Hi,
Next week I start another 2wks on the road support our athletes at Louisville and Madison, so my head is definitely in the execution game, where it's been all season. We've been posting a series on IM race day execution on our blog and on Xtri.com. Enjoy!
The Endurance Nation Ironman Racing System, Part I
Part One of Four Installments; Please visit the Endurance Nation Podcast Channel for the podcast that accompanies this article.
Coach Patrick getting it done at IMCDA’08
This article is the first in a four part series. Today we will analyze Coach Patrick’s performance within the context of the Endurance Nation Four Keys of Long Course Triathlon. In Part Two we will discuss his application of our racing with power framework. In Part Three we will discuss a new tool for us: racing with pace and what we have learned from our performances and those of our athletes. Finally, in Part Four, we will discuss what we have learned with regards to building IM fitness, refining IM execution, and our plans for applying those lessons to our Endurance Nation members.
Since our launch in November, 2007, Endurance Nation has quickly grown to over 400 athletes. Most of our members are focused on long course racing, and Ironman Coeur d’Alene was our “debut,” as a team, on the Ironman stage. We brought nearly twenty athletes to the race. Our members have all been training with the same suite of training plans, have been schooled with the same thoughts regarding training and racing with power and pace, race day execution, etc. IMCDA was a great opportunity for us to test out this integrated training and racing system across a broad range of athletes. This article is the first in a series to introduce you to our integrated long course racing system. Integrated because it combines some very powerful software (Four Keys of Long Distance Triathlon) with the hardware of Power and Pace.
We will use Coach Patrick McCrann’s performance on race day as the example of our system, but we feel the results of our other athletes also speak for themselves:
* Four athletes under 10:30, including a 29′ PR by Todd M. to finally qualify for Kona after many years of trying!
* Brenda G., missed the bike cut-off in 2007. Returned to the scene of the crime in ‘08, posted a 15:01 and passed over 100 people on the run!
* Mike H., exited T2 in 983rd place, then proceeded to run down 332 athletes in route to an 11:54, a 42′ PR from last year!
* Marriane P., mother of five (5), ages 7 to 19, runs down over 320 athletes in route to a 17′ PR!
TeamEN before our free pre-race talk.
The Endurance Nation Four Keys of Long Course Triathlon are:
1. Race Day is About Execution, not Fitness
2. The Line: Nothing Matters until Mile 18 of the run
3. The Box: Race in a Box, only controlling what you can control
4. The One Thing: why are you out here?
We even put the Keys on the back of a shirt, so you can’t screw it up!
—————————————–
Stats: 1:07 swim / 5:23 bike / 3:26 run, add transitions for a race time of 10:04 which was good for 7th AG and 46th OA. I picked up a Kona slot from the rolldown (there were 6 slots, 3 rolled and 1 was added, so it went to 10th place in the group).
—————————————
My Preparation
Heading into the race, I knew I was one of our best guinea pigs, with so much going on I could barely get the baseline training done, much less the volume I have done in the past. I basically followed the EN Off Season plan, then rolled that into our Long Course plan using Power and Pace. During my build up, we launched Endurance Nation, had a baby, and got in a car accident. I wasn’t even sure I could race with 3 weeks to go, but figured that if I wasn’t in pain it couldn’t hurt (haha).
My Athlete Type: I have an endurance background from soccer to crew to marathons and finally landing in triathlon. I am 6′2″ and 185 on race day, so definitely one of the bigger guys on the course. I joke that I strive to be the first finisher with lovehandles…gotta represent! My point here is that while I am fit, I am not one of those robot athletes who could qualify any day of the year. I am fit, but I know that I have to nail my race perfectly if I am going to have a shot at a slot. Even though this was my 12th IM race (including 2 Konas), andI have a good deal of experience with the distance, I was still as nervous as everyone else on race morning.
My One Thing: I was racing to validate why I have spent the last 3-5 months training; my decision to race put a great deal of stress on the family (Emma being born, Megan growing up, etc) and I wanted to show that all the time spent wasn’t for nothing. Maura sent a great picture of her and the girls with a race sign on Saturday, and it was the best inspiration I could have asked for.
