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RACE PLAN
Monday: 2-2.5 hour bike with 30 minute brick; wash clothes; gather all items on check list
Tuesday: Swim; Run 20 minutes with strides; pack non-tri stuff; buy nutrition and pack nutrition, including Sunday breakfast.
Wednesday: Bike on Trainer; Clean bike, put on race tires and wheel cover; pack bike
Thursday: Fly to PHX, arrive after 3 PM; run new part of course on south shore of lake; build bike. Team dinner @ 6
Friday: Register, buy CO2 cartridges, socks, 4 keys, drive to Beeline for out and back from gas station; possible visit with Glenn vs athlete dinner
Saturday: AM swim, run new section on north shore; pack bags and deliver to T zone. Identify landmarks for bike and distance from change tent. Movie in afternoon, Jamba Juice for dinner. Check temp predictions, and verify heat impact discount, for run, which should be about 4-5%.
T1 bag: Giro Air Attack helmet with visor, Sidi T 2.6 shoes, Garmin 310XT watch, socks, spare contacts
Bike Special Needs: spare tube, CO2 cartridge (?), Third bottle of Infinit, second flask of EFS gel
T2 Bag: Saucony Type A5 grid shoes with Garmin foot pod, socks, plastic bag with Tifosi sunglasses, visor, wrist sweatband, EFS gel flask, sleeve of 4 shot bloks
Run Special Needs: wrist sweatband
Morning Clothes/Back Pack: to place on bike - Perpetuem and two bottles of Infint (one throwaway), one EFS flask, sleeve of 5-6 shot bloks for bento box; pump, tire, tube, tools. Head lamp. Arm coolers, wrist band for bike
Race Day: Up @ 4 AM. Breakfast of oatmeal, OJ, 600 cal shake. War paint (sunscreen, aquaphor)
Race day outfit: Contacts, HR strap, DeSoto Forza bibs, EN singlet, Road ID with chip
Leave for T zone @ 5:15
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.
Enter water and navigate side shelf until under bridge, then into water for warm-up. Line up about 1/3rd back, 1/2 to 2/3rd to right.
Swim straight, which will angle to buoys on the left. 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. @ 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 clear ground outside of tent. Helmet on, Garmin on wrist, grab shoes, find a toilet; run to bike, run with bike past mount line. Smile @ Coach. Put on shoes, mount bike and ease up the hill.
BIKE: After turn onto Rio Salado, start getting fixed: start Joule visor in place, arm coolers on, wrist band on. Start Garmin. Begin to repeat mantra: “No packs, no surges”
Every 15 minutes: drink, start new interval on Joule. Every 30 minutes, slug from gel flask.
Start to base of turn onto Beeline: ramp up to 0.65 IF. Up Beeline 0.67. From there on, stick between 0.65 and 0.7 IF. If HR goes over 119, back off; if it’s less than 108, put a little effort into it. Stay aero, stay aero, stay aero.
First bottle of Infinit done by the end of first lap; toss bottle when finished at aid station. Finish gel flask by the turn around.
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, new interval every 15 minutes, don’t skip any nutrition, keep the gel and perpetuem flowing, stay aero, maintain narrow focus. THIS IS AN EASY COURSE, NO EXCUSE FOR GOING TO HARD OR SITTING UP.
Coming down Rio Salado past the stadium, remove coolers, wrist band, feet out of shoes.
T2: Don’t be on someones 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, find a toilet. Turn number belt to front.
RUN: Across the mat, lap Garmin. I’ll be reading cadence, HR, and current lap pace. Work on Go Bag: visor on, wrist band on, shot blok in mouth, sunglasses on. Sun screen spray?
Start stupid slow: monitor breathing and HR. If I can feel myself breathing, or HR goes over 120, slow down. Keep this up until the crossing under the Mill St Bridge on the North side. After that, let the water torture begin.
Aid stations: 4 oz perform, plus water to dilute and add to hydration. Will probably need sponges to shoulder straps, and ice to back pocket. Run to last last perform, grab it, go for water and ice, start running again when done drinking.
Smile going up the Curry St hill, fly by folks heading down to the underpass. 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.
Mantra: I’M TIRED OF HALF-ASSED RACES.
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.
Tuesday: Swim; Run 20 minutes with strides; pack non-tri stuff; buy nutrition and pack nutrition, including Sunday breakfast.
