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I completed my first sprint on Sunday and ran into exactly what's been happening to me in my training on the bike. I really suck on flats and gradual hills. Feels like I have flat tires. I'm good on steep hills (well, i'm not good, but more average) and I do well on downhills. The sprint bike distance was 18 miles and almost totally flat with a bit of wind coming back. I averaged about 20mph (just under), which was my goal, but I didn't expect to be passed so much.
Yes, there is a question in here, sorry. What would be the best training for flats? Should I try much longer rides or do more hills, lift weights or all 3? I have a feeling I should do all three. Is this an area that just seems to get better the longer you train, or are there specific training routines to do flat rides with gradual hills. Gradual hills kill me. They are the only place I get dropped in my group rides.
Right now, my training is one 30 mile / week and 2 shorter, faster 1 hour rides. Probably not enough, right?
You want to get better at riding flats?/Ride more flats,it uses different muscles,when i was faster and did a lot of time trials before a race i would do nothing but flats,
It is true that my rides always have hills in them. I rarely practice on flats but I figured riding hills would help me be faster on the flats.
Add some kind of strength training, sprints, weights or hills in harder gears(but watch the knees).
I always pump up my tires before I ride, so I don't ride flats.
Ok, bad joke out of the way.
Even if you have sub-optimal positioning on the bike, your times indicate inadequate strength in your cycling muscles (I'm assuming you are riding at a fairly high Heart-Rate and Perceived effort, and that your run split is better compared to your competitors than your bike split). You can improve these cycling muscles several ways...riding more is one obvious way. Ride uphill while maintaining your best flat-surface aerodynamic positioning, don't gear down until your rpms are in the 50's...this is a way to "lift weights" on the bike. Have someone watch you pedal to make sure you are dropping your heel a bit on the downstroke...this gets your bigger gluteal muscles firing more...lots of power available in those things. Do lunges (correctly, of course), or squats (I like lunges better). Run uphill. Ride more, ride with people a little faster than you. Pump up your tires (sorry, had to throw that one in one last time)!
This strength won't happen overnight, but it will happen. If you start to get knee pain, watch out, and don't try to train through it...you can hurt yourself doing too much hard work too soon or with bad form.
Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)
I think thats not enough milage to accomplish your goals try about one and a half times that milage. I've found lifting weights improved my strength and ability to ride up in smaller gears.
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I was, now I will tri again!
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Any time is a good time.
God Bless you my friend.