Tony Ledden's 2017 Wisconsin 70.3 Race Plan
Carpe Diem!!
Even though this will be my 10th season and my 6th 70.3 distance race, I’ll be racing the inaugural Ironman Wisconsin 70.3 and will be the first time doing a rolling swim start. I’m also celebrating 35 years of marriage that weekend and it will be wonderful to share the weekend in Madison with my bride. Looking forward to an awesome race weekend.
Goals:
39:00 swim => 1:50/100 yds
2:55:00 bike => 19.2 mph => 216 – 222 Pavg watts; VIF = 1.03; Navg watts = 222 – 229; IF = 85% - 87%
“Could’ve bike: 2:40-2:45; “Should’ve” bike: 2:55. Be smart and focus on the Should’ve
1:55 run => 8:45/mi pace
Total: 5:29:00
Efficient transitions to target under 5:30:00 overall
Streamline
Race Pillars
Steady effort wins the day; start slow and build to steady effort
No highs/spikes; no lows.
No hammering until mile 10 on the run
Stay in my box
Swim Focus
Never stop moving
Don’t be shy; never stop moving
Stay in the box
Engage lats; front quadrant chin on arm; rotate body around stake keeping head level.
Sight every 6th stroke + bilateral breathe
Transition Focus
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast
Eliminate moving parts; Simple = speed
No socks on bike, shoes on bike, arm warmers on bars (rolled and lubed) and put on while riding; wear knit gloves and apply in T1
Bike Focus
Steady and aero wins the day; VI goal of 1.03
75% FTP of 255 = 192 watts for first 20’
85% FTP = 216-222 steady balance of the day
Cut corners and get aero right after the turn and stay there
Run Focus
Add 30” to TRP for first 2.99 miles: 9:15- 9:20
1_920
2_18:40
3_28:00
4_36:45
5_45:30
6_54:15
7_1:03:00
8_1:11:45
9_1:20:30
10_1:29:00
11_1:37:30
12_1:46:00
13_1:54:30
0.1_:30
Steady Pace miles 3 – 9.99: 8:45 – 8:50
Cut corners
Lower the hammer at mile 10: 8:30 and below; recall the one big thing and offer up the hurt.
Negative split the run
Monday - Wednesday
Trim nails
Stay off feet
Make sure wet suit fits
Compression
Stretch and roll
Vitamins
Google Earth the bike course
Thursday afternoon and evening
Vitamins
Morning: bike 45 min at 5am; swim 30 min at 6:30ish then go to work
Get bike race ready: get bike aero and lose extra weight. Remove holder on downtube; remove bag; streamline bento box (contacts, Tylenol, vitamins, tire levers/repair kit, base salt, extra salt, stomach aids). Add 1 tube, 1 tire, cartridges and nano. Contact lenses
See Yoss at 10 for ART
Stop at Walgreens on way home
Evening meal: sweet potato and a protein
Friday
Vitamins
30 min bike + 30 min run
Pack and stay off feet (pack food and supplements) – avocados, almond butter and sweet potato + canned tuna/sardines.
Pack 2 wetsuits – Roka for race; Desoto for Saturday swim
Wear wetsuit – try them both on at home.
