Fifth IM, First Written/Published Plan
Sorry this is late and long. Here we go:
Race Week
- Work on sleeping in
- Work on reducing coffee and alcohol
Wednesday:
- Finish packing. On road after Virginia's work. Drive to Franklin, TN.
Thursday:
- Get up and get moving for final drive.
- Good breakfast, & Easy Yoga
- Drive from Franklin to Chattanooga. Get there and get checked in.
- Packet pick up: Expo/race meeting/Check in
- Team dinner 6:00 at Blue Water Grille
- Begin to gather t1/t2 bags
- Visualize race plan/transitions
- early bed
Friday:
- There's a group swim planned for Friday, 9/23, at 8am. We're meeting on the north shore at Coolidge park by the blue rhino statue at the end of Tremont St. breakfast post swim
- Go over bike on Friday some time:
- Oil Chain & Clean
- New battery in Powertap and test
- 10:30 4 Keys talk
- Optional:
- Possible bike course recon-drive course if time, to show Virginia
- Lunch in Chicamagua with Matt, Lindsay and the kids?
- t1/2 bags, sn bags,
- Ice bag in T2 run out bag!!! Put in a go bag to sort out while running out. Ginger candy, Gu/Clif
- visualize race plan/transitions
- Early Bed
Saturday:
- Good breakfast & Easy Yoga
- Test power meter
- Set up bike bag to load bike (bottles, bento materials)
- finish any gear selections for t1/2 bags based on weather
- Bike check in middle of day
- Hydrate but don't over do it (SIPE)
- Set up breakfast
- off feet till dinner at 5
- post dinner visualize race plan
- lights out 9:00
Special Needs Bike:
tube, Flat Ginger ale?, more Gu/Cliff
Special Needs Run: dry socks in case, Gu/Cliff, Ginger candy
Sunday: RACE MORNING
- Up at 3:30 grateful for the day and support of Virginia!!!
- Eat immediately: Oatmeal, applesauce, banana, Gatorade, salt
- dress in kit with lube , lots of sunblock, hr strap, chip pinned, warm clothes if cold
- take morning clothes bag which will have nutrition, swim skin, goggles, swim cap, 2x gel for start
- Leave for t1 at 5:20
- Pump tires to 105, start Wahoo (auto off disabled, no light), shoes on bike, G2E and water as usual, full bento w/salt and water in xlab, tylenol, tums,cifbloks in bento, sleeves if needed on aerobars. Make sure bottles are open and unsealed (look for fluid to flow). Don't overfill the Aero.
Swim: As it comes (don't lose the race here. SIPE)
- Warm up with jog SIPE
- Pre fit/wet goggles. Wear them a while to warm up rubber for fit.
- Continue to warm up SIPE
- Deep breaths. The God of all hope…
- Start looking for less crowded water…go EASY 200y. Find my rhythm and calm breathing, settle into stroke focusing on high elbow catch on the left, finishing all the way. Swim in channel with flow.
T1: 6-10’ get speed suit stripped if needed, walk first out of water then jog/trot. Grab a drink or 2 (you are probably down 24 oz or more by now). Smooth. No unnecessary moves. Grab bag, put on any required extra layers (jersey, make sure you are comfortable in cool weather!), grab helmet and go. Trot out to the mount line and get feet in shoes (rubber banded to bike).
Bike:
Ride smart Overall!. Smooth. God of all hope…
First 15-20 miles to DG: get HR down (125-135), goal watts mid-140's. Bucket-o-chicken ride…all day effort. Get another G2 plus fluids in you by 20'. Then start the 30' cycle for eating. Watch HR and RPE, how the legs “feel” aka heavy, snappy, and being very smart regarding traffic, the first early miles. Stay in my box. Once to the Dollar General Target watts at of 155 (+3 if feel good, -5 if not). Watch for watts fall off and SIPE signs. Don't try to hit on the higher side early. Remember its rollers to Hog Jowl. You know how to ride those…even effort/watts. Cheer for others as they pass (especially in your AG). Remember that every hour you need +/- 48 oz of fluid, one G2E and one water minimum (depending on weather as day heats). Fluids have been the ticket to success since Chattanooga camp. KEEP HYDRATED. Pee once per loop. PLUS salt as needed. Hog Jowl then turn and use that 30+MPH (smart, watch the watts and right side of the lane for bad pavement) you've been using. Don't waste a downhill! Don't get wasted on an uphill. Lap 2 at Dollar General. Rinse and repeat. Ride SMART on the rollers to Hog Jowl and Powerful after Hog Jowl. Leave shoes on bike but DON’T BE STUPID.
