If you're using caffeine, be sure to pee about 10 minutes before start time. Caffeine is a diuretic and if you give it 60 minutes to kick in plus the race time, bladder discomfort can impede performance.
When I TT, I try to hold right at FTP until the last 3 miles, then I try to nudge it up a little. Last mile is lungs falling out, gasping for air, face contorted into an unrecognizable grimace.
GreatScott wrote:
I stole this warmup routine from the Internets and found it works for me. Gaimon may be the original source.
Warmup
-Have a coffee or something with caffeine 60 min before the start time.
-40-45 min before your start, ideally on a trainer, start riding easy, just turning the legs.
-When you’re loose, pedal harder until your heart rate is 120.
-The second you see 120 on the heart rate monitor, shut it off and turn the legs again real easy.
-When you’re fresh again (won’t take more than a couple minutes that early in the routine), pedal harder until your HR touches 130, then again totally shut it down and pedal easy.
-Keep upping the effort every time you’re fresh, by 10-beat increments.
-When you get within 15 beats of the HR you time trial at (or if it’s taking a little longer than you want to respond), start going by 5 min increments.
-Once you’ve touched or passed your TT heart rate, shut it down again, spin the legs until they’re fresh, and head to the start*
*wear a jacket and drop it in the lineup. The start team will return it to the sign in rack.