Matt Limbert IM AZ Race Plan 2017
Hey Team, this will be my second race plan with Endurance Nation, so I really appreciate any and all input.
Ironman Arizona 2017
Personal Stats: 44yo, 5’9”, 163 lbs., 1:30/100m, 280 FTP, 210 NP race rehearsal, 60 vDOT.
Goals: Learn how to compete at the IM distance.
Back Story:
I have followed the EN training format and discussions for about a year and half. Some say that you complete, compete or race an IM. I would say my other IM races have fell in the complete category and would like to up my game this time around. I quickly learned I need to focus on my race execution – balancing RPE, data feedback, nutrition, terrain, weather, fellow athletes and my mental state/attitude across the entire day. We balance so many variables through the course of the race, it feels like calculus until you really get the hang of it. For me my RPE calculus looks like RPE = HR x breathing rate x stomach/GI function x sweat rate x mental attitude x power x cadence x temperature x terrain. For me, success it is staying present and not letting any single variable dominate or go to zero in the equation, while knowing the upper limits for each variable. For this race want to learn where my execution skills are at and assess my training and preparation and determine if a KQ is realistically in my future. So, for this race I am prioritizing rule #1 –Execution, not fitness. I’ll grade myself on execution and ability to gain and maintain a rhythm, show patience and discipline.
Pre-Race:
Thurs: 30 min swim. Drive to AZ. Check-in.
Fri: Assemble and check bike. Short efforts. High-carb / fiber dinner.
Sat: High-carb / low fiber breakfast. Pack T1 & T2 bags (per checklists). Practice swim. Check-in bike and drop off T1 bag. Walk the swim exit and note where to turn, change tents, relative position of the bike in transition. Hyper-hydration by Scratch w/ extra sodium. Dinner high-carb + 2 Naked Juice.
Sun: Wake: 4:30. Breakfast – 2x Naked Juice, Powerbar, Stinger waffle, and sip bottle of Gatorade endurance. Sunscreen, lube, chip, EN race gear. Race day bag (warm clothes).
Once at TA, body mark, top off tires, attach/turn on/Garmin 510 and synch with Power meter. Sunglasses, 5X GU on bike, 2 bottles – aero bottle (GE) and down tube, extra cage for water if necessary). Double-check placement of transitions bags, make sure they’re closed, but not knotted.
Race Execution:
Swim: Goal: Get over the cold & zero visibility water and find rhythm early.
Execution: Get a good warm-up. Either in the water or on land. Raise the body temperature and heart rate. Take final no-caf GU w/ water. Seed myself behind the 60 min group. This group will separate quickly and the true swimmers will lead out. I have plenty of open water swim time, but not with zero visibility. Anticipate cold water. I expect some sun in the eyes with a swim to the east. Focus on: Get into a relaxed rhythm. Notice when my mind drifts or becomes distracted and re-focus with counting strokes, hand entry aligned with shoulder and keeping a high elbow.
With 200 to go, mental focus shifts 100% to T1 and get ready for the in water stairs exit. then (“zipper, suit off, T1 process).
T1: Keep it simple. Wetsuit stripped, jog through TA, find my brightly colored tape on mybag. Enter the tent, dump bag. Roll socks onto feet, shoes on, helmet on, hand wetsuit and bag to a volunteer and politely ask to pack it for me. Run with shoes in hand. Put shoes on the ground, step into them. Grab bike and jog to the mount line. Clear the mount line. GU already on the bike. Get settled, safe and down to business.
Bike: Goals: Be smart, fuel on schedule. RPE rules. Use HR, breathing rate, power, stomach indicators in the calculus of sustainable RPE.
Course: 3 loops with the signature section of Beeline highway – a windy, 2-4% grade of 30 mind numbing minutes followed by a u-turn and same section downhill. There is about 10 miles admin streets from T1 to Beeline on every loop. Getting my HR under control by the top of first trip up beeline will be key. Keeping the power on during the decent. Giving my back a break from aero at the top and bottom of the hour will help me stay aero into the third loop.
Execution: From my race rehearsals – its all about finding the right RPE to maximize speed while keeping my stomach working for fuel and hydration. That RPE has typically been < 142 HR, < 210 NP, and not to exceed 285 W when riding in 70-75 degrees. As the temperature increases, the room for error decreases. I get less NP for the same HR and RPE increases > 80 degrees. As the temperature increases keeping my stomach working becomes my priority and dictates my RPE. I expect low 60s for the start and low 80s by the start of the run.
Nutrition: 2 bottles of GE and 1 GU per hour. Timer set for 6 min intervals to drink. Each bottle is marked for 8 oz servings to ensure I sip often rather than gulp. GU at the bottom of the hour.
