Brad M's 2017 IM Santa Rosa Race Plan - all comments welcome!
Brad Marcus’ 2017 IMSR Race Plan
Age: 47 (45-50 AG)
FTP: 250 +/-
VDOT: 47-48
HEIGHT: 6’1”
WEIGHT: 168LBS (3.28w/kg)
3rd IM distance race
Training was a little “off the reservation” this year from previous typical EN IM builds. I purposely focused a bit more on my bike and a little less on my run. More bike because I needed a bump after plateauing the last couple of years. Less run because I had some injuries over the Winter (back and PF), which prevented run frequency. My swim is also marginally improved thanks to swimming with Masters through the outseason and focusing more on form. Body comp is not quite where it’s been in past years, but not horrible. Otherwise, I am toeing the line in decent shape. I purposely did NOT include any time goals this year. This doesn’t mean that I don’t know where I should be – but I don’t want to leave my self an out by undershooting this race.
Goals:
Solid, smooth swim. Minimal fading on the bike. Not slowing down on the run – this means my nutrition plan worked and HR didn’t falter. Perform to best of my fitness/training ability (leave it all out on the course). Marked improvement over my past IM’s. Racing Smart!
BIKE – Felt B2 w/ Zipp 404 clinchers w/Conti GP4000sii 25mm/ P1 powermeter / Compact rings and 11-28 cassette
Front: Garmin 820 / BTA Xlab torpedo (straw) with gatorade – 20oz
Frame: Bento w/ 6 GU’s, 6 salt sticks caps, 2 Phazyme gas & acid chews
Behind Saddle: 1bottle Gatorade 20oz, 2 tubes, 1 tire levers, 2 CO2 cartridges, inflator, multitool
T1 BAG:
Helmet
Bike shoes
Sunglasses w/ medium shaded lense
Arm coolers
Chamois Buttr
Sunscreen
Body Glide
BIKE SPECIAL NEEDS BAG:
Salt Sticks (xtra)
1 extra tube
2 extra CO2
Gels (xtra)
Chamois Buttr (xtra)
T2 BAG:
Run Shoes
Socks
Body Glide
Go Bag with:
Runsaver bag
visor
race belt (w/ salt stick caps and 4 powergels)
RUN SPECIAL NEEDS:
Socks
Extra salt sticks
Extra powergels
Blister band aide
Aquafor
bodyglide
WEDNESDAY BEFORE RACE:
Begin diet focus of carb heavy and fiber light. Fly from JFK=>SFO. Rent car and drive to SR. Get settled into hotel in SR. Do my best to stay close to east coast time until race since 3 hour diff will work to my advantage.
THURSDAY BEFORE RACE:
Early morning run on run trail. Check in / Packet pickup. Buy 4 Co2 canisters at expo. Pick up bike from TBT. Install P1 pedals, Take bike for short spin making sure everything in working order. Athlete meeting. Charge Di2 battery. Prep bike with stickers, etc. Prep T1 & T2 bags. EN Team Dinner. Stay hydrated throughout day.
FRIDAY BEFORE RACE:
Big breakfast. Hydrate and salt all day! Drive to Lake Sonoma at 9am. Check bike into transition area. Remove some tire pressure. Recon entire T1 area (boat ramp, swim in, bike out, etc). Take note of where my bike is racked. Drop T1 Bag. Swim maybe 1500yds or so in lake. Drive part of bike course on way back to SR. Check out T2. Drop T2 Bag. Early dinner either in room or close to room. Charge Garmin and watch. Prepare special needs bike/run bags, bottles, lay out clothing, etc (tri suit, sweat shirt, sweat pants, flip flops)
In bed by 9pm
RACE DAY (Saturday):
Wake up 3:30am and have breakfast: Applesauce, bagel with jelly, Coffee x2
Apply sunscreen, body glide
Leave hotel with: Garmin 820, Garmin Fenix watch, Road ID, goggles, wetsuit, swim cap, tri-glide, flip flops, aero bottle, extra bottle, gatorade, Gel(s) , timing chip, swim cap, bike/run special needs bags, hotel key, phone?
Drop special needs bags at drop point.
