This has been an extraordinary 12 months of amazing support, hard work, humbling and emotional moments, unbelievable donations for people near and far who have been kind and generous beyond my imagination. I am forever grateful as more than 100 people donated to the Team Challenge/CCFA cause, helping to raise over $18,000. I'm beyond words. I write a race report and follow up later but what follows is the race plan. I share it as an example of what you can do before your next race (more or LESS! And note to my athletes, I DO have 4 types of goals: outcome, performance, process, and experiential.) and to give you a sort of guide if you track me tomorrow online and wonder what the heck any of the split times mean or wonder what I plan on doing or thinking at any particular time during this 11, 12 or 16 hour race.
Ironman Chattanooga 2014 Race Plan – September 28
Outcome Goals:
A Goal – age group top 5
B Goal – finish!
Performance Goals:
Best Splits(for reference)
IMTX(no wetsuit, hot, humid, flat) 2011 splits – 12:09:12 – 1:07 / 6min45s
/ 5:35 (20.03mph) / 5min07s / 5:14 (11:59/mi)
IMAZ(cool, flat) 2011 splits – 11:46:56 – 1:01 / 5min49s
/ 5:32 (20.25/mph) / 2min46s / 5:05 (11:40/mi)
A Goal – 11:45
- splits :55 / 7 min / 6:10 / 3 min / 4:45
= 11:45 – (would be very happy to be under 12:15 for this tough course)
B Goal –
finish before midnight
Process Goal:
- Mental:
I will be emotionally "even" for the entire race, not allowing
anything to get me too up or too down. I will carry gratitude, joy, love,
and strength in my heart
- Swim:
I will start strong but relax and settle in, draft where possible, stay
long, reserve effort
- Bike: I will start easy/warmup
effort fist 20 min; keep heart rate in low tempo zone (below 133) even on
hills.
- Bike:
I will cycle thru my mental check list – relax shoulders in aero position;
use full pedal stroke; take in nutrition/hydration (early and often);
stretch; ask “Will this set me up for a good run?”
- Run:
I will resist excitement and walk the first uphill section; take walk
breaks at every aid station; 5+ times every mile go thru mental checklist
– back and shoulders relaxed, straight waist, take in nutrition/hydration,
“Can I do this pace on the 2nd lap?”
- I
will finish strong and hard.
Experiential Goals:
- I
will represent my donors, Team Challenge, and Skip Dickerson with pride,
good sportsmanship, and in a positive light
- I
will race with joy, and with gratitude, and with love.
- I
will embrace my natural surroundings.
- I
will have fun with spectators and volunteers.
Race Week:
· Plenty of sleep – 7.5hrs minimum
· Daily quiet time: gather mental
energy, visualize race, mini meditations, affirmation questions.
· No caffeine for final 1-2 weeks
· Minimize stress and avoid negative
people
· Keep fiber consumption low beginning
Saturday
· Visit key sections of the course: scope
out buoys, drive/bike different sections, ride the run.
· Attend Athletes Briefing Friday or
Sat
· Welcome Banquet Friday night
· Gear and Bike check-in / practice
swim Sat
· Team Challenge brunch Sat
Race – Night before:
- Eat
early
- Double
check Special Needs bags
- Lay
out everything
- Mental
– meditation, affirmation, visualization
Race Morning:
4:00am Wake up
4:05 Bathroom; Eat protein smoothie
(coconut milk, protein, l-glutamine), energy bits, cream of rice and honey; take
supplements: antibiotic, probiotic, Extreme Endurance
4:20 Shave; Tri shorts and top on;
body glide; Sunscreen arms, leg fronts, lower back, neck, face; apply TC
tattoos, etc.; Heart Rate monitor, Garmin, and watch on; last minute stuff;
Bathroom; checklist; Pack car;
4:40 Bathroom
4:45 Leave for race
5:00 Race site: Bike ready: Nutrition
bottle, aero bottle with water and delta-E, 2 SaltStick tubes, computer, pump tires,
check bike; Bento bag: extra electrolytes, Hammer Bar pieces, tube with 3 Immodium
pills and 6 caffeine ½ tabs, butt wipes; Body marked; ?
