just signed up for my first TT in Cambridge, MD on the 18th … very flat and i would hope to come in at maybe just over an hour (1:05 +/-), depending on wind conditions.
Questions:
drink - seat tube bottle? aero bottle? nothing? small bottle in jersey pocket?
are aero bottles tri-geek only?
warm-up - trainer?
pacing - i was thinking take it out med-hard, and just try to hold that pace, not working hard enough to rule out a final push for the finish.
… it’s 30 sec. intervals, so not certain how the seeding will work, but i don’t want to take it out too easy/conservative and face an endless stream of faster riders blowing my doors off!
My performance starts to fade after 45 minutes from dehydration - the problem is that I can’t drink even though I want to because I’m going too hard, and I’n not sure anything gets absorbed anyway, so I don’t carry any liquid anymore.
I red-line it the whole way, no real strategy there. I believe it was Kent Bostick who said his strategy was to push the pace really high (for him, about 30 MPH) ease back a little until it dropped to 28 or so, then drive it back up again. You have to be VERY VERY fit to pull off a strategy like that, but that’s just one thing that seperates the world class from the rest of us.
that’s my issue … it’s flat, so i’ll be cranking the whole time, no opportunity to drink on the climbs as i would during a normal ride. i was thinking maybe a fuel-belt size bottle in the jersey pocket, therefore no reaching down, just behind which for me is more comfy … but then i’m not certain what use that volume of liquid would be … or if i would absorb it regardless …?
If I were to carry water, I’d do the flask in the pocket, and take it all in at about the 10 minute mark - hopefully you can still absorb some early in the race. That being said, I don’t see many elites taking anything at the 40K’s I’ve been too. I think for the most part you prehydrate and live with it.
taking in a small gulp is not going to help you physically. reaching into a pocket, or reaching anywhere, is going to hurt your time. stay tucked in and on the aerobars. taking a small gulp will wet your mouth and help your head (mind), but that’s it. if you’re serious, leave the bottle at home.
Do several 20 min speed intervals between now and then and figure how fast of speed you can hold. You are in the hood of 23-24mph if you are going under 1:05
2, Get a good warmup with some tempo work. Trainer or road is ok
Get a good hole shot about 10 -15 good stomps then sit down in aero. You can’t win a 40k in the first 1 min of the race, but you can sure lose it.
DO NOT go so fast to blow up in first 2 min. Easy to do as you are hopped up at the start.
Planned to be passed and pass people. When passing ride up behind the rider in fronts wheel, take a couple of easy strokes and breath then pass. (Sort of a grey area) but not really drafting. (Flames Please) When being passed try and tempo the rider that just passed unless they went by like you were going backwards.
Know the course, like hills holes, winds ect
7.Practice a few turn arounds. Again, kick up to speed but not over the top on the turn around.
Keeping water down is hard in aero going fast. Since it is your first one, I would take a bottle with me.
Try and stay aero all the way.
If you have to puke after the race, do it behind someones car. If you don’t have to puke you didn’t go hard enough. If done properly a 40k TT is one of the hardest races out there.
Try, and I say try because it is hard to do but stay focused. Sometimes I catch myself feeling sorry or not paying attention. Usually someone blasts by during those moments.
yeah, about what i thought … i just didn’t want to be caught w/o something available if it would help … or honestly, if everyone else was doing it … i’m soooo a slave to peer pressure.
Do several 20 min speed intervals between now and then and figure how fast of speed you can hold. You are in the hood of 23-24mph if you are going under 1:05
2, Get a good warmup with some tempo work. Trainer or road is ok
Get a good hole shot about 10 -15 good stomps then sit down in aero. You can’t win a 40k in the first 1 min of the race, but you can sure lose it.
DO NOT go so fast to blow up in first 2 min. Easy to do as you are hopped up at the start.
Planned to be passed and pass people. When passing ride up behind the rider in fronts wheel, take a couple of easy strokes and breath then pass. (Sort of a grey area) but not really drafting. (Flames Please) When being passed try and tempo the rider that just passed unless they went by like you were going backwards.
Know the course, like hills holes, winds ect
7.Practice a few turn arounds. Again, kick up to speed but not over the top on the turn around.
