AT IM AZ 19 Race Plan
Final Week
Sunday: Swin 2100 yds. Run 4 mi, weights.
Monday: Swim 10 x 150. Review equipment. Review packing check list. Start packing.
Tuesday: Bike Week 20 IM Plan. Run 30 minutes with strides; pack non-tri stuff; pack nutrition, including Sunday breakfast.
Wednesday: Swim 30’ per plan. Run 30’, lift weights. Pack tri stuff from checklists.
Thursday: Fly to PHX: leaving home @ 0720, arrive @ 1:40 PM; run 2 mi on South shore of lake; build bike.
Friday: Register, buy CO2 cartridges. Drive to Beeline for out and back from gas station. Evening team dinner @ Pita Jungle
Saturday: ?Run 15’ on north shore; pack bags and deliver to T zone. Identify Transition landmarks and distance from change tent. Movie in afternoon: Ford v. Ferrari. Jamba Juice for dinner.
Race Day
Up @ 4:15 AM. Breakfast of Erin Baker BC, OJ, 600 cal shake. War paint (sunscreen, aquaphor)
Race day outfit: Contacts, HR strap, EN Castelli Tri Suit, Road ID with chip; Fenix 3.
Leave for T zone @ 5:30
In T Zone: bike - check tires, add nutrition, place arm coolers and wrist band if desired, then check bags. Go to trees by exit, put on wet suit, drop off MC bag, exit near front of masses. Leave for start @ about 6:25
Warm-up, then line-up @ end of 1:10-1:20 group.
SWIM: No rush @ start, keep a steady pace and effort. Swim like I mean it. After turnaround, find a good pair of feet, preferentially along buoy line. Try to pee after about an hour. @ Mill St bridge, OK to start working a small bit harder. Aim straight for steps, find the least crowded area, even if to the right.
T1: WALK to strippers, pulling off top as I go. Point at a stripper, flop down and wait. Jump up grab bibs, and RUN up the hill to bags. Grab bag, and aim for clear ground outside of tent. Helmet on, grab shoes; run to bike, run with bike past mount line. Smile crowd, hopefully wife and other EN folk. Put on shoes, mount bike and ease up the hill.
BIKE: After turn onto Rio Salado, start getting fixed: start 520; arm coolers on, wrist band on. Begin to repeat mantra: “No packs, no surges”
Every 15 minutes, drink. Start new interval on 520 @ turn onto Beeline, then @ turn-around, @ turn off Beeline, @ Rio Salado turn-around. Repeat x 3. Every 30 minutes, slug from gel flask alt with Clif Bar Bite.
Start to base of turn onto Beeline: ramp up to 0.65 IF/130. Up Beeline @ 0.66/133. From there on, stick between 0.65 and 0.69 IF, 130-136. If HR goes over 116, back off; if it’s less than 105, put a little effort into it. BBS says this will give me a 5:57 split. Stay aero, stay aero, stay aero.
First bottle of Infinit done by the end of first lap; toss bottle when finished at aid station.
Second lap, consider if water needed @ each aid station, probably at the turnaround.
Special needs: remember to take both Infinit bottle AND gel flask.
Third loop: time to knuckle down and maintain narrow focus, with increasing effort to keep IF up.
PROCESS, PROCESS, PROCESS: No drafting, no surges, DRINK every 15 minutes, don’t skip any nutrition, keep the gel and Infinit flowing, stay aero, maintain narrow focus. THIS IS AN EASY COURSE, NO EXCUSE FOR GOING TOO HARD OR SITTING UP.
Coming down Rio Salado past the stadium, remove coolers, wrist band, feet out of shoes.
T2: Don’t be on someone’s highlight reel when getting off the bike. Hand it off, and trot downhill. Lap Garmin. Grab bag, sit down, and put on shoes. Grab go bag. Remove helmet. Drop bag in pile.
RUN: Across the mat, lap Fenix. I’ll be reading cadence, HR, and current lap pace. Work on Go Bag: visor on, wrist band on, sunglasses on, race belt on. Sun screen spray?
Start STOOOPID SLOW: monitor breathing and HR. If I can feel myself breathing, or HR goes over 116, slow down. Keep this up the North side @ apartments. After that, let the water torture begin - meaning follow my patented advice on gradually increasing RPE. Run up Curry St hill x 2 on GP.
Aid stations: 4-6 oz GE, plus water to dilute and add to hydration. Plan to walk entire aid stations.
Smile going up the Curry St hill. Maintain pace back over the bridge and along Rio Salado, prepping mentally for the second half.
Do it all again, but this time with more intent, and total, firm resistance to slowing down. SLOWING DOWN IS NOT AN OPTION. On the second loop, NO ONE should be passing me.
“It doesn’t get slower, it just gets harder. All the way to the end.”
PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR NUTRITION AND YOUR PACE; YOUR TIME AND PLACE WILL TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.
