Vincent Sivirine 2019 IM Wisconsin Race Plan
Thank you in advance for reading my race plan. I’ve spent much time reading many race reports and incorporating good ideas and best practices from others but please let me know if I’ve missed anything or if you see red flags that I need to correct.
I’m a 50-54 AG Frenchman who moved to Atlanta 7 years ago. I joined EN in June after a disappointing race at IM Santa Rosa a month before. Same pattern as for my prior 5 other IMs, 1:10-1:15 swim, good solid bike for the first half and then slowing down second half and a long, sad 5+ hour marathon. Sounds familiar? 😊. Outside of my first IM (Embrun in France), all races have been between 12:30 (Florida) and 13:15 (Louisville 3 times, Santa Rosa) but with slow, painful runs, actually they were more walks than runs.
So my goal for IM Wisconsin is very simple, I don’t really care about the overall time but I want to run the marathon and if I can do it not too far off 4:30/4:45 I’ll be happy. My PRs are 1:49 (Atlanta half) and 4:15 (Atlanta full), both on hilly courses.
Over the past three months on the team I’ve learnt a lot about pacing (especially on the bike), hydration, nutrition and overall execution. Training has gone well, bike R&Rs have been successful, I’ve learnt to keep my VI under 1.05 on hilly courses when I the past I was at 1.25+.
I hope I will (for once) be able to race smart and correctly execute all the great things I’ve learnt from the EN team.
Friday
o Get to Madison around 11am, get bike from Tri-bike, swap wheels with RaceDayWheels
o Athlete check in, hotel check in (Marriott Downtown), athlete briefing at 2pm
o Drive bike course in the afternoon (if not drive early Saturday), if running out of time then short swim to get used to swimming with wetsuit again (Summer has been hot here with temps over 90F for many weeks, so no wetsuit since probably June) and drive course Saturday morning
o Prepare bike and run bags
o Meet EN team (dinner Friday night? or breakfast Saturday morning?). Wisconsin is not a key race so there hasn’t been much activity in the forums but I think there are few of us racing there.
Saturday
o Swim (if no swim Friday afternoon)
o Large carbs-based breakfast
o Drive course if could not recon on Friday
o Get bike ready, drop off bike (before 3pm) and bike & run bags,
o Recon transition area (look for visual aids to find my bike during T1)
o Healthy lunch (chicken / rice / some veggies)
o Get back to hotel room and chill. Legs up, re-watch all videos from EN library and podcasts and re-read articles about IMWI. College football season will have started (finally!) so watch game and relax.
o Prepare white bag (morning clothes): goggles (2), race cap, chip, body glide, headlamp, 2 gels and 3 Gatorade Endurance bottles (1 to drink before swim starts, 2 to start on the bike)
o Early dinner (~5-6pm), chicken breast, some rice / pasta, limited veggies, keep it light and easy.
o In bed by 8, asleep by 9
Sunday
o 4am - wake up and breakfast - coffee, 1 applesauce, 1 Ensure, 1 banana, 1 English muffin with Nutella, 1 bottle sports drink, 1 waffle (~800 calories)
o 5:15 - Leave hotel to transition (~15 minutes walk)
o 5:30 – body marking, pump tires (90psi) [will use Ironman pump tire services unless I find someone to keep my pump so I can pump tires myself (preferred option)], check bike &run bags, check again for visual signs to remember where my bike is, move 2 bottles to bike.
o Question: is it safe to leave Garmin 530 on bike before swim or do it put it in bike bag along with helmet and shoes and set it up as I’m about to start bike leg? I had an old 500 before so did not care much but this one is more expensive..
o Sip sports drink bottle, have one gel, sit somewhere, relax, and remind yourself you’re fortunate to be able to do this, you’re going to have fun so enjoy!
o Team photo
o 6:20 – line up for getting into the water (need to figure out if we leave by AG or time, if time seed with 1:10 athletes) – finish the bottle and have another gel before entering the water.
o 6:50 – AG race starts
Swim (plan 1:15)
o Swim easy, try to find feet to draft, try not to get hit, stay out of trouble. Stay close to the buoys and sight every 6-9 strokes (remember that I steer to the right so must sight frequently). This is just another long swim, keep energy for bike and run.
o Walk out of water, no running, try to bring HR down. Easy, relax, it’s going to be a long day…
T1
o Find stripper, remove cap, goggles and nose clip (go into wetsuit sleeve), walk the Helix, assume I’m retrieving my bag (must remember where it is just in case)
o Shoes and helmet, apply butt’r, grab nutrition bag, get sunscreen and off we go..
