More from Don Fink, this time from the chapter on Race and Pre-Race Strategies. Naturally, I was interested in the "I just want to finish under 17 hours" strategy.
It starts off with "This section is not for everybody. It is written for the athlete who perhaps only have time for the 'Just Finish' training program. For this athlete victory is defined as completing the Ironman before the cutoff time of 17 hours." That's me then (except the athlete bit).
Just finish swim strategy: Swim section is crucial (tell me about it!). 140 minutes to swim 3,800 m, that's about 3 min 40 sec for each 100 meters (38 of them)! Practice this pace in training. Open water swimming is slower than pool swimming, so allow for some cushion. One way is to swim at a slightly faster pace and then take short breaks at predetermined times. For example, take one minute rest after every 150-min of swimming. Wet suits help. But what if we don't use wet suits?
Just finish bike strategy: Cutoff is usually 10.5 hours after the start. Allow 2:20 for the swim and 10 min for comfortable transition, that leaves 8 hours for the bike segment. Average pace of 14 miles per hour (22.4 km/h). Consider faster pace and rest breaks for fueling, toilet break, etc.
Just finish run strategy: Worst case is 6.5 hours to cover the marathon. Average pace of 15 min per mile (9:22 min per km). Not quite walkable. Consider walk 5 min, jog 10 min and alternate. 20 min/mile (12:30 min/km) on walk and 12 min/mile (7:30 min/km) on jog... you are an Ironman! :)
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