Gary Lewis IMAZ2016 Race Plan
Gary’s IMAZ Race Plan 11/20/2016
FACTS:
FTP: 181
VDOT: 31
WEIGHT: 165 LBS 2.42 w/kg
Since this is my first IM and I am more or less participating I only have personal goals. First, to hear Mike Reilly announce I am an Ironman. Second, to try to “have fun” and soak up the MOJO that the crowd and my support crew dishes out. Third would be to finish around 15:00. That would mean everything went according to plan and I executed to the best of my ability. My racing self owes it to my training self. I know I still have some more details to fill in, but any critique will be appreciated. Sorry for the length.
SWIM ~1:30
I’m not planning on wearing my Fenix2 on the swim. My swim time won’t be influenced by time and I want to make sure the battery is charged for the run. I will swim in my Xterra wetsuit with two swim caps and tinted goggles. TTL Is so murky you can’t see under water and the tinted lenses will help with the sun in my eyes. Won’t really care what the time is on the clock when I get out as it is just the beginning of the day and won’t affect anything. Try to swim steady, relaxed, visualize rotation and climbing the ladder, then swim some more until it is over. Focus on stroke. I don’t count them, with my ADD that adds too much non productive thought.Get out at stairs, pull off cap and goggles along with taking arms out. Leave goggles and cap inside sleeve. Find a wetsuit stripper to get the rest off. Jog to T1
T1
There is no Beer and Pizza here. No sense messing around. Get T1 bag, put on Rudy Wing57 helmet with sunshade, arm warmers that are rolled up, shoes, no socks. Use Betsy’s tip about plastic bag warmer under shirt. Put wetsuit, cap and goggles in bag. Put energy bars in Kit pockets, jog/walk bike to mount line and get on bike.
BIKE ~7:00
I do not plan to have multiple “gears” on the bike. My first gear of NP is supposed to be 127. I plan to “eat Bucket of Chicken” the first miles until reaching the Beeline or farther depending upon HR. I would like HR to be down to 120. Ride the bike closely monitoring my Garmin 520. It will be set to lap every 3 miles and I will try to keep steady power at 130, which should give me a NP of 127 for the whole ride. 520 will be set to remind me each 30 minutes to eat. Eat half of a bar at 30 min and drink concentrated Infinit at 60 min, each hour. Drink water after each drink of Infint to water it down in my stomach. Drink one bottle of water per hour. I will have xlab torpedo BTB with water and one water bottle and one Infinit bottle in rear cages. Stop as necessary to refill water. Stop at Special needs on second lap to exchange Infinit bottle and get more bars. Spend last couple of miles sitting up, stretching neck and letting HR descend. Stop at dismount line, get off bike, jog/walk bike to T2
T2
No Beer or Pizza here either.
Remove helmet and shoes, give to volunteer and thank them. Remove Quarq Qollector from bike and put in race belt. Put on race belt, socks, shoes, glasses, hat and take go bag. Grab water bottle and pop 2 Advil and gel. Start watch for run.
Run ~6:00
Utilize run/walk to keep HR below 150 for the first few miles. Eat one gel every 4-5 miles. Walking the aid stations and getting water at each one. Try to keep focused on form so I don’t heel strike. Challenge to run entire 26.2. Its OK to walk if necessary, but must be brisk. Run the last .5 miles no matter how I feel. Cross the finish line and soak it all in.
BAGS
T1 BAG marked with fluorescent green duct tape and numbers on it
Small towel
Helmet
Base Salt
BIKE SPECIAL NEEDS BAG
1 Bottle of Infinit
1 extra tube
1 extra CO2
Three bars
Chamois cream
T2 BAG marked with fluorescent green duct tape and race number on it
Socks in each shoe and rolled for easy entry
Hoka Clifton2 shoes
Go bag (clear zip-lock) inside T2 bag:
Fenix2 Watch
Hat
Race belt with number
Advil 800mg in plastic pill container to put in shorts pocket
Sunglasses
BaseSalt
RUN SPECIAL NEEDS :
Extra pair of socks
Things to take to morning start:
Bike pump
Plastic bag with warmers.
Shoe covers with warmers in toes.
Bottle electrolyte water to sip.
Baby wipes anad TP in zip-lock bag
24oz bottle for bike Infinit in rear cage
24oz bottle electrolyte water in rear cage
16oz disposable bottle of water for aero bar.
Light jacket
Pam spray can for wetsuit
Throw away pair of socks
MORNING RACE BAG
IM Swim cap and extra for underneath to keep head warm
Aquashpere tinted swim goggles
RACE MORNING
3:30am Wake up, Apply sunscreen, Glide, put on HRR, race kit and warm clothes.