T2: Goal: Keep it simple. Dismount. Clear the entry area. Remove shoes. Jog with a purpose. Retrieve my bag. Drop my cycling shoes. Remove my helmet. Remove my running shoes and go bag with visor/hat clipped to race belt and race saver bag. Have a volunteer stow my helmet and cycling shoes. Put race belt and visor/hat (if expected to be above 80) on while moving.
Run: Goal: I want to be competitive on the run.
Course: 2 flat loops around Tempe Town Lake. Bike path, sidewalk, dirt path. Lots of long straightways. One hill. About a 600 meters with a 2-3% gradient – not big by any means, but the rest of the course is so flat that this incline seems like a significant change. Weather: Most of the run will be in the low 80s.
Execution: First 8 miles match the HR from the bike, relaxed and easy as possible. Walk the aid stations. I would be happy to find a RPE rhythm here with a HR ~142 and continue to hydrate and fuel. Keeping the box as big as I can for as long as I can. Use the bridges, aid stations, turns and lampposts along the route to set goals. There will come a time when I need to dig deep – I’ll grade myself on how far can push that point to the ideal of mile 18.
Nutrition: GE and caffeinated GU every 25 minutes. I will go to Coke and stop GE / water / GU if I experience any GI trouble. When I go to the Coke, I stay on the Coke. Ice in my hat, jersey, race saver bag or elsewhere if it is exceptionally hot.
Run Thoughts: Get control of my heart rate and find a rhythm early. Run based on RPE and HR.
Final Thoughts: The first 5 minutes of the swim, 40 minutes on the bike, 1 hr on the run are the most important 105 of the race – where I need to be the most present and focused on what I am doing in order to set up the run.
Thanks for reading. If you made it this far I would appreciate your thoughts.
Matt
Comments
Your plan looks very solid. It's a matter of execution now.
I don't have much experience (this will be my second IM) so take this with a grain of salt; I hope you had trained having two bottles of GE per hour so your stomach is used to it, otherwise a mix of water and GE might be easier.
See you next weekend!
First, hoping both @tim cronk @Al Truscott chime in here as I believe both have raced and KQ'd on this course.
Matt, it was my honor to meet and train with you at Aspen last year. Very strong mind and body you have.
I raced IMAZ in 2014. To accomplish your run goal and run competitively it will all come down to the decisions you make on the swim and bike prior in terms of pacing and nutrition. Make that the foundation of your execution plan if that is your goal.
Racing the run leg competitively means letting go of the instruments, the HR and the pace on the back half of the run, then pushing the RPE, laying it all out there and maintaining confidence in the training base you built.
FWIW, I normally switch to COKE somewhere between mile 18 - 20 and stay there through the remainder of the race.
The year I did IMAZ we had heavy winds on the bike course which blew thorns onto the road and caused many of us (including myself) flats. I had two flats that day due to those thorns. @Bruce Thompson had one flat and still overcame it KQ'ing.
Matt, you are very talented and I believe that smart execution on your part is going to lead to some extraordinary results!
KMF brotha!
Drinking every 6 minutes? - From a straw this is not a problem but if you are drinking from a bottle that means disrupting your aero position every 6 minutes giving away that free speed... It will be very cool for 1hr and then comfortable for another hour before it finally warms up.... Certainly a personal choice based on size, sweat, rate, temps, and effort but every 6 min seems like too much even if sipping... I like 15min intervals and drink one mouthful when cold/cool, 2 mouthfuls when warm, 3 mouthfuls when hot, switch to 10 min intervals when screaming hot and drink to thirst ...
With that huge engine across all disciplines it will be all about balancing that ability with execution... How much to push and how early to push in each part of your day... I like to call it becoming very uncomfortable , very early, dancing on the edge of the envelope, constantly having a conversation with yourself, am I going to hard for this early, am I going hard enough , all the way to the finish line... Always being willing to accept the outcome of the day....
The weather looks as perfect as it could possibly be... High 50's to start, low to mid 80's for a high, winds light and variable, water should be comfy low to mid 60's... Be prepared for ridiculously fast times this year!
Look forward to meeting in person and sharing the IMAZ course with you!
Best of luck out there. You have some serious horsepower, so your focus on execution is exactly correct. A few things that popped up as I read it. I would get up an hour earlier and eat at 3:30. Give your stomach a chance to chill ater eating 600-900 calories. And I do the Skratch Hyper on race morning in addition to the night before.
Are you doing some/all of the little things that can save you a handful of watts on the bike? Race wheels, new/wide race tires, latex tubes, aero helmet, nothing dangling into the wind on the bike?
You have great swim speed. If you have the fitness, I wouldn't worry about going too hard, the first 10 minutes, etc. Instead, get in with the fast guys on the buoy, fight (politely) if you have to for position, and refuse to deviate from those feet along the buoy line. Yes, it's cold, but that swim isn't that difficult. But to be competitive on the day, you really want to come out sub-1:05. Which you can do.
