Aside from my siatic issue flaring up on the bike this weekend around mile 18 and trickling into T2 (I DNF’d, couldn’t walk), I also learned I don’t really know how to use my SRM to pace on a hilly triathlon course. During a road race, I tape my SRM as I don’t want to set the numbers, easy enough. Triathlon…I want to use it for pacing.
MIM was easy…just pretty much lock into or around FTP and pedal. But, to my surprise…all the turns, coasting to avoid drafting, etc, my Average Power was 60 watts LOWER of FTP. So, perhaps the best strategy isn’t just keeping the SRM on AVG mode. This is the first part of my question - simply how to pace.
Prior to my problems this weekend, I did get 18 miles of triathlon racing on a hilly course. Same strategy…keep around FTP. This worked well for the first 1/3 of mile until I reached a steepish hill. 39/23 at 60 rpms was around 600 watts as I remember (which I can do for a lil over a minute). The racer in me was pissed at all the GMC Denalis passing me, but the new-realistic “I have a power meter” side of me said to keep in the zone and this will all play out later on the bike or on the run.
But, hill after hill, I was getting my ass handed to me b/c my little stupid geeky analytical mind was saying to “race smart”. I’m now questioning this whole “racing with a power meter” thing.
Before I give up hope on technology, I wanted to get some opinions on HOW TO RACE (PACE) a HILLY triathlon using a power meter (esp SRM).
If you have trained your L5/6 power substantially then just power over those puppies. If you have stuck to the traditional LSD triathlete program then you better sit tight. Sounds like you have the power to get over these things just dont go too hard. Also… once crested a hill this form of racing mandates that you chill out and soft pedal on the downhill.
I don’t have my file (Goofing off at work right now), so I don’t know VI for the portion of the race (that I actually raced). I can post that later tonight.
So, the question then becomes how much do I power over the hills? This there a magic standard? Sounds like Normalised power would be the “reactive” answer, but even that isn’t going to help me while I’m on the hill pedalling…starring down at the damn power control.
My eyes LOVE to see 450-600 watts when I’m going up a hill. But, the rational side of me still doesn’t understand how this is going to effect the longer term performance (whether it be an Olympic or Ironman).
Interesting about the soft-pedal as this is usually my opportunity to jump on the pedals b/c the damn power meter says 60 watts, but I’m going 35mph down the hill. I mind is telling me not to allow anything less then FTP (olympic) on the power control. I know, I know…I might be a victim of the damn thing. Thus my post!
telling me not to allow anything less then FTP (olympic) on the power control.
FTP = approx 40K TT or 1 hour effort with no run after. So for say an Olympic you might want to dial it down a notch. Depending on how strong you are on the bike (and the run) I’d say an IF of .95’ish.
Ah…I had a rambling response, but I think I get your point. It’s a matter of how much you want to effect the run, which…is yet another question that is difficult to manage.
So…let me change gears a little bit.
As a coach, how do you determine the bike pacing for your athletes?
Everyone has to spike their watts up the hills…everyone is gonna take something out of their legs on a hilly course, there is no way around it.
You should spike your watts on the hills, just go by feel though and try not to cross into the danger zone too much(really high watts). Hammer the downhills until it feels a little out of control then just coast.
FTP = approx 40K TT or 1 hour effort with no run after. So for say an Olympic you might want to dial it down a notch. Depending on how strong you are on the bike (and the run) I’d say an IF of .95’ish.
I understand that part…but the reality of “racing” is that your ACTUAL power is ultimately be lower (In my case at MIM, 60 watts) due to conditions on the course (downhills, corners, etc).
My experience in the last month racing some sprints has been to keep an eye on the watts for the first 5 minutes out of T1 due to the “excitement” factor allowing me to ride way to high at way too low an RPE and once I am thru this section I will then ride by feel. Breathing is a steady in and out but not ragged and when I hit hills/rollers it seems intuitive (if you are racing USCF then I believe you get this) to know_ the power that I can surge to to get over the roller but without blowing the wad for the run. Again. You HAVE to train like this to be able to ride like this.
Initially, the PM was very helpful in showing me that I wasn’t riding fast enough. Now that I have some time under my belt, it appears it’s telling me to slow down.
It depends on the length of the race how I ride hills:
Short races (did a hilly one on saturday)
Ignore powermeter and heartrate monitor. Go by feel.
Attack the hills just so much that you aren´t completely shot at the top and are able to accelerate on the downhill. Ease up when at spped and on the flat, just enough to recover for the next hill. Repeat.
In an Ironman (like Wisconsin last year) I ride hills like this:
Ignore powermeter and heartrate monitor. Go by feel.
Ride fast into the climb, shift early. Ease up a little and start going harder just before the top of the hill. Go hard downhill. Use the momentum to go fast without excessive power on the flat to the next hill.
Dont´t go in hard and try to keep it up until you can´t anymore… this will tire you out early.
Have I mentioned that I don´t believe in technological help on hilly courses?
I also have concerns that my strategy in an 18 mile tri bike segment this weekend was hampered by my use of a pm. I swapped postion several times with another racer - he’d pass me up hills and I’d pass him down. Finally when I’d had enough I decided to put the hammer down a bit on a flatter segment and when I looked behind me 2-3 miles later, he was a mere blip behind me. I’d have probably been better off riding the hills more aggressively. Also, guys that I beat by 4-5 minutes on a flat 25 mile course 2 weeks ago were within a minute this weekend.
Will go with duct tape over the pm in the future on short hilly courses.
It depends on the distance, the athlete’s fitness level, how good of a cyclist and runner he/she is but mainly by using all the power files from training. Usually the data collected from those will draw a picture of what the athlete can or can’t do before it affects the run.
Good wattage goals for any course use a number of different pieces of information, some of which are specific to the course and some of which are specific to the athlete. The course specific items include the length of the race, the number of hills, their steepness, and the difficulty and length of the run course. Athlete specific information includes their FTP, their weight, the amount of hill riding they do and the data we gather from those rides, their goals, run fitness, etc. I don’t use any specific formulas for my clients when developing wattage goals for races, I develop them with each athlete specific to the course on which they are racing.
Take home message from the answers to your interesting question so far:
The words “by feel”, “watch breathing” and “by relative perceived excertion, RPE” come up quite often among people who obviously race with power.
Sounds like one could do pretty good without one on a hilly course, as long as one stayed focussed and does not coast the downhills and “dog” the flat sections.
I can not help but I have to make the blasphemous suggestion to ditch (tape up) the powermeter on hilly courses…
It appears that is the magical answer. I wish AC had written that in his book. There is an example of a female at IMLP, but don’t have the book in front of me to remember the summary.
Perhaps I should start listening more closely to Faris, although I don’t think I’ll be sporting a speedo at a race. I do like 'bros though.
