Sean's IM TX Report

This is my second IM and my second IM TX.  I will compare some of last year's results and plan vs. this year.  Last year I was not part of EN, but found some EN free resources in the last 2-3 months before IM TX.  Last year, I did try and use some of the approach and 4 keys, though not very successfully. 

Age: 43

Weight:  150 (last year weight 156)

FTP 225  (last year CP30 was about 208...anyone know how to compare?)

VDOT: not really measured due to a lingering hamstring that flares up when I run fast.  I have been training at about a (VDOT 42) 9:49 Z1 pace and it seems about right.  Last year my VDOT was much higher (52).

Overall Goals:  Last year : sub 12 hours   Result:  13:38

                        This year:  1- be able to run the marathon   2- Lay off on the bike, so that I can do #1  3- Hopefully shave 2 hours but only if I can do 1 & 2.  Result:  great race

Swim:  Plan:  Don't try to beat last year, stay right of the washing machine, smooth and steady.  Last RR Pool swim (1:20)

    Last year I was hoping for sub 1:30 on the swim, I swam 1:12.  This year my plan was just to copy last year and not try to beat it.  I swam smooth and steady, stayed to the right of the scrum and just cruised it in.  I am not a strong swimmer (and I don't pretend to, nor really try to be).  I do, however tend to do fairly well in wetsuit swims without trying hard at all.  This was my plan and it worked great last year, and again this year.  The start was much more physical, most likely due to last year being a 2 wave, wetsuit optional-you-can't go to kona-if-you-wear-one type.  This year was a mass wetsuit start.  Anyway, the rough patch was about 2-3 times longer, but still only about 2-3 minutes long.  My time this year was 1:11.  I am again more than happy with that.

T1-  Plan smooth and steady, get in, get changed, get out.  Last year 7:47, this year 7:45 (crushed it!).  Last year I peed.  This year I had to beg a volunteer to put one of my nutrition bottles on my wife's bike (she forgot hers!).  Anyway, my plan was for 1.5 bottles the 1st 10 miles, so I figured I could deal with it, and it turned out to be no big deal.

Bike- Plan: leave some out there!  150 W x 30-60 minutes (.67IF) then 158W (.70IF).  1.5 bottles 1st hour then 1-1.5 per hour.  1/2 Powerbar or equivalent calories + 1 salt stick per 30 minutes.  Pretzels, combos, almonds in bento for 'solid' food if stomach gurgling.  Worked well in RR (in 45 degree Michigan weather).  Use caffeine Salt stick from approx. SN to mile 75 to get through the rough patch.

Last year 6:18:30 with a major dropoff in speed and increase in stress/HR last 1/3 PLUS hamstring cramps starting at mile 95, then again at 100, and 105.  Could not reach my leg over the bike and limped through T2 and had to shuffle the marathon with quad cramps each and every step of the marathon...did i mention i didn't take any salt tabs last year b/c i forgot them !!??!?

This year:  5:59:30.  I just got a garmin this year with PM support (april).  I haven't used it in a race and hit stop instead of lap after the swim.  by the time i figured it out on the bike, i was able to restart it at mile 10.  so...my 1st 10 miles weren't recorded.  For the 102 miles that were my NP was 148W.  That is a little low likely due to a few factors.  The most important is that I probably was a little underprepared on that distance.  My training schedule/life only allowed me to get in to like 97 miles a couple times this spring (5.25 hours), though I did always do the 2.5 hours the next day.  Another issue, my FTP was 230 in March, then 225 in april.  I know there is usually a dropoff during IM training, but my FTP measurement switched from indoor CT measurement to outdoor on my new stages PM and my data collection that day was flawed (had data drops and had to estimate it, I didn't have time to retest)....so what was my 'real FTP'?  I went with the lower number b/c of my training and I really really really wanted to be able to run even if it left me with some time added on the bike.  It worked!  Anyway, my TSS was 228 for the 102 miles (my calculation puts the TSS around 250 then based only on time, it may be a little lower since my attempted RPE was lower for the 1st 10 miles).  (the 102 miles were done in 5:28:39).  Virtually every 5 mile lap had avg HR 155-160 (most 155-156).  I followed my nutrition plan fairly well.  I definitely got in the salt tabs (will never forget those again) and probably put in around 1.5 bottles per hour.  Peed x 3.  I finished 2 powerbars, but ate almost no pretzels, combos, or almonds, or anything else from the course.  I think I had about 1/2 of 1/2 a banana.