Sip on coco 5 or coconut water
Drink 1 orange UCAN
Drink 1 ketone supplementation in am
Leave by 5pm
Need to pack bike, tri and travel stuff
Arrive Madison around 8ish (stop for dinner while heading out)
Check in and shlep stuff to room including bike
Pair Garmin and calibrate power meter in room
Stretch/roll
Study course and race plan
Quotes for the run and one big thing
Friday Packing – 3 Bags (swim/bike/run) + extra thoughts/general items
General items – see checklist
Plus: hodie, gallon water jug, tire pump, long pants, solid shoes socks for heading to Transition on for morning + cap + head lamp
Swim
Roka wet suit
DeSoto 2 piece
Suit juice
Tri Slide
Tri Slide – Skin Slick
Rubber gloves for nails + plastic bags over
Swimming suit for practice Sat am swim
2 predator flex goggles + 1 clear
Junk cap for Sat am swim
Box of Macks + extra case
Flip flops: grey crocs for good; flip flops for junk
Safety pins
Velcro strip for chip
calf sleeves for race day (may wear these under wet suit for the day if cold or feeling less than optimal)
Wear Garmin watch band (but leave Garmin on bike)
scapular
Transition
Towel: 1 for ground; 1 for after race; 1 to wipe lube off hands
Rubber bands
Plastic bag for the ground in transition
Bike
Aim for 150 calories / hr and a 3 hour bike ride:
2 x bottles of: 75% scoop ketones/MCT + 50% scoop carb + 1 scoop aminos + 1 scoop catalytes = 140 calories per bottle
SPI belt : 1 almond butter = 190 calories + tool + knife
This combo is 155 calories/hr for a 3 hour ride or 161 calories / hour for a 2 hour 55 minute ride
Torpedo (bring solid and foam top)
Pump
Bento box medical – extra salt, base salt, contacts, vitamins,Tylenol, tire levers/repair, gasex/immodium.=> race gear only
1 tire wrapped under seat;1 tubes on xlab
Aero helmet
Shoes
White gloves
Vest
Arm warmers – rolled up on bars to slip on while riding or for T-bag in case weather is warm; but may wear under wet suit and then remove while on the bike – Game time decision
No socks for bike
Run
Yellow Hookas - Clifton 2
Blue SPI – race number; salt at least 13 + base salt; 1 almond butter after mile 3; 1 liquid shot at mile 9 or at the 1:10 to hit around mile 10 at 1:15 – 1:20 for last 3 miles
Hat
sunglasses
socks
vest if raining
plastic Go Bag – race belt, hat and glasses in the Go Bag to affix while running out of T2
Saturday
Vitamins
Up at 7:30am: roll stretch, breakfast ketones + eggs + meat; beet juice + vitamins + UCAN
Drive to Ohlin park for 10am course talk: arrive 9:15; register and sit for talk at 10am
Swim 30 min: from 11:00 - noon. Count strokes, focus on form, practice head lift, get navigation markers, think smooth, happy confident thoughts.
Bike check in around 12:30 or 1:00ish after initial rush: affix numbers, Cover gearing (rear cog) and brakes (back wheel in black, white on bars); air out of tires
Affix shoes to bike; rubber bands left at 9:00 right at 6:00
Gearing in small ring 16 cog
Compression
Hydrate with coconut water or coco 5
Take pictures
Big lunch with Anne – sweet potato and protein; ketones + UCAN
Lay out equipment and think through process
Pack tri bag – ONLY ESSENTIALS FROM GEAR BAGS; no extras
SPI belt with bike tool + knife + 1 almond butter for under wetsuit during the swim so not dealing with it in T1
Vaseline to the inside of bike and run shoes
Garmin set for bike; turn on when leaving T1 since pairing race morning will screw it up
Don’t pack junk shoes since run to T1 from swim looks short and soft from Google Earth
Junk flip flops
3 bottles: torpedo + 2 bike bottles with nutrition powder. Plastic, T towel; dry towel for hands from lube,
Swim stuff - wetsuit, macks, goggles (2), cap, silver SPI belt, lube. Put Macks into ears before lube
Helmet with visor (may need to carry separately over shoulder)
Bike shoes (already lubed)
Chamois cream, trislide, suit juice
Rubber bands, extra timing strap and pins, tape (duct, electrical, sport)
sun glasses, cap, race belt, socks which are in running shoes (with socks splayed open)
chain lube + extra towel for chain + extra towel for bike if wet
vest for bike
arm warmers
Stay off feet
Mass at 5
Early dinner: sweet potato, almond butter, meat
Pack my gear in car for check out of hotel
shower
write run splits on athletic tape and with sharpie; quotes and one thing; place on arm
early bed: Take salt pill and ibuprofen before bed. Apply sunscreen
Review race plan and pics; light reading
Sunday
Up at 3:00am
Breakfast: 2 Choc UCAN = 220 calories + beet + gelatin = 83; vitamins + biotropic; salt; coffee, almond butter = 200
Apply sunscreen
Bring pump
Stretch/roll
Affix chip
Tape over nips
Spray feet with Triskin & Trislide
Wear Garmin on wrist (place on bike race morning turned off)
scapular
Morning clothes over race kit; hoodie + Bring pump + water + bag + headlamp + solid socks and shoes for bus and wet grass
Sip coco5 until race
30’ before start UCAN orange gel/paste and water + salt
Get marked (on Saturday if possible)
Pump tires
Lube chain
Check brakes and wheel rotation
Affix shoes to bike with rubber bands: left at 6:00; right at 9:00
Set up transition: fill 3 bottles. Garmin on bike but off; plastic then T towel; from front of towel to back:
Swim stuff - wetsuit, macks, goggles, cap, silver SPI belt with swiss knife and race tool, lube up, but put Macks into ears before lube
Helmet with visor; possible vest if cold and rainy
Run Go Bag then socks which are in shoes (with socks splayed open);
Arm warmers on bike ends or on arms and swim with them under wetsuit
Calf sleeves: wear to Transition, roll down for marking, wear under wetsuit
Lube body and under chamois before putting on wetsuit.
