for the 2nd race in a row, i have felt like quitting during the first 5 miles of the bike. i don’t understand this and it is not really like me to go through something like this.
for the last 2 races it seems that i start out on the bike slow, and just can’t go, but when i get to mile 5, a whole new set of legs appear and my speed really picks up. yesterday, for example, i was averaging something like 14 or 15, and then held steady at 21+ for the remainder of the race. i don’t understand why this happens.
the same thing happens to me on the weekly time trial that i do…i run crappy up to mile 5, and then BOOM! it’s on.
how can i improve my first 5 miles? it’s starting to feel really defeating and I’m convinced that this is one of my biggest weaknesses…
Kitty - sounds like you need a better warm up to get the blood in the quads boiling. Ever see the pros on the stationary bikes before the races? Ever jog a little before hand?
i’ll tell you it was really discouraging. at one point I sat up and just coasted. I just wanted to turn around–at that point i felt the whole trip was a bust.
how can I keep my legs warmed up if the water just cools them down?
You still want to jog a little before warming up in the water - you are only in the water for a short time for a Sprint race the blood will be there. Certainly better than not doing it. Also, make sure to “spin” more at first (say over 90 cadence) instead of mashing the pedals to get going faster. Funny, I felt the same yesterday as well, but didn’t warm up until about mile 15.
I’ve always been that way. The first half hour of the bike portion during a race I’m pretty flat. After that I notice my speed increasing all by itself. Nothing much seems to change that.
During training, I am ALWAYS better in the third hour than in the first 2. Something just clicks after 2 hours on the road.
I have no suggestions for you, just a bit of company.
in running it would always take at least 30 minutes to feel half decent. 5 miles to really get going. i’ve read that when this is the case for a person, it really is indicative of slowtwitch muscles. guess that’s why we’re on slowtwitch, right? lol.
if i could get my run together i’d do longer races…hopefully next year. then the first 5 wouldn’t be so important. i’m going to keep fighting it though. roof’s warm up suggestion will probably help some. (hopefully :P)
“if i could get my run together i’d do longer races”
that’s how I feel, I just started running with a group once a week. I think it has already helped, I’ve found myself pushing harder to keep up with faster runners, sort of like group biking. wish there was “draft”, though.
Definitely warm-up on the bike for about 15 mins. before the race. Also, you may be swimming over your LT causing lactate build-up in your legs. Try swimming at a little slower pace. Or practice swim to bike bricks.