Race day

Have a race plan, it saves you from dithering, be prepared to change it, here’s mine, it’s an adaptation of one of the dudes at Gordo’s World Forum, it works for me. Alter it as you require, just give the dudes’ at http://www.coachgordo.com/ the credit.


IM Race Strategy Goals
1. Cross the finish line knowing that I raced to the best of my ability.
2. Achieve a personal best time.
3. Run strong off a solid bike split.
4. Have fun.

Key Success Factors
1. Do what I can at this moment – do not think about down the road – focus on the now.
2. Enjoy the day, race from my heart and maintain solid technique throughout the race and race smart like the Ironman I am.
3. Race my own race from start to finish – check my ego at the door.
4. Get in a good pack for the swim – stay out of the fray around the turn buoys – let the others work for me. Yes, I am a swim drafting pig!!
5. Transition as fast as the top pros.
6. Show control on the first half of the bike and let my endurance work when things start to get tough at hour 4.
7. Maintain mental toughness during the climbs.
8. Run like I know I can.
9. At all times remember that "I get tough when races/workouts get past 5 hours".
10. "Relish in the difficulty of the task".
11. Use my mental strength to overcome every challenge.

Race Week
1. Stay away from large crowds of freaking triathletes.
2. Minimize obligations on my time.
3. Maintain control of diet and food consumption.
4. Gather mental energy and maintain focus.
5. A minimum of two 15 minute visualization sessions each day -- focus on successful completion of key success factors.
6. Free my mind of all distractions.
7. Know the bike course -- stop in key sections and visualize performing strongly in these areas, note key landmarks, count number of rollers, note mile markers.
8. Know the run course -- visualize good technique and a smooth stride throughout the ride, note location and distance of feed stations.
9. 48 hours before the race start increase sodium consumption.
10. 18 hours before the race start go to a low fiber diet.

Swim
1. Show confidence.
2. Ten minute warm up.
3. Close my eyes and visualize my swim during the last 5 minutes.
4. Seed myself at the side on the far right or left to avoid the crowd.
5. Take it out smooth and strong and settle into a good rhythm. Should feel easy!!
6. Maintain smooth stroke mechanics at all times -- low cadence, powerful and long stroke -- highly efficient.
7. Give no energy to any swimmer around me.
8. Ease off in final 200 meters to prepare for a lightning transition.

T1
1. Wetsuit off, Clothes On.
2. Shoes On.
3. Glasses On.
4. Food On.
5. Helmet On.
6. Depart!

Bike
1. Absolutely no riding at 148/Zone 4 at any time of the ride.
2. Stick with proven nutrition strategy.
3. Ride my own race.
4. Stay focused on my nutrition plan.
5. Take strength from all around me throughout the ride.
6. Know that my legs will come right as soon as I am off the bike.
7. Remember that the race is to the finish line, not T2.
8. Think aero, cadence and focus at all times on the bike.

T2
1. Helmet Off.
2. Vaseline feet!
3. Clean, dry socks On.
4. Shoes On.
5. Grab hat and clean glasses.
6. Depart easy!

Run
1. Run based on effort and cadence to 13.1.
2. Race within myself.
3. Remain calm as others crumble.
4. Race the last 10k.

Finish
1. Smile for the camera.


Like my mate Dickie says “Swim like a stone, cycle like a fish and run like a cripple “, you think I’m joking!. I walk like a fucking Orang-utan after a race.
Don’t let the Muscle Marys’ or the go faster hair cuts psyc you out.
To quote Gordo and Joe from ‘Going Long’, “You have done the training you belong on that start line”, think of all the speed bumps that have tried to stop this from happening and mentally say, “Fuck ‘em, I belong here”, all those long hours of training have led to this point in time, look around, most of these guys have the ‘thousand yard stare’, do not mistake poise for calm, now is the time to tighten your focus, the only thing that counts is this moment, it’s fluid like water, all you have to do is be in it.
Make sure you slept well 2 nights before the race, cos your not gonna sleep very well the night before, try to eat about a thousand calories about 2am and drink a pint of juice, have breakfast about 4.30, no later and nothing fried you lardy cunt, carry on drinking energy drinks right up to the start.
I’m gonna tell you how to race, keep your focus and race easy, remember it’s a long day, you can’t win in the first 10 minutes, but you can fuck it up, so easy does it. The first 200 meters of the swim is the worst, it’s like trying to swim in a washing machine, it may look cool from the shore, all those little L shaped arms turning over, if you’re in the middle of it expect to be punched, kicked, swam over, zip pulled down, lost goggles, I’m not kidding they’re like fucking wild dogs on a carcass.
Try to seed your self or at least stay on the out side of the scrum, settle down ASAP, find your stroke, if you find your self panicking roll on to your back and backstroke, don’t breaststroke you’ll kick someone, while on your back calm yourself, focus on your breathing, when your ready roll over and try again. Swim from buoy to buoy, most are 2 lap courses, about 300 meters between buoys, you can swim 300 meters it’s a piece of piss, turn and do the same until you finish. Don’t drink during the swim! :-)

Exit the water as smooth as possible, allow the helpers to help, that’s what they are there for. You will read this all over the Tri sites on the net, SLOW IS SMOOTH, SMOOTH IS FAST! Believe it, you have a long day ahead, change into your cycle gear, don’t trade comfort for speed. Use arm warmers, you can always discard them are a feed station, later on, ride slow.
A mate of mine used to complain that I always took him in the run, he would hit the bike like a demon for the first third of the ride, steadied down for the middle and faded in the last portion of the bike, so that he was knackered going into the run, Duh !, I take it easy and build to a steady pace and keep to it, I get round in about the same time, the difference is I feel fresh going into the run.
Think about it over 112 mile cycle, hammer it for 39 miles at 20mph+, middle at 17.5 mph and the last 34 at a knackered 15mph or a steady 17.5mph who is gonna feel better? How slow is slow? Kids on BMX’s will challenge you to race in the first 25 miles, that’s how slow, take it easy and eat.

The Longest Day Triathlon 05, saw me eat 3 bagels loaded with peanut butter a Malt loaf as well as the stuff at the aid stations, I stop eating solids about 25 miles from the finish, carry on drinking, hydration is one of the keys to endurance racing.
You must hydrate, if you don’t you will die. Pee when you have to, if it’s raining, like it has on my last 2 Ironman races, just let it run down your leg on down hill sections. Finish the ride strong, but comfortable.

Into the Run, this is where the bricks pay dividends. You have just had swim to warm up, cycled to get the legs going, now comes the interesting bit. All the bricks you have done is to get you through the next few hours, make sure you have clean dry socks to change into, absolute heaven, get your head round the fact that this is just a walk in the park, take it easy, run within yourself.

Find a pace you’re comfortable with, forget who’s over taking you and who your overtaking, it means nothing, do what you have to do to get to the 20 mile mark with out walking, if you do walk limit yourself to 100 paces before starting to run again, at 20 miles you are half way into the event, what ever emotions you have been bottling up for the last 9 month to a year, feed on them, pour those emotions on to the fire and let them burn, it’s the only fuel you have now.

I don’t care how tired you are, sprint the last 400 meters, you paid the entry fee, milk the crowd, lift your head up and show them that smile as you finish.

Don’t think it’s just about getting to the finish line either, it’s not. There are things to do once over the line, like thank and hug every one round you, get some food into the system, I have a preference for a couple of cans of Slimfast when I finish, real easy to digest. If you can take painkillers now is a good time as long as it’s not a problem. Get some dry warm clothes on, before the body starts to shut down and it will quite quickly. When you've done that, then you've finished.

JFT Graham