Home› Racing Forum 🏎

DR's IM AZ Racing plan

Comments

  • Francis PicardFrancis Picard
    Thursday : yes let's have dinner all together, I am also plannning on riding the beeline, swim and run. We can do it all together If you want.

    See you next week ! nothing to add other than wishing you a nice comeback image
  • tim cronktim cronk
    David I know one of your biggest concerns is being cold in the swim and early on the bike. Its still a long way out from race day but the weather forecast is pretty good. Around here they get the weather pretty accurate 10 days out (not like NH where they cant even get it right 10 hrs out)..... The overnight lows from now until race day are mid 50's and the days highs are mid 70's/ mid 80's... IMO that will keep the water temps quite comfortable. You will be there early enough to judge a few mornings yourself but my feeling is it will be warmer than you think it will be... One swim cap , no booties, and no ears plugs should be fine... I'd also consider wearing kit under wetsuit and minimal clothes if any on that in T1.... Again judge for yourself when you get here... Look forward to meeting you on friday.
  • Mike RobertsMike Roberts
    @DR,



    Nice plan.  Wish I were there to race with you or cheer you on.  The year I did this race it was unusually chilly, water was 59F and the first hour of the bike was cold.  Still, I swam with one cap, trisuit under wetsuit, rode with only my trisuit (not even arm warmers), and the only things that were cold the first part of the bike were hands and toes.  The current forecast looks far better, so you probably don't need to go full polar bear for the ride.  My advice: go practice swim in the "lake" on Thursday or Friday.  When you're done swimming, just bob in the water until you get pretty cold, then exit and go ride your bike for 5 miles.  It may not replicate race morning, but it should give you some valuable feedback.



    T1: I hate just about everything about your plan, other than the fact that you do plan to eventually leave the tent. I would much rather see you soft-pedal the swim (1:10), blitz the transition, then use all that saved energy to ride a bitter harder.




    Keys for the bike, IMO, are relentlessly steady watts (1.01 VI) and ninja nutrition/hydration.  It's an easy bike that doesn't require a lot of mental focus to make turns, climb, descend, etc., so use all that focus on your internal processing.  You don't mention what you're drinking or doing for sodium on the bike, but hopefully it's a good plan.



    T2: leave your shoes on the bike - it's a short jog to the tent.  If your bike shoes are dry, don't change them before the run (if it ain't broke, don't fix it).

    Run: the only way a major negative split happens, like you plan below, is if you run way too easy and leave lots of time on the table:

    1-10k in 59’ (5’54s/km)

    11-20k in 58’ (5’48s/km)

    21-30km in 57’ (5’42s/km)

    31-40km in 55’ (5’30s/km)

    Last 2km: run like I stole something

    Instead, if it were me, I would run the first 10k at about the average HR I saw on the last hour of the bike or, if I wasn't paying attention, about 5 beats below my average long run HR, or about 5 beats below the top of my Zone 2.  It turns out for me, my average long run HR is 145, the top of my Zone 2 is 145, and I tend to ride the last hour of 112 right around 140 - so all the stars line up for me and make things easy.  After that first 10k, I would move to my 145 and do everything in my powers to stay there for the next 20k.  Which will get difficult towards the end, but do everything you can to not let that HR drop.  The last 10k - that's probably 90% mental and is all about managing the suffering.  And you got that part down.  Your pace should slow a bit during that last 10k, but your effort should increase.

    If you don't feel comfortable with racing by HR, I would do that first 10k at your planned 5:54, but watch your HR and don't let it get much above what you saw toward the end of the bike. That first 10k is the most critical hour of the entire race, IMO.  From there, go straight to 5:42's for the next 20k, then increase the effort and hang on until the end. Please keep in mind, I still don't have the IM marathon code cracked, other than knowing with 95% certainty that when I have negative split it, I had leftover energy at the end and obviously left time out on the course. So take my run comments with a big dose of salt.  Coach P is an outstanding resource, so don't hesitate to set up a 15-min call with him to dial in your race-day plan.

    Coke and water only on the run?  That's a gamble, but it can work if you're smart about it.  First, Coke's carb content is too high (it's like 11 or 12%), so your stomach may have to steal water from muscle tissue to process it.  That's not good.  Unless you're effectively diluting it with some water.  Coke is low on sodium, and water has none.  So, if you're diluting the Coke and constantly supplementing with salt, it's probably doable.  Because my brain turns to mush the second half of the run, I need the easy path of Gatorade Endurance until the final 10k, at which point I can safely turn to Coke.

    I hope you have a great race and enjoy a great family trip to Arizona. Cheers.

    MR



  • robin sarnerrobin sarner

    see you soon.

    I will probably be on the spectating side.

    any good Tahitian words or phrases to teach us ?

  • Bruce ThompsonBruce Thompson
    @DR...with two beautiful kids as you "Two Things", you are certain to have a great race.  Just think about them went things get tough.  Good luck.  Nothing else to add to what Mike and Tim have said.  See you in Tempe.
  • Gary LewisGary Lewis
    @DR, the plan has you out in Tempe on Wed, but registration isn't until Thursday. I can't do dinner on Thursday night as my daughter is flying in for the race mid-day and we are having Thanksgiving dinner that night. If you want to carpool to the Team Dinner and recon the course, I can drive you around on Wed or Thursday.

    Love your two "one things".
  • Shaughn SimmonsShaughn Simmons

    DR, you are going to be in good company with the EN crew racing and supporting at IMAZ.  That will be one of the greatest advantages which you should fully leverage before, during and after this race.

    Mike has done a fantastic job of laying out sound advice for you below.  Use his HR proposal and be very careful with the COKE.  Taking COKE and water only leaves no sodium intake, and in a place like IMAZ, that can be a problem.   I normally take in water, gatorade, salt pills and Clif shot bloks up through mile 18 - 20 of the run before switching over to COKE and water......  How did your plan work out for you during your training rehearsals?

    Wishing you a great day out there and successful execution to the finish line!

    SS

  • moetai@gmail.commoetai@gmail.com
    thanx all for the feedback
    @FPP: thursday it is
    @TC: will check the weather when there and amend plan acoordingly
    @MR: I knew u and TC would cringe @my T1/T2 plan but I'm nowhere near a spot where I "need" to gain 1'...but I'll do my best to make u proud image. Considering the run, all my 99% of my runs were in hot and humid conditions, wouldn't that impact the HR (-> for some reason, my pace is not impacted by the heat, I can just go longer at same pace and RPE is better when temp is not too hot)
    @Robin: "A TAPE'A TE PAARI" (KMF) or just yell TAHITI image that usually do the trick
    @Bruce, thanx for the kind word, will see u there
    @Gary: will send u a pm 2morrow for some advices and thanx for the offer
    @SS: Thanx for all the kind words and mojo during the build up on strava, will have a look at the HR thing
    @ALL: than x for being there and for those who will attend, can't wait to meet u in person
  • robin sarnerrobin sarner
    Imua Davide !      (Hawaiian for kmf).
  • moetai@gmail.commoetai@gmail.com
    we have the same word Robin, I Mua was also the name of my swim team...see u in a few days
  • Clark MitchellClark Mitchell
    Great plan DR. Can't wait to meet you on Friday.
  • moetai@gmail.commoetai@gmail.com
    @Same here Clark!
Sign In or Register to comment.