Tony Ledden 2018 IMMT Plan
Would appreciate any kind of feedback, both positive and constructive.
Special thanks to @Coach Patrick , @Ian Kurth , @Francis Picard, @Dawn Cass for the awesome 2017 race reports and @Sheila Leard, @Al Truscott , @Paul Curtin , @Shaughn Simmons for the boomer and all around racing wisdom in recent forum posts and webinars.
IMMT Sunday 8/19/2018: Race Plan.
Bib#532
Weather forecast for race day as of 8/9: 76/54; 20% chance of precip; partly sunny. Wind NNW 3mph. Sunrise 6:02; sunset 8:00.
Expect low 60 degrees F at start of bike, climbing to upper 60s by late morning and mid 70s at start of the run.
About Me: Age 58 as of 12/31. FTP = 265; w/kg = 3.48; 168 pounds/76.2 kg; 5.5% BF percentage – as of 8/9/2018
This will be my 6th IM and first other than IMMoo; second full year with EN.
Race Specific Goals & Pillars
- Racing self to honor training self; use 99.9% of the engine I’ve been able to build given my life circumstances.
- Simplify; Minimize moving parts; especially given this is my first destination race
- Steady effort wins the day, especially on the bike; start slow and build to steady effort
- Stay focused in my box and on what I can control
Swim Focus/Process
Never stop moving
Stay in the box
If NNW winds, expect head wind coming back in, but at 3mph shouldn’t be bad
Engage lats and core; front quadrant chin on arm to rotate and drive the hips like a corkscrew; faster catch/less lazy glide/point fingers down sooner to catch the ladder rungs; clean faster/finish (brush leg and arm up)
Sight every 6th stroke + bilateral breathe
Be sure to clean goggles and try them on ahead of time!
Transition Focus/Process
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast
Eliminate moving parts; Simple = speed
In T1 bag: helmet and nutrition (shoes affixed to bike with rubber bands, i.e., run barefoot to the bike)
In T2 bag: hat, sun glasses, SPI race belt with salt, Fuel Belt with 2 bottles, pre-race caps and Gatorlytes, Garmin 310XT (yes, I’m a dinosaur), Fuel Belt Hand Held with nutrition in Go Bag; shoes and socks in separate gallon size bag. Run out of T2 with Go bag, putting on gear as I run
Win the day in transition!
Bike Focus/Process
Steady and aero wins the day; VI goal of 1.05
IF goal: 0.72
NP goal: 200
Avg Power: 191
BBS
predicts 5:49 race time; .70 IF; 283 TSS; 176 avg power; 184 NP. I feel my training has gone well (Zwift rides and races, multiple IMWI loops) and at this point -- 10 days before the race -- willing to risk a little more on the bike. Depending on how the taper goes and weather on race day, I may back off the IF 0.72 goal down to 0.70.
HRM last 60 minutes should be about 132 +/- 3 beats
DO NOT SPIKE HR; WORK TO STAY BELOW 145 HR ON THE CLIMBS.
Out of the swim, JRA until end of Monte Ryan in order to get HR down from the swim. Take advantage of down hills and flats on 117 to get aero and go fast. Ride the EN way up the hills and climbs.
Ride the course in a way that is very similar to the Wisconsin course as both have lots of elevation gain, though Wisconsin may be a more technical course.
Basically, where the course allows for speed, go fast. Otherwise, ride the EN way. Overall goal is to not spike HR and ride smooth power – VI goal is 1.05
Bike set up: Torpedo BTA; 1 rear bottle cage: Xlab Delta 300 with cover for tools/tube
Cut corners and get aero right after the turn and stay there
Lap button at changes in terrain to stay engaged and focused on how I should be riding.
PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE
Nutrition on bike
NBS PreLoad Sat night and race morning:
Add water to torpedo and add 1 Gatorade Thirst Quencher bottle to rear cage race morning
1 Bento: extra contacts, extra salt/Base Salt, Tylenol, 2 Almond Butter packets + 1 roll of Tums, 2 Gatorlytes (1 for each loop), 2 First Endurance Pre-Race: 1 at start of loop 2 and 1 20 minutes before T2
Nutrition: water, Gatorade Thirst Quencher (GE) from course, salt stick tablets, Gatorlytes/Base Salt, 2 almond butter packets, 4 HS waffles: 1,400 calories = 233/hr for a 6 hour ride.
|
Fluid |
40 ounces per hour: 30 from water with Salt Stick cap chaser + 10 from GE |
|
Calories* |
233 / hr |
|
Na** |
1,125 mg / hr |
* 2 Almond Butter packets = 380 calories
4 Honey Stinger Waffles = 600 calories
Taking 10 ounces of GE every hour (1/2 bottle), equivalent of 3 of the 20ounce GE bottles = 420 calories
Total calories = 1,400 = 233/hr over a 6 hour ride
If stomach is good within 30 minutes of T2, I’ll do a 160 calorie load of Honey Stinger Chews
** 4 SS per hour = 860 mg/hr
10 ounce GE = 135 mg/hr
½ packet of Gatorlytes mid loop 1 + ½ packet mid loop 2 = 780 mg total
Total Na = 6,750 mg => 1,125 mg /hr over a 6 hour ride
Plan for Bike:
Take 2 bottles of water at aid stations: 1 goes behind seat to dump in torpedo after exiting the congestion at the aid station (and to hose off) and 1 refills the torpedo before exiting aid station.
Further down the line take 1 bottle of GE, drink half, throw away remainder
20 min into bike take in Almond Butter + salt + water + GE – about half the bottle = 260 calories
Hour 2: Almond Butter packet + GE + salt + water + GE – about half the bottle = 260 calories
Hour 3: Honey Stinger Waffle + GE + salt + water + GE – about half the bottle + Pre-Race cap + ½ packet Gatorlytes = 220 calories
Hour 4: Honey Stinger Waffle + GE + salt + water + GE – about half the bottle = 220 calories
Hour 5: Honey Stinger Waffle + GE + salt + water + GE – about half the bottle + Pre-Race cap + ½ packet Gatorlytes = 220 calories
At 30 min of T2, take in 10 HS Chews if stomach feeling good. Nothing within 30 min of T2
Mint TUMS as needed (thanks for the tip @she@"Sheila Leard" )
Reminders: 1 salt stick every 15 min; half of GE at each aid station; 40 oz fluid/hr, ½ Gatorlyte at start of second loop and at top of the 5th hour, 1 Pre-Race cap at start of second loop and at top of 5th hour; load up with HS Chews if stomach is good when 30 min out from T2; no calories after that (just water/salt).
Run Focus/Process
Pace: Add 30” to TRP for first 6 miles: 9:15- 9:20 BUT PACE IS DICTATED BY KEEPING HR in low 130s
Steady Pace miles 6 – 18: 9:00
Begin racing at mile 18: 8:45 pace with 140 - 145 HR
At mile 23 push HR to 150 and 150+ for last mile
Negative split the run
Cut corners
10 steps at aid stations – move through quickly
HR focus: Maintain 132 +/- 3 beats HR off the bike for first few miles, then target 135-138 HR and maintain or with slight rise in HR as I maintain pace (which should be 9:00 min miles) and then increase to 140 - 145 after mile 18 rising to 150 for last 5k and 150+ for last mile.
