Cicely's IMChoo First Ever Race Plan
Cicely’s 2016 Ironman Chattanooga Race Plan
I am open to any and all comments, suggestions, and feedback--this is my first race plan for a tri...ever. Thanks!
This is my second IM. I did IM Florida in 2008 and the goal was to finish (14:47). I had no idea what I was doing. Stats: Age: 34, 5’11”, 145 lbs.; FTP 177 (last test was mid-July). Zone 1 run pace 9:37. Been with EN since May.
RACE WEEK (Paying attention to water intake—at least 3 liters per day and simple carbs—yay! Stop drinking Green Smoothies by Thursday). Surround myself with positivity. I have never trained this hard for something in my life—EN has definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone. I am not nervous. I am ready to execute and see what I am capable of.
Monday – Wednesday: Complete workouts per training plan; begin packing Tuesday night. Complete checklist and final shopping and packing Wednesday night.
Thursday
No workout. Depart for Chattanooga after work by 5pm. Drive approximately 3 hours and stop at Hampton Inn in Montgomery (room already reserved)—In bed by 9pm.
Friday
Up and back on the road by 6am. Arrive in Chattanooga by 9:30 am—go straight to athlete check-in. 10:30 - EN 4 Keys Talk @ Doubletree Hotel. 12:00 – Lunch. Drive bike course (10 mile bike recon if I feel up to it). Check in to hotel @ 3pm. Drive run course. 6:00 - Opening Ceremony/Dinner. Organize Bags back at hotel and in bed by 8pm.
Saturday
Sleep in. Go out and have a big breakfast—eggs, pancakes, OJ, grits. Recon swim and transition areas. Drop off bike and gear bags. 12:00 - Moderate Lunch. Go back to hotel and rest. Lay out race clothes/morning clothes and double check Special Needs Bags. 5:00pm - Light Dinner. Charge Garmin 910 and set up multisport option. Prepare 2 PB&Js for BSN bag, and 3 bottles of orange GE (1bottle for pre-race and 2 to start with on bike). Review race plan. In bed by 8pm.
Bags:
Morning Clothes Bag: Swim Skin, body glide, goggles (x2), race swim cap, 1-Gel, bottle of GE
T1 Bag: Helmet w/shield, bike shoes, arm coolers, Aussie bites, small packet of Hoo-Ha Cream
T2 Bag: running shoes, socks, large Ziploc/Go Bag: visor, race belt w/ bib and 4 Gels
Bike Special Needs: 2 PB&Js
Run Special Needs: Body glide/chamois cream, change of socks
Sunday – RACE DAY!
4:00 - Wake up—drink 2 cups of water. 4:15 - Eat: English tea with 2 tsp sugar, 2 blueberry bagels with organic peanut butter and strawberry jam, banana (Bring another bagel with me just in case I’m hungry while waiting for swim start). Get Dressed: Pro Cycle Castelli Tri Kit, Hoo-Ha Cream, Garmin on wrist, timing Chip. Leave for Transition by 5 am. Set up bike – 2 bottles of orange GE, tape 9 gels to bike in order (alternating caffeine, no caffeine), check gearing, air up tires, check brakes for rubbing, Turn on/sync/turn off Garmin 910. Body marking. Drop off Special Needs Bags. Bus to swim start and then line up. Swim skin on over tri suit at 7:15. Cap will be over goggles. At 7:20 take 1 Gel with GE.
Swim (1:10-1:15 depending on current) -7:30 start time/rolling. Start slow and easy, head down, relax. Focus on form, sight every 15 strokes.
T1 (5 or less)
Walk 10 – 20 steps out of the water, then jog to TA while removing top of Swimskin. Swim skin off, Cap/goggles off, shoes on, helmet on, arm coolers on, stuff Aussie bites in shirt pocket, reapply hoo-ha cream.
Bike (5:30-5:45) Only been training with power. Take a gel and drink GE as soon as I feel I can safely on the bike. Autolap every 5 miles—drink 2 good sips of GE. 1 gel every 45 min. 1.5 bottles of GE per hour, PB&J at special needs, and Aussie bites every 20 miles. Pick up more GE on course. Pick up water to cool self—only drink if feeling hot. First 30 min. power target is 124—don’t go over 200 on any hills, stay in the seat and use my gears. Watts 137 to mile 80. Take watts to 145 for remainder. Eat one more gel before getting off bike.
T2 (5 or less)
Unclip and dismount at line; hand off bike. Shoes/Helmet off while running to TA; Put on socks/running shoes, grab Go Bag containing visor, race belt with number, 4 Gels. Thinking to myself, “You are warmed up now—time to RUN a marathon.
