Here is a SWAG at the numbers for a MOP triathlete: money/time saved in an IM
Race wheels: $1300.00/5 minutes (probably generous for an athlete averaging 18-19 mph).
Bike fit: $200.00/10 minutes (improved power, aerodynamics, comfort. May be possible to save more time than this.
Swim coaching: $300/15 minutes (could be more, could be less depending on how bad you are and how good your coach is)
Tri clinic: $300.00/30 minutes (help with developing a better training program, less chance of overreaching, better race day execution, some help on swim technique etc…)
Lighter bike: $500.00/10 seconds (that is probably a stretch at best. Once you spend 2K or so on a bike, it will cost you 1K or so per pound saved. The weight savings will have almost no impact on your bike speed).
What do you think about the numbers? Any additions to the list?
Excellent post! Sounds like you think coaching is a better investment than equipment. I would add: VO2 Max, lactate threshold, and aerobic threshold testing Running technique lessons (must include video analysis) Pedal stroke lessons Consult with Nutritionist Books on training and technique Videos on training and technique (even better)
Here is a SWAG at the numbers for a MOP triathlete: money/time saved in an IM
Race wheels: $1300.00/5 minutes (probably generous for an athlete averaging 18-19 mph).
Bike fit: $200.00/10 minutes (improved power, aerodynamics, comfort. May be possible to save more time than this.
Swim coaching: $300/15 minutes (could be more, could be less depending on how bad you are and how good your coach is)
Tri clinic: $300.00/30 minutes (help with developing a better training program, less chance of overreaching, better race day execution, some help on swim technique etc…)
Lighter bike: $500.00/10 seconds (that is probably a stretch at best. Once you spend 2K or so on a bike, it will cost you 1K or so per pound saved. The weight savings will have almost no impact on your bike speed).
What do you think about the numbers? Any additions to the list?
Mike P.
I am surprised two powercrankers left PowerCranks off the list.
$800 (and a lot of hard work) should save most MOP’ers 30-45 minutes (18 to 21 mph) on the bike and 30 minutes on the run the first year and another similar improvement the second.
You can buy some speed, but the reality is there are no shortcuts. Do the training (like 700-1000 hours per year), and that will automatically make you fast. You can’t buy 700 hours per year of training. You have to do it. But it will make you fast, if you do it smartly :-).
Free speed is a myth. Just like “no free lunch” there is “no free speed”. You might be able to buy some with greenbacks, but the rest comes from sweat and work :-). Purchased speed is like an arms race. In the end, all purchased speed puts competitors on an even playing field. After that, its the work and execution that differentiate athletes as they cross the finish line.
Equipment should be last on your list, and this is not easy for me to say … being who I am and all.
First on the list (and my list) would be a swim coach to get you on the fast track, and a IM coach to lay out an ATP, nutrition needs, race advice, and workouts. Also a proper fit, and good working bike. Once you are racing to place well, look to components.
Unless you have the $$, then have it all - buy whatever makes you happy.
$600 = 30-60’ - Powertap power meter (bought on ebay). From what I’ve heard, this is the one piece of equipment that can bring measurable results–mainly because you can now precisely measure your training/racing effort. $1200-$3000/yr = ? - Tri-coaching. For people who struggle with constructing their own plan (even if they think they don’t), this can yield considerable results. Even for veteran athletes trying to break through a plateau, this can have a significant effect.
Living and riding/running in the mountains is likely to make you a stronger cyclist/runner…increase your hematocrit…make you think a little clearer…give you fresher air…etc.
I think your numbers might be more applicable to a beginner than a MOP ironman. A MOP Ironman could easily have already adopted everything on your list already.
reading slowtwitch 4 times a day: $50,000 in lost productivity/10 minutes
I think that after the bike and wheels which will make you faster the one massive thing that makes everyone faster is doing a lot of events. After lots of events you get a flow of how things should run and when to push and when not to, kind of zen but it definately works.
Swim training is gonna cost WAAAAY more than $300.
I’ve been paying $600-$1220 per year for about 4 years for very good swim coaching and I’ve only managed to improve about 10 seconds per 100m. That works out to just over 6 minutes for IM races.
I’m not bitchin’, I love my swim squad. It is the trigger that fires the rest of my training. If I skip squad, I tend to skip the other stuff too.
Assuming the engine stays the same, there are plenty of ways to buy speed. Like, race the faster IM courses. There is quite a spread between say Lanzarote and Roth. Do Roth and skip Lanzarote and pick up hours! Like get a great bike vs an average bike. Race wheels do buy time with no additional training. Good wetsuit…or a wetsuit period. Lose weight, you’ll run faster if you are average weight or heavier. etc etc etc.
There’s tons of us lazy bastard to spend cash on! Don’t ya just LOVE it?
devashish paul has it right - buying speed is like an arms race.
I was considering dropping some cash on a disc wheel. I got to thinking though, the (stock) wheels I currently use are great training wheels and due just fine during races. If I PR on the regular wheels, and beat that by x minutes with the disc then (given same course, fitness, conditions, etc) its just buying speed. After all, I’m not in this for the money, whats the difference to anyone else if I finish a half in 5:15 vs. 5:20. And really if I told my tri and nontri friends that, I know it was time simply bought w/ the disc wheels… sheepish look
Now if I was missing podium spots and qualifying for such and such, then yeah I’d try to level the playing field and dump cash into it. FOR ME (near the front of the MOP), buying speed almost cheapens a PR (I stress the “P” part of that statement).