Nutrition on run
1 salt stick at each mile with 4 – 6 z water from aid station, supplemented with Fuel Belt bottles (2 8 oz bottles) in between and refilled at the aid stations
Hand Held Fuel Belt Bottle: 5 oz EFS Liquid Shot S + 5 oz water to consume in first 6 miles while HR is lower. This is 400 calories in the first hour of the run
At Run SN, pick up second hand held with 5 oz EFS Liquid Shot S + 5 oz water (which was in the freezer the night before)
2 Pre-race caps in belt + Tylenol (take these as needed, but for sure 1 Pre-Race cap at run SN)
At run SN change socks and add Vaseline to feet if needed)
Gatorlytes in SPI belt in case of emergency; Salt Stick tablet/chews to suck on; mint TUMS as needed
Time expectations if able to achieve aforementioned goals
Wednesday – Admin day
Travel to Montreal
P/U car and travel to MT
Groceries at St. Joviet
Check in to hotel
Wear compression
Hydrate with low sugar electrolyte drink (NBS mix)
Eat carefully; slow bleed CHO
Stay off feet
Theragun
Marc Pro +
Early bed
Thursday – Admin and bike recon
stretch and roll
Breakfast at hotel; aminos + vitamins
7am swim
Athlete check in at 10
Pick up bike from TBT at 1:00
Bike recon: Out and back to Lac Superior; ride the run course.
Drive Monte Ryan and 117
Wear compression
Hydrate/electrolytes
Eat carefully: really limit protein and fiber to keep gut clean; slow bleed CHO
Theragun
Marc Pro +
9:00 bed time
Friday – Organize gear bags and athlete brief
Stretch and roll
Breakfast at hotel;
Swim 30 min in am
Arrange and organize gear and run Go Bag (shoes in gallon bag; run items in qt bag)
Clean and try on goggles
Hydrate/electrolytes
Eat carefully: really limit protein and fiber to keep gut clean; aminos + vitamins
Stay off feet as much as possible.
Athlete Brief at 7
Theragun
Marc Pro+
9:00 bed time
Saturday – bike and bag drop
Sleep in late
Breakfast at hotel + aminos + vitamins
Organize gear bags 1 last time and walk through; add SS, HS Chew and SS Chew tablets to SPI belt; add reflective tape to gear bags and tie off the top to prevent moisture from getting into bag
Vaseline and powder to bike and run shoes
Hydrate well/electrolytes
Snack on salty carbs
Leave for gear and bike check after the crowds target 1:30pm
Wear compression
Hydrate/electrolytes
Eat carefully
Stay off feet as much as possible.
Complete gear and bike check by 2:15pm.
Lunch: Simple and bland foods and not too much. Order sandwich for evening meal; Eat carefully: really limit protein and fiber to keep gut clean.
Very light evening meal (left over turkey sandwich – no bread - from lunch + sweet potato + aminos + Salt Stick
Arrange morning clothes and bag, and swim gear + special needs + morning nutrition; bike nutrition/water; HRM
2 water bottles for torpedo + GE bottle to fridge for morning fill; 2 Fuel Belt Hand helds with water/LS to freezer; set up NBS for hydration pre-swim
Shower and sunscreen
NBS Preload
Ibuprofen so don’t wake up with head ache
Stretch and roll
Bed by 8:30
Sunday Morning
Rise at 3:00
Affix timing chip to ankle with safety pin
Wear HRM during swim; snug
race kit + warm clothes
Waterproof sunscreen
Lubes to neck area of suit and in wet suit legs, as well as on me
Wear Garmin 310XT wrist strap for use on the run
Turn on Garmin 310XT for run and Element for bike as leave hotel so pairing with satellite occurs before confusion with other bikes
NBS PreLoad
Breakfast: Banana, sweet potato, Almond butter, coconut milk in coffee, aminos + salt sticl
Stretch & roll
Give thanks I get to do an Ironman
Leave Holiday Inn Express hotel by 4:45
Drop off special needs
Get Body Marked
Pump tires and take pump back to hotel room
Add 26 oz water to Torepdo ; add nutrition to Bento (Almond Butter packets) and Honey Stinger Waffles in 50 calorie pieces wrapped in baggies to T1 bag
Remove tape from T1 and T2 bags, add the HS Waffles for stuffing into tri top after the swim
Add 20 oz bottle of GE to back Delta 300 x-lab holder
Rubber band shoes to pedals (run out of T1 barefoot)
Check brakes and wheels and be in right gear
double check bike that tires holding air and brakes work
Add Element to bike
Chill and hydrate on NBS until 5:45: isometric stretches.
