Mark Hickman's IMCDA Race Plan
Appreciate any thoughts on plan ~ It's a bit all over the place, but the gist is there.
3d IM, 2d IMCDA.
Driving to CDA on Wed afternoon or Thurs morning. Staying with friend's family in Spokane.
Thurs: Quick swim in the morning at the race site timed to enable me to check in directly after; check in; ride 20-30 miles of bike course starting from from first large hill on I95 portion. Practice putting cooling sleeves on while starting the ride. Make sure everything is dialed in...
(separate thought for others ~ bought a wheel cover, put it on, and garmin cadence sensor rubs the cover...do you normally just take of the cadence sensor for the race, or is there a setup trick I'm missing ~ putting cover back on tomorrow)
Thur cont: Team dinner, then maybe go take in a movie.
Fri: Quick snack when I get up, then meet for team swim at around 7AM; sherpa for others to bike course if they want to get a quick spin in. Get a quick run in while waiting for folks ~ if not doing sherpa thing, head out to path along lake for a quick run. Try out the new cooling towel and hat. Go get some flapjacks! Ensure I am salting foods and hydrating. Start rubbing in some sunscreen. Get the T and SN bags ready. My Iron Sherpas arrive Fri night.
Sat: More flapjacks. Subway or something for lunch; grab a salad for dinner. Don't miss an opportunity to visit the porcelain throne. Drop of bike, walk transitions, and head back to the crib to relax and at least laying down so sleep can come.
Sun: Up around 4AM for applesauce and whey protein, banana, and Monster. Get dropped off to set Set up the bike (PD Aero Bottle up front, throw away bottle on down tube, both with gatorade; 6 gels and 6 salt tabs in bento box, 3 gels on top tube or in jersey pocket, Garmin on with auto turn off disabled, flat kit in keg on rear, tires at 115/118psi), and drop off SN bags. Meet for team photo at about 6:15ish. Chill for a few minutes and appreciate the moment and soak in the vibe.
Swim: Goal - 1:06-1:08. If wetsuit legal, wearing tri bibs, EN tri top, and HR monitor under wetsuit; goggles, earplugs, and swim cap on. If not wetsuit legal, wearing jammers, goggles, earplugs and swim cap ~ have no idea if swim skin is a better way to go, though I don't want to buy one if not needed, and I've never worn one before. I'd be surprised if swim is not wetsuit legal.
T1: Goal - 3:00 .Goggles up, earplugs out, wetsuit ripped. Grab T1 bag (head band, helmet, glasses, socks, shoes, cooling sleeves), run to tent, find a volunteer to help dump and stuff etc - slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Sunscreen!!
Bike: Goal - 6:20-6:35. FTP 229, Wt 183ish. Cervelo P2, Reynolds Assault, Wheelcover, Powertap. Grab a bucket of chicken and chill the hell out until first hill on I95 - about mile 17; 150W is a ceiling, not a goal here; prepared to get passed a lot. First hill until second time I95 turn around, steady RPE/Watts; hills will likely be climbed around 90-100% FTP based on weight/FTP; riding easy otherwise to save some matches. Last stretch back to town work to maintain around 153-155W. Fueling; 1.5 bottles of gatorade, .5 bottle water every hour, 1 gel every half hour starting at 30 minutes, and 1 salt tab every hour unless I'm peeing too much, then 1 every 1.5 hour. Grab more gels, power bar if hungry, mini mountain dew can at SN. Take 20 sec break to stretch back at each I95 turn around and SN ~ comfort is speed. Aid stations, water to flush, drink, and drench sleeves and back, gatorade for aero bottle, banana half if hungry.
T2: Goal - 3:00. Helmet, shoes, socks off. Injini socks and shoes on. Grab handheld and go bag with hat, garmin, gels, race number, and slider bags for ice.
