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noahman
Jun 9, 12 8:43
Post #1 of 17
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Olympic bike strategy
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Racing for the first time this season tomorrow, an Olympic. I'm mainly focusing on IM build this summer, but would like to have a good race effort, so have a question about bike strategy. I know Allen & Coggan recommend riding at 95-100% of FTP for Oly distance, but I was wondering how important the VI is in shorter races. In other words, I'm tempted to jump up & hammer hills that I'd normally downshift & spin for an IM-type ride. I figure with a ~1 hr ride this shouldn't be so costly, but of course I do want to have plenty of gas for the 10K.
Obviously all of this is less crucial than in IM, but does the strategy of keeping the VI low & evening out the course still make the most sense? Or should I hammer & recover on downhills?
Record10Carbon
Jun 9, 12 8:45
Post #2 of 17
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Re: Olympic bike strategy [noahman]
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Um, I would go as hard as you can for as long as you can and hope for the best - this is not at all rocket science.
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BCtriguy1
Jun 9, 12 9:25
Post #3 of 17
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Re: Olympic bike strategy [noahman]
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I guess it depends on how much you care about this race. I know everyone wants to do their best all of the time, but sometimes to find out what you can do you need to push yourself further then you think is comfortable. I'm not saying you should fly out of T1 like a bat out of hell, but give it a go a little harder on the hills, and see what happens. You might have a sub-optimal run, but you might surprise yourself with how much you have left for the 10k. Give it a go and see what works!
h2ofun
Jun 9, 12 9:33
Post #4 of 17
(956 views)
Re: Olympic bike strategy [noahman]
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noahman wrote:
Racing for the first time this season tomorrow, an Olympic. I'm mainly focusing on IM build this summer, but would like to have a good race effort, so have a question about bike strategy. I know Allen & Coggan recommend riding at 95-100% of FTP for Oly distance, but I was wondering how important the VI is in shorter races. In other words, I'm tempted to jump up & hammer hills that I'd normally downshift & spin for an IM-type ride. I figure with a ~1 hr ride this shouldn't be so costly, but of course I do want to have plenty of gas for the 10K.
Obviously all of this is less crucial than in IM, but does the strategy of keeping the VI low & evening out the course still make the most sense? Or should I hammer & recover on downhills?
I just go as hard as I can, controlled, knowing I have to do this for 2.5 hours in the swim bike and then run. After racing for a while, you will find out when too hard is too much. I had no computers, etc that tell me anything, just perceived effort.
.
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"Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience." – Mark Twain
"If you argue with an idiot, there are two idiots” – Robert Kiyosaki
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(This post was
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GMAN19030
Jun 9, 12 9:46
Post #5 of 17
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Re: Olympic bike strategy [noahman]
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I go between 90-92% for an Oly. I wouldn't be able to run for shit if I went close to 100%.
jackmott
Jun 9, 12 9:53
Post #6 of 17
(930 views)
Re: Olympic bike strategy [noahman]
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*slightly* increase the power on the uphills, and *slightly* decrease it on the downhills.
A 40k olympic you will be hovering just under threshold power, don't soar over it on the ups, or you will pay later. the run is where the big time is to be had, never forget!
Boardman Bikes now in the USA
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noahman
Jun 9, 12 10:43
Post #7 of 17
(882 views)
Re: Olympic bike strategy [jackmott]
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Thanks all (including, but not just Jack). I'll give'er a go. I'll allow more variability than an IM, but nothing too crazy. It'll be hard enough to keep up 95% or so for an hour...
dwesley
Jun 9, 12 10:44
Post #8 of 17
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Re: Olympic bike strategy [jackmott]
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jackmott wrote:
*slightly* increase the power on the uphills, and *slightly* decrease it on the downhills.
A 40k olympic you will be hovering just under threshold power, don't soar over it on the ups, or you will pay later. the run is where the big time is to be had, never forget!
Not sure of your experience level (this may seem obvious), but make sure you keep that *slight* increase going until you're back up to speed on the downhill. You might be surprised how many times people start their recovery at the top of the hill, right when they're going the slowest.
h2ofun
Jun 9, 12 11:54
Post #9 of 17
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Re: Olympic bike strategy [dwesley]
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dwesley wrote:
jackmott wrote:
*slightly* increase the power on the uphills, and *slightly* decrease it on the downhills.
A 40k olympic you will be hovering just under threshold power, don't soar over it on the ups, or you will pay later. the run is where the big time is to be had, never forget!
Not sure of your experience level (this may seem obvious), but make sure you keep that *slight* increase going until you're back up to speed on the downhill. You might be surprised how many times people start their recovery at the top of the hill, right when they're going the slowest.
I have read to go up the uphills with a steady effort, but then start to increase power right before the top and kill it going over and down the hill. Most just coast after too hard an effort going up and lose
all the free speed by resting too much going downhill.
.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidedwardcampbell
"Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience." – Mark Twain
"If you argue with an idiot, there are two idiots” – Robert Kiyosaki
VHS to DVD
http://h2ofun.net/...eoConvert/index.html
Bad Fish
Jun 9, 12 12:22
Post #10 of 17
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Re: Olympic bike strategy [R10C]
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Hoping for the best is not a strategy.
TheBeek
Jun 9, 12 12:41
Post #11 of 17
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Re: Olympic bike strategy [Nacly]
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plagiarist
jackmott
Jun 9, 12 13:03
Post #12 of 17
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Re: Olympic bike strategy [h2ofun]
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yep, don't give up uintil gravity takes over!
Boardman Bikes now in the USA
The newest tri shop in Austin - ATC 360
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter
marcag
Jun 9, 12 14:28
Post #13 of 17
(697 views)
Re: Olympic bike strategy [noahman]
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noahman wrote:
I know Allen & Coggan recommend riding at 95-100% of FTP for Oly distance
How can anyone possibly ride at 100% of FTP.
FTP is you are fresh you go all out, you faint you went so hard and you get a number.
How are you supposed to repeat that after swimming a hard 1500m and having to run a hard 10km ?
Today I rode an OLY.
Normalized power was 90% of FTP and I had a decent run. But avg power was only 83% since there was a lot of 0 with the downhills (IMMT course). VI was 1.09.
I would say the bike effort was just right, I would do the same as today but push the run a tad more. I had some gas left in the tank, I managed to chase down and pass a guy in my age group and squeeze him out of a podium spot.
I now have to figure how to translate that effort to a flat course. I am guessing have my avg power = normalized power = 90% of FTP. Does this make sense ?
(This post was
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styrrell
Jun 9, 12 14:32
Post #14 of 17
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Re: Olympic bike strategy [R10C]
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Um, I would go as hard as you can for as long as you can and hope for the best
That works out pretty well if you are doing an event that takes about 8 seconds.
Styrrell
tskeltonpga
Jun 9, 12 18:52
Post #15 of 17
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Re: Olympic bike strategy [R10C]
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R10C wrote:
Um, I would go as hard as you can for as long as you can and hope for the best - this is not at all rocket science.
sounds like a good strategy for sex. not an oly distance race.
tskeltonpga
Jun 9, 12 18:53
Post #16 of 17
(573 views)
Re: Olympic bike strategy [tskeltonpga]
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What race are you doing?
martinfjuul
Jun 9, 12 18:59
Post #17 of 17
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Re: Olympic bike strategy [styrrell]
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If you treat this like a 40k TT you will pay for it on the run and the little bit you gain on the bike is lost many times over on the run.
I usually go at about 85% of my maximum effort on the bike in an olympic.
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