So here we are. 6 days until the big show. I guess I should be nervously worrying about every possible scenario..because that is the type of personality I have. Most always I HAVE TO be prepared for everything or anything that could possibly happen. But right now, not so much. I guess I just figure that whatever is going to happen is going to happen. I have the tools necessary to get myself from the start to the finish. But I still am a bit afraid of the unknown. I don't know how it will be during the swim. I don't know how my legs are going to feel after the bike. I don't know how much it will take to get the run done after the bike. But I am going to find out.
I have a plan:
I plan to eat when I get up at 3:30. I will eat again in the car on the way to Monona Terrace (we are staying at home as we are 38 minutes from our house to Monona Terrace). A little water before the start but not too much. Maybe between 300 and 500 calories total.
Swim:
I don't have a clue. I do not want to be jostled all over so I think my plan will be to start out by the turn buoy and be towards the back. Once I get to the first turn buoy, I'm going way outside away from everyone. I don't care if it means an extra couple hundred yards of swimming total. In the grand scheme of things for me, comfortable is more important than 5 minutes. If I can find a spot amongst others where I have space and can swim closer I will. But this is a learning experience for me as well. I know that I am a slow swimmer. I swam the course a few weeks ago in 1:45 so to think I will be substantially faster is not realistic. Survive the swim. Get away from any chance to take an elbow or a foot to the face. Survive the swim, make the cutoff and get out of the water. Survive the swim. If the swim is choppy then for sure I am getting out away from everyone and being by myself. Could be a 2 hour swim if the water is rough.
T1:
Once again, no clue. I will try my best to hustle up the helix and get into T1. I will have my bag set up so that I can get my socks, bike shorts, jersey, helmet and shoes on. Chamois butter up and get going. I know that transitions can be important for pro athletes and top age groupers. For me it is about getting my heart rate to come down, getting all my clothes on straight and not forgetting anything. Calming thoughts, visualization, focus, and smiling because I just finished the Ironman Swim. I have a biking rain jacket in case it is raining. I will put it in my jersey pocket if the forecast calls for rain and it is not raining when we start the bike. I didn't pay much for it so if I gets chucked at some point than so what.
Bike:
I think rule number 1 will be to resist the urge to go out hard. I will be excited and at this point I need to settle myself into the fact that I will need to be smart to make it to the end. Small chain ring only for the first 56 miles. Spin easy up the hills, coast the downhills and keep it smooth and consistent on the flats (which there are very few spots of). No stupid moves. Keep switching from aero to upright and staying comfortable. After the first loop (56 miles into the bike) I will decide at that time how hard to go. Depending on what time it is, how I feel and where my legs and mental state are at this point. I would like to think I will be about 3 hours and 45 minutes into the bike at this point. Maybe longer but I hope not. If things are going o.k., I will begin to push harder, use the big ring when I can, stay aero all the time, pedal the downhills and really get tough mentally. Bottom line is you have to make the bike cutoff to get to the run. So no point in saving anything for the run if you think you may not make the bike. My only fear is not going hard enough the first loop. I will use my Edge 305 to be sure I am averaging 15MPH. If I am going slower I will need to pick it up. Now don't get my wrong here. I think I am a strong enough biker to make the cutoff. But anything can happen. Weather conditions can play a major role in my speed. Strong winds or rain will hurt me. My mental toughness has been a question mark for me. But at the mid way point, I should have a good idea of what's left in the tank and where I am. No lofty goal for the first half of the bike. 15-16 MPH average would be great but I will take whatever the day is giving me. Second half needs to be faster than the first half. I would like to be off the bike in 7.5 hours or less. That would be a 15MPH average. 4:30PM if I was on the bike by 9AM. I need to be on the run to have hope to make it by 12. Make the bike easy. Ride the course and don't let the course ride me. Stay mentally tough. Know that I am going to have moments of anger and doubt and overcome them. Smile and enjoy the day. I just need to get into a rhythm and let the miles fly by. Only worry about what I am in control of. Make the bike and let the run take care of itself.
