Scott Liston IMWI Race Execution Plan
** Would appreciate perspective on the Wisconsin transition set-up/choices and the swim warm-up and start where I have questions/doubts in the write-up below.**
I rode the course on August 5th & 6th which was huge. NP 167 for 6 hours Friday and 4 hours Sunday.
Ironman Wisconsin Race Execution Plan
Scott Liston
SCHEDULE
Thursday
· Depart at 8am EDT
· Arrive at 3PM Central DT
· Check in to Hotel – 3PM
· Athlete Check In and tour Expo– 3:30 – 5PM
Meet the team for dinner
Team Dinner Info:
Date: September 8, 2016
Time: 6pm
Address:
Francesca's Al Lago
111 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608.255.6000
Friday
AM
1) Swim w/ EN teammates in the morning (make plan at Thursday dinner)
2) Go to the Four keys talk
· Overture Center for the Arts — Friday September 9th @ 10:30 AM – Noon
3) Recon the run course if there is time.
4) Lunch w/ Deb
PM
5) Recon the bike course – probably section between Barlow and Verona (make sure bike is working, pull it out and ride a bit)
6) Pull together all my bags before or after Welcome banquet
· Initial compiling of all the bags needs, lay everything out
· Affix race number to race belt
· Affix all race numbers to bike and helmet
· Give Deb the bike ticket
7) 5:30 Welcome Banquet
Saturday AM
1) Sleep in (or another Practice Swim?)
Hydrate all day with a sports drink…
[Get anything I need from the Expo if something is missing or broken]
2) 10AM Bike & gear check in (until 3PM):
3) Mandatory bike and gear check in is 10am to 3pm
· Final pack of bike and run transition bags and take to transition area Saturday morning:
· Make sure it is in an easy gear
· Preview the transition area and the super-secret stairway down the Helix
4) 11AM Athlete Briefing (or 2PM) at the Finish Line
5) Large Lunch; order a dinner to go, light…
6) Afternoon and Evening – feet up and relax!!
Sunday – RACE!!
After race - TBD
Monday
· Celebration Breakfast 8AM
· Awards Ceremony
· Roll Down Ceremony
· Check out at Noon
· Drive Home – ETA 10:30PM
GEAR & BAG CHECKLIST
Saturday night layout:
To wear:
· Tri top
· Tri shorts
· Band Aids for nips
· Heart rate monitor
· Road ID
· Timing Chip
· Garmin watch
· T-shirt
· Shorts
· Flip flops
· Light jacket if it is cold
· Headlamp
To carry:
· Wetsuit
· Swim cap
· Aquasphere mask
· Bottle of water and a Clif bar or Gel
· Two bottle of Gatorade Endurance (to put on the bike)
· Pump
· Headlamp & flashlight (for Deb)
· Bag with Clif bars and Clif blocks for the bike (remember to wrap in rice paper)
· A gel if I get hungry before the swim start
Bike transition bag
· Helmet
· GUTR
· Socks
· Bicycle shoes
· [Arm warmers]
· [Bicycle jacket]
· [Bicycle rain jacket]
· Sunglasses in case
· One pairs of new contacts
· A bottle of contact solution
· A slightly moist wash cloth
Run transition bag:
· Running shoes
· Fresh socks
· Glasses clearer & cloth
· In a ziplock:
o running hat/visor
o race belt
o race saver bag
o Sunscreen in a contact case
o A GU gel
Bike Special Needs
· A pair of socks (in the case of predicted rainy weather)
· An inner tube
· A CO2 cartridge
Run Special Needs
· A pair of socks (in the case of predicted rainy or not weather)
BASIC FACTS
3rd Ironman (2010 & 2011 IM Louisville)
5’8”, 153, FTP 242, so 3.48 W/kg.
VDOT 45 (but my estimated Marathon VDOT is more like 40)
2008 Cervelo P2C with regular wheels with wheel cover in the rear. Profile Design FC25 Drink System up front, cage on the down tube that will probably stay empty most of the time, two Gorilla cages in the back.
Rudy Project WingSpan helmet
RACE EXECUTION PLAN
Saturday bike and gear bag drop off
· Make sure bike is in easy gear
Saturday night
Put on Ironman Tats
Go to bed with timing chip on my ankle, Road ID too.