Take
Dramamine if swim is wavy
Apply Button Hole and neck lubes before swim but after insert macs while getting into wet suit
Get into wet suit at 5:45 and walk to water wearing junk flip flops
Drop off morning clothes bag by 5:50
Drop off junk shoes where eye glass table will be
Warm up in water 5:55 – 6:10
12 – 16 oz NBS hydration before race (mixed in disposable bottle the night before)
Get into water and loosen up, making sure wetsuit is fitted properly. Sip while in line; Be sure to put macs in before getting wetsuit lube on my hands.
Swim Notes
Lubes to neck area of suit and in wet suit legs, as well as on me after placement of macs
Be in 1:10 –
1:15 line by 6:15 for 6:45 rolling start – this way I can avoid the mass crowd
at the swim start entry into the water in order to deposit the shoes under the
eye glass table and loosen up in the water beforehand. Wear junk flip flops down to the swim start,
carrying junk shoes, and then place junk shoes under the eye glass table. Also helps to get out on the bike before the pm winds pick up
I’ll bilateral breathe (3 strokes to a breath) and sight at the end of every 6th stroke. Focus on the feel of the rushing water as I grab it and pull it past me, and as I finish the stroke with finishing arm parallel to my leg, lift up at the elbow (don’t over extend arm up over the leg) and thrust the arm forward to catch more water near the surface to pull more of it. Feel the rotation, corkscrew and engagement of lats. Think chin on arm; drive and rotate hips; quick catch (no long lazy glide), fingers down quick, clean finish. Don’t extend the glide.
Utilize Wet Suit strippers upon exit: Goggles up over eyes on top of head, lower wetsuit to waist for stripper
Slip on junk shoes for light jog to T1; remove cap, goggles and macs
Bike Notes
With a TSS of 283, an IF of 72% for a 6 hour IM ride and an FTP of 265, my goal average power is 191 watts with an acceptable variance of 5% (work to stay in 191 - 200 range). See above for bike plan. For hills longer than a 3 min climb, I’ll go at 105% of the 191 goal power, or 200 watts. For hills that are 30 second – 120 second climbs, I’ll go at 110% of the goal 191 power, or 210 watts. I’ll keep an eye on the watts and do my best to not let them spike over the 265 FTP, trying to never go above 90% of FTP, or 238.
Also watch HR as noted above.
This will require smooth pedaling and a steady cadence during the climbs and across the flats – so I’ll also watch the cadence on the hills and beginning the descents to keep it higher and steady, and use momentum as much as possible going into the hills.
Last 30 min on bike sip water, take salt and avoid calories
Run Notes
Don’t change kit from bike.
Grab shoes Hokas Clifton 2 out of clear run bag with socks already in then, lubed with Vaseline. Put on socks and shoes. Grab Go Bag: while running out of T2 and holding bag in teeth: race belt over head, Fuel Belt with bottles to waist, cap, sunglasses, hand held. Keep Go Bag for ice as needed
Fast walk up the hill out of town on loop 1; light jog on loop 2
Water at each aid station; rinse mouth with GE. Smile and thank a volunteer.
Only water and some salt during first 3 miles, then 5 oz Liquid Shot + 5 oz water mixture over the next 3 miles. Consume Fuel Belt Hand Held mixture by mile 6.Grab second Hand Held 5oz/5oz Mixture at run special needs. Take HoneyStinger chew to suck on if can’t stomach the LS as well as Salt Stick Chew Tablets. Pre-race cap at run SN. The last 30 min on the bike you should be sipping water but avoiding the calories. This will allow you to transition better to the running. For the run, 3-5 miles at that conservative 9:15 -9:30 pace/132 HR. Let the body adjust to running and don't take in very much nutrition initially.
Smile over last 5k to ease the pain.