6:30 Shuttle to swim start; Linda
sunscreen upper arms, shoulders, calves; wash hands; pump and
sunscreen handoff; Drop Special needs; Rubber tubing arm warm up, ez arm swings,
focus, visualize, relax, be grateful to be here
6:45 Take 5 MAPS; Wetsuit on?, body
glide, socks, goggles and caps; drop warm up bag; keep water bottle w/Osmo Pre-load + 2 Anti fatigue capsules, 3 Tums
7:20 Pushups warm up while in line
7:30 Swim Start – rolling – last
person in 7:45
SWIM Goal: :55 (strong current)
Race Plan for Success:
- Find clear water quickly;
find someone to draft behind
- Steady, sustainable effort –
even-paced
Technique Focus:
Efficient pull
Relax legs
Relaxed and strong
Mental:
“What would it feel like to flow
like water?”
"Strong and steady"
T1 (Transition1): get bag; dump bag, speedsuit in, goggles/cap off into
bag, towel dry shirt and spread on ground; put on: chamois butter, socks,
shoes, arm coolers(?), gloves, glasses, helmet on, race belt gps tracker, water
bottle with Delta E + 5 MAPS; running mount on bike; Ride easy - it's not a
sprint!
BIKE Goal: Ride steady in order to run strong - 6:00
Race Plan for Success:
-Monitor HeartRate - keep below 133;
early on in low 120’s max
-Resist the excitement – shift
often, spin up the hills, aero and pedal down hills
-Stay alert to avoid drafting
-Head check top down: Aero position
eyes up, neck and shoulders – relax & stretch, hydration/nutrition,
breathing, flat back, stretch back, full pedal stroke
-Calories = 1800
-Bento Bag – 3 Hammer bars opened (660cal),
paper towel, lense wipe
-CarboPro 4 hour bottle (1000 cal)
-Electrolytes –4 Nuun tablets in
CarboPro frame bottle
-First aerobottle filled with water,
2 hour Perpetuem(600cal). Replace with water from aid stations, plus Perpeteum.
-Speedfil frame “bottle” filled with
water and Nuun and CarboPro– 40oz
capacity.
-SaltStick sleeve filled with
Anti-Fatigue caps ) – 1/hr.
-In pill container – 30 mi. Caffeine
1 tab; 65 mi. 2 Tums, ½ caff. tab; 100 mi. 1 Immodium, 2 Tums, ½ caff tab.
-In pocket – wet ones, innertube
Technique Focus:
Head check top down: Aero position
eyes up, neck and shoulders stretch, hydration/nutrition, breathing, flat back,
stretch back, full pedal stroke
Relax shoulders
Relax onto elbow pads
Stretch neck and back early and
often
Head tucked, eyes rolled up – turtle
view
Mental:
“First 20+ min is a warm up”
“Sh’ma Yisrael…”
Spiritual journey
T2: shoes off at dismount, handoff bike, helmet off,
socks off; Note card to volunteer – “Please tell me to take gloves off”, Aquaphor
on toes, compression socks on, shoes on; Shot Blocks, Pill bag in pocket (5
SaltStick, 5 AntiFatigue, 5 MAPS, 2 – 1/2 Caff tabs), WetOnes in pockets, Hand-held water
bottle with Delta E, 1 SaltStick, 1 AntiFatigue; glasses back on if taken
off, hat on, wrist bands and race belt on.
RUN Goal: 4:45
Race Plan for Success:
-Resist the excitement - walk first hill
and control heart rate - low 120's early, low 130's in later miles, anything last
2 miles
-Walk aid stations
-Focus on form and efficiency and
ease
-Start at easy pace, holding back
until later miles
-Calories = 180-200/hour
-Water and ice – drink 16-24 oz
per hour as needed from aid stations. Carry 1st bottle pre-made with
1 Nuun tab
-Take in Shot Bloks – 1 sleeve/hour
(200cal)/1 block every mile; or supplement with ½ bar Bonkbreaker on course
-Electrolytes – Saltstick capsule
every hour
-AntiFatigue – every hour
-Tums peppermint as needed
-Caff 1/2 tab – at 2nd
loop
-Base pace on Heart Rate and
perceived effort, NOT mile pace
Mental:
“Be even. Be in the present moment.”
“What would it feel like to run with
grace, with speed, and with pure joy?”
"Easy, then light, then
effortless"
"What if I let go of my
limitations and a be far greater athlete than I ever imagined?”
“What have I decided is not possible
that truly is possible?”
This race is about testing limits,
pushing my body, challenging myself, and proudly representing Team Challenge,
my donors, and my honored heroes.
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