IMLP Race Execution Plan
Bob Turner’s 2011 IMLP Race Execution Plan
I am looking for as much feedback as I can get on this so I will give you as much info as I can in hopes of having a very successful day. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this and for your feedback.
Background:
Former fat guy 5’-8” 211lbs in 2003. Now 165 lbs. I have raced actively for 8 years. Highlights are IMLP 2006 (11:39) and Clearwater ’09 (4:27). Eight half Irons and a ton of sprints and Olympics. Struck out at IMLP in ’08 due to race day Flu and 102 temp. Love the sport and looking to go “sub eleven” on the 24th. I have enjoyed the EN training protocol and am looking forward to meeting many of you in Lake Placid.
Pre Race:
To bed early. Up around 4:30. Not sure I can do the applesauce thing so I’ll stay with what has worked. Small helping of Egg Beaters, half a bagel with peanut Butter, coffee, bathroom x3. Sipping a bottle of Carbo Pro/EFS until just before the race. Maybe a GU before the swim but plenty of water. 3 Lava Salts.
The Swim:
This is the only part of the race that has me a little uneasy. Not because of my swim abilities but because of the boxing match that is the swim start. In ’06 I started all the way to the right and let a bunch go before starting. In ’08 (I did the swim with the flu) I started at the line by the dock and didn’t do too badly getting out there. I watched the race last year and now I am up in the air as to what is the best approach. Get pounded or wimp out and be slower?
I plan to stay within myself on the swim, not blow up and focus on my form. I swam it in 1:16 in ’06 but I am confident I can go 1:05-1:08 this year. I’m not a “swimmer” but have worked hard to get to the average age grouper level.
The Bike:
My FTP is 275. I missed the last power test due to being trashed but I have routinely hit that number and am confident it is accurate. This past Saturday I did the 2x20’ (5’) @ FTP and was 275 and 273 Normalized Power with a VI of 1.01. My last RR I did I hit the IF at .709 on a flat course with a NP of 195. TSS was 280. VI was 1.03 I think (average watts were 185). I felt fantastic and was able to do the six mile run afterward without any problems. I took in 1400 calories on the ride. In Lake Placid I will follow the EN plan with regard to power output. I have my “gears” established based on the above data and plan to have my nose on my PowerTap for the entire ride. I REALLY want to run well OTB.
Nutrition plan for the bike is this. Aero bottle in the front. Calories on the downtube as 3 scoops CarboPro, 2 scoops Perform. That’s 440 calories. I’ll also have a 400 calorie EFS gel flask and 2 pkgs of Clif Shot Bloks with me. I’ll have an additional 440 calorie bottle in my BSNB as well as extra salt and chomps. This should be plenty. I’ll top off the aero bottle at each aid station and look to pee about three times during the bike ride. I’ll also be taking Lava Salts, 3-4/hr and more if it’s hot. My heart rate should hover in the 136 area at GW for the first loop and may drift to 146 toward the end of the second loop.
I’m hoping my TSS/FTP/GW/IF/VI/HR all boils down to a 5:45 or better bike split but I am fully prepared to accept whatever it computes to as long as I hit my numbers and am set up to run well after the ride. I am ready to adjust for heat, snow or rain if need be.
The Run:
Here’s where we’ll find out who did their homework. I hope to run under four hours. My V-Dot is 51.42 after a 19:25 5k run test on the track. My long runs have been spot on and I have done the work. I plan to run my easy pace of 8:24 plus :30 for the first six as directed by RnP. Then I hope to roll into my 8:24 pace and resist the temptation to start throwing down sub 8’s. The question is how long can I hold it? I hope to be hanging onto it at the 18-20 mile mark. After 18 I plan to start drinking Coke. It is at this point that I expect I’ll be hurting just like everyone else. I’m ready to turn myself inside out if I feel I can. Argh!!! If I can pull it off I will get in around 3:45-3:50.
Nutrition on the run. I’ll wear my Fuel Belt with two bottles of Carbo Pro and Perform mixture. About 150 calories per flask. I’ll put the other two in the RSNB and grab them if I need them. Lava Salts as needed. I’ll have a sleeve of Chomps with me and more in the RSNB but I don’t anticipate having a ton of calories on the run. Late in the game all bets are off and I’ll grab what I need.
