Ironman Arizona 2016 Race Day Plans

I keep having all these thoughts about what I need to remember to do and pack for race day so I am going to start a list here and just keep updating in. Maybe it will be helpful to someone!

Morning of Race

• Eat breakfast
• Fill bike bottle with CarboRocket

T1 Bag

• Bike shoes
• SPI Belt loaded with nutrition (Mocha and Chocolate Cliff Shots)
• Salty Balls in snack size ziplock bags (at least 8 balls)
• Chapstick
• Towel
• Helmet

Bike Special Needs

I typically don’t stop but just in case…

• Spare tube and CO2
• Socks
• Extra Salty Balls
• Extra CarboRocket
• Red Bull
• Chapstick

T2 Bag

• SPI with run nutrition options, tube of Rolaids, Base Salts
• Chapstick
• Sock
• Sunglasses
• Hat and visor

Run Special Needs

• Warm running kit
• Chapstick (do you see a theme here, I love chapstick!)

Race Time Goals

I am getting to the point where I can’t stop thinking about race day and especially my time goals. I am not out there just to finish this one. I am also not out there to Kona Qualify (but if it happened I wouldn’t say no). I am going to be out there trying to take a reasonable chunk of time off my 2014 finish. I set myself a goal of qualifying for Kona by the time I and 45 (it was a 5 year goal at the time). I felt if I could chip away at my bike split by 15 minutes a year and trim a bit off the swim and run, I would have a really good chance of doing it someday. So here are my goals (A goal/B goal/C goal) for the race this year:

• Swim: 1:05/1:08/1:10 I think the rolling start will work well for me so I can improve on my 1:08 from 2014.
• Bike: 5:45/6:00/6:15 I need to not hold back as much as I usually do on the bike. I need to NOT sit behind people waiting to pass. I need to get a little uncomfortable.
• Run: 3:45/3:55/4:00 I know I can run well off the bike and I am loving running right now. I was once told that when you hit the run in and Ironman you are so relived that you only have 26 miles left! It is so true. The run feels like a victory lap for me!

That gives me just under 11 hours for my A goal, and under 11:30 for my C goal.