Toilet
Count blessings and give thanks
Head down to water for warm up by 6:20
Swim
Warm up in water; goggles under cap few short efforts
Line up at 39 min mark: swim only as fast as ability to maintain form
T1
Exit water
Goggles up over eyes on top of head
Lower wetsuit to waist or stripper
Running to T1, remove cap, goggles and macks
Step out of wetsuit
Aero helmet on and snapped
(no sunglasses – using shaded visor)
Unrack bike and jog to bike out. Either stop at line and mount or roll through with foot on bottom shoe, sling leg over. Depending on rules.
Bike
Insert feet into shoes while pedaling
Turn on Garmin – away from other bikes
20’ at 192 watts
After 20’, ride goal watts of 216-222
Ride the hills the EN way – steady effort / pressure on the pedals; coast when no longer have resistance on the downhills. Steady eddy; stay aero even on rollers in order to keep effort steady; use momentum into next hill as much as possible.
1 salt stick / base salt every 20 min
Take H2O at each aid station for the torpedo and use any extra to wash tri shorts on spray on neck.
Hour 1: torpedo H2O + 1 sports drink
Hour 2: torpedo H2O + almond butter
Hour 3: torpedo H2O + 1 sports drink + vitamins
Pee 2 x on the bike, especially the last hour before T2
Spin out legs last .25 mile
Remove feet from shoes and pedal
Stop Garmin and hit reset
T2
Complete stop then dismount or standing on bike – depending on rules and practice
rack bike
remove Garmin and affix to wrist (it is still in bike mode here)
remove SPI belt
remove helmet
socks on first
shoes on next
Grab Go bag and Go
sunglasses on
hat on
belt on while running out of T2
Run
Reset Garmin to run mode while running 9:15 – 9:20 pace first 3 miles.
Water + salt each aid station
1 almond butter after mile 3; 1 EFS liquid shot at mile 6.5 or at the 1:00 mark to hit around mile 10 at 1:15 – 1:20 for last half of run so enough carbs/glycogen to push the pace over the last 4 miles to the finish.
1_9:20
2_18:40
3_28:00
4_36:45
5_45:30
6_54:15
7_1:03:00
8_1:11:45
9_1:20:30
10_1:29:00
11_1:37:30
12_1:46:00
13_1:54:30
0.1_:30
Add 30” to TRP for first 2.99 miles: 9:15- 9:20
Steady Pace miles 3 – 9.99: 8:45 – 8:50
Cut corners
Lower the hammer at mile 10: 8:30 and below; recall the one big thing and offer up the hurt. Race all the way to the finish
Negative split the run
Finish
strong arms up with a smile
Comments
Then 100% right I want to be smart. At the end of the bike take a look at your average heart rate. When you start the run, you want to be running at that heart rate for the first 3 miles. Pace can become a little arbitrary as the race gets hard, but you can absolutely carry that end of bike hear rate into the start of the run for the first 3 miles to get you set up. That gives you the freedom to run the rest of that race!