Checklists:
T1 bag: Giro Aerohead MIPS helmet with visor, Sidi T 2.6 shoes, socks, spare contacts
Bike Special Needs: spare tube, CO2 cartridge, Third & 4th bottles of Infinit, second Clif Bar, cut into pieces.
T2 Bag: Nike Vaporfly 4% with Stryd foot pod, socks, plastic GO bag with Tifosi sunglasses, visor, wrist sweatband, EFS gel flask, Race Saver Bag®.
Run Special Needs: wrist sweatband
Morning Clothes/Back Pack: wet suit, cap, goggles, body glide, ear plugs; to place on bike - Clif Bar in pieces and two bottles of Infint, one EFS flask; pump, tire, tube, tools. Head lamp. Arm coolers, wrist band for bike.
BACKGROUND: This is my 36th (and last, unless I KQ) IM (which includes 3 DNS and 4 DNF), and my 8th IM AZ (1 DNS). I’ve ALWAYS had a good race there: 3 x 1st, 1 x 2nd (10 yrs ago), 1 x 3rd, 1 x 6th (5 yrs ago - which was actually one of my 3 or 4 most fulfilling races ever, anywhere), 4 KQs, 1 x course record, and my 2 best times ever.
I started triathlons in 1999, with one of my primary goals being to find out and demonstrate what was physically possible as I/we get older. As I’ve continued, that remains an ever stronger motivation. In addition to the normal ravages of age (lower strength, lower max heart rate, etc.) I’ve managed to give myself some additional handicaps from self-inflicted injuries. Up to now, I’ve found a way to continue training and competing, along with simply having fun swimming, biking, and running. My number one goal for this race is to demonstrate that I am still capable of achieving that combination of fun and competition in an Ironman. And oh, yeah, I’d like to finish my IM career on Hawaii with a smile on my face at the finish line…
Comments
You're a pro's pro Al. You've done it all, leave it out there one more time. I think Kona 2020 will be my last, let's do it together! Good luck!!
Inspiring again @Al Truscott. I am really looking forward to sharing IMAZ with you. You have been through this process so many times and adjusted as the landscape changes for you. It has been great to watch from within this team. I certainly have nothing to add to your plan. I cannot wait to see how this plays out. I.m looking forward to seeing you grabbing your Kona slot and heading back to the Island to conquer the beast one more time.
LOL (and last, unless I KQ, And oh, yeah, I’d like to finish my IM career on Hawaii with a smile on my face at the finish line…) :-)
Look forward to sharing the course and watching you in KONA next year . Good Skill does not apply to you, so Good Luck!
T1: WALK to strippers, pulling off top as I go. Point at a stripper, flop down and wait. Jump up grab bibs, and RUN up the hill to bags. Grab bag, and aim for clear ground outside of tent. Helmet on, grab shoes; run to bike, run with bike past mount line. Smile crowd, hopefully wife and other EN folk. Put on shoes, mount bike and ease up the hill.
T2: Don’t be on someone’s highlight reel when getting off the bike. Hand it off, and trot downhill. Lap Garmin. Grab bag, sit down, and put on shoes. Grab go bag. Remove helmet. Drop bag in pile.
I've spent some considerable thought to detail on many aspects of my race plan, however, I need to follow your lead on transition planning and practicing and my past T1s/T2s show it.
Thank you again for reaching out periodically and guiding me along the way.
SO excited for your race and your leadership in person for this IMAZ team!
Someone said everyone's race time always improves 10-15 minutes just by having @Al Truscott on site at the race venue. I don't really believe that at all.......I would say it's probably closer to 20- 30 minutes....
🤣
Have a great day, wishing you great skill and execution Ironman!
@Al Truscott I'm secretly hoping all goes to plan (happy knee) so you get that 2020 KQ. Active aging is where's it at.
Stay warm. I really liked using a big square of space blanket under my jersey at LOU this year. It was easy to pull out and discard at an AS. But, bubble wrap is easier to shove under the jersey.
Go for it Al!
@Al Truscott - Now that I've read this, I can write mine 😉. It's always a pleasure reading your plans/reports and comments to others. You are one of the main reasons I chose this race. I hope it's not really your last, but if it is, I am sure it will be fantastic! Enjoy every minute of it!
@Al Truscott - Twenty years and 36 IMs...that's just amazing! With your IM stats, you should be in a record book somewhere. Your race plan sounds like you're ready to kick down doors and take care of business...in other words, full of calm, focused confidence. Have a great race!
@Al Truscott I fully expect to be cheering you as you take the podium for the indefinite future! I hope you have an awesome day and I am super excited to be out there with you.
i look forward to being out there with you and sharing the energy.
Have a satisfying day.
Thanks for all Kupuna Al.
@Al Truscott Late to this one as well. Have a great race I'll be following on the tracker.