Execution vs Fitness: My main goal was to have a really smart, consistent race. I knew I didn’t bring a lot of general fitness to the table, save for some good running, so I wanted to swim easy, bike smart and then run hard. I told everyone who would listen that I was racing as a civilian, meaning that even though I was a full-time coach I has spent the past few months doing more family/life stuff than training.
In other words, my lack of training really freed me from the “tactical masturbation” that happens in race planning and early race execution on the bike. I knew I had no business going fast, so I was free to follow the plan as closely as possible.
Pre-Race Prep: Rich and I wore our Endurance Nation hats all week; meaning we had a lot of admin stuff to do around supporting our peeps and promoting Endurance Nation with our pre-race meeting. We did get in one swim and a loop of the hills. We spent a lot of time fixing my bike (Rich, I owe you big time) and otherwise tried to chill out as much as possible. Staying far from the race site made for a lot of travel time but also meant we had no race geek issues.
The Swim: Target Time: 1:00, Actual Time: 1:07
I lined up wide to avoid the crowds, and I was just unable to get back to the course until almost the turn buoy. My top goals for the swim is to swim only as fast as I can maintain my form. We call this swimming inside “the Box”, where I focus on what I can control: my stroke, my pacing, my direction, etc. Being wide allowed me to avoid a beating and to really dial in my swim form. Having this mental focus makes the actual swim pass very quickly, as it beats just staring at buoys on the horizon. As a result I ended up having a great, relaxing start to the race. Even though I clearly missed the 1:00 freight train that takes me to the swim finish, I had an enjoyable swim that undoubtedly set me up to have a really good day overall. Seeing as the delta between a good swim and a bad swim was only 7 mins (I usually swim an hour) I was happy to “give” those 7 mins up on the swim as I continued to focus on getting to mile 18 of the run with as much mojo as possible.
T1: Uneventful, save for the volunteer who tried three times to get me to run down the aisle to get my bag instead of letting me get to the wetsuit strippers. I finally had to push him aside…he was more flustered than the athletes!
The Bike: Target Time: 5:20, Actual Time: 5:23
Part of our Four Keys Race Presentation, we note that the first hour of the bike has to be easy if you are to build over the full day and have a solid run after mile 18.
I started the bike with a goal of capping the first hour at a specific effort level, with a goal of trying to sit on as easy an effort as possible without sacrificing too much speed. Even though I went easy, I was still passing folks and wasn’t getting passed too badly (guess that’s what a 1:07 swim will get you!). By the time the hills started around mile 25, I was well warmed up and ready to ride “just” 87 miles (b/c the first 25 was essentially free).
While we do have specific pacing guidance for the bike, the big picture thought here is Mile 18. In other words, you need to ride the best bike you can as you focus on being ready for Mile 18 of the run. There’s no need to fight someone else to get to the top of the next hill; it’s Mile 18 (and the race finish line) that really matter. With this frame of reference, I rode each hill at an effort that I could sustain not only for that hill, but knowing that I had more hills as well as a marathon to run.
Incredibly enough, there were folks standing and hammering in multiple places on the hills. Instead of working up the hills, I focused on being strong through the crest of the hill (when most folks back off b/c they are tired) and fast on the descents and flats. In other words, spaces where speed has a very low cost vice climbing a hill. Every time someone passed me on a hill, I would pass the same guy either descending or on the flats. The new P3C + the killer fit from Todd at TTBikeFit.com + the frontwheel from Rich at Wheelbuilder.com + the rear disc from RaceDayWheels.com meant that I was a virtual missile out on the course.
Racing the bike inside my “box” my focus areas were:
By the end of the first loop, I could tell there was a good headwind fighting us on the way back into town…one that would only get worse as time went on. I was comfortable over the terrain of the first hour as I repeated it on lap two, since I had gone so easy the first loop that I knew I would be faster by default.
Heading out for the hills on loop two, by mental box began getting smaller as I could really only mentally focus on the current hill (and next few miles). Instead of getting out of sorts thinking about the marathon, etc., I put my energy into making sure my nutrition was spot on. As I got more and more tired, I did more coasting and soft-pedaling. I searched for places where I didn’t really have to brake, just so I could keep my speed up.
