First HIM is approaching (Musselman) and I’m still not quite sure of what race pace to target and what kind of time to expect. My last OLY (NYC) was 2:15 (current-assisted and shorter run, so let’s use 2:20) and my heart rate was at or just above AT for the bike and run. The Mussleman course profile does not appear to be too far from what NYC was. Training volume has been pretty good this year - maxing out at about 16hrs.
Questions:
Is there a rule of thumb in predicting HIM based on OLY?
About how far below AT do you folks race HIM at?
Thanks!
S
You could double your OD time and add about 20% +/- a bit but there are way too many different variables (training focus, course, heat) to get an accurate prediction from OD to half.
~10-15% below AT, lower for athletes with less time under their belt.
i don’t want to speak for gordo, but i think he might recommend racing at mod/hard on the bike building to hard at the end of the run. i know that’s not specific but if you’ve been training following zones layed out as easy, steady, mod/hard, hard, very hard, it would make a lot of sense.
Thanks, Marty.
I agree on how there are too many variables for an accurate prediction - just looking for a general guestimate. I’ve read that IM time can be roughly projected as HIM X2 plus 1.5 hrs for an AG’er, but there seems to be little on OLY, other than a post that suggests HIM should be very close to OLY X2.
10-15% below AT seems like alot. I’ve heard about targeting 10-15 bpm (not %) below AT or within upper Zone 3 to Zone 4. Are you talking about Zone 3?
Yes, essentially zone 3. Herschel also makes a good point about building effort through the race, I recommend shooting for even splits or build effort as well. Beats below AT or % of, the answer might be different depending on how well developed your aerobic and anaerobic endurance abilities are. A newer short course guy with an underveloped endurance system would have a tougher time staying that close to AT while someone with more experience would find it less problematic. Good luck, best advice is to make sure you get enough calories in.