Dave Tallo Kona 2012 Race Plan
Dave Tallo, 42
FTP 275, weight 150, VDOT 53
Strategic Pillars
1. Patience and Humility
2. No drama
3. You made it here.
Race Week
-approx 2300 cals/day plus replacement of training cals. Green, lean and clean.
-all situations, ask "Is this adding to, or depleting my energy?"
-lots of sitting, avoid walking anywhere if you can drive, keep off feet
-stay in control of all situations
-OCD handwashing and purel; if someone sneezes, run the other way
Day before race
-in advance, write itinerary: where to go and when, menus and venues for meals, follow schedule using 15min blocks
-get in, get done, get out
-salted everything.
-Denny's team breakfast. Pancakes. Last Starbucks no later than 10am.
-sip electrolyte drink all day
-gather bags
-Lunch as 'clean' pasta or burritos w flour tortilla, chicken, mild salsa, rice
-3pm arrive at check in, work from list
-big smile all day
-walk route from water to bags to bike to exit. Think about places to run fast, run slower, shortcuts.
-Look for 2x landmarks and markers for bike rack position. Note row/column of t bags.
-get outta there fast
-afternoon: stretch / light yoga, DL movie from itunes in room and relax.
-sit for dinner w extended fam by 4:30, be grateful!
-dinner as bland white pasta, red sauce, chicken, white bread OR Pick up Jamba Juice and politely sit for family dinner and graze on bread
-put on timing chip ankle strap before bed (safety pin neoprene strap)
Sleep by 9-10PM - "I'm grateful to be racing and damn lucky"
Race Day
-wake at ~2/3am for 4 x Ensure
-wake 4:00
-"I feel great"
-EN singlet, craft shorts, Garmin, athlete tracker
-Get to race Time TBD
-quick list of Admin (more to add later): water in profile bottle, salted gatorade on bike cage, PT computer attached and secured w extra elastic, inflate wheels to 125, chain lubed in easy gear, attach 4 x clifs, gel flask, sunglasses to bars w elastics, outta there
-find somewhere quiet to chill, light stretch, sunscreen
-continue sipping water
t minus 30
-swimskin on, make way to water
-spash around with warmup including 4-5 x 'hard' intervals
-gel at 10 mins to start
Swim
Goal of 1:04 - 1:08
-Seed near ??? (NTF: pull this from Group advice)
-find big dude to get behind at start, gauge speed, use his big draft
go
-hard for first 400 (NTD - identify approx marker for 400). Quick strokes, hard pull, natural kick. Hard pace based on muscles, form and fitness ... NOT adrenaline. Be in control.
-you'll get hit; hold your ground and keep making forward progress
-muscle fatigue: first 400 will be over soon, just keep hard pace
-settle into race pace with longer pulls, lift heels to kick and maintain body position, count strokes
-keep key 3 in mind: early catch, high elbow, strong finish
-stay on hip or feet and enjoy the ride
-REALLY stay on hip or feet on return
-effort: remember ... it's a race
Exit and t1
-Look at t1s of previous years and aim for fast
-grab bike and go
Bike
-HELMET ON AND BUCKLED BEFORE EVEN TOUCHING BIKE
-shoes on pedals, flying mount and go, tighten straps once moving forward on bike
-Bike Planned IF .74, approx TSS 275, Goal time irrellevant
-think "range of watts" - 190 to 193; 200 to 203; etc
-First 30 mins as 190, easy spinning, take time putting things attached to bike in pockets (Clifs in jersey pockets, glasses with arms inside helmet straps, gel flask in shorts pocket at back).
-Safety first.
-DRINK!
-eat early - stomach is normally setled right away and harder swim will have taken more cals than normal
-Do what you need to in order to ensure there is the mental real estate to keep making good choices all morning.
-from 30mins in to bike finish: keep on 200 watts, with terrain features at 210 and climbs at 220. Stay on gas steadily, don't come up during descents until 40mph or so. Look for opportunities for free speed = keeping momentum on rollers, legal drafting, etc. Lots of people will go out too fast on the bike = Free Wind Shadows from pretty much first half of lap 1 onwards.
-Bike is a 5h conversation with your powermeter. No siteseeing.
-Stay low all day with head tucked down and turtled
-general strategy point: if feeling **great** after descent from Hawi, make descision to bump to 203/ 213 / 223
-Visuals through ride: "I get small and punch through the wind" ... "I am light and strong"
-1 /2 Clif every half hour with water. Gatorade on the :15 and :45. Switch from Clifs to gels at about 3.5h
-Minimum 2 full bottles water plus Powerdrink ever hour
-2 x lava salt every hour
-make sure you're still peeing hourly at 3+ hour mark
-pick a landmark around the 3/4 point that will coincide with your normal point of losing focus / drifting mentally (probably Moana Kea Resorts). This is the cue to get your head back into it.