Bike (plan 6:15)
o Goal is 0.68-0.70 IF (175w – 180w). Start first 20 miles easy trying to bring heart rate down to the 120ish zone. I assume this will lead to a ~ 165w-170w power. Really ride the first 20 miles JRA, easy
o Then gradually settle into ~175w-180w and ride smart. No surges, no big power, let everyone pass me, no pushing big watts on the climbs with the Tour de France like energy, just steady, boring simple. I will have lap alerts every 5k (so about 10-12 minutes) and want to see AvgePower and NP within 5% and each lap fall within expected power range. Execute the EN way to ride, easy/smooth on the climbs, push on the crest and strong going down.
o Front load nutrition.
- 2 Gatorade Endurance per hour for probably the first two hours, then gradually dial back to one per hour for last two hours.
- Two gels per hour for first two hours and then dial back to one per hour, then switch to Cliff blocks
- Goal is ~ 2,700 calories with ~ 9 Gatorade bottles, 6 to 8 gels, blocks, banana from the aid stations.
- Add Saltsticks tablets in second half if drinking less Gatorade to ensure I’m getting enough salt
o Be aware of pavement quality / road conditions at all times, ride safe
o First time visiting Wisconsin so enjoy the ride and if something does not go according to Plan, smile first, then solve
T2
o Easy jog to get legs moving, get bag, shoes on, cap on, sunscreen, grab nutrition bag
o Grab backup watch
Run (plan 4:45)
o Remember to start slow, if not you’ll be walking after 20 minutes. Remember… slow….
o Front load nutrition
- Gatorade at each station, gel at every other station at least for the first hour. When can’t swallow gels switch to Cliff blocks
- Saltsticks (at least one per hour, more if warm weather)
o First 6 miles run on heart rate, no higher than 135, if not walk. Pace should be in the 6:40 min per km // 10:40 min per mile. But focus first on heart rate rather than pace
o Then until mile 18 run at TRP (~ 6 min per km, 9:40 min per mile) but with heart in 138-145 range. If not slow down
o Be smart on Observatory hills, slow down and / or walk. The second one will be painful so anticipate and keep some legs in reserve
o Mile 18 see what you have left, when it gets tough remember you made it this far so keep moving forward. Have your WHY ready and when negative thoughts come prepare to fight. At some point get angry and have your training self who suffered during training in the heat and humidity and had to get up early etc.. kick the sh.. out of your whining racing self. Then keep moving forward
o 5K to go then push it more if you can and feel how great it is to be able to accelerate. You’re not walking
o 1K to go, you got this, enjoy the crowd support, thank everybody, finish line, big smile, thank you Wisconsin!
Thanks for reading. What I am missing?
Comments
Great race report @Vincent Sivirine . Madison was my first IM and the town really embraces the race, you'll get positive energy from volunteers and non-volunteers. There are many members who have raced Madison multiple times, hopefully they weigh-in as well.
Swim: Make sure you get down to swim start a little early, it can get very congested and backed up with people coming down the helix. Madison has gone from mass start, to age group start, to time corrals, I'm guessing you'll find out at the briefing. People less inclined to mix it up on the swim tend to seed themselves closer to shore, assuming it's still an open water start. Don't forget to "Moo" at the first turn buoy!
T1: I called out my number upon entering the transition area near my rack and someone already had my bike when I got up to it. It was pretty efficient.
I also put my bike computer on my bike race morning prior to heading down to swim start as did most athletes I saw.
Bike: I would call this an honest bike course that rewards people who ride it smart and can flatten the hills. You will see people early in the ride both out of town and once you hit the loop crushing the uphills. Ride the plan you wrote and you will pass all of those people on the second loop.
At the start of the I witnessed a few crashes when people were exiting the helix, as they swerved around to turn on computer, grab something, etc. Also, the first ~5 miles out of town are dodgy with turns, some sidewalk and parking lot riding, etc. Watch for ejected water bottles and people potentially swerving or stopping suddenly. Pay attention both places!
