Francis Picard - IMMT 2017 Race report
This was my third time doing this race and 4th IM. I had high expectations on that one considering the knowledge of the course.
You can see below my evolution on that course, this year I went slower by almost 2 minutes but went up by 16 rank in my division.. but we were also 70 person less in the division.
Pre race week was really fun,
had the chance to finally meet a lot of the people with whom I am interacting a
lot online, was nice to finally put a face on the names 
. Also had the chance
to discuss racing and strategy etc, the key races are what makes this team so
strong, it gives us the chance to be all together and friendships build on
this, will probably only do key races in the future.
I entered the race week by deciding that it will be “roll the dice race”, I knew it could end badly or be a great race.
I got mixed feelings regarding that race, I am not happy with my time, but I consider myself happy that I could do this sport with such great people! the support on the course was amazing!
Swim:
Trainingpeaks file : http://tpks.ws/Vs9BY
Looks like the OWS swim is starting to come along, I PR on the swim, I also went off course by 278M, probably on my way back the sun was really shinny and this is probably where it happened.
While swimming I realized that my watch wasn’t on tri mode, I lost focus a few minutes about it and probably loss my swimming form during that time.
T2:
This year I decide to reduce my moving parts during the transition and it gives good results in my opinion, I went up 9 ranks only in T2.
I used the wetsuit stripper, ran to the tent, put on helmet, put my shoes and ran.
Bike:
Trainingpeaks file : http://tpks.ws/tkhgI
TSS: 319,5
IF : 73%
VI: 1,13
I decided to go for 72% of my FTP, which I consider was reasonnable, I did ride at that IF in the past and knew I could run after.
What bothers me here is my VI and by looking at my files I was all over the place (again, whats new here!!).
When climbing, my watts were going at 200-300% when trying to bring back at 80% for the climb I almost had the feeling the bike would fall, is that an incorrect FTP ? is the FTP I am using too low ? don’t know and that could explain the high TSS which was way too low.
First loop was cool, got out of T1 with a HR of 162 and took a good 10’ to get it down at around 120 I also start to really focus on the nutrition, I stick to the plan including recommandation from MR regarding sodium which I think really helped but also created a mistake on the run (will talk about it below). During the first loop they were not much people yet on the course and we could see the fast guys come back on their way back. I’ve seen the EN Ubercyclist (@Trent Prough, @Shaughn Simmons, @Ian Kurth, @Coach Patrick, @Dawn Cass)
On the second loop wind start to be stronger on the 117 which is normal here, it happens every year
I can’t explain why I went with a higher IF than last year but didn’t do a better time, the only reason I see is that I went too hard on the hills which inflate my IF.
When I dropped the bike I felt well hydrated and was able to pee 3 times during the ride. At that time it was starting to really warm up, we started the bike at 13C and I finish the bike and it was about 24C
T2:
Not much to say other than I think I got that one dialed in
Run:
Trainingpeaks file: http://tpks.ws/Si0pZ
I honestly think that the run is usually my strongest part of the day, I took the decision to put myself to the limit to see how I could deal with it and when you look the below graphic you can obviously see that it didn’t work at all (keep in my mind that I was totally aware that it could happen and when It started to go down I had the plan to at least go sub 4h marathon.)
When looking in Strava, just before the freefall I was on pace for a 3h42 marathon.
I started to alternate walk 60 seconds, run 2 minutes at about KM 30. The first 3 drops are port’ stops.
When arriving at KM37 I told myself that noway I am going to finish this marathon over 4hrs and decided to slowly increase my speed and for an unknow reason it came back, seeing this I was getting mad at me “Where TF happened, I still had a bit of energy”, I was dissapointed of myself but kept telling me that I still completed an IM
Looking back, I should had started with a slower pace, in the above sportstats screenshot you see I passed alot of people until KM 25.. and starting from there I start to be "that guy".
Take aways:
1) I need to keep working on the bike and get the ability to ride smoothly, I think I have the power, it’s the execution that is missing. By having a better execute bike it sets the run. This is a low hanging fruit, but its damn hard to catch !!
