You'll kill two birds with one stone:

1) Be bad at bike racing
2) Be bad at Ironman

It's perfect!!

But seriously, those two races are incredibly different in their respective physiological demands.

If this is the key bike workout of your week, then the plan sucks. If this constitutes your one threshold bike workout for the week and you insert enough other biking volume including long rides then ... maybe ... but assuming these are on a weekend, you are giving up prime real estate on your training calendar for a short race. It's like asking for thoughts on using a series of sprint triathlons to get ready for your next IM.

I think a weekly workout like that could fit quite nicely in an IM training plan. Not every workout has to be 2 x 20 at 98.7% FTP. Most of us are doing this for fun and road racing is a shit-ton of fun.

Bonus is you won't be the guy on here talking about how you hit a pothole or got bumped in a tri and crashed.

My $.02....if you ride them like an idiot (IOW, doing WAY more work than you should), they can be great threshold workouts. But you should link them into a longer day somehow....can you ride to and then back home from the race, or just one way (i.e. ride there, race and then get a ride home with buddies or family)?

Few years ago, i rode up to a crit series, did two races and ended up with ~60 miles for the day and got a great workout. If you just do a quick warm-up, race and then call it a day, you are probably not optimizing the opportunity.

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"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

If you want to have fun, and you like bike racing: why not?
Are you a pro? Do you get paid to do tri? IMO: do what makes you happy, and have fun w/ it. If you want a good workout while bike racing, stick at the front end of the group (top 10) and be one of the race motivators.

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no sponsors | no races | nothing to see here

+1

Most people on these forums take things way to seriously considering they aren't making a living from winning. Do what ever you enjoy, sounds like it would be a fun series and a good workout.

I use bike racing for training.
I just add some long steady rides on the TT bike and I'm all good.
I also handle my bike better than 99% of triathletes now.... free speed on technical courses.

Last spring I did a local "Spring Fling" crit series and it was a lot of fun. Good threshold work especially when you're out in front or attempt a breakaway. Or like me, off the back trying to catch up ;P

I'm in the "just have fun" camp so if you enjoy it go for it. If you can ride to/from the race that could be a plus depending on the distance. Just remember there's a higher risk of injury (eventually wheels rub and someone goes down) racing than riding solo.

You'll kill two birds with one stone:

1) Be bad at bike racing
2) Be bad at Ironman

It's perfect!!

But seriously, those two races are incredibly different in their respective physiological demands.


Yes & No.

Yes - I agree with you oil and water, apples and oranges.

No - It really depends on the back-ground of the person here. We need more detail. GENERALLY speaking, many triathletes could use more higher-end bike riding/training . . but in the right doses. It's a bit uncontrolled in a real racing situation, but you will hit those numbers and efforts for sure!


It will also make them FWIW - a better overall cyclist - never a bad thing. Many newer triathletes tend to be very one-dimensional when it comes to cycling. Bike racing or higher-end group riding is a good way of rounding out the skills and abilities to be a better overall cyclist.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

It would be better for you if if was farther out from your Ironman. Least specific to more specific "reverse periodization" and all that.

I wouldn't worry about riding dumb in the races, you will get plenty of workout just from trying to stay in the winning group. You would probably get more benefit from doing drop-all group rides though.

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Have fun. Life is too short not to.

I vote for joining at least one race, if only for the experience. On the caveat that you've done sufficient group riding not to endanger yourself and everyone else.

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'It never gets easier, you just get crazier.'

Ironman IS one dimensional. It just depends on how good someone wants to be at something. Texas is 12-14 weeks away. Now is not the time to be bandying about with a bike racing dynamic that will contribute almost nothing to the pursuit of that goal.

Or you could always just go for the break and get some nice TT threshold work. :-)

but then again, people are putting in time and opportunity cost when they race ironmans. I don't care one way or another, but if one's goal is to place well in an ironman, then crit racing is distinctly not the best way of utilizing one's time


that's assuming that the guy has the nous and the physiology to gain separation. Most Cancellara wannabes end up towing the field up to the break.

One could, however, just pull on the front all day

Ha. I wouldn't worry about taking lots of turns up front to get in a good workout. I've never came away from a race thinking it was easy or that I could have gone harder. They are tilts start to finish. Races will make you stronger, but as others have said, it's got to fit the plan.

Howdy NB. I am from the Fraser Valley where the races are held and usually do a couple or three of them as training and fun. I also do a weekly crit in Mission and an every other week TT out in Abbotsford. I would say go for it primarily for fun and bike handling stuff. Not all that IM specific.

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http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast

I would say it depends on your pack riding skills. If you already ride in groups a lot and are pretty comfortable then go for it. If not, then I think you run a pretty serious chance of ruining your race via injury.

Some personal experience: I was at a weekly crit series, and got in the break with one other guy. He was very very strong, but a bit of a mess in terms of skill. Sketchy through corners, and not really holding a line. But because there were just two of us, we got on fine and had a bit of a gap. Until I pulled off to my right (towards the rather-strong crosswind) after a pull and a hear the sound of a crash behind me. Dufus had decided to overlap his front wheel and my back on the UPWIND side. He then, after the race, came over and berated me for ruining his ironman in 2 weeks (he broke his collarbone in the wreck). Obviously I felt bad, but he really had no business being where he was.

So, don't be that guy who can't race because he's in a bike race above his skill level.

I think it's a great idea. It'll make you a better cyclist, and will give you some threshold work that will probably be useful. Plus, those are great races, I'm hoping to make it up for a few (I'm in Bellingham, WA, so it's pretty quick, especially to Aldergrove). Just be warned, those races are always hard, and it's always pouring on the days I come up. Last year I did four of the Sunday races. On the first three it had been sunny and warm on the Saturday, and then we got atrocious weather on Sunday when I was racing. Seems to always happen. Last race of the year was beautiful and sunny, and I got dropped on the first lap. Sheesh.

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