Run: Pre-heat goal (4:05-4:10); New goal (Execute and be okay with the results) Keep bib straps up to hold in ice bags, unless it becomes uncomfortable. Run by HR until lake path on way back in at about 138-141. No skipping aid stations for ice, water and gatorade. Gel before every 4th aid station. Reevaluate RPE/HR/Pace and find a comfortable pace for 7-19 with my line at end of hills on 2d loop. Focused slow and steady crushing of souls of the walking dead ~ goal all day is to not be one of them.
T3: get in the lake, enjoy the moment, and then bounce ~ Sherpa's gotta work the next day ~ 5 hour drive.
Thanks for any thoughts.
Mark
Comments
I have a Garmin cadence sensor on my Look tri bike and the wheel cover too. No rubbing. The little "arm" on my cadence sensor is in the down position. Your bike's geometry is probably different, so it may not work. I'd just remove it. At this point, with all your experience and training, you probably know what 85-90 rpm feels like.
Another thought is about your Saturday night dinner. I did the CoreDiet nutrition seminar and Jesse recommended against a salad for dinner the night before the race. He said that is not the time to think "healthy eating". I believe the idea was not to take in fiber close to the race. Probably a small serving of pasta and chicken or similar would be better. He also said to be tapering down the amount of food you eat that day (breakfast: large meal, lunch: medium, dinner: small).
Also, really be ready for the heat. I saw that the high on race day is predicted at 106!!! Do the ziplock baggies for ice trick for the run.
Edit Added : PSI in the tires seems a bit high even for a big guy but specially on a hot day ?
Hard to fathom the predicted heat ... Outside my IM experience,which goes up to 98F. It will start to become uncomfortable around 11:30 on the bike. The run will be purely about (literally) survival. This race will have the highest DNF rate for any IM ever, I predict...25% won't finish. Plodding along by RPE and HR will be the secret. Don't be a casualty is the watchword. Very likely a negative split.
Mark,
I like the look of the plan. I am curious about the bike split - I added time for the heat, you do not see to have done so. Not sure who is estimating this better.
You plan to be smoking fast in the water which is awesome.
I am totally second guessing this whole race idea, esp with Coach Trescott's comments. So we are gonna use up our fitness/trainging/mental toughness/mojo on a 106 degree day? I guess...
Doug ~ I haven't adjusted my bike plan much at all. It was never very aggressive to begin with, and will definitely reevaluate as the day progresses. While I've been out of the South for a few years, I have a pretty good idea what is ahead in relation to heat, though it's going to suck irregardless. Slowtwitch seems to be all a twitter with thoughts of the race being shortened, and while there is nothing I can do about, I wouldn't be happy about the decision. I would much rather complete something epic than asterisk a race... Seeing some of the other threads there tells me that we will be much more prepared with the pacing in the heat advice than many others. Seems like some are already planning to walk it in ~ I'm running, barely maybe, but my mind is ready and I have faith my plan is solid, even if it is n=1.
a shame you can't stay through Monday. the cda breakfast is nice.
if you have practiced your pre-race meals already then you are set. yes the advice for reducing fiber closer to the race seems to work for most. doesn't work for me - if I don't keep eating fiber I don't move things.
looking forward to the challenge the heat will add.
Only thing I can add is wear a hat, not a visor, so you can put some ice in it.
"Focused slow and steady crushing of souls of the walking dead ~ goal all day is to not be one of them"
That's my plan as well. See you out there
Mark great luck to you! Looks good! Here is what I posted in Doug's thread:
For IMTX, I wore white arm coolers on the run. Each aid station I dumped ICE under my hat, down the back of my shirt, wetting my arm coolers and holding ice in my mouth and hands until the next aid station. Repeat each mile and you will have a HUGE advantage over most of your competitors.
I am also very careful with my sodium intake both on bike and run, using only buffered electrolytes (Salt Stick) and pumping 1,300 - 1,400 mgs of sodium/hour across my total ingested mix of nutrition. (Based on my sweat rate under those conditions)
If things get bad, slow down, stop, get your HR down, hydrate and move forward.
Very important, under these conditions to pre-define and HR ceiling for both the bike and run based on your fitness level.
Picked up a hat to replace the visor yesterday, along with a cooling towel; there will definitely be ice under there! Thanks.
Mark