Make bagel with Almond butter. Make and drink 2 cups of coffee. Hopefully use the RR to lighten the load before leaving house. Take hard boiled eggs, banana and electrolyte water, jump in truck and drive to Tempe. 5:00am Walk to Start.
5:30am Body marking.
5:40am Transition: Pump up tires. Confirm chain on smallest gear. Add bottles to rear, fill aero bottle. Turn on Garmin Edge and calibrate with Quarq.
Make sure fluorescent green duct tape can be seen when bag is on the ground. Do not “tie” the bags.
5:45am Sit with Ronda along canal. Give Ronda phone and set up Qollector and post link for friends., Visualize a smooth day.
6:20am Put on wetsuit. Googles under one cap to help prevent them from getting knocked off. Put IM cap on over that.6:30am Head over to water entry.
6:45am Line up just behind the 1.5 hr sign
GO
Comments
@ Gary...Nice plan. Lots of detail. This doesn't look like the plan of a 1st timer.
A few thoughts: 1) you might want to consider a practice swim on Saturday. The purpose is really to get a feel for how to exit the water. If I recall from 2014, you have to swim right up to the exit ramp and sit on the bottom step which is still underwater.. Then stand up. It is kinda trickey. 2)if the temp is cold, consider putting socks on or toe covers for your bike shoes. 3) I'd suggest Tylenol instead of Advil for pain relief as ibuprophen messes with your liver 4) I don't see any reference to your "one thing". You will need it about mile 20 on the run. It will be dark by then and you'll need it to keep going.
@BT, I have raced TempeTri a few times, I assume the stairs are the same. There is an opportunity next Thursday to swim the full distance with timing, so I'm going to use that as a race rehearsal. Does anyone use wetsuit booties?
For biking, I had planned to use shoe covers with a camping hand warmer inside the cover (Betsy trick). My shoes are most comfortable without socks. I don't like cold, so its going to be a little rough in the beginning no matter how I slice it. This has been a serious consideration all the way around. Thought about even taking a jacket on the bike and disposing it when I warm up. I'll probably put it in T1 bag, just in case.
Tylenol is good, I always use the term Advil, so thanks for the reminder. I will most likely need my one thing, long before then, so I have a couple in my mind.
I tried to include as much info as possible, from reading other reports. I've been studying and reading all of this for the past year hoping to absorb as much as possible from all of the ninjas out there. Thanks for the critique.
when things get hard, remember to smile
nice plan, see u in Tempe
didn't know there was a swim RR on thursday. Any other team members interested? I am.
The other thing that I want to call out is your plan to use tinted swim goggles. I wore tinted goggles last year and it turned out to be a real problem for me. With the 6:50 start time and the cloud cover last year and my tinted goggles, I swam most of the way out in near total darkness! I plan to have both tinted and clear goggles and I'll make a last minute decision on which to wear. With you planning to start with the 1:50 group and the weather forecast to be clear it may not be an issue. I just know that I was wishing for a pair of clear goggles last year as I jumped into the water.
Again, great plan! Good luck with the RR this weekend and I'll see you in a couple of weeks.
Only one thing, is did you think on how to react if things derailled ?
Also, dont know if you use a PM and changed the battery lastly ?
and... dont forget the team dinner
looking forward to meet you on race week !
@FP, what should I have in there that plans for derailment? Stay calm, in my box, deal with it - kind of my nature. Did I mention I am a Scoutmaster of a Boy Scout Troop? :-) Good call on the PM battery, have never changed it, its probably time.
@Everyone - Thanks for your help on everything. Without the team, I'd never get through this, or even attempt it.
Gary, I am excited to see you going after your first IM finish!
You are surrounded by seasoned veterans going in! Hard to place a value on that alone.
Looks like you have a really good plan documented below. Bruce highlights some key points, what is your One Thing? When things get dark, and they will, what are you going to call upon to keep things moving forward? For example, in my case, I usually have kids watching, and I tell myself, there is no way, no matter how bad I feel, I am going to let them see their dad do anything other than move forward, no matter what the situation becomes.....everyone has a different cause/One thing to call upon.....just make sure you have one that is well defined, ready and waiting for those dark times.....
Clark gives veteran advice on HR management. Do whatever it takes in those early miles to keep that HR capped at your bike HR average. Doesn't matter what everyone is doing or not doing, patience and smart execution in those first 6 miles will pay big dividends later in the day as you approach your dark period and lean on your One Thing along with the EN veterans racing with you.
Consider adding a banana to your go bag and eating that as you walk out of T2 during that first mile. This will most likely be the last time for solid food over the next 4 -5 hours.....
Lean on that veteran IMAZ crew, they are frankly the best of the best and their wisdom will get you across that finish line.
Remember, there is only one time to cross the finish line for the first time. Enjoy it, savor it, be thankful for how lucky you are to do these things and remember all those that played a part in getting you there!
SS