Beach 2 Battleship Iron Distance : Official Thread (Page 21)

Being in the dark adds a certain aura to the event, it makes me think of the Kona videos where people are running in the dark, you can't see anything, and all you hear is feet.

Took the bike to the LBS today to get tune up.  My taper week is going good.  I put together a 4 page B2B Execution plan I typed up just to help with the nerves.  I took advice I have read here, some from other HIM I have done, and some from info on the net such as what to pack in a special needs bag.  I will say the one suggestion I found was something I would have never thought about.  It was a mental suggestion.  What was it you ask?

Someone suggested having your friends and or family right inspirational messages on a card and put in the running special needs bag that you get half way into the run when all those voices are screaming in your head.  I thought that was interesting.

Your thoughts?

Brian’s

Beach to Battleship Race Plan Execution:

“Transitions are not a break, but part of the race. Use the transitions wisely but don't lose unnecessary time in the changing tent”

Misc Tips;

• Place the special needs bag number at the bottom of bag not on the side.  When you draw the bag up you can’t read the number.
• Volunteers may retrieve your bag but be prepared to know visually where it is in case demand is higher than supplied volunteers.
•  Pack your bags last in first out.  So that you select from bag in the logical order you put your gear on.
• Tape a to do list in the bags in the order you should put things on.  Cream, bike shorts, Socks, shoes, gloves, helmet, sun glasses. Etc.
• Don’t tie the bag in a knot you can’t undo
• Make a to do list for race morning
• At the beginning of the swim – repeat 100 times or more – I did the training, I belong here; concentrate on counting swim strokes to take mind off of a panic attack!
• Find someone to draft off of .
• Expect to be kicked and bumped the first 10-15 mins of the swim.  Deal with it and move on!
  5 Bags for IM
  
  Swim to bike transition  T1:

Louis Garneau Air Rocket helmet, Arm warmers, cycling jersey, Oakley Flak Jacket XLJ sun glasses, cycling shoes, socks, gloves, Louis Garneau cycling shorts, Chamos Butter, body glide, Garmin Watch, bath towel. Race number belt

• Bike to run transition  T2:
  T2: IM visor hat, Asics Gel Nimbus running shoes and socks, technical running shirt , Katie’s Garmin watch, Body Glide, band aids in case of blisters, second race number and belt

Bike special needs:

Two one hour frozen bottles of Infinit bike nutrition (plan B here is to have a baggy of Infinit in my jersey pocket I can mix in case I miss the special needs bag), chamos butter, one bike tube, one CO2 container, Ibuprofen, second pair of biking socks.  Duct tape. 

 Run special needs:

Change of socks, Vaseline, salt tabs, pain killers (but not NSAIDS), special food, a long sleeved shirt in case it is cold when you run in the dark (tie it around your waist, so you have it). Ibuprofen, a card with a note from each family member with a word of encouragement.

• Dry clothes bag for end of race:

Running warmups, dry running shoes, running socks, running jacket, towel.  Recovery powder of some sort to drink within 30 minutes of completion of the race.

Racing each Segment

Bike

• Obey your HR.  #1 mistake made at Ironman is starting the bike too hard and/or riding the bike leg too hard. The bike leg is all about setting yourself up for a great marathon leg.
• If you feel good, eat; if you don’t, slow down your pace so you can eat.  The #2 mistake made at Ironman is improper fueling.  Ensuring your stomach is digesting everything you are giving it is very important so you can have a good marathon.  If you begin to feel even the slightest sign of upset stomach or gastrointestinal issues you need to SLOW DOWN your heart rate; which will drive more blood from your working muscles and surface of your skin back to your internal organs needed in the digestion process.  DO NOT lower your caloric intake until you have tried to lower your HR for about 30-45 min.  If you still are having issues after 30min, then lower caloric intake…but only do this as a last resort.  If you have trained to know how much your stomach can handle, lowering your HR should work just fine.   Also, the quicker you notice and begin to solve GI issues the quicker they will go away.
• Go to the bathroom.  If you have not gone to the bathroom by mile 80, you are risking dehydration and need to drink drink drink.  Ideally you will have to go to the bathroom by mile 45-50ish and mile 80-85ish.  If you haven’t gone to the bathroom by T2 and don’t feel the need to, begin to worry a lot and drink like they’re paying you $100/oz to drink as a DNF is very likely on your horizon.
• Stay aero.  112 miles is a long way and staying aero gains you seconds and seconds add up over a 112 mile effort.  Of course, of your going up a hill at less than 10mph, sit up and stretch your back a bit.
• Manage your effort with your gears and don’t manage your effort with your legs.  The effort you put out with your legs and the pressure you feel between your shoes and your pedals should be managed almost solely by your gears and NOT by you.  This will ensure that you keep your cadence effort even throughout race day.

