Brian Terwilliger IRONMAN Chattanooga 2017 Race Plan
Like the RR's, I need to keep things simple, straight forward, and with few moving parts. I'm easily confused and will get bogged down in details. So quick, easy, and to the point is how I work. But it is not how I write.
Leave NC Thursday morning after putting kids on bus. Iron Sherpa Ali in tow. She will also be working run aid station 2 for the first shift and will be a finish line catcher later in the day. Until 6:30 I believe. Get into Choo about 7:30 hours later. Check into hotel and do customary items associated with such. Head to team dinner. Back to room or out for some drinks. Who knows. Sherpa wants to "do stuff".
Friday, get to check in early and knock it out. Browse expo. Get out. Maybe swim, maybe not, but hopefully. Spin on bike, to make sure everything is in working order, short little run. Done. Hopefully the Sherpa won't drag me around too much. My transition bags are already packed, just need to transfer to official transition bags.
Saturday, sleep in, eventually check in bike and bags, Walk through swim exit, change tent, bike location, bike out several times (same with run), go grab a bunch of food, eat, head to room with left overs, relax. Mix all my bottles, freeze the ones going to special needs bike, get morning clothes ready. Eat more. Have my pre-race drinks and hopefully get some sleep.
Sunday. Alarm 3 AM. Get up, coffee, breakfast, coffee, coffee, coffee. Hopefully take care of the most important part of race morning. Wake up Sherpa and head down to T1 with all associated gear and bags. Put bottles on bike, put shot blocks and GU in bento, pump tires, turn on computer, etc... While I would love to be at the front of the line to be first in the water, my ass isn't lining up on the dock at 4:30 to sit around for 3 hours. I will have my wet suit with me, if its legal, wear it. If not, hand it off to the sherpa to put in her backpack.
Race day outfit is EN Tri Top with De Soto Mobius Tri shorts.
Alright, lets get to the race. Eat a power bar @6:30. Two Gus @7:20. Get in the water as soon as possible. But as said above, I'm not waiting at the front for 3 hours. My watch beeps and vibrates every 500 yards. I may check my pace at 2,000 or I may not. I probably will. I plan on not blasting the swim, but just smoothing it. Especially if its not wetsuit legal and the water is warm. I overheat real quick in warm water if I'm putting out a strong effort. I've never swam in a river with a current so I don't know what to expect. If it was a lake swim, I'd be shooting for around 55 to 57 with good conditions and a wetsuit. So if there is a good flow, game on, wetsuit or not.
T1: This is where i can pick up a lot of free speed vs 2015 IM Maryland where full costume change was needed because it was 40 degrees. Hopefully this is quick and simple. Grab bag, into tent, find a seat if readily available, if not, just do it where I can. Helmet on, sunglasses on, arm coolers on, shoes on, grab a cliff bar and 8 oz gatorade. Slam gatorade, and throw cliff bar in mouth and head to bike. Goal, under 4 minutes. Reality? Thrilled under 5. 5:xx I won't be upset. Run bike to mount line, get on. No flying mount for me.
Bike: EN should develop an aero chicken bucket, because I would literally eat a bucket of chicken on the bike. I'm running an 11/28 with Rotor Q-Rings with a 52/34. Flo 90 rear with Wheel Builder AeroJacket. Flo 60 on front. Bike is a Cervelo P5 Six. 1st hour, shoot for an avg power of @170-180. Cadence @ 90. Reality? Probably will be 86. Just smooth, easy, relaxed like a non-training Sunday joy ride. Get HR down. It should fall into the low 20's mid to upper teens pretty quick. After an hour, bump it to @190-195 on the watts and just hold steady. Have my computer set for NP every 5 mile lap. Try to keep this under 200. Being a bigger guy, gonna have to spike some watts on some climbs, likely around 220-225 spinning the 28. Will drop to little ring if watts/cadence call for it. Just keep doing this until mile 90 or so. At that point will do a systems check, hows the stomach, hows the brain, hows the HR (should be around 122-124 max). I have a stupid low HR on the bike no matter the watts I'm putting out. I'd literally have to be pushing Z4 to get it to 130. If all feels well, not fatigued, push the last 20-25 miles around 195-200 watts. If I'm not feeling it, just try to maintain.
