Gordo's Guide to Going Long - Part Five

Race Week and Race Day

From the archives.

You’ll find additional ideas, for your lower priority races, in my Early Season Racing article.

The purpose of this chapter is to help you make race week, and the race itself, as routine as possible. Race week has several aspects which often throw us out of our routine:

• A Reduction In Training Load

• Travel, Often Across Time Zones

• Change In Climate

• Different Foods

• Bike Disassembly, Then Reassembly

• Early Wake Up On Race Morning

I spent many summers training in Boulder, then seeking to win Ironman Canada. My pre-race routine minimized stress and had me ready for race day.

• Drive to the race site arriving 6-8 days pre-race. Split the drive into stages to stay in my training routine. In advance, I’d research training options along the driving route.

• As I was coming from altitude (5,500ft/1,700m), I had the option to stay at the base of Apex Mountain (5,100 ft / 1,550 m). Apex is a 45-minute drive out of town, so sometimes, I’d stay in town for convenience.

• I would work backwards from my planned race morning wake-up time and gradually shift my internal clock. For example, if Sunday was going to require a 3:30am wake up then I’d be shifting earlier by 30 minutes each day.

  • Race Morning (Sunday) 3:30am

  • Saturday 4:00am

  • Friday 4:30am

  • Thursday 5:00am

  • Wednesday 5:30am

  • Tuesday 6:00am

• Each morning, I would be at the swim start before dawn and begin the day with at least a short swim.

  • Below you will find a race week training program.

  • A good rule of thumb for race week… if you want to do more then swim more often.

• I would under schedule myself and use downtime to prepare healthy food choices.

• I would maintain workout frequency.

• Each evening, I spend a few minutes reviewing my written race plan.

Simplify your week, and your race, as much as possible: food, race strategy, transition items, clothing choices, race week commitments… the fewer things we have to do, the more energy we will have for racing.

If anything concerns you then write it down, make it real and figure out your choices for dealing with it. See Training The Mind, specifically the section on Creating A Plan.

If you are flying to the race then assume your bike will be lost and broken on the journey. This means you should allow a delay, and a repair, into your pre-race schedule. It also means you should duct tape an AirTag inside your bike box so you can track it. Know the opening hours of the local bike stores and consider taking advantage of pre-race assembly and tune packages.

If you are crossing multiple time zones then allow ample time for your circadian rhythm to adjust. If (like me) you want to wake up early on race morning then flight selection can be done to support a shift towards an earlier wake-up time. I have found self-catering, and not eating on the plane, helps me adjust more smoothly to my destination time zone. As do the early morning swims.

If your race requires an increase in altitude, heat or humidity, then you’ll need to be acclimatized well before race week.

• See Heat, Humidity & Altitude in Part One.

• See also Jason Koop’s Heat Acclimation Cheat Sheet.

Personally, I keep my heat prep as simple as possible. When I’m not exposed to heat stress in my training, I take a daily sauna of 15 to 20 minutes duration. This is long enough to have me at my maximum sweat rate for at least 10 minutes.

Fit - Fresh - Focused

Race Week Workouts

I am assuming a Sunday race day. Remember your overriding goal is to be feeling fit, fresh and focused on race morning.

Arrival: Food shop, bike assembly and a quick bike mechanical test are your priorities.

Monday: Following the completion of your final key workouts on the weekend, Monday is going to be a lighter, low stress day. This is an excellent day to swim-the-course if you are at the race venue. Novices should swim for 45 minutes, Competitive athletes should swim for 60 minutes and Top Amateurs for 75 minutes.

• Practice your race day warm-up and start this swim relaxed, which you should also do on race day.

• Everyone should include six intervals of 30-60 seconds where you build to a Threshold / Zone 4 effort. Done correctly, this will be a few strokes beyond where you feel your breathing change. Take at least 90 seconds of easy swimming between each interval.

• End with 20 minutes of Steady / Zone 2 swimming using bilateral breathing, three strokes per breath cycle. Three-stroke breathing is a useful governor on swim effort. If you find you need to switch to two-stroke breathing then you are likely swimming far more intensely than you realize.

• If you can get on the swim course then, before exiting the water, note landmarks for your start and finish legs.

Tuesday: The main workout today is a 30-45 minute run. Run 10 minutes easy pace, which is the pace you’ll start your marathon. Then perform 4 to 6 strides with walking recoveries. Finish with 5 intervals. The intervals are 90 second builds to 70.3 run pace. Between each interval jog, or run, easy.

A short swim, first thing, can be used before the run. The second workout is an optional, very easy ride which can be done before your evening meal.