Comments
Regarding the recon ride, Last year, at Coach P's suggestion I rode Monte Ryan to 117. Turn around before the 117 intersection. If I remember there is a Mcdonalds there. I missed it and ended up riding through the lights and turned around in the gas station. Then return to town and take an easy effort climb up Chemin Duplessis to the turn around. It ended up being 21.5 miles in total and allowed me to preview the entire course minus the highway section. I was very happy come race day to have previewed the climbing sections.
I'm planning on doing the same thing again Thursday but not sure what time.
See you in Mont Tremblant!
"Nutrition on run
1 salt stick at each mile with 4 – 6 z water from aid station, supplemented with Fuel Belt bottles (2 8 oz bottles) in between and refilled at the aid stations
Hand Held Fuel Belt Bottle: 5 oz EFS Liquid Shot S + 5 oz water to consume in first 6 miles while HR is lower. This is 400 calories in the first hour of the run
At Run SN, pick up second hand held with 5 oz EFS Liquid Shot S + 5 oz water (which was in the freezer the night before)
2 Pre-race caps in belt + Tylenol (take these as needed, but for sure 1 Pre-Race cap at run SN)
At run SN change socks and add Vaseline to feet if needed)
Gatorlytes in SPI belt in case of emergency; Salt Stick tablet/chews to suck on; mint TUMS as needed"
___________________________________________________________________________________
@tonyledden Well thought out plan! I have a question on nutrition on the run. Are you really going to take a Salt Stick every mile along with EFS? That adds up to a lot of salt. Are you trying to consume a certain amount?
The pre-race caps ...Put in your belt more than you think you will need. I take 3 at one time. Go for the brain boost!
Try to talk yourself out of the Tylenol. You're going to hurt and the Tylenol might mess with your stomach. Might as well just hurt.
Sounds like it might be hot. Hydrate early and often.
Good luck Tony!
Rethinking the salt on the run and recalling what I've done on my race rehearsal runs. Holy Smokes, you are correct -- that is a lot of salt!! My race rehearsals have been in hot (90 degree F) and humid (dew points in low 70s) weather and I've only taken 8 salt stick tablets and 3 Salt Stick chews + 10 oz of the Liquid Shot/water mixture. So over the 2 hour long run on the Sunday of RR1, I took a total of 2,420 mg of sodium, or 1,210mg / hour.
I don't expect to fully consume the 400 calories / 400 mg sodium in the 5oz Liquid Shot + 5 oz water mixture in the first hour of the run -- likely will need finish it by the time I get to run SN (about 2 hours, hopefully).
So changing the run nutrition plan to 1 salt stick every 2 miles + 2 at run SN + 2 Liquid Shot/water over the marathon. This works out to 4,025 mg over the entire 4 hour (hopefully) marathon, or 1,006 mg of salt per hour. I'll carry 4 Salt Stick Chews just in case I'm feeling like I can't tolerate the Liquid Shot over the back half of the marathon.
I generally target 1,000 - 1,250 mg of sodium / hour on bike and run.
But as I tell my kids, life isn't a spreadsheet. I'lll need to be flexible enough to move to coke, broth, more/less calories as stomach and conditions warrant.
Thanks for the tips on the pre-race caps and Tylenol. Agreed the Tylenol is for extreme emergencies only.
Very detailed plan a couple thoughts
- It seems you don't tolerate GE well with the low consumption. Not sure how you are consuming the almond butter packet and honey stingers (all at once or over the hour). I like to spread out my nutrition but don't really want to mess with you plan too much at this point.
- 233 calories an hour on the bike but you are consuming 400 calories in the first hour of the run ( see the note above). You are also not consuming anything in the last 30 minutes of the bike, why? Don't starve yourself when effort is easier/equal on the bike then hammer in a bunch of calories on the hour 1 of the run.
- Bike goal time is 5:55. Best bike split is predicting 5:49 @.70. You are planning .72 IF for the bike with 105% and 110% for long and short hills. What were your race rehearsals IF and how did you run off that IF? Not saying this can't be done just note the .70 to .72 is 5 watts harder overall effort then pushing the hills can add up in overall TSS. Run the numbers at the .72 and see if they seem doable and compare the those to the race rehearsals/big days and other long rides you have completed.