T2:  last year 14:06 (of cramping, hobbling, and limping).  This year 7:06 (put my sox on wrong and had to switch them back after shoes were on, anyway, I was happy with this).  My HR did spike during T2 though and I came out at 168 but was feeling good.

Run: Plan:  1st 6 miles 9:49 pace HR 150-160, next 12 9:19 HR 155-164.  Plan to slowly increase pace on final lap depending on how i feel.

Last year 5:45:37 death march of cramping.  Found a couple salt tabs, tried everything on the course + pickle juice (hate it), nothing helped.  I was able to talk them into checking my electrolytes in the med tent last year after the finish.  My sodium was dangerously low (126) and creatinine was high (2.6); they wanted to send me to the ER or give me hypertonic saline.  I took a liter of fluids and drank the chicken broth and felt a lot better in about 2 hours...anyway, that was last year and I was more smarter this year.

This year: I started with high HR and tried to go sloooowww.  I ran an 8:37 1st mile, whoops.  Mile 2 i stopped to pee at the portajohn in the park and retried to slow down and got down to 10:12 with a HR 159.  By mile 5 & 6 I was down to HR 126 with 9:05-9:46 splits.  Miles 7-17 were generally at about 9:20s with HR 157.  My watch only displayed HR, pace, and something else that I never checked.  I basically ran only on HR.  I took in 4 oz. perform every mile with added calories (1/2 banana, a few cliff chews, or extra perform) at every 3rd mile.  I put wet sponges and ice in my hat and watered down my arm coolers every mile as well.  The nutrition plan worked great.  I also hit caffeine salt tabs and regular salt tabs alternating every 3 miles.  Miles 17-18 were sub 9.  I felt great.  At mile 19 I decided to try some coke since I was way sick of perform.  Within 10 seconds I got bloated and felt a side stitch, so i had to ease back to my HR 150s plan... there would be no negative split!  After about 3 miles of easing back I was ready to start to go faster, but the legs weren't in agreement and miles 23-24 were slower again (10:03, 10:01).  Then I just cruised it in not worrying about my time.  It turned out that I actually nearly even split the marathon, so I was successful in the 4 keys approach I guess (my 1st 13.1 was 2:01:56).  Actually, at no point during the IM did I know my actual time, at no point was I able to do those mental calculations of "if i hold this pace...." and that REALLY HELPED.  I plan on never having total time displayed to me again in an IM, it really doesn't matter as the weather and course have such a huge impace on your time to worry about your finish time is rather pointless and puts you at risk of ruining your own race.  At the finish chute at TX there is a 1 block out and back....that is when I first saw my total time. I could tell I could break 11:30 if i pushed it, so naturally I strided out the last 100 yards or so to be sure I got under (i though I had 4-5 seconds to spare, but it was only 1).  So, obviously, I do care about finish time, just not during the race (a small, but important difference).

Overall, it was a great race for me.  I would really not change anything outside of the coke at mile 19.  As my 14 year old daughter said "don't fix what isn't broken, dad."  That probably cost me about 3 minutes; whatever.  I am nowhere near KQ so a few minutes really isn't that important.  I could grab a few more at transition by not completely changing into biking shorts and running shorts, but the comfort is worth it.  The plan is to get a few more IMs under my belt and to keep bumping my FTP (the VDOT should come up on its own and along with the FTP -- my weakness is clearly the bike).  If all goes really well I hope I can start getting into the top 10% or so in a few years.