T2: +/-4:00 dismount, hand off bike and trot to bags, in change room put socks, shoes on, grab go bag (visor, race belt with salt clifblock, caff gel, ice bag, ) and out. Smooth. God of all hope… Oh, and drink a bottle…USE YOUR STOMACH AS A BOTTLE. 16oz/mile target for as long as you can take it.
Run: Set up the run on HR in the 120's for an hour or so (low 130's ok too, listen to your body -- oh, and no coughing blood dummy). Smooth and easy. Run with Virginia at all day pace. This run is really about being smart and steady for the long haul, running aid to aid. I walk every aid station to get 16oz in (MAP out mileage to aid stations and when to GU/Clif/Salt). Water and Gatorade as needed. I will use the race saver bag for cooling if it’s hot. When you get to the bridge, you know what to do on hills. You trained on them. Gut? slow down/coke/ginger candy. Smile wide at the finish!!!!
Comments
Pat, it looks like a solid plan. I have one question though, you say 16 oz. of fluids per mile, that seems like a lot actually way to much to me. What is your run pace? If it's 10 minutes per mile or faster then you're going to be drinking 64 oz plus per hour. Your bike target is 48 oz per hour and it's easier, for me at least, to take in fluids on the bike. Have you practiced drinking that much on the run?
Have fun out there and race strong.
Looks like a great plan! From seeing your Strava feeds, I know you're ready! Looking forward to racing with you.
Two additional suggestions ... both related to starting off super slow given the previous incident: 1) on the swim go easy for longer than 200 yards. take your time getting into a rhythm. maybe go as long as 10 minutes at a "stoopid slow" pace. if your breathing gets too rushed pull off to the side and rest for 30 seconds; 2) on the bike also watch speed to ensure you're going slow enough in the early miles. if you feel great but your speed shows 22 mph ... back it way down ... super-size that bucket of chicken
Pat,
Look at what Mark mentioned regarding 16 oz of fluid per mile......seems like too much and could caused bloating and issues....
What is your HR CAP for the bike? If your bike avg HR is in the 130s, it will be unlikely you can get that HR into the 120s on the run leg during first 6 miles........Will be work to get the HR down to and leveling off in the 130s.....that should be your goal, especially if it warm out there.......
Bike special needs bag, consider adding a C02 along with that tube you mentioned.
I know you have put in the work and I have enjoyed sharing the Strava feed with you this year.
Wishing you great skill and execution bro!
SS
@All, Regarding fluid intake that's worst case for my 5am runs from home in the hills with 75-82 degree temperature and dew points within 2 degrees of that (can be very humid here in AR in the summer). I weigh myself before/after each run and consider the fluid I've taken in. Practice took a while but I can get most of it in now without being bloated or sloshing. To give you an example, from the sweat on the worst days, my shoes are squeaking by about mile 5-6 from sweat (days w/o ice melt). If I take a more casual approach to hydration on an 8-12 miler I have come up as much as 3-4 lbs light and really wasted. So drowning myself as much as possible has led to some very good long runs. As summer goes away, the lower dew points give me much more latitude, plus an ice bag in the pants helps a lot too. The ticket for me that I think I've figured out this year is to super hydrate on the bike and even after the swim. Bottom line, I can get most if not all of the 16 in if needed.
@Shaughn, distribution of HR in the zones on the bike generally is in 120's to low 130's for this type IM watts of effort. I ran the first time at the August Chattanooga camp with the HR off the bike advice and was easily able to manage this (it was a pedestrian pace). The hills will bump it up some, but we have more aggressive hills here and I've been training in them more than on the flats. Candidly I have not thought in terms of an HR Cap on the bike (riding w/power). Did I answer your question? I'm not sure entirely.
@Paul, you can count on the easy start to the swim! No more coughing blood for me!