But as this thread kinda showed, buying knowledge via a coach/nutritionist/books packs quite a bit more value. PRing that 5 minute drop because of better technique learned from a coach or nutrition plan from a dietician, would tickle me silly.
Case in point, I finally bought a wetsuit this season for a cold open water swim in April. I’m glad I did because it enabled me to do the race w/o freezing my balls off, but the 3 min I lopped off my previous Half IM swim really didn’t matter - I knew a LOT of it was the wetsuit. This is despite the fact I knew I had logged tons of time in the pool since the last race.
Of course its not nearly as ‘fun’ to drop the cash on the knowledge based stuff, nor does it help support the tech-heavy industry that is triathlon. Ah well I’ll go about my way, and race with indifference as disc wheels rumble past.
I too, am skeptical that wheels can save much time in real world conditions. In 2004 I won my age-group in the first triathlon of the season by one second over someone in a different heat, I was on some fairly basic wheels with Velocity 30mm rims. This year I put on my disk and trispoke since I thought it could be close. The race does not give split times.
This year my overall time was about 1 minute faster, but my swim was about 25 seconds faster than last year, I think I’m running bettter, also. I think the wheels may have gotten me maybe 20 or 30 seconds over a 14 mile bike course. Even that is unclear as many people thought it was windier last year.
It’s amazing to me that this is such a hard thing for people to understand. Just train - I love Gordo’s JFT mantra. If you put in 500 - 800 hours for 2 - 3 years. You WILL make some huge gains. Perhaps it’s the simplicity of it all that really confuses people.
As another poster said, equipment just levels the playing field. Ironically, IM race fields are, overall, going slower now on all this funky and fancy new equipment than they were 15 years ago, on gear back then that looks like it comes from the stone-age of bike technology!
<< Just train - I love Gordo’s JFT mantra. If you put in 500 - 800 hours for 2 - 3 years. You WILL make some huge gains >>
No doubt. But, but what about all those folks who can’t “buy” 500-800 hrs a year to train, but can buy all the best toys?
<< Ironically, IM race fields are, overall, going slower now on all this funky and fancy new equipment than they were 15 years ago, on gear back then that looks like it comes from the stone-age of bike technology! >>
Ah, c’mon Fleck, it’s the same thing in tri as it is in marys. As participation levels go up, you get much greater increase in pack fodder (MOPs and BOPs) than Elites, hence more slower times to drag the averages down. The Elites are, were, and will continute to do these events, since they are Elites, and already knew they were good at this endurance stuff. Plus, with more events, there is less competition at any one given event.
Oh, and they don’t draft offa the TV camera vans anymore either
For the poster who said that their race wheels “only” gave them 20-30 seconds for 14 miles, well, that’s probably about right. I think the conventional wisdom says aero wheels are good for like 90 secs over a 40k TT. Which is approx 0.5 mph - doesn’t sound like much, but it is a decent improvement.
Improving cycling performance: how should we spend our time and money.
Jeukendrup AE, Martin J.
Human Performance Laboratory, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, England. A.E.Jeukendrup@BHAM.AC.UK
Cycling performance is dependent on physiological factors which influence mechanical power production and mechanical and environmental factors that affect power demand. The purpose of this review was to summarize these factors and to rank them in order of importance. We used a model by Martin et al. to express all performance changes as changes in 40 km time trial performance. We modelled the performance of riders with different ability ranging from novice to elite cyclists. Training is a first and most obvious way to improve power production and was predicted to have the potential to improve 40 km time trial performance by 1 to 10% (1 to 7 minutes). The model also predicts that altitude training per se can cause a further improvement of 23 to 34 seconds. Carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks may decrease 40 km time by 32 to 42 seconds. Relatively low doses of caffeine may improve 40 km time trial performance by 55 to 84 seconds. Another way of improving time trial performance is by reducing the power demand of riding at a certain velocity. Riding with hands on the brake hoods would improve aerodynamics and increase performance time by approximately 5 to 7 minutes and riding with hands on the handlebar drops would increase performance time by 2 to 3 minutes compared with a baseline position (elbows on time trail handle bars). Conversely, riding with a carefully optimised position could decrease performance time by 2 to 2.5 minutes. An aerodynamic frame saved the modelled riders 1:17 to 1:44 min:sec. Furthermore, compared with a conventional wheel set, an aerodynamic wheel set may improve time trial performance time by 60 to 82 seconds. From the analysis in this article it becomes clear that novice cyclists can benefit more from the suggested alterations in position, equipment, nutrition and training compared with elite cyclists. Training seems to be the most important factor, but sometimes large improvements can be made by relatively small changes in body position. More expensive options of performance improvement include altitude training and modifications of equipment (light and aerodynamic bicycle and wheels). Depending on the availability of time and financial resources cyclists have to make decisions about how to achieve their performance improvements. The data presented here may provide a guideline to help make such decisions.