Run (4:30-4:45, depending on Temps)
Miles 1-6.5: Z1+30 seconds, no faster than 9:37 (prepared to walk 20-30 steps on steep hills). My box will be 4 miles from here. Pace will be as close to 8:57 to the line (mile 18)—prepared to stay in zone 1 if fatigued. Walk 10-20 steps at each aid station. Water on head and arms, drink GE, take Gel and stuff in sports bra, ice in bra as well. Gel every 4 miles. If needed, drink Coke after mile 18. Begin to quicken cadence and drop pace to 8:45 to mile 22. Drop to 8:30 to mile 25. Finish with whatever I have left. Hand’s up and cross the finish line with a smile.
Comments
Cicely...Overall, a well thought out plan. Love the detail you put into it. A few thoughts for your consideration: 1) Friday looks to be a very busy day on your schedule. You may want to skip the opening ceremony to rest, 2) if your FTP is 177, your target watts for the bike are too high. You mention a target of 137 for 80 miles and this is 77% IF (137/177) which is too high for an IM if you want a good run. And I sure wouldn't ride at an IF of 82% (145/177) for last 36 miles. EN racing guidelines suggest an IF of 70-72% for an IM in order to have a good run. This means a target watts of 124 to 127 average for the entire ride. That may seem low to you but you want to still be running (not walking) the last 10 miles, and if you go to hard on the bike you will be cooked and will end up walking most of the marathon. You may want to check with Coach Rich about this, but I'm virtually certain he will agree with me. 3) if you're Z1 pace is 9:37, it will be very difficult to drop your run pace below 9:00 at the end (especially if you over cook the bike). I'd keep your pace at Z1 until you get to mile 18 then see how you're are feeling. You want to be able to run the entire way (except inside aid stations) even if it is all the way at Z1 pace. You'll be amazed how many people you'll pass in the last 8 miles running @ 9:37 pace while they are walking, 4) good idea to stuff ice in bra as it will keep your core body temp down.
Hope this helps. See you in Chattanooga.
Bruce is right about your power and pace plans. Don't worry about time. I think it would take 175 watts to push 144lbs to a 5:30 split over those 116 miles. So, obsess with process, not time goals. Same on the run: sub-9 pace = a sub-4hr marathon, and not many females will run sub-4 on that really tough run course. Do you have HR data for the run? You simply can't let that HR get too high early in the run.
Other quick thoughts:
I don't like the no-workouts on Thur and Fri, with just a swim on Sat. That's a recipe for staleness, at least for me. Try to get 20 min of trainer riding and running Thur morning before work. And at least a little jog on Fri and/or Sat.
Get some salt into your breakfast. Sports drink instead of water. And salt-up on Saturday. Go low-residue diet starting no later than Friday. Do NOT bring a bagel to eat right before the swim if you feel hungry. There's a reason we eat at 3:30am. Sipping Gatorade until 6:30am will keep hunger at bay, gel + water at 7:15. No "eating" after the early breakfast.
9 gels + Aussie Bites + 2 PBJs + 1.5 bottles of GE/hour = disaster. That's literally 2x or 3x too many calories. Your "run" will be a stroll between porto stops. At 144lbs, your stomach can't digest more than 60-70 grams of carb/hour. The GE alone will almost get you there. Add no more than one gel per hour, with the last one no later than Mile 100. Finish the bike with a calm, mostly empty stomach. Forever banish the idea of PBJ, especially during the second half.
Overeating and over-powering on the bike are the two biggest mistakes people make, so you're in good company. But with a few tweaks, you can fix it before race day.
Best of luck. And enjoy the experience.
Mike
Mike and Bruce have nailed it and given you golden guidance.
Mike and I both did IMFL last year. It was unusually warm and humid causing both hydration and sodium requirements to be on the high end of IM racing. Additionally, that kind of heat/humidity can cause you to come off of your RR targeted watts in order to keep your HR and RPE in a good place throughout the day as the cumulative fatigue wears on.
Think about that and if the RPE is feeling like work at any point in the first half of this race, do not enslave yourself to a power number alone.
The warmer it is, the more problems you will have trying to digest solids, period.
Wish you great skill and execution out there!
SS
Thanks, Shaughn! I'm glad EN makes us do this. I really have been doing more research and rechecking and rechecking. I really feel like I am going to be so prepared. Thank you to everyone for the feedback!!!
Question: Should I remove my rear seat double bottle cages for the race and just use my torpedo and the cage between my legs? I really only need to carry 1 bottle of GE and 1 bottle of water. Thanks!
Hi Cicely,
Sound like a plan!
On a side note :The ice in the bra. I'm taking a plastic bag to put the ice in. On a hot day I use a lot of ice and after it melts my feet get wet . I will never do that again.
See you out there!
Thanks, Yvette! I will add an extra baggie to hold the ice! Great idea!
oh good idea with the plastic bag. i will do the same!
Great plan! Very smart veteran IMers gave some valuable advice...good for every to read. I have nothing to add other than you sound ready to crush it! See you in a few days.
If the forecast is for hot, humid conditions, you might want to leave the double cage on. This is so you have a place to put a 2nd bottle of water to use to pour on yourself to help stay cool. Drink from the torpedo bottle and cage bottle, and use the behind the seat bottle to cool off with.