Run

• This is it, this is where the race BEGINS.   All experienced Ironman athletes know that putting together a strong marathon is the key to Ironman personal records.  You feel good and throw down an IM marathon PR you will almost certainly get an Ironman PR.  Not true with a bike split PR.  It’s very rare that an Ironman athlete puts together a bike split PR and gets an Ironman PR.  You walk 2.5 miles total during the marathon, you just gave back about 1mph avg on your bike split.
• Start out SSSSLLLLLOOOOWWWW and let your heart rate come down as quickly as possible (first 2-3 miles) so you can start on your nutrition.  Taking in nutrition at a very high heart rate this late in the day can case some serious back-up issues in your gut that can be hard to recovery from.
• Ease into an effort that feels easy with a little “hard” sprinkled on top and hold that effort until about mile 16ish.
• Once mile 16-18 comes and you are racing to your potential, you will feel as is God’s wrath has come down upon you.  Accept this pain as your fate, put your head down and get ‘er done.  If this was easy, everyone would be doing Ironman.  There is no magical “tip” to give you for putting together a strong last 10k of an IM Marathon.  You gotta feel the pain and keep it painful.  No easy way around it.  It’s gonna hurt….period.

Finish Chute

• If this is your first Ironman, the best advice I can give you is DO NOT RUSH THE FINISH CHUTE.  Use the extra 10-15 seconds it will take you to slow down and enjoy your “moment”.  For those 50-100 yards all eyes are on you!  They are cheering you!!!  Wave, take it all in, shed a tear if you like…you’ve deserved it!  This is your moment, enjoy it for as long as you can.  You’ll NEVER again be able to experience your first Ironman finish.  There is absolutely nothing like it.

Post Race

• Get your photo taken even if you THINK you don’t want to purchase one.  At least you’ll have the option if you change your mind later.
• Thank every single volunteer you see.
• Depending on how your day went, do your best to slowly (but as soon as possible) introduce your nutritional recovery protocol.  Go to the medical tent if you think you need it.  They will assess you and tell you you’re good to go or you need treatment.  Better to be safe than sorry.
• Go get your FREE massage!  It will be only 10-15 min but all you need right now and will absolutely have a dramatic impact on the speed of your recovery.
• After your massage (and only AFTER) go take an ice baths even if you haven’t tried one before.  The water does NOT need to be that cold to be helpful.  Even water that is 55-60 degrees only will have some recovery benefit.  60 degree water is typically 100% cold tap water in a hotel bathtub plus about one 5-gallon bucket of ice.  Remember, you do NOT need to put all the ice in at once.  A good way to take a post IM ice bath is to get in the cold tap water and get used to that, then slowly introduce the ice as you stay in the water.

Have fun!

Pacing Chart

Swim – 2.4 miles                                            1.16   one hour and 10 minutes

T1                                                                   .16   10 min transition

1.32    one hour and 19 mints

Bike                                                                6.4  6 hours and 24 minutes 17.5 MPH

7.72      7 hours and 43 mins

T2                                                                    .16

7.88    7 hours and 53 minutes

Run                                                                 5.50  5 hours and 30 mins  12.36 pace

                                                                        13.38 Hours Total  13 hours 22 minutes