Double Iron - Race Plan

A great meal with family & friends last night putting the final details together for the race plan.

So to my wife Sarah, daughter Georgie and close friends Steve Clark, Steve Dolby, Clair Dolby and their children Annie & Ellie who are travelling nearly 500 miles in total to support me, feed me and encourage me in a race that will last more than a day, what can I say, words can not express how much I appreciate this, you are the greatest, THANK YOU.

Ok mushy stuff out of the way, whats the plan.

Well I've had a couple of days off training, just going to do a decent steady swim tomorrow, probably about 4k, and just a bit of easy spinning on the bike and running for a few hours.

Although this is a serious challenge we all decided that we must have some fun with it especially in the early hours to help me mentally, keep me in good spirits and focused, think I need to be ready for some banter !!!

I'm carb loading big style this week to store energy in my body, lots of pasta, potatoes, oats, veg, fruit, cereals and also taking on board extra protein chicken, fish, eggs ....... not all at once though, that would disgusting ..... or would it ? <laughing>

Increasing fluid intake now, if I haven't got water or an electrolyte/carb drinking in my hands every second of the day then shoot me!

An extra big carb loading meal on Wednesday & Thursday, the race starts 9am Saturday, so I can get up early have some porridge/ fruit/ coffee and relax a little.

Swim - 26 x 295m laps (4.8 miles)
- should take about 2 hours 10 mins
- take on electrolyte drink/ banana/ yophurt every 30 mins

T1
- steady walk to transition to change into dry cycling gear
- drink 1 bottle of electrolyte drink
- porridge/ peanut butter & jam sandwich/ fruit

Bike - 20 x 11.6 mile laps (232 miles)
- always carry a full bottle on the bike, swap every lap so support crew can see how much I'm drinking (very important!) alternate between water with gel & electrolyte drink.
- carry any 2 of (gel, banana, nutrigarin bar, jelly beans or babies)
- every 2 laps take on fruit (satsuma/ banana) & wholemeal bread sandwich (peanut butter/ jam)
- stop every 4 laps for meal (veg pasta/ tuna/ eggs/ chicken/ cereal/ fruit/ yoghurt/ coffee) with salt
- check I'm going to the toilet!
- change clothes if needed ie weather
- protein drink every 2 to 3 hours
- stretch some part of the body every lap (support crew to tell) this should be funny :)
- 2 hours before I need to increase my fluid intake
- 1 hour before I need to spin an easier gear to get my leg cadence more akin to a running cadence.

T2
- 1 electrolyte drink
- vaseline toes/ plaster over nipples !
- don't stay too long, get out and get a lap or 2 done

Run - 48 x 1.1 mile laps (52 miles)
- run 4 laps, walk 1 lap & repeat ...... lots of times !!
- take small water bottle & banana/ gel (or similar, nothing to chewy) on every 2nd lap
- take on cereal/ porridge/ fruit at beginning of walk lap (stop if needed)
- take electrolyte drink/ flat coke and food/ salt (fruit/ jelly beans/ nutrigrain) on walk lap
- need to drink 1 - 2 bottles of water/ electro per hour
- if not been to toilet in last hour, need 1 bottle of water quick !
- change clothing as required re weather

Well thats the plan, the rest we will have to make up as we go along, anything could happen, but Im feeling good about the test, the swim should be fine, teh bike I'll probably get some back ache & bum ache but I can cope with that, the run ..... well the run is goiung to hurt, the hamstrings & calfs will tighten & I'll have to just keep moving.

Am I racing or am I competing ?

Well the first goal is to finish above all and actually I quite confident about doing that (it would be foolish not to be wouldnt it?), I do have a time in mind, I've hand it in my mind since the day I entered, but I'll keep that to myself for now.

Where will that mean I finish who knows, there are a lot of strong ultra triathletes out there & this is my first triathlon beyond iron distance ..... so bring out the Gorilla and let's get on with it !