Mark M's Kona Race Plan
I’ve arrived on the Big Island, gotten to swim on the course, put the bike back together and gone out for a couple of rides, and ran in the heat and the sun, so I guess it’s time to write out my race plan. (This is the 25,000 foot level. I still have to work out the fine details of timing after I talk to some folks about parking, scope out the pier, and determine what it takes to move around on race morning. Any insights are very much welcome.)
This is my first time racing at Kona and I must say that I have to keep pinching myself to make sure I’m really here. This will be my 8th IM but I’m treating it like my first. However, I’ll take the experience from the first 7 into the race and apply it throughout the day. My goals are pretty simple, finish with a smile on my face and gratitude in my heart. Only about 2% of the folks who do an Ironman each year get to race here and I’ve very privileged to be here. I’m also very privileged to have the resources to be here. Both of those things are very humbling.
Since I qualified at IM CDA less than 7 weeks ago the time between then and now has been mostly about recovery. I had a lot of deferred maintenance to do at home and at work so that has also impacted the amount of training I’ve been able to do since CDA. I did get a pretty good block of training in while in North Carolina and the heat there was a bonus. Running and biking during mid-day in the full sun with a heat index of 100+ was a good confidence boost. I did a race rehearsal two weeks out that went well followed by a long run the next day. I’ll have to rely on execution instead of fitness for this endeavor.
The Swim
When I was out swimming on the course yesterday I was reminded of a conversation I had with someone with his experience at the swim. He said he kept getting distracted by the clear water and the fish below him. It is so true. It was like a snorkeling trip being out there. I’ll try to keep that to a minimum, but given my goals I’m not going to ignore it either. It’s pretty special. I discussed how to approach the swim with Coach P yesterday on site so I’m going to line up on the left side, swim at a good pace but in control with good form, veer to the left and stay with the pack at the turn to come back in, and go to 4 strokes per breath if my form starts to fall apart.
T1
Exit the swim and get my land legs back. Unzip my swim skin and take a couple of seconds to rinse off. Grab some water and rinse out my mouth (before or after changing tent?) and drink some as well. EN top on, cool wings on, shoes on, sunglasses and helmet on, hand swim skin, goggles and cap to volunteer to put into the bag and head out the door. Grab bike and jog to mount line. Coach P already warned me that the pier will be pretty empty by the time I get out of the water so hopefully the chute won’t be too chaotic.
The Bike
Get on the bike and start taking in fluids and eating as soon as possible. I’ve swam in big lakes with swells before and that hasn’t bothered my stomach, but the salt water is a bit of an unknown for this length of swim. Take it easy, keep alert, get my HR down, and eat and drink will be the standard operating procedure until I get out to the Queen K. Once out there I’m tucked into an aero position and watching the power meter. At CDA my NP was 152 for the bike. I’m aiming for the same here. The bike is to set up the run. Since it’s likely that there will be a lot of folks in front of me I’ll used legal drafting to sling shot me forward. I’ll also use my bike handling skills to take advantage of the downhills. I’m going to try to watch others in front of me as much as possible to detect strong cross winds so that I can be in a position to avoid being too close to others in those areas. (i.e., I don’t want be passing someone and have them get blown into me or vis-versa.) I’m going to drink at least one bottle of Skratch between each aid station and more if I haven’t peed in the first 1/3 of the bike. One bar per hour for the first two hours and then switch to gels and clifshots. I’ll have a bottle of concentrated Skratch drink (6 bottles in one) that I’ll use to refill the BTA bottle and I’ll have another bottle of concentrate in the special needs bag. I’ll drink GE occasionally and water as well but I’ll mostly use the water for diluting the Skratch and to cool myself down. 1 salt tab per hour. I’ll have crystallized ginger and peppermint tums in the bento box for a change in taste later in the ride. Look up occasionally and take in the view, smile, remember how lucky I am to be here, thank the volunteers, look at the bike tags and call out others by name as I or they pass me (probably when grinding up the hills), and have fun. Remember how privileged I am.
T2
Take feet out of shoes, flying dismount, and hand bike off to volunteer. Grab bag and head to changing tent. Helmet off, change sunglasses to transitions, socks on, shoes on, hand bike stuff to volunteer to bag up, grab go bag and head out the door. Go bag includes race belt, hat, margarita clifshots, base salt vial, chap stick and sunscreen.
