice my race day nutrition. The practice has paid off. My system can take any am0unt of Gatorade without issues. It took almost 5 months, but it was worth it.