Based on the race results data, I got faster for each split on the day (despite temps and wind), one of the few folks all day to not slow down over the last 34 miles and one of the very few who got faster at each split. My conservative pacing early on meant that I had energy to be strong over the last hour into the headwind when everyone else was fading. Catching folks and riding past them like they are standing still makes a great way to end a bike split.
T2: Also quick. I had a lot of admin stuff here (Garmin, blister patch, sunscreen, etc) so it took a while for me to get rolling. Had two volunteers to myself so it was pretty fast.
The Run: Target Time: 3:20, Actual Time: 3:26
As I mentioned above, I knew the run was where I had to get things done. I took my time in T2 to put on a blister patch on my foot, fire up my Garmin, and get sunscreen on. With my focus on Mile 18, I was happy to bleed a few seconds in T2 to be ready for the task ahead. I knew CDA has an easier run course than IMUSA or Kona, so I was cautiously optimistic for a good run time. I was aiming for 7:45 min mile average, or a low 3:20s marathon.
The general EN run strategy is to take the first 3 to 6 miles easy, depending on your fitness and race goals. I have traditionally struggled with going slowly enough, to the point where I now carry a water bottle in an attempt to slow myself down. Once I am through my 3 miles, I pick the pace up to a steady effort as I wait for the hammer to fall (somewhere in Mile 18 range). When that happens, I suck it up and just work to get it done.
When I started running, I thought the darn Garmin was broken as it kept saying I was running mid- to low 6 minute miles. Turns out I was just running too fast.
I tried slowing down, but it seemed that I was standing still and still going low 7s. To mitigate this damage, I forced myself to walk the full aid station for the first 4 or 5 miles. Between running a bit too fast (even though it felt easy) and walking the full aid stations, I was still turning out sub 8s.
Once I got past the 5 mile mark, I began to try and dial in miles around the 7:45 min mark. In my head, I was going to try and be steady through mile 18 and then have a strong last 8 miles. Basically I had good miles from 5 through 17, including some pretty fast ones, and then a dark spot from 17-21 where I was feeling the effects of the day to the tune of lightheadedness, tingly arms, and a slight side cramp. I decided to back off the pace a bit to be safe, and after about 20 mins and another gel (yuck!) I was back on track. This save was made possible by the fact that (A) I wasn’t in a very big hole to begin with (proper pacing on the day), and (B) I was mentally very on top of my race.
The final climb up the big hill at the run turnaround on the lake was tough, but once I was headed back in everything was just clicking along. I latched on to a 29YO running 7:45s, then dropped him and some other guys up that last hill by the lake and held them off into town. Making the turn into the finish line was awesome…to see the whole street stretched out in front of me (and downhill!). When I got close enough to see I was going to go 10:04, I was ecstatic…crossed the finish line into the arms of friends (nothing better) and then hung out for Todd and Rich to finish. As I reflected on the run, I realized that no one passed me after mile 10 on the day; I also noted how critical it was that I had the mojo to run the last few miles mentally and physically strong. I have missed a spot by 4 seconds before…I know how important it is not to fall of the pace at the end.
After some recovery time, Rich and I got our clothes changed and went back out on the course to cheer until 11pm when we started seriously bonking (and places stopped serving food!). It was awesome to see so many EN’ers out there on the course just getting it done. Everyone was all smiles in the tent, save for a few exceptions (hey, it’s an Ironman, it’s supposed to be hard!)
Great to see folks from New England out there. Robyn, Lisa, and Ann shouted encouragement; Scott from FuelBelt made me laugh whenever I saw him, making the run just a bit “easier”. Cramer and his soon-to-be-Iron wife, Amy, seemed to be all over the course. Only place I didn’t see you guys was at the swim turnaround!!! All in all, just a great day. I am psyched to have been able to get it done and am really looking forward to some down time!
From Coach Rich: Notice a relative lack of discussion of watts, pace, and heart rate in Patrick’s race report. We will cover those details in Parts 2 and 3, but with this article we want you to focus on the Four Keys. We believe very strongly that if you have your head screwed on straight regarding the Four Keys, rest of the day, the stuff you are likely most geeked about, will just happen. To read more about the Four Keys go here
-----------------------------
Rich Strauss
Endurance Nation Ironman 2013 and 2014 World Champion TriClub, Div I
Create a FREE 7-day trial membership
Next week I start another 2wks on the road support our athletes at Louisville and Madison, so my head is definitely in the execution game, where it's been all season. We've been posting a series on IM race day execution on our blog and on Xtri.com. Enjoy!
