Athlete Name: Julien Pequegnot
Race Name: IMLP
Year: 2024
Background: IMLP was my 4th full – I raced LP already in 2021, this was the year the oval was under construction, so the courses were a bit different (and run course a bit less hilly) but I certainly suffered plenty at the time. Since then, with work changes, I have had less time for training so my ftp has reduced from 265w for 65kg then to around 230w for 68 kg now. With all that, I was a bit worried that I approached the race with less fitness and the new courses were tougher both on the bike and run. In all my attempts I have under performed on the run, never managing better than 5h10min despite having a recent 3h42 open marathon.
Pre-race: the low expectations on finish time meant that I didn’t feel nervous and I really enjoyed myself. The atmosphere was great at LP!
Swim: 1h23 (8’ slower than in 2021), but with my ‘no-volume’ approach to swimming I was happy with that. It’s a nice swim, easy to find feet – enjoyed it.
Bike: 7h7min (15’ slower than 2021) The new course includes a loop with 2 climbs that to me hurt as much as the Jay climb so I would expect the course to be quite a bit slower. This includes a 7’ stop for mechanical check since on first loop, my bike made a loud strange noise so I decided to get the mechanic at aid station to check before going into the keene descent (so my overall moving time is 7h flat). So overall, very happy with the bike, I was very disciplined in keeping my power in check, had no spikes, managed the nutrition well so I had no gut problem at all. I used the concentrated bottle approach – packed 7hrs worth of tailwind in 2 bottles and diluted with water since I was a bit nervous about Mortal Hydration.
Run: 4h54min (16’ faster than 2021) Here as well, the new course has quite a bit more elevation and feels tougher. Saw Coach P outside of transition, felt immediately much better than in any of my previous attempts and that really set me in a good mood. Coach checked me quickly and gave thumbs up to go. I kept the HR in check throughout. I walked the aid stations and the big climbs but otherwise felt good all around. If anything, probably over conservative, but I wanted a non eventful run for once. I had a faster last couple miles when I felt it was in the bag and really enjoyed the finish on the oval
Overall: 13h46 (6’ slower than 2021) Very happy with the result and how I felt in control the whole day. It has given me new motivation to see what I can do next as I was starting to wonder whether I should focus more on shorter races. The fact that I got pretty much the same result (esp. if adjusting for the mechanical stop) on less fitness and on a tougher course shows the importance of execution.
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5 comments
Brenda Ross
Nice work Julien. Your experience shines through in this performance. Congratulations
Joshua Green
Julien Pequegnot nice work. I learn so much from you and Tom Meehan on executing the plan and really sticking with it. Congrats and looking forward to seeing what you do next.
Tom Meehan
Great job Julien. You really executed well and shows that going by feel can work as well as my hyper-analytical approach.
Allison lee
Congrats Julien! Such smooth execution, I love that it contributed to an enjoyable and excellent race performance! Thanks for sharing your race report!
Derrek Sanks
Great attitude and approach to the race, which resulted in a great day! Congratulations!