Wednesday: Competitive athletes, this will be a swim-bike-run day. Total volume should be 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Start with an easy, unstructured swim of 30 to 40 minutes. End with an easy transition run of 20 minutes.

Novices and low-volume athletes, focus on the bike and, if you didn’t swim yesterday, insert a 10 to 15 minute swim before your ride.

Everyone, the ride should include 10 minutes of race effort cycling at the start, and the finish. Between these 10-minute blocks, insert 4 intervals of 90 seconds duration. Odd intervals are low cadence. Even intervals are choice cadence. Hold Threshold / Zone 4 effort (Heart Rate will lag, so don’t worry if it seems low). Ride easy between the intervals. At the very end of this ride, insert 2 sprints of 5 to 8 seconds duration.

Thursday: If you didn’t swim yesterday then be sure to touch the water for at least 15 to 20 minutes today. The main workout is a brick that should take 60 to 120 minutes. Cap the run at not more than 30 minutes, 15 minutes is fine. Inside each of the bike and run, insert 2 builds of 90 seconds duration. Don’t go to max. Simply build effort until you feel your breathing change and a slight burning in your legs. The rest of the session can be easy, or can include 10-minute segments at Steady / Zone 2 effort.

Friday: Typically, race registration day and an opportunity for final equipment checks. Make this your lightest day of the week and stay away from the crowds. If you are unfamiliar with the course then this is a good day to drive key segments of the bike and run courses.

Saturday: After the light day yesterday, we want to get you back on the up-swing. Get up early, practice your warm-up and swim. The swim should be mostly easy pace. Insert 4 pick ups where you build effort across 20 to 30 powerful strokes. Done right, you’ll feel your breathing shift after 12 to 15 strokes. Take long recoveries and enjoy the feel of the water.

If you feel good after the swim, then it’s fine to let that be your only session. If you are going to run today, then 5 to 15 minutes (pre swim) is plenty. If you ride then keep it under 30 minutes. Total exercise today should not exceed 90 minutes.

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Big Picture

Time for a reality check.

• I want you to write down your travel day and the training you plan to do before/after travel as well as race week.

• What you need to see is a material reduction in your training load, at least a 50% reduction and up to a 25% reduction for high-volume amateurs. The 72 hours before race day are the most important place to see a reduction in load.

• Your plan should look “too little” while maintaining normal workout frequency for each sport.

Race week training volume will be down. As a result, your energy needs will be reduced and your body will be topping itself up naturally, without the need to overeat the day before the race.

My recommended approach:

• Train with plain water. Focus on real food meals and avoid sports nutrition.

• Proactively boost intake of chopped whole fruits and veggies.

• Reduce intake of high-fiber foods the day before the race.

• Reduce intake of energy-dense foods, typically food choices with high fat or sugar content as well as dry carbohydrate foods like crackers and pretzels.

• Continue to eat your favorite meals. My favorites are outlined in the How I Eat section of our Nutrition Chapter.

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Common Issues During Race Week

Most athletes will experience a change in their sleeping pattern during race week. Some will have a desire to sleep more, others will sleep less. With the reduction in training load, it is best to avoid naps. If you find you can’t sleep then it’s still best to lie down. Keep electronic devices out of your bedroom and out of reach.

Keep your workout intensity in check. If the plan has worked as intended then you will be feeling fit and strong as the week progresses. Just like you’ll need to hold yourself back during the race, resist the urge to increase the duration and intensity of the race week sessions. It’s not possible to add fitness at this stage.

Try to avoid crowds. Many athletes are exhausted by being exposed to the constant nervous tension of most competitors. Carve out daily quiet time where you read a book, journal or review your race plan. One year, I even wrote my victory speech. I talk about it at the start of my conversation with Rich Roll.

Be aware of goal inflation. Remember the reasons why you started and cultivate your gratitude for having been able to undertake this journey.

Keep your schedule light. Do your best to limit work and social obligations during race week. If you must be in touch with the office then have a hard daily cutoff that gives your mind time to unwind before dinner and bed. Stressful situations (and people) should be avoided as much as possible.

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Race Day

Ultra distance racing is the greatest physical challenge most of us will ever face. Done well, race day can provide lasting satisfaction. I’m going to run through common errors and challenges athletes face. I’d done, and experienced, every adverse situation you’ll read about in this section.

A favorite quote about sport comes from 6x Ironman Hawaii Champion, Mark Allen:

Just because you started doing something silly, doesn't mean you need to continue to do it.

