Derrek's Raleigh 70.3 Race Plan
This will be my 7th half iron distance triathlon,
first time at Raleigh. I’m 6’1, 165# and
had a good training build from January OS to Mallorca cycling camp to IM Full
training plan for IMLP. Goals for this race is to focus on a strong bike leg and still have a solid run.
Thanks for any comments/suggestions/advice!
Any tips from Raleigh veterans?
Friday:
-
Long-ish swim in the morning
-
Final packing
-
Start hydrating with Skratch Hydration Recovery
and GE
-
Depart for Raleigh, NC by 2:00 pm
-
Early to bed; get at least 8 hrs of sleep
Saturday: Drink GE throughout the day
-
Hearty breakfast
-
Athlete Check In (9-4) and attend athlete
briefing
-
Test ride bike and then check bike in (10-5pm) Lower
tire pressure; check brake rubbing, set easy gearing
-
Check out Transition Area: swim start/finish,
swim in, Bike out. Memorize bike
location
-
Drive bike course
-
Light Lunch
-
Relax
-
Light Dinner
-
Organize bike and run bags
-
9:30 To bed
Sunday:
-
Wake 3:30 am: eat by 4:00: oatmeal, banana, bagel/honey
and coffee with Hydration Recovery
-
Secure Timing chip
-
Castelli speedsuit, lube, Chamois cream
-
Garmin 910
-
HR Monitor
-
Prepare 3 bottles with GE
-
4:30: leave hotel for T2, drop off run bag;
catch bus to T1/Jordan Lake
-
Set up bike gear. Garmin 520 sync and turn off, Pump tires. Salt tabs dispenser on bike
-
Once transition is set, get to body marking and
swim start
-
Don swim skin
-
Swim wave 4, 7:20. Take gel at 7:00. Get in water as soon as possible for swim
warm up, if allowed
Swim: Easy and steady for 5 minutes: head down focus on exhaling, catch up drill to keep from starting off too fast, stay calm in the congestion. After warmed up, increase turn over focusing on form and rotation, climb the ladder, count strokes. Goal: sub 40 for non-wetsuit / sub 34 with wetsuit
T1: Swim skin and goggles in bag; shoes on, Helmet (No socks) …go.
Bike: Heart rate will be high, settle down and ride the first 20’ at ~ 185 watts to get HR below 135. Drink GE every 15’. Take 1 S!Cap every 60'. Drink 2 bottles GE/hr (3 in the first hour). Depending on temps, increase to 2.5 – 3 bottles of GE/hr. After 20' build to 210-220 watts (.81-.85 IF). Grab water at last aid station to cool off just before T2.
Nutrition totals per hour: 360 calories (GE). 1,200mg of Sodium (GE) and if high humidity, 1 S!Cap per hr for an additional 340mg). Goal: sub 2:35
T2: Leave shoes on bike. Put on socks, shoes, Go Bag (race belt with 3 gels, EN truckers cap, race saver bag and banana) …go.