Sunday morning
Get up at 2:00 and have some calories:600 calories – 32 oz. Mighty Mango naked juice smoothies
Get up at 4:30 and have some calories:
3 oz. good bread, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, two boiled eggs, 1 banana
Full bowel evacuation
On Board (take to the bike the morning of the race)
· 2 of bottles of Gatorade Endurance in my bottles
· 3 servings (9-11 Clif Blocks) – 6 in the Bento, 3-5 in the jersey – all wrapped in rice paper
· 10-14 pieces of Clif bar - 8 in the Bento Box, 2-6 in the jersey – all wrapped in rice paper
Sip on water all morning
Have a gel an hour before the race if hungry.
Get dressed:
· Put on band aids
· Road ID and timing chip? If not worn to bed
· Tri shorts
· Endurance Nation top
· T-shirt
· Cotton shorts
· Flip flops
· Garmin watch and strap
Put on sunscreen!
Have warmer stuff including poncho if threat of rain (for Deb too)
Have with me:
· Wetsuit
· Swim cap (bring a back-up)
· Aquasphere mask (bring a back-up)
· Bottle of water and a Clif bar or Gel
· Two bottle of Gatorade Endurance (to put on the bike)
· Pump
· Headlamp & flashlight
· Bag with Clif bars and Clif blocks for the bike
· A gel if I get hungry before the swim start
At bike transition
· Pump up tires on the bike
· Make sure bike is in easy gear
· Put the Gatorade Endurance and the Clif bars and Blocks on board
· Fill up the aero drink with one and the other on the back cage.
Walk to the swim start – super secret stair well next to the Helix
Leave Deb keys, t-shirt, shorts, flip flops, bicycle pump, bike check out ticket, water bottle, etc.
She should have a bag to carry them in
Do I have to pee? Or more? Then do so.
Find a place to get in the water and warm up – easy working up to fast/sprint speed to simulate the start
Swim:
Line up on the far left (or middle left side) of the Boat ramp about 10 people back (I am a 1:18 – 1:20 swimmer – what’s the right position at the swim start?
Only as fast as form allows
Transportation to T1
Counting strokes
Roll with the unforeseen – google leaks, sticks, other people
[Specific race course guidance from Rich]
If feeling good, can pick up the pace last third of the swim
1:18 plus or minus 3 minutes
T1
Walk or easy jog up the Helix – don’t RUN despite the crowds cheering
End Swim mode on the Garmin, Push reset, change to Bike mode. Keep on wrist.
[or test multisport mode this weekend]
· Get wetsuit off (with help of strippers?)
· Do I have to pee? Then do so.
· Wipe hands with cloth to ensure clean
· Remove and dispose of swim contacts
· Rinse eyes of lake water
· Insert new contacts
· Take out socks, shoes, GUTR and helmet and sunglasses
· Put on socks
· Get bike shoes in position to carry
· Put on GUTR and then helmet, then sunglasses
· Put wetsuit and contact stuff, everything else back in the bag and/or hand to volunteer to do.
· Grab shoes to carry to mount area
· Do I have to pee? Then do so.
· Go get bike (I’m running in socks?) or put both socks and shoes on at dismount area?
· Take the Garmin off wrist and put on bike
· Take bike with bike shoes in hand past mount line to mount. Ask volunteer to hold bike while put on bike shoes.
Enjoy!
On the bike
· Goal is NP 162.5 (IF .67) with first 10-15 miles at 155 and the rest at 164. Average speed of 17.6 MPH while rolling.
· I’ll try to pee off the bike but may need to do two port-a-potty stops
· Garmin set on automatic 3 mile segments – reminder to eat & drink on each segment
· Narrow the range by setting a limit – I should not see the 180s or above: VI < 1.06
· Limit Barlow to 200W without falling over!
· Slow and steady to and up the first hills– 30 to 40 minutes - 155
· Cadence target above 83 unless climbing a hill!
· Increase in strength and watts as the ride goes on
· Mentally tough from hour 3 to hour 4……usually my zone out/lose focus period
· Make time between Barlow and Verona both loops but especially the 2nd loop.
Bike Nutrition
Calorie plan is right at 420 calories/hour. If cooler will eat more of the solid food and take fewer bottles early.
Start with one Gatorade Endurance one in front aero drink and one other bottle in the back
Aid stations: Pick up two Gatorade Endurance bottles everytime. Pick up water for cooling and cleaning purposed only. I may end up carrying 24 – 40 oz. I did not need to, but then if I miss a hand off, I will be OK. I can adjust as the race goes along but, based on training, I need to consume 9 to 12 bottles depending on the weather conditions. Keep track!
Rolling time: 6:20 plus or minus 10 mins. 6:30 if use port-a-potties
T2 –
· Ride up the Helix
· TAKE THE GARMIN OFF THE BIKE BEFORE HANDING THE BIKE TO A VOLUNTEER
· Give bike to the volunteer.