You definitely need to drive the course, if you could do both Friday and Saturday that would be ideal in my opinion. As you likely know, the course has a lot of up and down and often times you are rewarded after a fast descent with an immediate left or right turn. Seeing where those turns occur a few times will be beneficial on race day so you don't overcook it into a corner. Your report mentions road surface -- the roads in the "loop" were bad two years ago. Also, not all the turns coming out of the descent were swept, so keep that in mind too. A combination of steep descents with bad roads means you really need to be paying attention on this bike course. I'm not sure how much of a daredevil descender you are, but you can easily hit 50 mph+ on them if you want.
The return on the "stick" always seems to be into the wind with a net gain in elevation. Stay on top of fluids and nutrition here as it's easy to start thinking about the run.
Run: There is great energy around the whole run course. You are right to mention Observatory Hill. Play it smart both times here. If it's a sunny day, find the shade where you can, which is pretty easy given the amount of trees. I will mention there is a ~1.5 mile section between miles ~8-9.5 and ~20.5-22 where you feel like you are by yourself. This is where it can get difficult, but tell yourself you've got a 10K left and then get after it. Running back to the capital you'll feel the energy grow -- you'll hear the crowd about 1/2 mile away, at that point, go get it!
I hope you have a great race with great execution. I look forward to following you on race day and reading your report!
@Vincent Sivirine : I'm doing IMWI this year as well. Don't forget to Mooooo (like what a cow does) when you round the first swim bouy (you'll hear a lot of Moooos coming from swimmers as they round the first bouy).
I've raced this course 6 times and each time I learn something new: nutrition, pacing, etc.
In my opinion, this course is all about making smart decisions on the bike. You'll need at least an 11/28 in the back. A compact crank is a huge help as well. I'll be running an 11/32 with a 50/34 compact crank. I have a 2010 Cervelo P2 (a classic) with mechanical shifting. If you have electronic shifting, that is an added bonus.
There is room to get down and aero on sections of the bike course, but you gotta be smart and ride the hills like an EN Ninja -- let the others hammer past you on the hills, especially on the first loop.
If you are going to recon the bike course and are pressed for time, I'd suggest starting in Cross Plains (on Bourbon street) and riding the three sisters (aka, the three bitches -- the climbs on Old Sauk Pass, Timberlane and Midtown) into Verona so you see what you'll be dealing with on race day.
Run is pretty flat, except for Observatory Hill, and running through Camp Randall Stadium is fun. Lots of crowd support on the run and on the Midtown climb.
On the bike, you are making a decision every 2 - 3 minutes -- be sure to be safe when trying to eat and drink on the bike, and when riding back up the helix to T2.
See you in Madison on the 8th. My race plan will be forthcoming this week.
@Vincent Sivirine; couple of other thoughts come to mind...
On the loop, most of the right turns will turn you into an uphill, so shift into an easier gear before the right turn. Also, people will bunch up on those right turns heading into a hill, so watch out for crashes and people clipping each other.
I've ridden the loops at least 18x this year already (I live about 2.5 hours away from Madison, north of Chicago) and the roads are rough farm roads -- the Madison area had a tough winter. Be very careful with the side of the road on G and holes that may be covered with pea gravel on Valley Road and on County PB outside Cross Plaines.
You mention 2700 calories on the bike. That's about 450 calories over 6 hours -- can your gut handle that amount of carbohydrate?
Also, what is your per hour sodium target on the bike?
Be sure to take pictures of where your T bags are located inside Monona Terrace (inside 2 separate ballrooms).
Check your brakes before you head down the helix out of T1 and on to the bike course -- just make sure they engage before you head out -- Maybe press them while you mount your bike to make sure they work...
Thank you @Tony Ledden and @Jeff Phillips. I really appreciate the quick response and great input.
Tony I'm looking forward to meeting you in Madison. I will make sure I spend enough time driving the course two times as Jeff suggested to get more familiar with bad road pavement and dangerous descents. Great tip on the right turns going uphill and the need to anticipate.
Jeff, I'm clearly not a daredevil (I prefer the uphills to the downhills) and although triathlon is a great passion, wife and kids are a bit more important. Thanks for the comment on the stick back to transition and the need to stay on top of fluids, I'll make sure I stay disciplined until the end.