Run: Run pace will be dependent on humidity level and temps. I will not be acclimated to humidity/heat. Run the first 3 miles at a pace to keep HR below 140 or average HR on bike. (Caution: this will feel slow). Pour water over head at every aid station and get ice. Honor the first 3 miles HR restrictions, it will pay dividends in the last 3 miles. Miles 4-10, ease into a faster pace. Mile 11-13.1, best effort. Take 10” walk breaks at every aid station to drop HR and get in fluids/GE. Nutrition for the run will be 1 Gels every 4 miles/30’ (220 cal/hr) and 1-2 cups of GE at every aid station. 2 S!Caps at 60' depending on temps/humidity; sodium, 1,108mg/hr. Take Coke after mile 10. Goal: sub 1:40
o Morning Clothes Bag: swim skin, body glide, goggles (x2), race swim cap, 1-Gel, bottle of Skratch Hydration Recovery, spare tire, spare tube/CO2, 6 salt caps in dispenser for bike, 3 bottles of GE for bike, towel, chamois cream
o Bike Bag: Helmet, bike shoes, small towel
o Run Bag: running shoes, socks, large Ziploc/go bag: race belt w/ bib and 3 Gels, salt caps dispenser, race saver bag for ice, EN trucker hat, banana
Comments
I look forward to seeing you out there. I’m still hampered by a really bad hamstring, so I won’t give you much of a challenge, but I’m also too dumb not to race. This is a fun course, but it’s slow, hilly and hot. Busses out to T1 are great. Lots of time once out there, with good facilities. The swim is no-wetsuit (lake is already 81F) and against the current. Pros are in the high 20’s/low 30’s, I think my PR is :37. Brian Terwilliger is (somehow) unaffected by the current and will smoke it. Don’t worry about swim time - just swim. T1 is as easy as they come . . . and fast. The bike is awesome. I did Choo 70.3 last week, and this course is 3x better and only 25% harder. You mostly climb/grind the first 6-7 miles out of the park, so just chill. Then it’s a very sceinic, fast, and fun ride to Mile 31. That’s where the climbing starts. And the hills only last 25 miles. It’s 5-10 min slower than “fast courses,” so (again) don’t fret over time. But it’s still fun. If the aid stations are the same, either the Mile 30 or Mile 45 AS is at the bottom of a short/steep downhill, but it’s also at the start of a short/steep section. Get in the small before tossing bottles, etc. or you can be stuck in a bad gear while juggling stuff. T2 is just as straightforward as 1. The run is new this year, but it’ll still be urban, exposed, very hilly and either crazy or insanely hot. Temps actually look pretty good right now on paper, but 81F in Raleigh is almost always brutal. It’ll be a death march for many. Most of the last mile is uphill (crampfest), then downhill to the finish after the last turn. Finish is downtown, tall buildings, crowds -somewhat Louisville-esque, lots of fun. Jimmy V’s Italian restaurant in the Marriott (at finish line) is a great pre- and/or post-race spot.
If you wait for me at the finish line (patience and discipline), I’ll buy you a beer.
MR
Heat and humidity can change everything, .85 IF may be a bit rich depending on conditions...use HR as secondary measure to judge power intensity under tough weather conditions.
Heat and humidity can make calorie digestion difficult. 360 cal/hr pushing .85 intensity on the bike under tough weather conditions may be a bit steep......being a veteran, listen to your body and make a judgement call but race smart and be sure to include the weather conditions in your decisions...
Good luck Ironman!
SS
Plan looks good. I'd only add a couple notes.
1. Don't be in a hurry to get bike checked in. I always go about as late as possible. Drop pressure in tires. I've seen lots of flats from people taking their bike early and leaving them at race pressure. T1 is in the sun and it can get very hot.
2. Leaving T1 will be tough to hold back, as its a climb out of there. Not steep, more like 2-3%, but peeps will be crushing it and its easy to get sucked in. Once you hit the 4 lane(Hwy64), if you have a tailwind, stay in the gas and you will be flying. Get aero and go with it. As others have said back end of the bike is where the hills are, you'll see the carnage of those that crushed it early there, especially if hot.
3. New run course this year I hear, so can't comment much. Locals that have ran it in practice are grumbling about it, but most I've heard are novices and just want a flat course. When I've done it, it was always brutally hot, so I put ice under my hat at every aid station. Should carry a Go bag and keep ice in it. Keeping cool is paramount. I sought shade as opposed to sun every chance I found.
Have a great smart race!
@Jeff Horn - Thanks! It takes practice drinking a hole bottle in 30 mins. Last year I switched from 1 bottle to 2 bottles per hour and it made a world of difference on my run at both HIM and IM distances.
@Al Truscott - Likewise, thanks for the vote of confidence! Similar suggestions from you and Paul is a huge motivational boost. Thanks!
@Mike Roberts - Sorry to hear about the hamstring but I'm sure I'll still be chasing you the entire race and I'll take you up on that beer. Thanks for the insight on the course.
@Shaughn Simmons - Good point on the weather conditions. My HR is easily 10 beats higher in heat/humidity. I'm hoping (which is not a good strategy) the weather will be favorable the first couple hours on the bike. My hard limit on HR for the bike is high zone 3 and will adjust effort/watts accordingly. I don't want my body working at a Z4 effort. Thanks for your input!
@Dave Campbell - Great tips on the logistics and course...I'll adjust my time frame for checking in my bike.