4:15am – Get on shuttle to T1
5:00 - Arrive at transistion, body marking, set up, inflate tires, double check bike and calibrate PM to Garmin 820 and Fenix
5:20 Sip gatorade / find porto-potty / wetsuit on with tri-glide
5:45 go to swim area w/ goggles, cap, GU (short wu swim?)
6:00 eat one gel and self-seed at either 1:10-1:15 or 1:15-1:20? Goggle strap under swim cap.
6:10 AG start time
SWIM
Self-seeded start likely at 1:10-1:15
Do my best to ignore contact and stay in my box especially at the start
Focus on form and get into a good rhythm
Find fast feet if possible (remember my pace would seem to e-z)
Don’t try to “race” swimmers who are passing me
FORM FORM FORM (high elbows, reach/catch/pull when other arm is cycled through)
As I near swim finish, begin thinking about what I will do when I get out of water
T1: SLOW IS SMOOTH>>SMOOTH IS FAST
Immediately start working on wetsuit – zipper down and pull suit to waist
Leave goggles and cap on head
EZ run up boat ramp – this run is .25-.50 mile. Don’t jack up HR here!
Find wet suit strippers??
When I get “stripped”, ball up suit
Get T1 Bag and enter tent
Look towards back of tent for space
Sit, dump bag, apply chamois buttr, body glide, shoes on, arm coolers on (pre-rolled), helmet on, glasses on
Goggles and cap in bag, wetsuit in bag (volunteers will not help with this!)
Deposit bag in proper place
Exit tent and yell my # if OR locate bike and take to mount line??
BIKE - STICK TO MY GAMEPLAN and FOCUS THROUGHOUT!
Garmin displaying: 3s avg power, NP Lap, Distance, Cadence, Time, Heart Rate – set to lap every 5 Miles
Be careful leaving transition on bike
Begin ride super slow with power b/t 163-173 (.65-.69) “JRA pace”…I will ride at this pace for 30-40min. Expect to be passed by EVERYONE. Stay in my box!
After 60 min, get to work! Dial in pace at 175 watts (.70) - Allow watts to spike some on hills w/o burning matches - most will be in first 56mi
Flatten hills and ride smart!
BIKE NUTITION: IT WILL START COOL 50F, BUT WILL GET HOT 90F.
Begin drinking 15’ in – Goal is 1.5 bottles (33oz) Gatorade per hour – fill torpedo as needed
Begin eating on the :30 (1 per hour – 6 total) - plan is for Gels all day (3 GU, 3 Roctane)
3-4 Saltstick Plus caps on bike starting at 1hr mark
Mix water into GE last 1-2 hours
Plan to pee 2x on bike as needed
Note HR throughout bike – target is 120-125. OK to drift to 130. No higher than 135 in last hour. Maintain focus!
Use caution at aide stations. Just before each of the aid stations top off myself with Gatorade from rear cage bottle. Discard empty cage bottle first. At the aid stations, point and communicate with volunteer for Gatorade, water, etc
T2: SLOW IS SMOOTH>>SMOOTH IS FAST
Leave shoes on bike
Hand off bike to volunteer
Grab bag and go to back of tent
Dump bag on ground
OFF: helmet, glasses, bike shoes
Body glide on chest and feet
ON: socks, running shoes
Stuff bag
Grab “go bag” with race belt (4 Perform Gels), visor, runsaver bag
Deposit T2 Bag
Exit tent and put on visor, race belt while and secure runsaver bag while moving. Start watch.
RUN
IT WILL BE HOT BY NOW! Miles 1 – 6 @ HR no higher than 135 BPM - absolutely NO FASTER – take stock of my HR and how I feel. If I feel good, DON’T speed up but use this time to take in extra nutrition (Gatorade, gels). Don’t get carried away leaving town with the crowds – run EASY!
Run Nutrition: 4oz perform/mile, 1 powergel/hour, 1 salt stick tab/hour, coke as needed (hopefully not until later in the run!)
Walk 10-20 steps all the stations
After 6 miles – evaluate how I feel. If feel good its ok cautiously increase HR to 140 BPM (TRP) – NO HIGHS, NO LOWS – how I feel can change quickly
Miles 6-18 – do NOT use pace as a whip and be mindful of my HR ! Reign in pace if HR is too high. Use ice and water/ice to cool body as needed. As I approach 18, it may be the last time I can manage nutrition. Don’t bring the suck sooner than it needs to be.
