Preparation Rituals: Ironman Race Week Tips

Ironman race week is here. The training is done. All that remains are the final, don’t-mess-this-up-now preparations.

It can be quite easy to get off track in the final days leading into an Ironman: there’s so much excitement, new places to explore, people to chat up, gear bags to pack, bikes to drop off, athlete dinners to attend, expos to walk through.

All of this excitement seems cruel at a time when you need to relax, rest and reserve energy. It can be very easy to go off the rails and make decisions that could affect you on race day.

Having gone through this a few times, I’ve developed a ritual-laden system that keeps me from making mistakes in the final hours before race day. I find these rituals absolutely NECESSARY if I want to avoid the ritual of a human sacrifice on race day.

Perhaps there is something in these Ironman race week tips that will be useful to you – and so, I will share!

Ritual of the Schedule Preparation

The most important part of my system is the schedule. It is the not-so-super-secret weapon I use to keep myself on track for my best performance on race day.

This ritual begins with the sound of trumpets blaring…

Okay, not really, I just create an excel spreadsheet with the key events for the 3-4 days leading into the race.

I review the event schedule from the athlete guide. I take note of the tasks and events athletes are required to attend: athlete check-in, bike check-in, race meeting, and oh yeah, the race start 😉 . Then, I work in any training sessions I need to do. Then, I work in meal times, rest times, prep time (it takes A WHILE to properly prepare and organize the Ironman gear bags–see the Ritual of the Bag Feeding).

Race Week Schedule
This was the schedule I created for Ironman Mont Tremblant in 2012.

If you are curious about Sunday’s title for the race, this clip, which my coach Vince made for me, should explain it:

With the schedule in place, now all I have to do is follow it. This can get a little tricky, especially when I have the opportunity to meet other people. I’m a little chatty, and I have to be careful to stay on track.

I know – you are completely shocked to learn that I am chatty. It seems so weird. But, I assure you: I can talk a buzzard off a shit wagon – as my father used to say.

Ritual of the Race Plan

In the week leading up to the race, I write out my race strategy. In addition to the hard numbers of my target power and heart rate, I also include the mantras that I will call upon to help me push through the tough pieces. I write out details of my nutrition plan; I include words of encouragement to myself. I re-state my goals – both quantitative and qualitative.

I’d share it with you, but the details of this ritual are a secret. It is a competition, after all 😉

Ritual of the Body Feeding

While activity levels are comparatively low going into race day, it is still important to make sure you are properly fueled going into race day. You want to eat enough to keep your glycogen stores topped off, but not so much that you gain weight.

My diet is pretty much normal throughout the week until I get to Friday evening (or the night before the night before the race), at which time I eat the quasi-big meal that others may typically reserve for the night before the race. The problem with eating a big meal the night before the race is that your gut is full and you don’t give your body enough time to get all those nutrients where they need to go both in your body, and out of your body.

And, eating a big meal can mess with your sleep. You don’t need that on race night – it’s hard enough to sleep as it is.

On Saturday morning (the morning before the race), I eat a big breakfast – this is my FAVORITE part of the feeding ritual. Come to think of it, other than the race itself, this might be my favorite part of race week. Pancakes, eggs, potatoes, toast… YUM!

Then, throughout the day, I slowly taper my food. This prevents a gut full of food, and it also ensures that everything I’ve eaten has the time to get to my muscles and whatever is left “evacuates” the system.

Ritual of the Bag Feeding

All of the gear required for an Ironman (with the exception of the swim gear) must be placed into bags for T1 (bike gear bag) and T2 (run gear bag). There are also two special needs bags: one for the bike and one for the run. Special needs bags are placed at the halfway mark of each discipline, and allow you to store any items you think you might need for the second half.

Now, there are a few things that could go wrong here if you aren’t careful. The most obvious: you forget to put something in the gear bag that you need, like a helmet or running shoes.

A second equally disastrous but perhaps less obvious danger: you put your bike gear in the run bag and your run gear in the bike bag. The bags are color-coded, so you want to be mindful that the right items go in the right bags. This is important not only for you, but also for any volunteers that will be helping to place and rack your bags.

To avoid these potentially race-killing disasters, I make sure I take my time,  I use a checklist (surprise, surprise). I lay the gear out on top of the bags first, check them against the list. Then, as I place them in the bags, I double check the items against the list.

There are some basics that everyone will put in their gear bags. But beyond those basics, it’s really a matter of the unique items you need and use while racing. Here’s an overview of what I pack.

T1 – Bike bag: Helmet, bike shoes, arm warmers (as necessary), hand towel, sunscreen, body glide, sunglasses, emergency baggie (a ziploc of extra contacts, endurolytes, tums and alieve). I will pack some “emergency” nutrition, which I tuck into my tri-kid pocket, to supplement what is already on my bike.

Bike special needs bag: Endurolytes, another extra pair of contacts, tums, a tube, extra CO2, second loop nutrition (I used concentrated bottles).

T2 – Run bag: sneakers, race belt with bib attached, hand towel, body glide, another extra pair of contacts, more tums, sunscreen, run nutrition (clif shot bloks and gels)

Run special needs: Long sleeve t-shirt, tums and more contacts, bug spray (in case I’m out when the mosquitoes come out to feed), endurolytes/salt tabs. When we volunteered at run special needs at IMLP in 2012, we saw all manner of different items in the bags – pickle juice, ham sandwiches (yuk!), frozen bottles of whatever, socks, vaseline, notes from loved ones…

While I dutifully pack my special needs bag for each Ironman, this will be the first year I am planning to use my bike special needs, to grab my second bottle. For the most part, though, I consider these bags to be “in case sh!t happens” bags. I’m pleased when I don’t need the stuff in there, but if/when I ever do, I’m sure I’ll be happy it’s there.

Ritual of Sitting on my Arse

This is the hardest part. Staying off my feet. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting for the gun to go off.

It’s tempting to go explore the town. It’s tempting to walk around and chat with interesting people, find new friends and re-acquaint with old friends. It’s tempting until you consider that doing so has the potential to thwart the progress you’ve made over months and months of training. That’s why we typically stay a few days after the Ironman to get at least a little bit of time for typical vacation activities.

To resist the temptation, I stick to the carefully laid out schedule to make sure I’m not aimlessly wandering. Have I mentioned that making a race week schedule is important?

Have I also mentioned that I’m Type A obsessive personality? Oh, that wasn’t necessary, you say. How in the world did you figure it out?

The Ritual of the A$$ Kicking

This ritual should be fairly self-explanatory. But, in case it isn’t, I’m going to race strong, race smart, and party hard when I’m done. Vince has already built in a progressive alcohol-consumption block for next week. He’s the best.

Yes, I have a time goal in mind. However, there is only so much you can control, and the time it takes you to complete the race is not one of those things under your direct control. So, if I race at my best sustainable effort, I will have successfully completed the ritual of the a$$ kicking.

See you all on the other side of 140.6.

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What Ironman race week tips are an important part of your rituals? 

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