The Endurance Nation Ironman Racing System, Part I
Part One of Four Installments; Please visit the Endurance Nation Podcast Channel for the podcast that accompanies this article.
Coach Patrick getting it done at IMCDA’08
This article is the first in a four part series. Today we will analyze Coach Patrick’s performance within the context of the Endurance Nation Four Keys of Long Course Triathlon. In Part Two we will discuss his application of our racing with power framework. In Part Three we will discuss a new tool for us: racing with pace and what we have learned from our performances and those of our athletes. Finally, in Part Four, we will discuss what we have learned with regards to building IM fitness, refining IM execution, and our plans for applying those lessons to our Endurance Nation members.
Since our launch in November, 2007, Endurance Nation has quickly grown to over 400 athletes. Most of our members are focused on long course racing, and Ironman Coeur d’Alene was our “debut,” as a team, on the Ironman stage. We brought nearly twenty athletes to the race. Our members have all been training with the same suite of training plans, have been schooled with the same thoughts regarding training and racing with power and pace, race day execution, etc. IMCDA was a great opportunity for us to test out this integrated training and racing system across a broad range of athletes. This article is the first in a series to introduce you to our integrated long course racing system. Integrated because it combines some very powerful software (Four Keys of Long Distance Triathlon) with the hardware of Power and Pace.
We will use Coach Patrick McCrann’s performance on race day as the example of our system, but we feel the results of our other athletes also speak for themselves:
* Four athletes under 10:30, including a 29′ PR by Todd M. to finally qualify for Kona after many years of trying!
* Brenda G., missed the bike cut-off in 2007. Returned to the scene of the crime in ‘08, posted a 15:01 and passed over 100 people on the run!
* Mike H., exited T2 in 983rd place, then proceeded to run down 332 athletes in route to an 11:54, a 42′ PR from last year!
* Marriane P., mother of five (5), ages 7 to 19, runs down over 320 athletes in route to a 17′ PR!
TeamEN before our free pre-race talk.
The Endurance Nation Four Keys of Long Course Triathlon are:
1. Race Day is About Execution, not Fitness
2. The Line: Nothing Matters until Mile 18 of the run
3. The Box: Race in a Box, only controlling what you can control
4. The One Thing: why are you out here?
We even put the Keys on the back of a shirt, so you can’t screw it up!
—————————————–
Stats: 1:07 swim / 5:23 bike / 3:26 run, add transitions for a race time of 10:04 which was good for 7th AG and 46th OA. I picked up a Kona slot from the rolldown (there were 6 slots, 3 rolled and 1 was added, so it went to 10th place in the group).
—————————————
My Preparation
Heading into the race, I knew I was one of our best guinea pigs, with so much going on I could barely get the baseline training done, much less the volume I have done in the past. I basically followed the EN Off Season plan, then rolled that into our Long Course plan using Power and Pace. During my build up, we launched Endurance Nation, had a baby, and got in a car accident. I wasn’t even sure I could race with 3 weeks to go, but figured that if I wasn’t in pain it couldn’t hurt (haha).
My Athlete Type: I have an endurance background from soccer to crew to marathons and finally landing in triathlon. I am 6′2″ and 185 on race day, so definitely one of the bigger guys on the course. I joke that I strive to be the first finisher with lovehandles…gotta represent! My point here is that while I am fit, I am not one of those robot athletes who could qualify any day of the year. I am fit, but I know that I have to nail my race perfectly if I am going to have a shot at a slot. Even though this was my 12th IM race (including 2 Konas), andI have a good deal of experience with the distance, I was still as nervous as everyone else on race morning.
My One Thing: I was racing to validate why I have spent the last 3-5 months training; my decision to race put a great deal of stress on the family (Emma being born, Megan growing up, etc) and I wanted to show that all the time spent wasn’t for nothing. Maura sent a great picture of her and the girls with a race sign on Saturday, and it was the best inspiration I could have asked for.
