Ironman Strategy

[Eric]

As my own race is rapidly approaching in 38 days, I find myself thinking about strategies and the like. Although I have been working and refining my plan for Moo 09, I have some thoughts that I would like to get input on. For example, there is a saying that the race comes down to the run. That being said and not taken lightly, the reality of this distance is that regardless of your plan you may end up walking. Therefore, do you gamble and try to get as much out of your bike split as possible? Potentially leading to a "bonk" or building up too much lactic acid? Or do you pace yourself with the hopes that you will be able to run the entire marathon?

Just some random thoughts on a Friday afternoon.

E

[jared]

I've actually thought about this quite a bit as I think I went a little too slow on my bike leg. Here's how I think people layout in the Ironman from what I've seen on our team and heard from others:

1. Just to finish
Keep it nice and easy on the swim, bike is also kept nice and easy as you probably don't have a good idea of what to expect for the run. When you get to the run you do pretty much the same until the last 6 miles or so. This is just to finish.

2. Finish with a good time
Have a competitive swim but not too hard. On the bike you're going to push it a little harder but definitely stay back from what you see as the fastest time you could get on the bike. You want to be a little conservative as you still want to error on the side of having too much in reserve for the run as too little in reserve for the run.

3. Get a P.R. and place well
You have a really good idea of what your ideal swim and ideal bike are. You stick to the plan and push both legs to put yourself in a position to get the P.R. and place you want at the end. Without the excellent swim and bike legs, you won't be able to make your PR even with a great run.

I think it's pretty obvious that you're not following the first strategy but where do you lie in strategies #2 and #3? It all depends on what your goals are. Do you want to finish in a good time or do you want to push the envelope and get a PR? The risk you run with #3 is that you might blow up and DNF or finish well below a PR. It's kind of an all or nothing strategy. The woman's winner of Lake Placid 2009 said she went to Lake Placid the first time and walked the run, she then went for the second time and ended up getting a DNF, the third time she went to Placid in 2009, she won.

I'm purely speaking from observations here but those are the oversimplified strategies that I see. I think either way you go, going all out on the bike is going to kill you on the run but people don't get great times by going slow on the bike.

[Damon]

Hmm, this one is tough. I think I've done each strategy that Jared mentioned

For Lake Placid my goal was to go moderate on the swim and that went well... long and strong. My goal on the bike was to take it easy on lap 1, push a little harder on lap 2. That went to plan as well though my time does not show it (thanks WIND!!). On the run my legs actually felt great and ready to go... though I could not because I was stabbed repeatedly in the stomach (wait, I wasn't being stabbed).

IMMOO 08 my swim was similar but I went a bit harder on the bike. The legs felt pretty decent on the run but I did have an energy bonk from lack of calories.

IMFL 07 same swim time as IMMOO 08 but slower bike (20 min). Again, legs felt good but similar energy bonk at mile 2 and 13. Not enough calories.

SOOOOOOO, IMMOO 09 will go thusly: swim long and strong once again. Bike slightly conservative on the first half, confident on the second (have to be willing to revise plans based on wind direction and speed). Legs should be ready to go as long as my nutrition allows for it. I'm taking an "edge" approach this time around. I'm going light on calories on the bike, but enough to get me through. On the run, I will have to take in calories often so I don't have another bonk. The trick for me is to begin calorie intake almost immediately on the run.

Does that address Eric's point? I hope so. Eric, I feel that the swim will not hinder your run performance. Go confident on the bike (i.e. just above slightly conservative) and you will be fine.

Damon