Practice those transitions physically and mentally. Make it a matter of routine. You will literally steal 2-3 combined minutes off of some of the very top guys in your AG. And you will need those minutes.
Two bottles plus a gel/hr probably puts you 10-15g of carbs high each hour. But assuming some spillage and not a full two bottles, pretty close. Every 6 minutes is a little OCD. I like 15, but that's me. Even at the pointy end in AZ, many of the guys will badly over-hammer the bike and eat too much. Be different. If your stomach gets full, burp, bloat, etc., immediately ditch the gels. Stick with GE. If you later find yourself starving, have another gel. You don't even want to be close to the "full" line. And definitely no food the last 30 minutes. If you pee 2+ times and get off the bike with a happy stomach (even mildly hungry is fine), you've set yourself up to run. Assuming you didn't over-hammer the watts.
This bike course is the easiest one I've done on the IM circuit. There's 3-4 turns, plus the 2 turn-arounds each loop. If your NP goal is 205 or 210 or whatever, you should never have to get near 250 or 260. Smooth as you go. Even though your w/kg aren't quite 4, this is a flat course so big watts get rewarded. And you've got big watts. If you feel good starting the third loop, feel free to build to the upper portion of your watt plan. Peeing is simple on the long downhills. The third loop is crowded and bit sketchy in parts on the way down, so be vigilant and careful (i.e., don't trust the handling skills of the three side-by-side riders sitting up and coasting down at 13mph).
Is 142 around the average HR you've seen in your long runs the last couple of months? How does the top of your Zone 2 HR compare? The run is where KQ dreams are made. No one in your AG swims-bikes like a madman, then jog/walks his way to a KQ. Coach P killed the swim and bike yesterday. But had he run a very impressive 3:40 in that heat instead of 3:29, he wouldn't be returning to the Big Island. You'll likely fly out of transition at 7 pace. Slow down, get the HR down to where you need it to be, and be an introverted slave to your plan those first 6-8. No outside influences. Even if you had a bad bike, trying to "make up" lost time by starting out at 6:15 pace . . . just doesn't work. I like your plan of eating every 25 minutes, but I like to eat a gel before the first mile AS after I've calmed down, then whenever I feel hungry thereafter. If you can get in 3-4 gels the first half while you feel pretty good, perfect. No chance of bonking. You can Coke/GE/Red Bull from there to the finish. I wouldn't walk more than 10 steps at an AS after you've grabbed what you're going to consume. I like counting out loud because the concept of time gets seriously lost out there. You are clearly a runner, so you likely have some basic form checks? Do them. Gives you something to do. Plus, the bike wears us down, and there are times in the IM when my form just goes to crap. I have to constantly remind myself to run tall, land straight underneath, no hip crash, light feet, shoulders relaxed, etc. Efficiency is the name of the game. This run course is also pretty easy. Only thing I don't like are a lot of start/stop turn-around's. Those hurt late in an IM. If you've got an ingenious solution to them, use it. Then just get mean the last 6-8. Unleash the competitive runner in you. You can have fun after you finish.
MR
- Swim like it's a race. Find feet, and stick with them, or advance forward as needed. Work as hard as you can for an hour. To compete, the swim is not a warm-up, it is the first 10% of the race.
- Bike on this course is all about steady and aero. And avoiding penalties. If you've practiced staying aero for 30 minutes at a time for five hours, go for it; otherwise, take 10-15 sec mini breaks as needed to keep the back and hip flexors from locking up.
- Run with a steadily increasing RPE, from Stupid Slow (miles 1-4/5) to Long Run pace (5-10) thru marathon (10-15), half marathon (15-20), 10K (20-22/3), 5K (23/4), then Spend It All. Goal is even split between the two loops.
The other key is: when you start thinking you can't keep upping the effort level on the run, it's time to Trust Your Training. Take advantage of the fitness you've built the past six-nine months. If you've held yourself on the right side of the line thru the first 7 hours, then it's time to get out of the way of the strength your training has provided you. Don't let your mind think for one second that you are not capable of finishing strong. Even though it hurts (it hurts for everyone), you WILL be able to keep going, 'cause you've done the training for both your body and your mind, and you will surprise yourself with what you can do.I don't have much to add to what all the Wicked Smaht People up there have added.
Sunglasses - needs to be in your T Bag with helmet, if they fetch bikes for you, it will get dropped by a volunteer.
bottles on bike, do you have one or two behind you on the seat? do you have a BTB aero bottle? if yes, ditch the down tube per Roberts' comments above.