Execution vs Fitness: My main goal was to have a really smart, consistent race. I knew I didn’t bring a lot of general fitness to the table, save for some good running, so I wanted to swim easy, bike smart and then run hard. I told everyone who would listen that I was racing as a civilian, meaning that even though I was a full-time coach I has spent the past few months doing more family/life stuff than training.
In other words, my lack of training really freed me from the “tactical masturbation” that happens in race planning and early race execution on the bike. I knew I had no business going fast, so I was free to follow the plan as closely as possible.
Pre-Race Prep: Rich and I wore our Endurance Nation hats all week; meaning we had a lot of admin stuff to do around supporting our peeps and promoting Endurance Nation with our pre-race meeting. We did get in one swim and a loop of the hills. We spent a lot of time fixing my bike (Rich, I owe you big time) and otherwise tried to chill out as much as possible. Staying far from the race site made for a lot of travel time but also meant we had no race geek issues.
The Swim: Target Time: 1:00, Actual Time: 1:07
I lined up wide to avoid the crowds, and I was just unable to get back to the course until almost the turn buoy. My top goals for the swim is to swim only as fast as I can maintain my form. We call this swimming inside “the Box”, where I focus on what I can control: my stroke, my pacing, my direction, etc. Being wide allowed me to avoid a beating and to really dial in my swim form. Having this mental focus makes the actual swim pass very quickly, as it beats just staring at buoys on the horizon. As a result I ended up having a great, relaxing start to the race. Even though I clearly missed the 1:00 freight train that takes me to the swim finish, I had an enjoyable swim that undoubtedly set me up to have a really good day overall. Seeing as the delta between a good swim and a bad swim was only 7 mins (I usually swim an hour) I was happy to “give” those 7 mins up on the swim as I continued to focus on getting to mile 18 of the run with as much mojo as possible.
T1: Uneventful, save for the volunteer who tried three times to get me to run down the aisle to get my bag instead of letting me get to the wetsuit strippers. I finally had to push him aside…he was more flustered than the athletes!
The Bike: Target Time: 5:20, Actual Time: 5:23
Part of our Four Keys Race Presentation, we note that the first hour of the bike has to be easy if you are to build over the full day and have a solid run after mile 18.
I started the bike with a goal of capping the first hour at a specific effort level, with a goal of trying to sit on as easy an effort as possible without sacrificing too much speed. Even though I went easy, I was still passing folks and wasn’t getting passed too badly (guess that’s what a 1:07 swim will get you!). By the time the hills started around mile 25, I was well warmed up and ready to ride “just” 87 miles (b/c the first 25 was essentially free).
While we do have specific pacing guidance for the bike, the big picture thought here is Mile 18. In other words, you need to ride the best bike you can as you focus on being ready for Mile 18 of the run. There’s no need to fight someone else to get to the top of the next hill; it’s Mile 18 (and the race finish line) that really matter. With this frame of reference, I rode each hill at an effort that I could sustain not only for that hill, but knowing that I had more hills as well as a marathon to run.
Incredibly enough, there were folks standing and hammering in multiple places on the hills. Instead of working up the hills, I focused on being strong through the crest of the hill (when most folks back off b/c they are tired) and fast on the descents and flats. In other words, spaces where speed has a very low cost vice climbing a hill. Every time someone passed me on a hill, I would pass the same guy either descending or on the flats. The new P3C + the killer fit from Todd at TTBikeFit.com + the frontwheel from Rich at Wheelbuilder.com + the rear disc from RaceDayWheels.com meant that I was a virtual missile out on the course.
Racing the bike inside my “box” my focus areas were:
- Easy first hour
- Smart first loop leaving me room for a tougher second one
- Steady second loop
- Strong last hour
By the end of the first loop, I could tell there was a good headwind fighting us on the way back into town…one that would only get worse as time went on. I was comfortable over the terrain of the first hour as I repeated it on lap two, since I had gone so easy the first loop that I knew I would be faster by default.
Heading out for the hills on loop two, by mental box began getting smaller as I could really only mentally focus on the current hill (and next few miles). Instead of getting out of sorts thinking about the marathon, etc., I put my energy into making sure my nutrition was spot on. As I got more and more tired, I did more coasting and soft-pedaling. I searched for places where I didn’t really have to brake, just so I could keep my speed up.
