Sabra Gonzalez Chattanooga 70.3 Race Plan
Ironman Chattanooga 70.3 – Race Plan
3rd Time’s the charm, they say. This will be my 3rd IM Chatt 70.3 and will make it my 6th HIM. I love this race and consider this my home course being so close to the Atlanta area.
Friday, May 18
Drive up to Chattanooga and check into Courtyard by Marriott located just a few blocks from transition. Unload then walk to transition area to Athlete check-in. Attend one of the late afternoon briefings. Buy more BASE salt and vials at the BASE tent. Meet up with friend and have dinner out. Race numbers on bike. Bed at a decent time.
Saturday, May 19
“Sleep in”
Eat breakfast and then do a light shake out run. Drive course and do course recon. During the day, I’m drinking GE and salting my food. Maybe meet up with EN folks??
Last minute bike check then drop off bike. Remembering to let out air in the tires to avoid them popping in the heat. Notate landmarks for my rack location.
Lunch out and grab dinner (or eat something from home, most likely) NLT 6pm
Back to hotel, stay off feet, relax.
Make bottles for next day to get me through swim start and to the first aid station on the bike. Lay out nutrition to add to bike the next morning, make salted jelly sandwich for b’fast .
Apply Tri Tats Lights out 9pm
Sunday, May 20 – RACE DAY!
4:03 am Wake ready to face the day
Make coffee
Get dressed – 920xt, Road ID, Sports Bra, HRM, tri kit, t-shirt and jacket over top
Put on timing chip w/ safety pin
Socks and shoes to keep feet warm, rain jacket if needed
Pre Race Breakfast:
Coffee w/ turbinano sugar and almond milk
Naked Smoothie w/ Almond Milk
Salted jelly sandwich on GF bread
Small banana
Use bathroom
Grab morning clothes bag/Sherpa bag containing: bike pump, wetsuit, cap & 2 pair goggles, GE to sip, clif blocks, Body Glide, Phone, headlamp, cheap flipflops
5:30am –set up transition area. Have XL Zip lock bags in case of rain to place running shoes/socks inside
Turn on Garmin and calibrate
Pump tires to 95-100psi
Add nutrition/ Base Salt to bike
Fill Aerobottle and place bottles on bike
Double check Garmin that it’s set to the right profile
Check Garmin again!
Take bus to swim start, drinking GE, Find sub 30 min swim seeded section. Sit wait it out. 20 min before start, 3 clif blocks, drink water/ pee where I can. Body Glide on neck and ankles. Wear the wet suit.
Hand off any last minute items to Sherpa.
Swim
Jump in water, stay calm, but GO!
Swim upstream and around the first buoy, find my rhythm, and relax. Just swim, this is what I know. Try to find feet. I never seem to, though.
Once around the buoy, keep the rest of the buoys on my right sighting for the exit. Start thinking transition… Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
Get out of
water, unzip wet suit half way, and get to a wet suit stripper. Jog to T1 trying
to keep HR from spiking too high. Take off cap/goggles en route to bike.
Bike shoes, ON, no socks
Helmet, ON Buckle it! Make sure shield is there. GO!
Bike:
Start Garmin
For whatever reason, I have never been able to properly capture data for this bike course. I have updated all devices and have put in fresh batteries in my HRM, cadence sensor and power meter.
It’s about 5 admin miles out of town to the GA state line. There are a couple of railroad crossings to be cautious of. Watch for flying water bottles and other debris. Use this time to get the HR down, start drinking GE and don’t blow the Watts. Let them pass me. Goal: HR 145/150, Overall Goal Watts: 155-160 this will be top end Z3
As many may know from my past race plans/reports and in speaking during Le Zwift rides, the bike is my biggest challenge, mentally and physically. Being a strong swimmer I’m usually out in front and all the strong bikers come roaring past. It is what it is and I just hang on tight and stay out of their way.
My plan for this race is to “push” it slightly here, still keeping HR and Watts in control to set up the run, but perhaps, less conservative on the bike as in the past. The course is net uphill to the Hog Jowl climb. It seems like it gets windy on the back side of the bike course after Hog Jowl. I need to keep the watts the same. It’s net downhill through Chickamauga. Get through town then spin up Chickamauga climb without a huge spike in watts. Descend carefully and get back to transition.
Nutrition: In speaking with Coach P, he suggested only loading GE in my aero bottle and one on my down tube because of my height/weight (5’2” 118#). Usually I have aero bottle, down tube, and 2 on the back…this weighs too much. I will use the Aid stations for GE refills, water for splashing to keep cool. I just hope I don’t miss grabbing a bottle like in Haines City. I just need to remember to slow up enough to grab bottles. DON’T MISS.
Aim to drink 24oz GE, 2-3 blocks, and Base Salt/Hour. That will give me 256-289 cal/hr. If I feel a “fade”(usually after the 2 hr mark) switch over to the caffeine blocks. Be sure to keep up on cals on the back half more than in Haines City
Aim to pee at least once. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, start thinking transition.
T2:
Dismount bike and run to rack.
Bike shoes, OFF
Helmet, OFF
Running socks, ON
Shoes, ON
GO BAG – contains: EN Visor, Sunglasses, Zip Lock Bag, Race Belt w/Race Number (contains: clif blocks, Base, Imodium)
PEE?
OUT
Run:
Miles 1-3 – Aim to keep HR at 150 for first 3 miles. Take it easy through Tri Club village and up the first hill out of town. Nutrition strategy will be if I can stand GE drink that and eat a couple of blocks. Otherwise, if my stomach churns, then it will be Coke/Base/Water for the duration which worked in Haines City.
Miles 4-9 – HR up to 160. Pace should be around 8:05, descending
Miles 10 – 13.1 – HR 160+ Whatever is left
Cross that finish line with a huge Smile grateful to be able to do this sport!!
Comments
I'm sure you know this, but I didn't see it on your checklist so just throwing it out there - small gear on your bike in T1.
Also, you're a super strong runner and this is 70.3 so I think you could go by RPE after mile 3 versus going by your HR. Maybe use it as your second check.
Go get them!
Pee in T2? I almost always do in an HIM (always in an IM). My thought is...there are way more porta-potties in transition. Relying on finding an empty one at any given aid station during the run is a crap shoot (pun intended). I know after 3+ hours of swimming/biking, I can't hold out for another 145+ on the run, might as well get it over with. Then, there are those who just pee while running...
You've got a great plan for race day. Given your race experience and consistent training, you should have no problem hitting the targets and finishing strong
On the bike, I'm not a fan of using both HR and power limits. One or the other is always out of line, and that can lead to unnecessarily scaling back your effort. Suggest you consider going by HR for the first 5 miles until you hit the GA line, then switch to watching power for the remainder. Push a nice steady Z3 power and forget about HR; it will move up and down but that's no different from a Zwift race. At mile 40 keep pushing the power if you're feeling good. You'll probably see that hardly anyone is passing you at that point
The run is your secret weapon (although the cat's out of the bag as I know how fast you are). Depending on the conditions and how you feel, don't be afraid to start pushing at mile 4. From looking at Strava you ran plenty of miles with HR in the mid 160's. You'll be able to easily hold that if you choose to run hard
I'll be cheering for you and following on the IM app ... have a great race!!!