· Put Garmin back on wrist strap.
· End the Bike section and reset.
· Start T2 in Multi sport or Start run at end of transition
Take stock, perhaps get some water and a gel.
Do I have to pee? Then do so.
Get run transition bag
[Make sure I have a fresh change of socks on the run special needs bag if it will be rainy or way hot to avoid blisters]
· Put on new socks as necessary
· Put on shoes
· Put on race belt
· Leave or keep arm warmers (make a call)
· Grab zip lock bag with sunglasses, hat/visor, Race Saver bag, gel and contact case-with-sun-screen.
· Stop off to pee. [Eat a gel while peeing?]
· Put on hat and sunglasses
· Start Garmin as beginning of run sometime!
· Put on sunscreen as I go, put case in tri top for trash deposit later.
· [Eat a gel early on the run]
Work to 10:40 minute pace for the first 6 miles with Heart Rate of 127 – 132.
Run Nutrition
Walk through the aid stations for 20 – 30 paces (20 early in the race allowing myself 30 later)
· Drink Gatorade Endurance, 4 oz., at each aid station.
· Take a gel at every third aid station (~2x/hour), consume ½ per next two miles.
· This is about 360 calories/hour
· Take ice to fill the Race Saver bag. Take water and sponges as necessary.
After mile 6, pick it up to ~10:00 minute mile with HR rising from 132 to 138. 138 is the cap until the last 10K.
At Mile 18, high five Rich, take stock, and then do each Mile steady….Heart rate of 135 - 138 …
Now give myself freedom to trade coke or chicken broth for GE and to take one solid thing every other aid station - pretzels, banana, orange
At Mile 20, if I have it in me, move HR to 142 (Zone 3 when fatigued) and see what I can do from there. Bring it home.
Count the number of people I pass J.
Mental Game/One Thing
Dedicate each mile to a person after 18. Write them on my arm.
Alternate between narrow focus (pavement, manhole cover, tree) and broad focus (air temperature, light, people, sounds)
Alternate between physical focus (feet, legs, head) and mental focus (person, goals, feeling of finishing)
Finish
· Zip up, clean up, shoulders back and head up!
· High Five people in the chute
· Do not touch my Garmin during the photo!
· Finish smiling
Run of 4:37 plus or minus 15 minutes
Comments
Love the attention to detail. Good on ya for the notes on Mental Game/One Thing. Spend time reviewing that in your mind in the days before the race.
Scott, glad I got to meet you at CAMP. Really good plan with some well thought out details IMO.
What is the HR goal you are trying to get your heart rate down to out of T1 during the first ten miles or so of the bike?
What is the bike HR Cap for first half and for second half? In other words, if HR hits this level/cap, forget about the NP target until you get it back under control...
How does the estimated Bike avg HR compare to your Run HR target for first 6 miles of the run?
Carrying any back up salt pills for the bike or run?
See you next week bro!
SS
Shaughn, I look forward to seeing you again. Thanks for making me think through these things with your questions. Very helpful.
I want to keep my heart rate on the first six miles of the bike below 125 which has been my average heart rate on Long Rides this year. NP 155 should be very doable there.
The heart rate cap for the first half of the bike will be 132 and for the second half 142. That should stomp out any crazy out there! My average heart rate for IM Louisville in 2011 was 136. My long ride heart rates this year have been much lower, averaging 125. I said “Work to 10:40 minute pace for the first 6 miles with Heart Rate of 127 – 132.” Pretty sure that is where my average bike heart rate will be. I’ll pick the rate based on what I see as the average for the bike.
My bike nutrition plan calls for 3 S-caps. I’ll make sure they get written into the plan so I don’t forget!. I’ll carry some in a little waist pouch on the run too. Need to do the sodium calculation for my run nutrition plan. My bike plan will be ~1100mg/hour which I did in training. Didn’t keep track of run sodium in training but my nutrition plan is what I did in training – pretty heavy with GE which is loaded with sodium. I suppose keeping the same plan as training is best – I’ll go do the math and make sure I have S Caps to cover if I start to cramp or realize when I run the numbers that the run sodium is way lower than bike.
Chris – Look forward to seeing you again. Got it on the Road ID. Just habit to wear it but one less thing to think about and they’ll be looking at my wrist band anyway!
Ed – Look forward to seeing you again. Right before I let fly on the swim, I’ll be sure to check to make sure you are not back there!
Al – thanks for taking a look. I will review it all including the mental game on Saturday!