Have a great race.
But I found that 1oz of EFS @ miles 6, 12, and 18 was about all I could tolerate, along with 4-6 oz of GE per aid station, diluted with water from AS. More important was using the slower pace of the first hour to emphasize fluid intake, as it got increasingly difficult to absorb things the longer the day goes on. Despite putting a second EFS bottle in SN, I never used it. And Coke every 2nd or 3rd mile after mile 14 was a real boost.
Also, on the bike...I'm 10 kg lighter than you, and I've been gradually adding calories per hour as my w/kg comes down. When I was @ 3.5-3.6 w/kg, and taking 6 hours to bike, I was planning on 1500-1800 cal total, front loaded (60-65% in the first 56 miles) to some degree.
One final thought...In my opinion, using pace to govern the IM marathon is less productive than following perceved effort level, and HR (or Stryd power if you have it). By the time the marathon rolls around, being married to anticipated pace is likely to get in the way of successfully paying proper attention to (a) nutrition an d fluid intake and (b) the need to *feel* as if you are working harder and harder, even though you are not going any faster.
In the past, I've run into gut rot issues / extreme bloating after mile 3 on the run if I take in too much sugar and CHO on the bike. After switching to real food and water on the bike, I felt better on the run but faded on the bike. I realized I need some sugar on the bike to keep focus and pep in the legs. That's the reason for the half bottle of GE at the AS -- enough sugar to keep focused but not so much that I bloat on the run.
I was going to take the Almond Butter packets all at once at the top of the hour since they will be easier to handle (logistically and metabolically) earlier on the bike. I'll likely take a slow bleed of the Honey Stinger Waffles (in a baggie broken into 50 calories pieces -- 3 per hour) during the rest of the bike.
Agree that 400 calories over the first 6 miles of the run is way too much, but will try to front load the calories a bit on the run. I try not to eat over the last 30 minutes of the bike so that my stomach settles. Do plan to take in some water and salt and a few sips of GE over the last 30 minutes on the bike. On the run, I expect the 5 oz Liquid Shot + 5 oz water mixture will last me 2 hours -- until run SN. I won't be able to take it all at once in the first hour, but will plan to front load the intake in order to maximize the absorption of fluid and nutrition. I'm planning to take a sip of the EFS Liquid Shot mixture at the AS and chase it with water -- depending on how the stomach holds up and what I can tolerate: larger sips if I can tolerate especially early on, no sips if I can't and then be flexible enough to move to coke for the calories. Bottom Line: the plan is to take a slow bleed of 5 oz Liquid Shot + 5 oz water mixture over the course of the entire marathon (with larger sips at the start after the stomach settles in after the first few miles and with a refill of the 10 oz flask at run SN - -which I also may not use) until I can't tolerate it or need to make some other adjustment due to bloating, etc.
Been thinking a lot about the bike.
Reran the BBS model with updated metrics and weather. Also looked at Coach P's 2017 Strava file as a point of reference (I'm no where near Coach P's power output, but it is a useful data point on how he rode the course).
I'm going to back off the .72 IF. An IF of .72 puts me at 300 + TSS which means a 4+ hour marathon given what I've done on RR and prior races. If I back it down to 0.70, I'll be around 285 TSS. BBS is predicting under a time 5:40. After peeing 2 or 3 x, I'm targeting 5:45 - 5:50 on the bike with IF = .70.
@Al Truscott : completely agree on your perspective about pace and using feel during the marathon. Life isn't a spreadsheet, and I feel I can release my mind, feel my inner animal, focus on my one thing and just race if I'm not tied to the metrics. I do want to peek at pace and HR early on in the run as a reference point to make sure I'm staying in my box and setting up a solid push over the last 10k, but my focus will be on RPE, AS management and box.