Based on the race results data, I got faster for each split on the day (despite temps and wind), one of the few folks all day to not slow down over the last 34 miles and one of the very few who got faster at each split. My conservative pacing early on meant that I had energy to be strong over the last hour into the headwind when everyone else was fading. Catching folks and riding past them like they are standing still makes a great way to end a bike split.
T2: Also quick. I had a lot of admin stuff here (Garmin, blister patch, sunscreen, etc) so it took a while for me to get rolling. Had two volunteers to myself so it was pretty fast.
The Run: Target Time: 3:20, Actual Time: 3:26
As I mentioned above, I knew the run was where I had to get things done. I took my time in T2 to put on a blister patch on my foot, fire up my Garmin, and get sunscreen on. With my focus on Mile 18, I was happy to bleed a few seconds in T2 to be ready for the task ahead. I knew CDA has an easier run course than IMUSA or Kona, so I was cautiously optimistic for a good run time. I was aiming for 7:45 min mile average, or a low 3:20s marathon.
The general EN run strategy is to take the first 3 to 6 miles easy, depending on your fitness and race goals. I have traditionally struggled with going slowly enough, to the point where I now carry a water bottle in an attempt to slow myself down. Once I am through my 3 miles, I pick the pace up to a steady effort as I wait for the hammer to fall (somewhere in Mile 18 range). When that happens, I suck it up and just work to get it done.
When I started running, I thought the darn Garmin was broken as it kept saying I was running mid- to low 6 minute miles. Turns out I was just running too fast.
I tried slowing down, but it seemed that I was standing still and still going low 7s. To mitigate this damage, I forced myself to walk the full aid station for the first 4 or 5 miles. Between running a bit too fast (even though it felt easy) and walking the full aid stations, I was still turning out sub 8s. Once I got past the 5 mile mark, I began to try and dial in miles around the 7:45 min mark. In my head, I was going to try and be steady through mile 18 and then have a strong last 8 miles. Basically I had good miles from 5 through 17, including some pretty fast ones, and then a dark spot from 17-21 where I was feeling the effects of the day to the tune of lightheadedness, tingly arms, and a slight side cramp. I decided to back off the pace a bit to be safe, and after about 20 mins and another gel (yuck!) I was back on track. This save was made possible by the fact that (A) I wasn’t in a very big hole to begin with (proper pacing on the day), and (B) I was mentally very on top of my race.
The final climb up the big hill at the run turnaround on the lake was tough, but once I was headed back in everything was just clicking along. I latched on to a 29YO running 7:45s, then dropped him and some other guys up that last hill by the lake and held them off into town. Making the turn into the finish line was awesome…to see the whole street stretched out in front of me (and downhill!). When I got close enough to see I was going to go 10:04, I was ecstatic…crossed the finish line into the arms of friends (nothing better) and then hung out for Todd and Rich to finish. As I reflected on the run, I realized that no one passed me after mile 10 on the day; I also noted how critical it was that I had the mojo to run the last few miles mentally and physically strong. I have missed a spot by 4 seconds before…I know how important it is not to fall of the pace at the end.
After some recovery time, Rich and I got our clothes changed and went back out on the course to cheer until 11pm when we started seriously bonking (and places stopped serving food!). It was awesome to see so many EN’ers out there on the course just getting it done. Everyone was all smiles in the tent, save for a few exceptions (hey, it’s an Ironman, it’s supposed to be hard!)
Great to see folks from New England out there. Robyn, Lisa, and Ann shouted encouragement; Scott from FuelBelt made me laugh whenever I saw him, making the run just a bit “easier”. Cramer and his soon-to-be-Iron wife, Amy, seemed to be all over the course. Only place I didn’t see you guys was at the swim turnaround!!! All in all, just a great day. I am psyched to have been able to get it done and am really looking forward to some down time!
From Coach Rich: Notice a relative lack of discussion of watts, pace, and heart rate in Patrick’s race report. We will cover those details in Parts 2 and 3, but with this article we want you to focus on the Four Keys. We believe very strongly that if you have your head screwed on straight regarding the Four Keys, rest of the day, the stuff you are likely most geeked about, will just happen. To read more about the Four Keys go here
-----------------------------
Rich Strauss
Endurance Nation Ironman 2013 and 2014 World Champion TriClub, Div I
Create a FREE 7-day trial membership