The Run
Put on race belt and hat first thing. Put shots, salt and chap stick into my pockets. Apply sunscreen while moving. Ditch bag and sunscreen at the first trash receptacle. Slow down! Don’t let my old bike racing instincts of having to chase everyone down take over. There will be time for that in the last couple miles. It’s going to be hot so take it easy. 10:00 minute/mile pace or mid 120s HR for the first 6 miles. Everyone talks about the wind on the bike, but when I was running on the Queen K yesterday into a headwind my heartrate spiked and my pace went way down. When I turned the corner and the wind was at my side my pace quickened by 2 minutes. Thus I’ll be aware of that on the course and draft on the run where possible. Walk through each aid station and take on GE and water. Fill up race saver bag and apply ice where needed. Pack ice under arm pits. Execute full heat management mode. 1 cliffshot per mile. Gel every 4 miles for as long as possible. Red bull or cola as needed. Smile. Thank the volunteers, their job is harder than what you’re going through. Have a cookie or two maybe some pretzels. Monitor everything. Do whatever is necessary to keep moving forward. Remember it’s all about process and execution. Grab bottle with Skratch powder at special needs and fill with ice and cold water. Drink while it’s cold. Eat ginger or a peppermint tums or two to help stomach and reengage the brain. Smile some more. Thank the island Gods for the sinking sun. Pick up the pace as the air cools.
When I hit Palani I’ll turn the corner and start the downhill to the finish. Take off my headlamp (which was in my SNB) and stash them in my pockets. Prepare for elation! When I see the final chute I’ll raise my arms to pump up the crowd and then hold out my hands for high fives. I do want to hear Mike Riley say “You are an Ironman!” this time.
I know this plan is lacking in a lot of specific details. Some of that is intentional and some is that I don’t really want to take the time to document like the bike set up, the computer screens, the day to day details between now and then, but I have my checklists and will follow them. Maybe part of that is being on the island and being laid back. If so, I’ll take it as a sign that I’m becoming one with the place. The other part is a fundamental part of my being and nature. I want to be in the here and now and that means being fluid and not being too tied with my desired outcomes. I want to face the day and flow with it so that the island doesn’t feel like it has to smack me down. Miranda Carfree mentioned that in the latest edition of Lava magazine. If she has to be humble on the island then I should learn from that. She has way more experience here than me.
Thanks for reading. Any and all comments or suggestions are very much welcomed.
Comments
Nice plan Mark...enjoy the day. Nothing like coming down Alii' Drive to the finish.
A few of thoughts: 1) You'll be surrounded by many great triathletes on the course. Don't expect that you will be able to keep up with all of them or "sling shot" around many of them - the field is just too special. Just ride your watts and chat them up, especially on the climb to Hawi. Both times I've done the race, I got into a conversation with another racer on that climb - where you from, where'd you qualify, how you feeling, etc. Made the day more fun. 2) you'll likely encounter a strong headwind the last 30 miles on the bike. It is imperative to stay aero here or you will really suffer. 3) the run is about heat management. Do everything you can to keep your core temp down.
Good luck and enjoy the day!!
Hope you are enjoying your well earned time at the Big Island Mark!
Curious as to what your cal/hour goals on the bike are as well as your HR target for the first miles of the bike? HR Bike CAP? HR might be a useful metric to combine with that NP target given he heat/humidity KONA can bring.
Wishing you great skill and solid execution for the BIG Day!
SS
- Heavy seas expected. Ride the swells, and don't worry if you can't see buoys each time you look.
- prediction of a tailwind @ Waikoloa on the way back. Don't count on it, but use it if it's there. Downside...18 mph tailwind means no cooling breeze on your face. Drink more!
- don't count on feeling cooler as the sun goes down, especially if you're in the Energy Lab.
Embrace the hype
I was wondering about having your head lamp in RSN? The athlete guide says (in bold caps), ONLY FOOD ITEMS WILL BE ACCEPTED. I think this is something new, but was planning on putting my headlamp in T2 bag. Looking forward to seeing you out there! (I'll be going the other way!)
@ Shaughn, ~350 per hour on the calories and ~120 for the heart rate target. Max HR 130ish for the bike. I'll start in the mid 120's for the run and ramp up to the mid 130's as it progresses. The last couple of miles may be in the 140's but I won't care by then.
@ Al, So noted on the waves and coolness. That's what the winds have been doing for the last couple of days. Wednesday I was out riding and was doing 34-35 mph on the false flat by Wiakoloa resort at <140 watts. Sweet!. But it didn't last. I crested the hill south of here and it went to a cross wind and then a head wind going up to the scenic overlook. I was at 170 watts, my cap, and doing ~10 mph. The island giveth and the island taketh away. I haven't been on the island long enough to figure out the winds except to say they're variable. As I was thinking about it today in the shower an old Shaker song came to me. <br />
Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shall not be ashamed,
To turn, to turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.
Or to put it another way, I think I'll have to be the water flowing around the rock tomorrow. I have a feeling that anytime I think that things are going really well that the conditions will change and I'll have to adapt. The words for tomorrow are pay attention, process, and execute.
At Carole, you probably saw my reply to Jenn on the Grouptalk, but you can put small non-food items in the "food" bags. They just said not to put anything valuable in there because if you don't pick it up it ain't coming back.
Thanks for the comments. It's getting real. Maybe some tunes from Peter Gabriel, will i am, and The Boss are appropriate.