Here is my background. I have been doing triathlons for about four years now, and have some three HIM, including Savageman 70 last year. I ride 100-150 miles a week and have no problem knocking out a century on my road bike.
Here is my problem with my training. I have no place flat to ride. It was easier to train for Savageman because I was close enough to preride the course a few times, and I found that my road biking buddies loved the course and wanted to do training rides with me.
The IM that I am registered for is B2B, so it is flat. I used that as an excuse to buy a tri bike. In May, I used the bike for a HIM on rolling hills and flat roads. To train for it, I rode on a gravel rail trail. This time of year though, the rail trail is covered with leaves, nuts, twigs, and whatever else the trees throw on the ground, making it too dangerous on a tri bike. I have managed to cobble together a paved 45 mile route with 1900' of climbing, but that is the flattest thing I can find for training. The problem is trying to hold an aero position for long. Even on that route, I sit up every few miles when I go up a hill with too much of a grade.
How do I train myself to hold an aero position for 6 or so hours when I can't ride more than 15 minutes at a stretch in training without having to sit up? Is it too late? Am I going to spend the entire race sitting upright on my tri bike because I never learned to hold the aero position?
Here is my problem with my training. I have no place flat to ride. It was easier to train for Savageman because I was close enough to preride the course a few times, and I found that my road biking buddies loved the course and wanted to do training rides with me.
The IM that I am registered for is B2B, so it is flat. I used that as an excuse to buy a tri bike. In May, I used the bike for a HIM on rolling hills and flat roads. To train for it, I rode on a gravel rail trail. This time of year though, the rail trail is covered with leaves, nuts, twigs, and whatever else the trees throw on the ground, making it too dangerous on a tri bike. I have managed to cobble together a paved 45 mile route with 1900' of climbing, but that is the flattest thing I can find for training. The problem is trying to hold an aero position for long. Even on that route, I sit up every few miles when I go up a hill with too much of a grade.
How do I train myself to hold an aero position for 6 or so hours when I can't ride more than 15 minutes at a stretch in training without having to sit up? Is it too late? Am I going to spend the entire race sitting upright on my tri bike because I never learned to hold the aero position?