No power on the bike coming out of the water

Triathlon Forum
1

I NEED SOME SERIOUS ADVICE. EVERY TIME I DO A SPRINT DISTANCE TRIATHLON, I COME OUT OF THE WATER WITH A VERY HIGH HR, OF COURSE, BARELY ABLE TO RUN TO T1, THEN HOP ON THE BIKE AND MY HR STILL HIGH, AND THE WORST HAPPENS…NO POWER OR STRENGTH TO PUSH THE PEDALS FOR ALMOST THE ENTIRE BIKE LEG. WEAKER CYCLISTS PASS ME LIKE AM STANDING STILL. ONE DETAIL ABOUT MY SWIM LEG: I DON’T KICK TO SAVE MY LEGS FOR THE BIKE(it doesn’t works, though :slight_smile:

I HAVE A SWIMMING BACKGROUND, AND PRACTICE TWICE A WEEK WITH MOST OF MY TRAINING SESSIONS AT AN ENDURANCE PACE, NOTHING REALLY HARD. I AM A STRONG CYCLIST AND HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH MY POWER OR STRENGHT DURING TRAINING RIDES OR LONGER TRIS( SPECIALLY IM), BUT WHEN IT COMES TO SPRINTS, I DIE ON THE BIKE.

ANY IDEAS OR WORK OUTS TIPS TO IMPROVE THIS… IT IS REALLY FRUSTRATING KNOWING THAT YOU CAN DO WAY BETTER BUT DON’T KNOW HOW.

ADVICE PLEASE!!!

2

I have this problem in every race, sprint to IM.

My best races tend to be the ones with the worst swim split, though I have real difficulty holding back during the swim. I almost think that being in good shape in the water is counterproductive to my finish time.

I wish I had an answer for both of us.

3

Welcome LAT… I significantly helped my bike splits in sprint tris by adding several high intensity rides from 40 to 60 minutes in length in the weeks before the race. Also on the swim, you should be able to kick more… If you are dragging your legs they won’t have much blood flowing in them when you jump on the bike and go like hell…

(oh yeah, you don’t have TO YELL)

4

The best advice I ever received for triathlons: don’t try to win the swim. I always felt like quitting on the bike until I stopped trying to be first out of the water.

5

OK guys…

HOW MANY OF YOU DO SWIM TO BIKE TRANSITIONS IN TRAINING ???

For most the answer is never except for race day. Everyone has a bike to run brick in training, but what about swim to bike brick.

I bike to commute to all my swims and then after I leave the pool, I go hard on the bike for a ~20 min. On race day, I can do this without my legs feeling like shit.

You can’t expect to be a stud on the bike after swimming in racing if you don’t do it in training. It is that simple.

Dev

6

I got over this by practicing comming out of the water and running to my bike. I used to do that every saturday about 5 times each session. I dont practice it anymore though.

Swim 500yds and then run up the beach to your bike, ride 2 miles then repeat.

jaretj

7

The best advice I ever received for triathlons: don’t try to win the swim. I always felt like quitting on the bike until I stopped trying to be first out of the water.

That’s exactly how I felt this past weekend on a sprint distance, wanted to jump out of the bike…couldn’t beleive how weak i felt and how slow I was riding.

I will try to pace myself better on the next one.

8

I will pace myself better on the next one. i come out of the water top
5 or 10 on every sprint distance but that lead vanishes along the race.

9

You can’t expect to be a stud on the bike after swimming in racing if you don’t do it in training.

Excellent advice.

10

You can’t expect to be a stud on the bike after swimming in racing if you don’t do it in training.

Excellent advice.

I do agree 100%.

11

Try this.
After a warm up. Swim 500m at a fast cruise. then finish your workout. Another time, after warm up, swim 500m at race pace. do this a few times. I’d bet your times won’t differ by 15 seconds, but you’ll feel WAY more energetic after the fast cruise.