As for nutrition maybe I'm taking it too literally..based on my weight (~ 180 pounds) 450 calories an hour was what I read was recommended but I will have to be smart about it and not overeat just for the sake of getting these calories. In my R&Rs I was able to get to that number but I never ran for more than an hour afterwards. In training I was trying to get close to 1000 mg of sodium I'm hoping the weather won't be as hot and humid as the Georgia summer and will therefore need less sodium. I'll be carrying saltsticks tablets on both the bike and the run.
Thanks again
@Vincent Sivirine You are starting from the correct place: "...my goal for IM Wisconsin is very simple, I don’t really care about the overall time but I want to run the marathon."
Keep that in mind throughout the entire bike and run legs. Everything you else you do (and don't do) should become secondary to that desire.
Reminds my if my first/second IMs: I went 1:07/5:45/5:15 in Florida @ age 51 (2000). Walked most of the last 8 miles. Second one, I said, "whatever it takes on the bike, I'm going to run the whole marathon." I went 6:05 on the bike, and 4:22 on the run. I had no knowledge of the EN strategies for IM pacing (they hadn't even been created yet!), but I learned about humility on the bike, and the concept of running "stupid slow" during the first 1-1.5 hours of the run. All of the details of EN race execution are designed to make it easy for you to accomplish those two process goals.
Now, I;ve got two pieces of advice for you:
Keep those two items in mind, and then you will have the physical capability to run the whole way (excluding aid stations). After the first 2-2.5 hours, the limiter to your success will become your will to continue running, not your ability to do so. Be prepared for that uncharted territory - visualize in advance that all you need to do is JUST KEEP RUNNING for those next 2-2.5 hours. Call on whatever resources work for your, whatever memories, goals, desires are driving you, keep repeating them when it seems like you don't want to continue, and JUST KEEP RUNNING.
Thank you @Al Truscott . It's odd that i almost went identical at Florida (1:12/5:45/5:15); by being only 20 mns slower on the bike you nearly saved an hour on the run... that's a great ROI...I'll for sure keep that very clearly in mind during the bike.
As for your two recommendations I'll make sure i execute properly especially during the first 8 miles (run HR = last hour average bike HR). And yes i agree after the 2/2.5 hour mark it's a bit like the unknown territory.. i have been able to keep running for long training runs (over 3 hours) in the past but never in a race. So hopefully IMWI will be the first one.
Thanks again for reading my race plan and providing great insight, and good luck with your Kona training.
Not much else to add to the above. If you haven't used your wetsuit in awhile, I would suggest soaking it in the tub for a few hours like a week before the race. I always do this in the spring prior to the season but if it will be 3 months the suit will be a bit dry and stiff. My favorite advice for the Wisconsin bike course is to do the opposite of what the masses are doing. They will all be going much slower on the second loop. Patience and discipline are the rules of the day.
@Robert Sabo, i did not know this dry wetsuit tip, it makes sense. Patience and discipline like a good ninja, that's the plan.
Thank you for your good advice and good luck with your Kona training,
Thanks for helping @Vincent Sivirine out everyone! I think you guys of covered anything, my only he said I saw you questioning was about your bike computer. As long as it’s fully charged and you disable the auto sleep function/powerdown function on the Garman you can turn it on in the morning make sure that it’s paired with your power meter and then leave it on your bike it’s fine.
Sometimes your watch will not pair with the power meter because there’s so many other power meters around which is fine. As long as it’s on your bike you can throw pedaling away and we are out in the clear space you can walk to the process of pairing it as you ride, otherwise you end up having to wheel your bike to a distant space in transition hoping that it finds the lone signal and that’s a real pain in the butt, don’t stress about it you can always solve it as you go you really only need o’clock telling you how long you been riding so you can feed appropriately.
@Vincent Sivirine One thing I would add to what Coach P has above. Before I check my bike in, I always find it helpful to have my computer grab a good GPS signal, locate my power meter, and calibrate my power meter.
On race morning when I power on my computer (with auto sleep disabled) I DO NOT calibrate my power meter. I've found that if I try calibrate it, my Garmin picks up other signals as Patrick mentions above.