When I signed up for Challenge Roth (last summer) the entry form asked me to predict my finishing time. They use the time for assigning race numbers and wave starts.
Based on Alpe Tri, I projected:
On my bike in 1:05
Ride a little under 5 hours
Run 3:20
I filled in 9:25, which looked about right after my 4:38 at Oceanside 70.3.
Then, I went 4:16 at Boulder 70.3.
Then, I saw they offer partial refunds if I tick the Sub-9 box (and actually pull it off).
We had a chance to check out the canal where the swim happens. It was toasty and wetsuits are looking highly unlikely. If that proves true then this will be my first non-wetsuit ultra since Ironman Hawaii in 2000.
Riding over to T1 yesterday morning I was feeling sluggish. With the travel, race formalities, resting… it’s a normal feeling.
Today is my fifth easy day in a row, feeling better today. Despite my big volume (last post), I’ve been getting 4 or 5 easy days every week for the last four weeks. That’s something for you to remember for your Race Specific Block - more stress on the loading days and less stress in the week.
Yesterday after swim recon, George asked if I was going to shut it down now that we were less than 48 hours away. Internally, it feels like I’ve been shut down since last Sunday (the day after the recon ride).
Back home, when I dial down training I have everything else in my life to keep me busy. Here at Roth Camp, John/Dave/Nadja/Andrew/Oli handle everything. All I have to do is answer a few emails, make a couple calls and eat.
The only ultra with a similar experience was Ironman Brazil 2006. We did the race on a tour package hosted by Ken Glah. In Brazil, I ran the marathon far above my expectations. Glad I remembered that - Brazil was a race week where I thought I did too little.
If you find you are feeling slow for the first couple hours of the race, stay calm and keep moving forward. You will come right. Your fitness hasn’t gone anywhere.
Ironman Race Strategy
I discovered this strategy by blowing myself up on the swim (first Ironman) and blowing myself up on the bike (second Ironman). In both cases, I wasn’t able to race until late in the day. It’s helped many people experience breakthrough performances.
Begin by estimating your Tempo Budget. To do this you need to look at your data files. Do not trust your memory.
Start by looking at your best 70.3 race of the year.
At Boulder 70.3, I managed 2:15 of Tempo / Zone 3 and 1:30 of Threshold / Zone 4.
Next consider your race simulation days.
In the case study I shared with you, I managed 3:45 of Tempo / Zone 3 on my ride and another 10 minutes on the run.
From workouts/races you will be able to calculate your Tempo Budget.
If you are a competitive amateur then you will have 3 to 5 hours of Tempo to play with. On a great day, you might have some Threshold / Zone 4 but I wouldn’t count on it.1
If you are not a competitive amateur then you need to be saving effort all-day-long. Take every advantage to manage heart rate down.
If you have steep climbs on the bike then you may be forced into Zone 3 to get up them. Use your gears and spin.
Roll as much easy effort as possible.
Stay on your aerobars, it’s the #1 way to save energy.
Everyone: do not spike effort, power, or torque. Protect your legs like you are about to run a marathon. Spikes, even short ones, generate fatigue for little gain in velocity.
Change speed gradually.
Humility — Patience — Fortitude
Based on my key workouts/races, my Tempo Budget is falls into the 3 to 5 hour range, mentioned above. Where is the best place to use that budget?
Working backwards from the finish line…
32 km of Tempo Running (2:15 in Roth)2
10km of Steady Running (Relaxation, Nutrition & Hydration focus)
LT1 Bike average with climbs done Tempo (0:45 in Roth)
Swim Steady3
Run-heavy energy pacing is the fastest way to the finish line (in a race without bike packs).
Hardly anyone can pull off the back-end race strategy. Therein lies the opportunity for the intelligent athlete.
What about using extra amounts from the Tempo Budget?
Wait until the three-hour mark.
See how you are feeling.
Make sure you are processing hydration and nutrition.
Check your power versus heart rate. It needs to look outstanding to spend more of the energy budget on the bike.
Outstanding means low heart rate/ RPE relative to power/velocity.
Remember Part Two of How To Race… on a day with good form, it makes sense to fuel/hydrate early and lift effort later.
Do not assess early on the bike ride as perception is skewed by race excitement.
Consider the weather & wind conditions.
Heat is a marathon killer.
Headwinds will extend the duration of the bike, often significantly.
Then…
Lift effort in the slowest segments of the race — false flats, shallow grades and medium grades.
Pay attention to downwind legs of the bike course where extra effort can result in extra speed (rather than extra drag).
Do not smash these sections. Lift effort like you’ve practiced in training, half a zone.
As for your overall time, wait until the midpoint of the run before letting your mind go there. With half the marathon completed, you’ll know your Core Pace for the day. If you can’t do the calculation then get some fast-acting carbs on board. Your blood sugar might be low.
The midpoint of the run is where you can take a chance and throw down a fast 10 km.
I’ve never been (re)passed in the second half of a marathon.
It gets increasingly difficult to pass as the finish line nears.
Keep taking aid all the way to the finish line.
Keep moving forward and persist.
Endurance Essentials eBook Page
Most athletes find they need to move into a Zone 4 effort late in the run to hold Zone 3 pace. If you can lift your effort that high then you are having an outstanding day. Congratulations on a well executed race.
In the unlikely event you went too easy on the swim and the bike, the marathon provides ample opportunity to correct pacing mistakes.
Spending your Tempo Budget in the water is a waste of energy. Most of the field starts their day with a best-effort 2.4 mile swim. You don’t have to play that game.
Ironman is about energy management.
All the best for Roth 💪🫡
Incredible 1000-day journey, thanks for sharing! You’re such an inspiration! Crush it and finish strong!