-Mile 110: unstrap shoes, drop to 190, easy light spinning, get mind into t2 game
t2
-aim for 'best in class' t2 time based on past races (~1:30?)
-t2 flying dismount, drop bike and gogogo
-turn race number right away so volunteers can see and grab your bag
-helmet unstrapped once past dismount line, take off while running
-sit down, dump bag, socks and shoes on, grab hat / baggie of sunscreen bundle, crack cold pack into activity and put on lower back, get movin'
-just carry hat and sunscreen until everything is settled, then put 'em both on when you're underway
Run
-assuming currrent forecast of 80s and no cloud
-alternate gatorade and gel at every aid station. Grab 2 gels every time: one for next aid station and toss in pocket to eat as you roll up to station IOW, always have an 'emergency' gel pack in your pocket.
-don't break stride for pee breaks - just keep moving
-run smart: take tangents, follow shortest paths anywhere
-run start: Hit power on on Garmin (wear on wrist from start of day powered off)
-start as shuffle with Key Bobby McGee look-fors: forward lean from chest, footstrike along stance line, quick turnover at 90rpm, eyes on 6 ft ahead on road
-"I am light and strong"
-opening pace w HR cap of 150
-back down to if RPE too hot, and adjust slower every few minutes unti RPE is very easy
-run entire race, keeping consistent miles
-mile 6: if on pace, drop to HR cap of 158
-If first 6 at too easy pace, just adjust ... gradually and later
-Mile 12: how do I feel? If it's an HONEST "great," and running at mid 160s, keep on. If running with HR higher than mid-160s, drop pace and walk aid stations. If feeling anything else, figure it out.
-Hills: remember form to maximize mechanical advantage, make tactical choice at each hill whether to bump to higher effort to climb (HR cap 165), or maintain pace
-walk up Palani. Someday I'll run it.
-mile 18: toggle garmin to "time of day," keeping moving, and take stock for a minute. Breathe; control. Figure out what will be needed to get to the line. One last reminder of running with perfect McGee form, then go and run with heart.
-move from "reserved, internal focus" to "gutsy, external focus." Pass people and steal their energy. Try to get pace to STRONG. Keep turnover, keep form, don't walk anywhere. Images of Peter Reid in Kona, Mark Allen, Luc Van Leirdre; find anything that gives you energy. BIG FRICKEN SMILE
-"I am light and strong and breathe energy"
Other
-No bike Special Food bag. Put break-open instant ice packs in Run bag.
-Bike setup as Profile front bottle for water, Gatorade on cage, water in behind seat carrier, 4 clifs and gel flask in jersey, 2x extra light tubes on bike with c02, lever and minipump onboard.
Risk Management and Contingencies
-blown tire or minor: come to a stop, close eyes and beathe deep for 5 s, and get on with a calm fix. Think Crissie, not Normann.
-major: you're lucky to be doing Ironman. Use it to learn something on race day: maybe try a run PB using McGee 8/1 run walk.
Say 'Mahola' at the end.
Comments
Great, now I don't have to write one!
Just a comment on the checkpoints you note on bike and run:
Finally, getting to the top of Mark and Dave hill, just before the turn down Palani, is a good goal for me. From there, I use the downhill and the crowds to boost me in. Its a bit after mile 24.
Don't forget to check out the pro race. They'll be coming back on Queen K as you are running out. If a distraction might help at that point.
Dave, you've been working so hard for so long to get to this race, I'd only add to not forget to enjoy the heck out of it. Maybe siteseeing isn't your thing, but find a way to remind yourself at multiple points on the bike and run just how hard you worked to get there, and that, in addition to this being a race, it's also a reward for achieving a tremendous goal. I know you're grateful, and that you're a heck of a racer. Saturday is the day to make those two things one and the same.
I'm here to spectate and I'll be looking for you on the course. Have a great day out there.
---Ann.
Sounds good.
Have fun.
Maybe sightsee a bit.
Don't hit any donkeys.
Dave,
Only one thing to add. Remember it's a salt water race and you may want a couple extra seconds under the hoses to rinse off. Perhaps you don't need this then just keep on running.
Enjoy the race you have worked extremely hard for this. I'll be following the race on Saturday.
Gordon
Echoing MG's comments: Be sure to ENJOY the day. You earned it, now relish in it.