At mile 18, Make effort NOT to slow down – this is where I expect to make or break…HANG TOUGH. Ask myself how I feel again? Where is heart rate? Is it too low (need more nutrition)? Is it too high (don’t increase pace)? Use my one things as needed at this point. Things will get tougher….expect that to happen. Embrace the pain.
Finish Chute – Look for Heidi, realize what I am about to accomplish, soak it up and take it all in!
Thank you for reading – ALL comments welcome!
Comments
A thing I like to add when arriving at mile 12-13 is to start having small targets IE: I need to catch that guy in front of me and goes on like that and also has me focus on something else than pain.
Are all batteries in different technologies use are OK for the day ?
Otherwise, its a nice plan that goes to the essential of whats needed on race day !
Bike question - Felt B2? Did i miss something since I know you were on the Argon for our Berky camp..?
body comp - I am always envious of what you look like vs me every time I see you, you may not be as lean as ever, but it's unseen, that said, scale's don't lie.. I think you are good here.
run prep - been watching your runs, I've seen the long runs you put down at the same time that I did mine 25 miles away in the same soupy humidity, I've also used your run fitness to push me to achieve some great runs together could not have achieved those without you breathing down my neck, you are as strong as ever, your legs also have great "muscle memory.' If you are willing to come away hurting for an extra day after the race, you have a deep reservoir to pull from.
nutrition - I know that aside from pastries i pushed on you
reward yourself on those last 8 miles. THAT is the hardest thing to push through (see my RR to be posted shortly) if you can nail that point of the execution, you move into IM Studliness regardless of finishing position.
Remember to drive YOUR bus around the course on race day and enjoy the day!
goggles & cap, leave on head - GOOD - harder to strip a wetsuit with full hands!
wetsuit in a ball? harder to run with, throw over shoulder and RUN!!! we had a good conversation on this in the LP threads, I took over a minute off my race with this "free" time... and yes my HR got jacked "running" not "jogging" to T1, just scout it out in the AM for bad patches you won't want to run barefoot on..
stuff bag, you say "volunteers won't help with this" is there something in the athlete's guide that says that? I got 2x SBUX gift cards for $5 each and put them in each T bag in an envelope, and wrote "thanks for volunteering, from the Hoff #556"
I sat down in LP in front of a volunteer, asked for help, said "please just pack my bag, there's a gift card for you, thanks for volunteering!" and trotted off.. both were appreciative...
a little grease may get you some help!
Thanks for the all the feedback. ^This^ is what makes us such a great team!
@Paul - agree with you on frontloading the calories a bit. I will likely be doing this, and one way is how you mentioned. Also plan to water down the GE in the last 1-2 hours.
@Francis - that was me with the PM issues at IMMT last year! Good memory on your part...I'd like to forget about that
I ditched the Quarq and bought P1 pedals and am a HUGE fan. Just changed the batteries today as I was packing them! If I am feeling good on the run at mile 12-13, I would like nothing more to target people ahead of me to pass them. I'm hoping for this at this one!!
@Alan - best advice here! Knowing H, she will be all over the course waiting to give me mojo. I'll be watching for her!!
@Brian - Good advice. I usually keep them on my head all the way to T1. This way I don't have to carry them. Just need to remember to take them off before getting on bike
@Scott - Nope. It's been the B2 since I wrecked the Cervelo. If my nutrition is on, and I am hoping it is, I plan to run as hard as I can to the end. I've yet to have an IM where my nutrition didn't kill my run and I sadly watched my HR drop. In this one, I'll be battling the heat too, so management will be KEY. Temps will be in the 90's and staying as cool as possible will be important. The boat ramp coming out of the water is 1/4 mile long and is something like an 8% grade, so you are spot on with not jacking up that HR. Since I am unsure about where the wetsuit strippers are (or if they are there at all!), I may not need to carry the wetsuit far. Regarding volunteers...it's kinda strange, but the RD did a Q&A online and specifically noted that they will be told NOT to assist us with this stuff in transition. Reasoning was to not give anyone an unfair advantage by having family/friends volunteering. Of course I will ask, but I will plan for me to be on my own. I will get some SBUX cards in case