My aid station routine that I've written before (I use a refillable btb bottle with straw up front)
as I enter aid station, ditch garbage and bottle from behind me... slow a little as approaching first GE people, point to one, grab bottle, rack it. now hunt for whatever else you need, banana, clif bar, gel, etc.
grab a water on the end, rinse self off if needed, take a swig & chuck it at last garbage (10 secs to do this), you are like me and live of GE, so you don't need to take that extra H2O w you.
as a note, I have trouble getting the gel/clif bar, so i start with 4 gels in my back pockets(inside wetsuit), bike is bare except for that.
As I read your report, I see exactly what the group said about my Race Plans this year, not psyching myself up for it completely. you ARE a competitor, this race should be (as all IMs should be) executing well to set up the last 8 miles to drop the hammer and see what you can do, how much harder, if any, you should have gone earlier, etc.. There will be people (not many) in front of you that blow up in those 8 miles, remember, you WILL increase the body count at the end of the day.
Other tips-
Swim, no longer a mass start (boy, those were combative!) but a IMKY style jump in off 2 docks, if you line up with the front group, you'll have enough fast people to work off of.
the beeline is a long slow climb that gets steeper as you get to the turn around. There are also a couple of features out towards the end that will funnel the wind stronger in your face as you go out.. THE place to be the MOST aero you can of the day is beeline outbound. It has stuck in my mind since I've done AZ 3x, Coach's adivice on how easy it is to ruin your day overbiking 30 miles of a false flat (the 3 outbound legs) , be disciplined on your power targets with the hill AND the wind in your face. Suggest you drive it on Friday, in right lane, flashers on, absorbing what it is.
Now that you went slowish up that hill into the wind, the ride back is going to be 42 mph, unavoidable draft packs, do NOT get caught up in burning matches trying to escape them. back off the rear if you can, takes discipline.
you have a huge engine and one of the most awesome attitudes combined with real smarts, truly looking for the result that requires me to give you the same protected rider courtesy in ASE that you favored me with
Have the best day of your life, by knowing you competed at the best of your current experience level! Walk/Hobble away having learned 5-10 things you can write down that will get you to Kona, I know you will be heading their soon.
Looking forward to discussing over beers in Mallorca!
@Mike Roberts - Will get up a bit earlier. I most likely be up anyway, might as well eat. Have a lot of the small things for my handful of watts (wide tires, wheels, helmet, nothing hanging out in the wind etc) - although I did forgo latex for butyl tires for a little extra puncture resistance based on the history of flats on beeline (@Shaughn Simmons et al). Thanks for the reminders for managing power and ditching gel if the the stomach does not cooperate - most likely a sign that I got the RPE too high. "Just on the edge of envelop" - RE @Tim Cronk. I think the stretching for my back will occur naturally with my eating and drinking schedule.
@Shaughn Simmons - great to meet you. Thanks for the help. I need to put a KMF led event on the schedule for next year! I've heard it makes all the difference.
@Mike Roberts and @Al Truscott - I will have your voices in my head as a exit T2. "You'll likely fly out of transition at 7 pace. Slow down, get the HR down to where you need it to be, and be an introverted slave to your plan those first 6-8. No outside influences." "Run with a steadily increasing RPE, from Stupid Slow (miles 1-4/5) to Long Run pace (5-10) thru marathon (10-15), half marathon (15-20), 10K (20-22/3), 5K (23/4), then Spend It All. Goal is even split between the two loops."
@Al Truscott - Thanks for reminder, "when you start thinking you can't keep upping the effort level on the run, it's time to Trust Your Training. Take advantage of the fitness you've built the past six-nine months. If you've held yourself on the right side of the line thru the first 7 hours, then it's time to get out of the way of the strength your training has provided you." This is when the 2hr+ runs pay off.....
@Scott Dinohofer - Thanks for the AS and beeline highway tactics...."how easy it is to ruin your day overbiking 30 miles of a false flat (the 3 outbound legs) , be disciplined on your power targets with the hill AND the wind in your face." And thanks for your encouragement/motivation on the last 8 miles....
Thanks for taking the time to remind, advise and motivate. I wasn't going to post anything, but really glad I did.
I second @Mike Roberts comments on the bike...this course is silly fast and easy. You should never have to spike your watts at all. I still don't believe your FTP number though...what you did in Aspen this summer was well beyond what a 3.8 w/kg FTP could do. I was closer to 4.0 and you freaking buried me a couple times. Not particularly critical, but confidence to feel good about your bike plan being appropriately conservative.
On the run...you know what works for you nutrition wise and have proven it. Your run will kill dreams this weekend. Get that HR at target when you start and hold steady until mile 18-20 then you can increase the effort/HR and maintain pace (or even improve). I know you have this...we all saw it during the Ragnar. That last leg you did at a 6 something pace after 20 miles of running in 24 hours and 400 miles of biking the prior week shows how deep you can dig. I pity anyone in front of you those last 6 miles.
Can't wait to cheer you on this weekend....make us proud!