Keeping water down is hard in aero going fast. Since it is your first one, I would take a bottle with me.
Try and stay aero all the way.
If you have to puke after the race, do it behind someones car. If you don’t have to puke you didn’t go hard enough. If done properly a 40k TT is one of the hardest races out there.
Try, and I say try because it is hard to do but stay focused. Sometimes I catch myself feeling sorry or not paying attention. Usually someone blasts by during those moments.
Damn fine post - should cut this one out and put it on the fridge.
So you are going to go as hard as you can for 40K and you don’t need any fluids?
BS. Take a bottle and drink. Humans are not camels. You cannot train yourself to not need fluids. If this was 30 minutes or less, I wouldn’t take one but an hour? You need some fluids. You may not drink the whole bottle but you’ll ride better with some hydration, especially if the temps are up. Never judge who does and does not take a bottle based on photos as most are taken near the end of the TT. If I was close to the end, I’d toss my favorite bottle rather then fuss with getting it into the cage.
except for the columbia tri, where i did i full-on firehose immitation during the bike, i’ve never gotten to a place where i had to puke on the bike … mostly just want to cry from the burning in the legs … i guess if i ignore the pain that’s where it gets fun … ?
i did a practice trial on similar terrain yesterday (mostly flat / false-flat), and found i could hold 26/27 on the “downslope” of the false flats and 21/22 on the upslope … so i’m hoping for something in the 23’s … i feel sooo much faster than this time last year.
any specific mechanics on the turn-around? swing wide, hold speed, etc? i’m afraid that this is where i will lose time i don’t need to lose.
but can you get the fluid from your gut to where you need it in time for it to matter? it’s not like i won’t dehydrate, but w/o a run to worry about i can rehydrate in the car on the way home …
If you can find a copy of the Eddy Borescywicz (sp?) book “Bicycle Road Racing”, it has a superb chapter on everything to with time trials in it. Highly recommended:
I would recommend taking a half bottle of diluted sports drink with you on the down tube. Some hydration and some carbs/sugars should help performance after 30 mins and up to 60 mins. You don’t need more than a few ounces. I tend to rehydrate a little after the turnaround - get up to speed first, but this is a moment between going up to full chat and actually digging in for the remaining 20k. This whets your whistle and if you are concerned about hydration you will start to worry and focus on that instead of the task at hand. I think focus is the key to success in this event.
As for warm up, I would try to get in at least 30 mins easy spinning on a trainer or a quiet spot on the road. Use the time to focus your mind. After about 20 mins do a couple or three 3-4 minute spin-ups (with 3-5 mins rest) to get the heart up to threshold, just to remind it whats about to happen. That takes the shock out of the first two mins of the TT for me.
In the race, dig deep from the get go, never lose focus on technique, never let up. If you snot or puke on yourself, thats even better - its only 60 mins of fun (or less!). Get your money’s worth - its an awesome rush. If I am having a good day, my HR stays about 90-95% for the duration (perhaps a little below that for the first 10-15k).
And by all means, make sure you have on your “donut face” the last 15 minutes or so. You know, the one with your mouth WIDE open, surrounded by white stuff the resembles powdered sugar but is really some nasty foam coming up from your lungs and down from your nose, and your eyes squinted shut. Even better if there is a little piece of puked up donut on your chin from a mid-race vomit.
If you don’t bring the face, don’t bother to race!
'course my new girlie was thinkin about coming to observe the festivities … perhaps she should stay home - don’t want her coming up with that mental picture everytime the clothes start to come off
Make your warmup longer and slower to begin with than you feel like doing. It’s easy to hammer a few intervals during your “warmup” and shell yourself for the actual race.
At the start pick a gear you can get up to speed, quickly,stand and spin that gear out,sit ,shift to a higher gear,get up to a good speed and settle down and get aero, i never drink but last year i used a bottle to cool off,when real hot i have just dumped a bottle over myself at the turn around. If you need to drink you can use a Camelbak,just put it under your skinsuit or jersey(yes it looks weird),And practice your turn around,a lot, Stay near the right side of the road,just as you get close to the cone in the middle of the road start your turn just as you get half way turned stand and start getting back up to speed,(i really grab the brakes and try to stay at speed as long as possible)