2) I didn’t go slow on the first 6M, that might explain the collapse on the run.
3) I am starting to be more confident on the descent which is good news.. I am not yet bombing but I see the possibility in a future !
4) OWS is coming along, if I had the chance to swim more frequently in the OWS, I am sure I would see progress
5) Obviously not yet a top 10 contender in my AG
6) Transition is free time –
7) Execution, Execution and Execution is the key !!
8) Even if I didnt get the results I wanted, I learned alot on that day and looking back, it was what I needed
What is next ?
As @juliancass told me after the race, I have to move over that race, take the lessons from it and move on to the next one
I am racing IMLV in 8 weeks. The first 2 weeks will mostly hard focus on rest and recovery and mostly swim and 2-3 zwift rides.
The other 4 weeks will be FTP ride and ABP on focusing to keep my power steady to have a smooth ride.
Will come back to my run frequency at the end of next week.
Comments
Great report and analysis. You're definitely getting better and faster at racing. It was fun following you all day. And I'm glad that you enjoyed the experience even if all your goals weren't met. This is just a game for us, so it needs to be fun. Your swim is definitely coming along. Congrats on that.
Bike:
As for the bike, you pretty much nailed the issue again: VI. Ironman can be tricky. It's OK to push a higher IF, but only if you can go fast. That is, 73% IF is fine if you can ride it in 5:10. But if you spend 45 additional minutes at that effort and ride a 5:55, you get "rewarded" with a 319 TSS. Which, of course, sealed your fate on the run. Nobody bounces back from a 319.
And the reason your NP and IF were so high is because your power was spread out all over the place. In addition to coasting for 30 minutes, you covered nearly every power zone. Most damaging, however, is the fact that you spent 22 minutes above your 275 FTP and a whopping 13 minutes above 300 watts. This caused your HR to peak several times at 164. Which is crazy high for the bike.
My ride at Lake Placid (below) was no thing of beauty (VI of 1.05) and I also coasted downhill a lot, but the vast majority of my power output was very near my 175NP goal and I spent virtually no time above my 260~ FTP. My HR never got above 138. The net result was a TSS of 260, leaving me plenty in the tank to run.
What gearing did you have for the race? If you have all the necessary gears, you'll be able to narrow the range of power and prevent those spikes. Hopefully you can make some gains before Louisville because it too has a lot of climbing.
Run:
As you mention, you decided to push the run from the start, presumably because you thought your bike should have been faster. Very common reaction. Unfortunately, it almost never works. Actually, it probably never has worked and never will work. Ironman is mean that way.
Your race plan said you would start by going:
"0-6 miles : bike avg HR – which should be between 133-137,"
then move to "6-18 – 145."
If your bike split and NP were in line with your race plan, and you knew that you were getting off the bike fresh with a good TSS, then perhaps moving into the mid-145's earlier than 6 miles could work, maybe even pushing it to 146 or 147 if you feel great.
But when you decided to start "hot," you weren't kidding! 20 beats above plan? I'm actually quite impressed that you were able to hold 160s until Mile 10, when you got a proverbial flat tire and started to slow. The wheels came off permanently by Mile 13. This end was very predictable. Even if you had gone out at 135-45 HR, it still would have been a difficult run - because of the bike. But you absolutely must hold back those early miles on the run in Louisville if you really want to have the spectacular run you're capable of.
I had to include a screenshot of your HR analysis because I don't think I've ever seen a 460. I think I've hit 320 or 330 in an IM marathon, but that is truly impressive. Shows how much capability you have. Of course, spending 30 minutes running at Z4 effort was probably a bit much.
Even with the execution issues, you still put together a great race, one you should be proud of. Rest up, then get back at it. Really looking forward to seeing what you can do in Louisville.MR
I did like that fact you went for it on the run. In the end, it looks like the wrong move, but you have to take chances in life to learn and benefit. I know you have many more races in you, and you wont make that mistake again.
Recover well Francis! See you in Louisville!