Bike nutrition: Infinit Go Far not at full strength until special needs. I sweat pretty good, so it will be a bit diluted so I can take in a lot of fluid without over doing the calories. 3 bottles and a gatorade endurance should do it. Will do a 2nd Gatorade Endurance if temps and sweat rate is up. I will have shot blocks and GU on board if my body tells me to eat them. Its pretty good at that. But probably not in first half of the bike. At special needs I will reload with 3 more bottles. But it will be a mix of Go Far and Jet Fuel to up the caffeine. This, with grabbing a gatorade endurance at the first aid station after SN should be plenty. But again, will do a 2nd Gatorade if sweat rate calls for it. Plan on 3 shot blocks or 1 GU every 45 minutes to start getting some non-liquid fuel in and to preload a bit on calories before the run.
Not sure what to expect for a time. Don't know the course, bigger guy so slow up the hills. 4 miles longer than normal. The time will be what the time is.
T2: Depending on the ground that is T2, I will either take my feet out of my shoes with about a half mile to go, or I won't. If its dirt, grass, gravel, mud, etc... I will leave my shoes on for T2. If its a nice clean surface that won't cover my feet in junk, then I will take them out and go barefoot. Pre-race recon will determine this. So, here we go. Hand bike to catcher and head for T2 bag. Grab bag, into tent. Pull out go bag and sneakers. Put helmet and shoes into bag (or just helmet if shoes are on bike). Put on socks, slide on sneakers, grab go bag and go. Goal is under 3 minutes. Whats in the go bag? Race belt with bib. In belt is tube of base salt and chapstick. Two race saver bags. Visor, another base salt (will go in pocket of tri shorts (there are 4 pockets!). 6 GUs and 2 shot block sleeves. So, while running, put on race belt and visor first. Then start putting the other items in my pockets. Hold empty bag in one hand, race saver bags in the other hand until aid station 1 where i can ditch bag and fill race saver bag with ice.
Run Strategy. The plan. Since my HR is so low on the bike, talking with Coach P, we are going to bump the HR to 130 for the first 3 miles. Then 135 for the next 3. I'll be coming off the bike with an avg HR over the last hour of likely 122. My watch will only have HR on the screen for the first 6 miles. After than I will switch it to run data. Pace, distance, elapsed time, and HR. But will continue to run by HR and ignore pace. Eat a GU at 1, 3, and 5 of the run. Gatorade at every aid station and water on my body. Take 3 thumbs of Base Salt every hour on the hour to make sure I'm getting enough sodium. After 6 is when the hills kick in. Let HR rise to 140/42 on the climbs, try to bring it back under 140 on the downs. but above 135. Continue with gatorade water strategy at every aid station, refill race saver bag as often as needed. Add coke if I need a buzz or stomach is iffy. Start of 2nd lap, back on the flats, try to bring HR to 140, but if 135 is the number thats the number. Start with shot blocks and red bull in addition to the gatorade if stomach will allow. But if its angry, will back off and hit the coke. Start to decide where the line is. Is it 18 or 20? Pick one and stick to it. Once I hit the chosen line, well, its time to race. Use HR to make me move. Being the hilly section, getting it up shouldn't be a problem. Not letting it fall by slowing down will be the challenge. So hopefully 140+, 145 if the day has gone well.
2nd "line" is mile 24. If I haven't been reduced to the Ironman Shuffle, its time to chew on agony and thrive on the suffer.
Hit the chute, arms up, rub my disgusting Gu, gatorade, sweat and piss covered body on my wife the catcher (she hates that), and then go to the food tent and eat all the things!
Run reality? This is Ironman. Cope and manage what the day brings as best as possible. Enjoy. And have fun no matter how it goes.
Sure, this was a long and convoluted mess of a race plan. But the reality is thats how my brain works, but its also very good at doing 1 thing at a time how it should be done. Swim the swim within myself. There is no need to blast it. Its a waste of energy. Form, technique, and smooth consistent turn over. T1 smooth is slow, slow is fast.
Bike, relax, hold numbers and don't get aggressive. Let the animals come back to me in the last hour and half. Pick someone a few hundred yards out and ride to em, wash, rinse, repeat.
T2 smooth is slow, slow is fast.
Run, make or break the day. Keep HR down, relax, keep moving and then steadily climb the HR through the run.
You probably noticed there is no run special needs. I will have one, but its only going to be a little tub of Skin Lube, variety of bandages and tape if blister care is needed. If I don't need any lubing up or blister care, I'm not stopping. Thats it. Honestly, anything that has been sitting out there all day is gonna be cooked and not very appetizing. Any special drink will be hot, and anything sweet will be melted.
Focus, stay in each disciplines box as defined, and success should come.
0