Wednesday: Bike on Trainer; Clean bike, put on race tires and wheel cover; pack bike
Thursday: Fly to PHX, arrive after 3 PM; run new part of course on south shore of lake; build bike. Team dinner @ 6
Friday: Register, buy CO2 cartridges, socks, 4 keys, drive to Beeline for out and back from gas station; possible visit with Glenn vs athlete dinner
Saturday: AM swim, run new section on north shore; pack bags and deliver to T zone. Identify landmarks for bike and distance from change tent. Movie in afternoon, Jamba Juice for dinner. Check temp predictions, and verify heat impact discount, for run, which should be about 4-5%.
T1 bag: Giro Air Attack helmet with visor, Sidi T 2.6 shoes, Garmin 310XT watch, socks, spare contacts
Bike Special Needs: spare tube, CO2 cartridge (?), Third bottle of Infinit, second flask of EFS gel
T2 Bag: Saucony Type A5 grid shoes with Garmin foot pod, socks, plastic bag with Tifosi sunglasses, visor, wrist sweatband, EFS gel flask, sleeve of 4 shot bloks
Run Special Needs: wrist sweatband
Morning Clothes/Back Pack: to place on bike - Perpetuem and two bottles of Infint (one throwaway), one EFS flask, sleeve of 5-6 shot bloks for bento box; pump, tire, tube, tools. Head lamp. Arm coolers, wrist band for bike
Race Day: Up @ 4 AM. Breakfast of oatmeal, OJ, 600 cal shake. War paint (sunscreen, aquaphor)
Race day outfit: Contacts, HR strap, DeSoto Forza bibs, EN singlet, Road ID with chip
Leave for T zone @ 5:15
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.
Enter water and navigate side shelf until under bridge, then into water for warm-up. Line up about 1/3rd back, 1/2 to 2/3rd to right.
Swim straight, which will angle to buoys on the left. 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. @ 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 clear ground outside of tent. Helmet on, Garmin on wrist, grab shoes, find a toilet; run to bike, run with bike past mount line. Smile @ Coach. Put on shoes, mount bike and ease up the hill.
BIKE: After turn onto Rio Salado, start getting fixed: start Joule visor in place, arm coolers on, wrist band on. Start Garmin. Begin to repeat mantra: “No packs, no surges”
Every 15 minutes: drink, start new interval on Joule. Every 30 minutes, slug from gel flask.
Start to base of turn onto Beeline: ramp up to 0.65 IF. Up Beeline 0.67. From there on, stick between 0.65 and 0.7 IF. If HR goes over 119, back off; if it’s less than 108, put a little effort into it. Stay aero, stay aero, stay aero.
First bottle of Infinit done by the end of first lap; toss bottle when finished at aid station. Finish gel flask by the turn around.
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, new interval every 15 minutes, don’t skip any nutrition, keep the gel and perpetuem flowing, stay aero, maintain narrow focus. THIS IS AN EASY COURSE, NO EXCUSE FOR GOING TO HARD OR SITTING UP.
Coming down Rio Salado past the stadium, remove coolers, wrist band, feet out of shoes.
T2: Don’t be on someones 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, find a toilet. Turn number belt to front.
RUN: Across the mat, lap Garmin. I’ll be reading cadence, HR, and current lap pace. Work on Go Bag: visor on, wrist band on, shot blok in mouth, sunglasses on. Sun screen spray?
Start stupid slow: monitor breathing and HR. If I can feel myself breathing, or HR goes over 120, slow down. Keep this up until the crossing under the Mill St Bridge on the North side. After that, let the water torture begin.
Aid stations: 4 oz perform, plus water to dilute and add to hydration. Will probably need sponges to shoulder straps, and ice to back pocket. Run to last last perform, grab it, go for water and ice, start running again when done drinking.
Smile going up the Curry St hill, fly by folks heading down to the underpass. 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.
Mantra: I’M TIRED OF HALF-ASSED RACES.
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.
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Comments
Having just watched the webinar, I'm going to take Coach R's advice and ask for your help on where to seed for the swim. I anticipate being around 1:13 for the swim. Any suggestions?
Kevin
Looks good Al, can't see anything missing. I like your mantra. You love this race, and have good memories here, so make one more! See you soon!
@Kevin. Last year I found a nice open spot about half way between the wall and the buoy line and 10-20yds back from the front. If you look up you are just in front of the mill ave bridge. Its weird but its a big hole that no-one wanted to be in, and gave me lots of room at the start. I swam 1:15, and had plenty of room to move forward more if I wanted too.
@Rian -- Thanks for the suggestion. I heard that the right wall curves to the right and if you start on the right and are slow that you'll be pushed into the wall. I think middle and a few rows back from the front sounds good to me.
My biggest concern the whole day is the swim start with 3000 of my new found friends.