Bike nutrition will be simple. Nothing but a few sips of water/nuun for the first half hour to allow my body to get into bike mode. Then 20 oz of gatorade endurance every hour, a few gulps of water/nuun every hour, a couple electrolyte tabs every couple hours, and shot blocks (probably 200 calories per hour-more if I start to feel hungry at any time). If I need something else, I will take a banana or something from the aid station. Plus I plan to have something in my special needs bag. Some salty chips or a cliff bar or something in case the shot blocks are not agreeing with me. But they have worked in training so they should work for the race. Many times on the bike this year, I don't think about eating so I don't until I feel hungry. I know this will not work for me so I need to eat them every hour no matter what. I am taking a bit of advice from XT4. If I have to get off my bike for 10 minutes and walk around with my shoes off or stretch or sit down and eat something else, I will. 10 minutes is not going to break me and if it fends off a bonk or a bad stomach then it is well worth it. If the winds are strong or it is raining, I may pack a towel and dry off and change into some dry socks at the half way point. Nothing but small sips of water for the last 40 minutes on the bike to allow the volume to go down so I am not sloshy on the run.
T2:
Not sure how I will feel at this point. I will need to motivate myself to get in and get out. Change into tri shorts and tri top (with either short sleeved or long sleeved shirt underneath). Lube up the feet, new socks, shoes, hand held water bottle with a bottle of water/nuun in it. And just go. I know this will be a tough mental point for me, especially if something has happened during the bike and I am later than 4:30. 5:30 would only give me 6.5 hours to run the marathon and while I think I could do that, it would mean a full shuffle the whole time with no walking. Mentally that would challenge me. So hopefully things work out on the bike and in T2.
Run:
While I have ran more this summer than ever before, I am still a 12 min miler. I am breaking the run up into 2 half marathons. 2 loop course so it only makes sense for me. My plan for the run is to run the first half and be somewhere between 2:45 and 3 hours. The second half plan is to run as much as I can. If I can run the whole thing, I will. Ignore the pain in my quads and feet which will be inevitable. Stay tough mentally, hope for no physical breakdowns. If I am reduced to walking (which can easily happen)-I know that I can walk the loop in 3:40 as long as I am not suffering other physical problems. Stomach, feet, cramps, etc. We walked it a few weeks ago just to see about what the time would be. Even though I know I could walk the half in 3:40, I don't want to go that route. The more I can run at my slow pace, the faster I will be done and actually sometimes walking seems to hurt more than running.
Gatorade, and water/nuun on the run. Shot blocks/fruit for nutrition as needed. I won't take the soup broth or the coke as these are untested for me and I won't chance it. I know what works. Special needs bag is going to have a small can of diet mt. dew in it. Gatorade doesn't always quench my thirst and leaves my spit really thick. The diet dew will get my mouth watering and should make that better.
Get to the end by midnight. No stupid unrealistic time goals. Really no pressure on me either.
Not becoming Ironman does not make me less of a person, does not mean the sun won't rise again, does not make my wife and kids love me any less, does not mean I lose friends, does not mean I failed, it just means that things did not go right this time. Life goes on. Ironman is not a race for me, it is a physical challenge. Can my mind and body work as one and overcome? If that happens then nothing can stop me.
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9 comments:
You've done the work, you've got a plan ... next is execution.
Just a note about the helix -- in 2007 there were a number of crashes on the way into T2 ... folks were losing focus at the end of the bike leg.
One big guy to another - here's my thoughts. You are tough mentally and physically. Mix it up in the swim. Use the pack to pull you through the first loop. On the second, you won't have that luxury - it's worth... minutes. Many minutes. Start in the middle- back, so that you don't get too trampled, but get in there and get pulled - you are the guy all the others are afraid of! Expect to get hit, and enjoy it - everyone that touches you and passes you pulls you through the water. Seriously. You'll be all alone on Lap 2 - that's the lap you'll have to swim hard on.
Bike - be careful of too much sodium - if it's a cool day, cooler than you are used to training (notoriously IMMOO0, you can take in too much sodium, which will hurt you badly on the run. It will clog up your digestion and leave you feeling nauseated. Gatorade endurance is much, much more sodium than I was used to training with. Again, IF ITS a COOL Day, take 2/3rds the Gatorade you are used to and drink more water. I took zero salt tablets at IMCDA - all my sodium was from Gatorade, my gels and my fig newtons. I'm very lucky I didn't take salt tabs. Look at all the sodium you are getting from the blocks and Endourance - really add it up, and make a race day call with the heat.