On race day, this usually has to do with our early pacing. If you catch yourself hammering more intensely than your race plan, remember you are free to relax and get back on plan. Poor early pacing costs most the field material time in their overall result. Everything I discuss in the video (below) is magnified as race duration extends.

In addition to the challenge of sticking to our race plans, we need to avoid bad ideas that we dream up during race week and during the event, itself. Know that you will be tempted to change the routine that you have trained. Don’t do it. You want to make the swim, bike and early part of the run as routine as possible.

Let Other People Make Mistakes

Race Day Equipment: Wetsuits, goggles, skin suits, socks (or running without socks), shorts and jerseys… the equipment you have tested for your longest sessions is the equipment to use on race day. This applies particularly to the shoes you select for the marathon. Use your three longest training runs to test your shoes, clothing, hydration and nutrition plans for your marathon.

Respect The Conditions: Cold in the morning? Pause in T1 to put on appropriate clothes. It only takes a few seconds to slip on arm warmers & gloves, and it makes a huge difference on a cold morning. I’ve started the bike leg with temperatures just over freezing and was grateful I “got dressed” in T1. Make your clothing decisions before the swim start. Your heart rate, and core temperature, will be elevated coming out of the water. You will underestimate the cold. Being too cold, or too hot, will impair your digestion and energy uptake.

Cold Water: If you are dealing with cold water then see My Cold Water Warmup and consider using ear wax as well as a neoprene base cap.

Avoid Spikes: Racing long is stressful. Aim to pace yourself as smoothly as possible.

This means:

• Avoid surging during the swim and relax as you get to the end of the swim leg. See our Open Water Tips, specifically my advice on Open Water Racing for Amateurs.

• Stand up gradually, and walk to your bike. It seems counterintuitive but this is the fastest way to get to work on the bike. If you have a long distance to your bike then walk for at least one minute before you start jogging, not running.

• On the bike, never spike power above FTP/CP and climb no more intensely than your average (not normalized) power for a 70.3 race (where you ran well).

• Walk second transition.

• Run the first 5 km relaxed, many athletes sip on a handheld bottle. Keep you pace smooth through the Half Marathon mark. The 3rd 10 km segment is where you can move up significantly, if you’ve paced yourself well. From 30 km to the finish line, it gets increasingly difficult to pass someone. Competitive athletes, get yourself where you want to be by the 32 km / 20 mile mark.

Before seeking to vary these tips, make sure you have experienced what it is like to run well for an entire marathon. Most athletes never give themselves this experience.

Simplicity Is Your Friend: The fewer things you need to remember, the more energy you will have for racing. Nutrition, hydration, clothing, pacing, electronics… starting with your longest workouts, aim to streamline your approach. Your transition area should not look like you are setting up for a beach vacation.

Good Weight: Start the bike carrying every calorie you need to finish it. Gorilla Grip bike cages are your best option. I like a diluted bottle (up front) to start, two normal strength bottles (rear mounted) and a concentrated bottle on the frame. Additionally, I’ll carry 1,000 kcal of gel products in soft flasks.

Slow Down To Get Hydration: Whatever time saved by not slowing to get fluids on the bike… will cost you a large multiple on the marathon.

The exact same observation applies to swim pacing. The difference between a poor and a great swim is 5 to 8 minutes. When applied to the marathon, the gap expands to 20 to 45 minutes.

RunWalk: you should be training RunWalk method on all your long runs (the link takes you to the section in our Run Chapter). This is an essential skill for getting what you need during the marathon. RunWalk breaks the marathon into segments, activates different muscle firing patterns and ensures you take on aid.

If you find yourself working hard anytime before the third 10K of the marathon…

…slow down.

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What To Expect

Sometime during the event, you are likely to feel awful.

• If this happens then relax, first.

• Then get some fluids on board and eat easily absorbed carbs.

No matter how dark things get, finish. When we finish, we put the experience behind us and take the option of quitting off the table from future races.

Even on a great day, things will go wrong. Start with a series of objectives and, if one isn’t achievable, then drop down to the next. Remember to keep everything in perspective and continually move towards the finish line. If your wheels come off, then regroup by slowing down (or even stopping). Many athletes have taken breaks of 30 to 60 minutes, eaten real food and finished well within the cutoff times.

Humility - Patience - Fortitude

Ultra distance events reward:

• Humility with early pacing.

• Patience through the bulk of the race.

• Fortitude for the final 90 minutes.

Paced well, you will experience a normal training day that ends with 90 minutes of the toughest running you’ve ever done.

Don’t be in a hurry to get to the tough bits.

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