My plan is to be patient and let the race come to me. I know it starts at 18 and it’s all about who slows down the least. I will welcome the pain and relish in the fact that I will endure. I’ll be like Stallone in “Over The Top” when he turns his hat around backwards before each arm wrestling match! Hahahah!!! I’ll also think about ’08 when I came to Placid to race and went home with a big fat DNF. That was a long ride.
So that’s it. I’m all ears and appreciate any thoughts. I’ve got thick skin so lay it on me. I’m sure I forgot something but I know you’ll remind me. I am a late comer to the EN Community, Forums, Dashboard etc, so I do not have the EN Kit at this point. If I can’t get my hands on one I’ll make sure to holler at you all on race day and flash the gang sign. And if for some reason, something goes wrong and I end up out there with glow sticks hanging off me, make sure you save me some pizza! J
Respectfully,
BT
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Comments
Looks like the fitness is there! I agree with P on getting more detail about nutrition. How many cals per hour on bike and run are you shooting for? Also, seems like a lot of sodium. How much is that per hour, including what's in your drinks, etc..
I also agree about using the same nutrition for the bike and run may be a problem. Are you prepapred with a back up plan if you just can't stomach your drink anymore?
OK, I'll get "in the mix" on the swim and hope for the best. Try to go out agressively and recover into my pace. The pool workout I just did was timiely for this kind of thing. 20x100 with 50 sprint/50 easy. I practiced going hard and then recovering. I'll put my big boy pants on and get in there with the "swimmers".
More detail on nutrition: I tried the 250 calorie per hour routine on last RR and it was great. I alternated between shot blocks and my liquid calories. I have had muscle cramping issues in the past but as I think more about it I have been at high intensity when it happens. I sweat profusely and tend to guard against the cramps but I'll be conservative until I get the shot over the bow in the way of a "twaaaaanggg" on the inner thigh. I think my tendency is to NOT drink enough water so I pan to pay speial attention to that. I have always felt that there is no excuse to screw up my nutrition / pacing on the bike as there is nothing to do OTHER than pay attention to what you are doing. I constantly take inventory of where I'm at with regard to calories, sodium, effort, etc. If there is one thing I've done the best it's that. I've never had a GI issue in a race and I think it's because I really do focus on how I feel. I tend to hold off on the calories for the first hour on the bike but if I get a little hunger pang I start right in with the groceries. I like this approach because I feel it's easier to fix "hungry" than "I overate".
Coach P: I'll drop the bottles out of the belt and go with what is offered as well as the Bloks. I agree, Fuel belt is a pain in the neck - I want t be fast, not slogging carrying a bunch of crap I don't need. Thanks.
Matt - I have been using the Perform to get used to it and to flavor the Carbo Pro. As far as calorieson the run...I like to run with a sleeve of Bloks and take them one at a time as a way to bleed calories in and to not consume too many calories. I can't remeber what the reommendation is for calories on the run but I'll watch it closely and adjust as needed. I'm not one that keeps pushing if I know I am a dead man walking - I'llfix whatever is going on and get back at it. I think where a lot of people go wrong is they go too deep into a hole too early and can't fix it. Yes? I'll get into the Coke when necessary and plan to go hard through the end.
Thanks again guys - REALLY appreciate you taking the time to reply!
With that VDot and good pacing, you should be good to go well under 4 hours! Have a great day out there!
---Ann.
2) Having run the LP run course probably 30 times now over the years, I am always amazed by the effect of the slight gradient to River Road. It is ever so slightly, probably 1% or so net downhill on the way out and then uphill on the way back. This can mess with your mind, particularly when the plan is to "increase the pace after 6-miles" just after you make that turn. I just did the LP half-marathon a few weeks ago and found that the difference in my pace on River Road was about 10-15 seconds on the out versus the back. Just take this into account that you are going slightly uphill for that 3.5 miles after the turn (and then way uphill for the following 2-miles) so don't get discouraged if it seems like you are working too hard to hit your pace goals (or lower them slightly). Conversely, while you don't want to go crazy, you might be able to go a little faster than EP+30 safely on the way out since it is downhill.