Walk around off the bike? Don't forget, you've got special needs and you will probably need to pee once or twice. That's when I'd do it - but keep in mind, race your strength - your bike is your strength, right? Don't go nuts heart-rate-wise, but don't be afraid of your strength...
Stay tough on the run. Start taking your walk breaks right away. Don't wait until you feel crappy, it will be too late then. You will absolutely need to keep your head in this game the whole way, and the world will be passing you, so it will be easy to get down - have fun, know you will be an Ironman, and soak in the crowd. Walk fast - and just keep moving forward. You will be moving faster than someone out there, I guarantee it...
As soon as you start feeling nauseous, and you will, start drinking coke. I never trained with it, I doubt many people do. It's the wonder-liquid. I wish I had started right away - I thought the same as you, and was afraid of it. It saved me, and I might have been able to shave a half hour off my time by feeling better earlier, had I started drinking it earlier.
Don't sweat transitions. Take your time, and you will be surprised how quickly you get through them. You've got all the help you need in there - it won't be that crowded when you make it into T1 or T2. Volunteers will absolutely dress you.
Man, enjoy it, but remember, at the paces you are planning to go, you have NO time to mess around. You'll have to poop at some point. You'll feel like crap and hit a port-o-let on the course. Don't let the setbacks get you down. You just keep moving forward, at whatever pace, and you'll make it. Trust me - you'll find a way to make the really bad stuff pass - and then feel better - and then start pushing again. And do it all over again! Aid stations are loaded with options - try bananas, try oranges, try pretzels, please, drink the coke, try the broth, try sweets - cookies, whatever. Eventually, something will work.
Keep moving forward, brothah, and you'll see the bright lights and hear the words....
You got it, Mike!
I agree with Bigun re: coke as MAGIC DRINK. Settles unsettled stomach...
Mike - I am so excited for Ironman. I am so proud of Robert for what he has accomplished these last 2 years. I am also excited that I get to see these people that I don't really know, but have read about and seen at various events (like yourself and your wife) and have them be part of our specator/Ironman too. If I see you and Jenny - we'll be yelling for you!! You guys are so inspirational to many of us too - and I know you both can do it! All of these pre-Ironman entries are making me want to be and Ironman in training too! I just am too wimpy to try :) You are already miles ahead of the people like me who only think about it. You are trying like hell, and that says a lot. That being said - don't give up! You CAN finish. Enjoy the week. See you on the course. Maybe Robert will post our "team shirt" so you know us when you see us on the course!
wendy
(g - Robert's wife)
Sounds like you have a great plan and look forward to reading your "I Finished" post.
I agree 100% with the coke intake. IMKY 2008 I almost DNF'd on the bike, but I had a coke in T2 and it brought me back to life. I then drank coke everyother station on the run. For me, it helped my stomach take in more nutrition.
The only other thing I'll add - the more fun that you have along the way, the more you enjoy the crowd, the less that you worry about your time - the better you'll do. I'm just a hope to Finish participant, but I have 2 in the books and hope to add another on Sunday.
We'll see ya out there and enjoy!
Best of luck! I can't wait to see the finisher pictures.
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Hi Mike,
I read your blog but haven't commented until now. You will do AWESOME at ironman. I am volunteering this weekend with the hopes to sign up for next year (unless I chicken out). You and your wife have been such an inspiration and I will cheer very loudly for you! (I'll be in the bags helping hand them out in transition and also on the bike course!) You have this race, it is YOURS!
I really admire your drive to do this, and that you're thinking hard about the big day. I would have a hard time committing to something like this, hell I have a hard time committing to my diet haha. I actually work with Del Monte, and we have these really great fruit bowls out that come with pre-peeled fruit and a different variety of healthy fruit salads, so you'd think it'd be easy. If you or anyone is interested, however, you can check out the website. We share a few recipes you can try at home that are lite and refreshing, and you can grab some coupons while you're there as well! Take care :)
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