Brian
IM is a tricky game. You definitely had an amazing race. Your efforts in all three disciplines were epic. No way that race result was possible without the cray build you put up, even if the final time was not to your expectations.
Gotta ask, what is your gearing? For a man of your weight, it is hard to understand the wattage you were pushing. Unless your PM or bike computer is messed up, or you just were not aware of the wattage or were chasing folks, I have to assume your gearing is too aggressive.
The relationship between NP, VI and TSS (especially TSS) I think is the hardest part. (at least for IMMOO) I am hoping this is where BBS can be useful. It is so tempting to play with the BBS computer, see how much faster you can be with each point of added NP, but if the total TSS is 300+, you are dead in the water. I learned that the hard way at St George - where I had wattage in the 400+ range and a bike TSS similar to yours (primarily because I was using a 25 cassette - and i was nearly 200lbs doing it).
I am also very proud of you for pushing the run, but I agree with MR - I thought you were talking about digging deep on the back end of the marathon, not sprinting out the gate!
You are fit as a fiddle! You are going to master this game - I just know it. You are barely scratching the surface. Your potential is vast.
DS
NP 198 = TSS 277 = predicted finish time 5:37
NP 207 = TSS 300 = predicted finish time 5:29
(both assuming VI of 1.03 - which is frankly not likely for me :0 )
At least in my experience of training rides, the difference I can feel on the bike between a NP of 198 and 207 seems nonexistent - I personally cannot feel the difference. After blowing up at StG, I now understand that the incremental TSS addition for those 8 minutes = not worth it.
just wanna insist that even if I didnt get the result I wanted I had fun and really happy of it (anyway, Its my 4th IM and still have alot to learn!). As much as it sounds stupid, I started to run the way I wanted to go, now I know it doesnt work, probably could work or collapse later on the run with a lower TSS, we will never know
My gearings are 52/36 and 11/28
I am actually starting to think that a flat bike course might "fit" me better
See IMAZ 2016 bike : https://www.strava.com/activities/781393932/overview
@Doug Sutherland I tried to play a bit with BBS and it gives a predicted time of 5h15 when using the data I got from the race.. which comes to what @Mike Roberts calculated.. (did he run it through BBS before ? hah) .. but its also called Best bike split, not Best Bike Run split as Tim Cronk said once
In the end, need to put all those puzzle parts together on race day, after nutrition this is the 5th discipline of the day !
Thanks again for all of you taking to analyse data and comment, I wish I could give you back as much as you do for me !
It is hard to keep your VI low when you have so much coasting time - but I believe that the costing is fine when you are going fast. I had ≈28 minutes of coasting at an average speed of 28.4mph. As @Mike Roberts pointed out, it is the amount of time you spent significantly above your wattage target that costs a high heart rate, a high TSS and empties the tank for the run. Have a look at your wattage on the second climb up Lac Superior and compare to your first trip up... this will convince you that it is possible to make that climb with lower power numbers :-)!
Good luck & I look forward to racing with you again!
Well not the race you had hoped for congrats on the swim PR, enjoying the day and shifting the goals to get the sub 4 hour run.
As I was reading the race report the TSS and VI jumped out. I know you have trouble getting long rides every other weekend due to life circumstance. Do you do much of your IM riding on a trainer? I know this year I spent more time on the trainer and that did not help me with smoothing out my riding and reduce the VI.
Not sure how you can address this hammering on the bike but the 22' above FTP is very high. Even with my weight/gearing and at LP I only spent 3-4' at or above FTP. I also reduced my IF as I new this was going to happen. MY TSS was 303 for my 7h:50' ride and I ran most of the run but at a much slower pace.
It would have been interesting to see how your run would have been with better pacing off that 319TSS, you might have broke down in the final miles but... I had a conversation with @tim cronk in LP about his ability to run off higher IF rides. He's definitely earned the right to do that but I think given your running strength with even a slightly lower TSS (305-309) score you could have pushed a well executed run.
