2017 IM Arizona- TIME TO GO!!! RACE WEEK!!!!
RACE WEEK! WEEK 20
Sorry about the missing post last week friends! I submitted it for posting but apparently never went through! Was thinking everyone was tapering so well that's why it was so quiet….. ;-)
PreRace Webinars : Check it out here if you haven’t already done so! - Ironman Arizona 2017 PreRace Webinar added to Racing Page HERE
TEAM DINNER: Your supersherpa Gary has organized a dinner!! WOOHOO!! IF you haven’t signed up…. Go to this thread! https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/24118/2017-imaz-team-dinner#latest
Whatever you need- message me, post, even text me 860-508-8321. I will answer your questions OR get the answers to your questions.
Everyone started this journey for different reasons, at different times and here we are, coming together to execute and CRUSH the Ironman Arizona course. It may be your first or another one of many but each time we have to dig into ourselves and find out "WHY DO WE DO THIS CRAZY THING?"
You're welcome to share your "One Thing" or keep it to yourself but remember, practice this now. Look yourself in the mirror and say it out loud. Your body hears what your mind says. Tell yourself WHY however many reasons and one things it takes.
Remember to focus on the mental game. Do not underestimate this 5th Ironman discipline, it might be one of the most important ones.
When you are in doubt remember this….YOU HAVE ALL THE TOOLS YOU NEED! You've put in the hard work, the learning, the training, the tank is full, you have all the tools. Put it all together on race day and be proud with whatever outcome you see. Smile and enjoy this day. Remember to be kind to your family, friends, volunteers. Represent EN well. Take time to thank the ones that have gotten you here. Love on those friends, spouses.
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Doing everything right for 20 weeks, executing perfectly on the swim and bike is only going to get you to the The Line as discussed previously, but make no mistake, it will come and when it does, have those One Things ready at the forefront!
Summary: During the course of your race day, expect your body to have a very convincing conversation with your mind: "Look, Mind, you've had me out here slogging away for 132 miles. This is really starting to get old and very painful. If I see another Strawberry Banana Gel I might throw up. You need to give me a good reason to keep going forward. If you can't give me a good one, I'm gonna slow down and you can't stop me!" If you don't have an answer ready, your day could be over right here.
Advice: Before the race, you need to be able to answer the question: "Why am I doing this race?" In other words, you need to determine what is the One Thing that put you in this race? To finish in the daylight with a smile on your face? To run a 4:10? .
Whatever your One Thing is, be absolutely clear and rehearse your mind/body debate beforehand. Practice makes perfect and this is a critical thing to have ready for when your body starts to push back.
Be warned: your body can be a helluva good negotiator at mile 18, especially if your mind hasn't prepared its rebuttal arguments beforehand.
Now team, do me a favor, take a deep breathe.... yes I mean it.... in through the nose, out through the mouth and SMILE. Are you doing it? Still not joking, DO IT!!! THIS IS YOUR WEEK, YOUR DAY, YOUR JOURNEY!! ENJOY IT!
Comments
I kicked off the taper last week with a nice ZERO day on monday for full rest, I did manage to go get the "fast haircut" done. The rest of the week was tapered but kept intensity pretty high and ended with a 3200swim friday, 56mile bike/3mile brick saturday, and a 8 mile run on sunday... Funny after having pushed fri/sat I felt really good on sun until I started to run, it did go well , but felt pretty sluggish remainder of sunday and into this week...
Yesterday that sluggishness continued, so I did an easy recovery swim ( 16 seconds per 100yd slower than today)....
Little Weather TEST Today with a Swim/Bike Brick -
Location is Tucson with a forecast very similar to Tempe Sunday.... I hit the pool for a 2100yd TT maybe a bit harder than race pace, wearing a tri-suit and LAVA pants to simulate wetsuit pace and get the tri-suit wet, timed it to be on the bike around 8AM which is my ETA for the beginning of my ride next Sunday (hopefully a little before). The temp when getting in the pool was 56 degrees, not sure what it was when I started the bike but it was cold. I went no gloves, socks, or toe covers, I did put on the Castelli top over my trisuit so I would have pockets but it really doesnt add much warmth and I was still wet... Cold but not unbearable for 30 minutes as you dry I was warm in 15min (I was riding ABP numbers though)... Bottomline , if its forecast for high 50's by 8am I will be going , tri-suit only and toughing it out for the first 30-60min... I will have my castelli top with hand warmers in back pockets, sock arm warmers, and gloves in my T1 bag as an optional backup No Matter what... Hand warmers in shoes as well...
Cleaning up the bike, batteries, charging etc....
Thanks for the reminder that it will be cold the first bit on the bike. I'll be sure to have some warm stuff on. I HATE being cold.
Can't wait to see everyone at some point this weekend.
RR Swim looks like 1:10 is do-able. 5:20 is consistent with Best Bike Splits prediction and RR 5:23/112mls so 5:20-5:30 is cool and in "should" ~72% <300TSS range. Run...its all guess as how little Ive ran and how poor the runs have been. The recent 5ks (sprint races) and 8k runs = VDOT 43+ but long runs have been rough holding GRP ~9:30 so....sheesh a 4:20 at best? So much for going under 11 this year. Ill still be OK with 11:30
Gave up on the fat optimizing diet so still need to math out the gells and such. I hope to be able to post a plan....we'll see.
Good luck and I hope to see everyone there...still not sure of arrival time....fri, may be just in time to check in then off for family stuff. Love 4peaks BTW. Kiltlifter = Carb load for me
i haven’t raced since Florida last year and am feeling a bit out of sorts. But my hope is that it will force me to stay within myself and it will come together in the last 8mi.
donyall know when the GroupMe fires up?