First off...great to see you again at the race and many congrats on the day. Every time we do these, we get to learn a little bit more and apply it to next time to race smarter and faster. I think the comments above hit a lot of your main items to work on going forward. I think you mentioned a while ago that your bike is the limiter. Perhaps see if you can get more time in the saddle between now and Lou, in particular working on those decents and getting your VI down. I am not familiar with that course however I hear it is a hilly one so something you easily work on.
That second loop of the run was super hot which challenged all of us. With looking at your first half, you can easily see you did come out to fast. That combined with the weather made things extra challenging. That said, every time I saw you on course, you looked very strong so that shows the eagerness you have to keep things moving.
Many congrats once again and look forward to following your progression to Lou!
A thought about your power and riding up hills...for some people one of the most challenging aspects of bike handling is riding very slowly. Most of us are typically riding slow up climbs when only pushing IM watts. Additionally, our cadence can be much less than we typically ride at which also makes it challenging. It is very tempting to increase our watts to go a tad faster and get the cadence in a more desirable range. Maybe next time you are out training you can find a climb and practice riding it slower or as slowly as you can to get better with that type of situation in a race. Just be careful not to ride so slow that you tip over!
It was nice meeting you. You're as funny in person as you are online, ha ha! Hopefully next time i'll be racing alongside you. Keep working hard and you'll keep getting positive results and eventually you'll have the race you want.
I can't add much to the analysis ^^^. That VI is a real puzzler to me. It's in the range I see on my MTB where I have long stretches with minimal pedaling on single-track descents. One thought would be to practice steady effort by putting your trainer in erg mode at say 70% of FTP and riding that regularly to get used to it. Another idea on race day is to use Garmin power course with bestbikesplit. It basically gives you prompts for the target power you should be riding on different sections of the course. I posted about it a while back. Just spit balling, not sure if these will help.
You've got a chance to try that out in October. If it were me, I would have two goals in that race: (1) set myself up to run at an even pace by starting the run slow at my last hour bike HR and (2) flatten the hills on the bike, aiming for a VI of under 1.08 (gotta start somewhere). Swim, nutrition, bike power - you'll manage all that pretty well, I'm sure. It's those two points above that have to be paramount for you on race day. Think about them every time you do a long ride or run in training; treat those workouts the same as you plan to do them on race do, from a mental and RPE perspective.
@tim cronk
yeah I think I mastered the T2 with also a 1:02 at the 70.3
@Al Truscott
my race plan for IMLOU will be sumarize by:
1) repeat what I did right at IMMT : swim, T1, T2,
2) smoother bike ride and flatten the hills (see above what I will do for the next 4 weeks)
3) Be slow on the first 6M - thats what I did at IMAZ and was able to pull out a 3h40 marathon
Thanks again ! having a huge learning curve this season !
Was great to meet you in person after knowing you virtually for 2 years and watching what a French Canadian can do both in training and racing!
Regarding the bike, consider that a guy with a 4.2 w/kg ratio has a much easier time driving a low V.I. that a guy with a 3.0 w/kg ratio on a hilly course. It is simply just easier for the big guns to control the spikes compared to the lower w/kg ratio guys.
As you raise your w/kg, specifically 5 hour w/kg power, you will naturally improve your ability to ride smooth on a hilly course. So, my first focus would be to raise the w/kg ratio for 5 hour+ rides and second goal would be to continue to practice riding outside on long rides as smooth as possible.
FP - you looks so strong on the run course when you passed me, like and EN IM veteran managing a long day very well. I had a big smile on my face watching that.
Your family is beautiful! Should be so proud!
Sincere congratulations on another strong and improving race performance!!
SS
Congratulations on a great race. It's been enjoyable to watch your journey here on EN and on Strava. I like how you went at it on the run, it showed a lot of intestinal fortitude to push hard early on in the run, and then rally again after hitting a wall.
What is great about this sport is that it enables us to reach goals that we thought should be impossible. In order to set high goals, we have to know what we are capable of. Sometimes, we have to push to the outer edge of our capabilities to to know find that limit, and then we can re-set the bar higher.
Good luck with your next race!