So this year I’ve decided to try some different things. Tris being one…and since I have the bike, thought I would do some ITT’s as well. I did an 18k a few weeks ago and my 1st 40k this past weekend. Course was completely flat. All I can say is OUCH!!, that was tough!! I had a fantacy though (although I knew it would be unrealistic) that I could pull out a sub hour in my 1st attempt. The day prior to the race, I did adjust my thinking to a more realistic goal of under 1:10…but still fantasied about pulling out a sub hour in my 1st try. The race itself I thought I pretty much put everything into it I could. The course had about 1/2 into a direct headwind. I really tried to push thru these sections as I knew the last 8k or so would be a tail wind to the finish, but by the time I reached the tail wind, my legs were pretty cooked and I didn’t have all that much left to utalize the tail wind section to it’s fullest
In the end my finishing time was 1:01:42 (Cat 4). I noticed after the race (and yesterday), the muscles that were sore on me were where the muscles in the back of your legs where they join up with the ass muscle (Gluteus Maximus & Adductor Magnus /Semitendinosus Muscles area). This isn’t an area with any contact with the saddle so it not the saddle. Any ideas if this could be a fit issue, or just new muscles coming into play that are just sore from race use?
Any ideas how to shave 1:40 off a 40k tiime trial? I guess it’s time to put in some long threshold effords now and again.
I know how you feel. I had been doing tris for about 2 years when I decided to try a ITT. I went out for a pair of ITTs 2 weeks apart in the fall of 2007. Well, it hurt. The one thing that I was interested to see was the seriousness of the warm-ups. The whole parking lot (and the beds of lots of the pick-ups) were filled with folks on trainers getting ready. It was the TX state TT championships, so the field was solid. I suspect there’s much more art to pacing a 40k TT than I know: all I did was ramp up to the heart rate I thought I could sustain for an hour and then eventually dialed back the gears when my legs couldn’t push the RPMs over 85 or so. Anyway, I warmed up much more before the second race (which was the exact same course), used the same plan, and finished a minute faster the second time. Maybe it was cooler or who knows, but maybe more warm-up would help?
My advice is to just keep doing them. Like any race, it takes a little practice to knock it out of the park. Assuming this is the first time you’re ever gone all-out for an hour, it’s not surprising you’re a bit sore. Congrats on your first 40. Caution: they can be addicting (and also a tremendous tool for getting faster on the bike).
You will get much faster just by knowing how much you can suffer. A power meter is very helpful for a time trialist (for both long interval training and the race itself). As a triathlete (I assume), you probably have your “aero bases” covered, but don’t ignore the free speed. My last 40K was 55 flat (where is that 1 sec!) but first was just about 1 hour (masters over 40). There are many on this board way faster still and I’m sure do 5-20 min intervals like clockwork. Your area of soreness is normal and means you were using your glutes for power (a good thing).
and also a tremendous tool for getting faster on the bike
HUGE!
Surprised that more triathletes do not utilize local ITT’s of any length to both measure fitness( the clock does not lie - after all it’s call “The race of truth”) and build fitness( you can’t beat going all-out for 20 - 60 minutes on a bike, perhaps no better bang for the buck on the training front)
Any ideas how to shave 1:40 off a 40k tiime trial?
Practice and better pacing. A typical mistake is go too hard in the first 5-10 minutes. A HRM responds so slowly that it is pretty useless for determining this. If you don’t have a PM then basically do the first 10 minutes at a pace that feels relaxed, then you can use a HRM or perceptions to pace the rest of the way. It takes practice to know what the correct sensations are when you are at the limit for that distance. With even pacing you should feel pretty fresh at the halfway point, and then the pain and other negative sensations build from there… and then the last few miles from the finish, pull out all the stops.
BTW, going harder into the headwinds doesn’t help. It does help to go a little harder on hills though.
BTW, going harder into the headwinds doesn’t help.
On an out-and-back, is this true? I get that it’s incrementally harder to go faster against a headwind, but doesn’t going faster into a headwind on an out-and-back course reduce the amount of time the headwind is acting on you, making the ride “easier” wind-wise? I don’t know the answer, just asking.
Any ideas how to shave 1:40 off a 40k tiime trial? I guess it’s time to put in some long threshold effords now and again.
What wheels/tires/tubes/pressures did you use, and how much do you weigh?
Don’t think I’m going to be able to “Buy” 1:40. I’m riding a Felt DA (2009), Planet X 82/101 wheels with Veloflex Carbon tubulars. Rudy Project Wingspan helmet. I think my position is pretty good as well, but not going to post that again here - learned my lession the 1st time as my basement was - different
I think most people hit it right on the money - I just need to practice a bit more…and do more ITT to get the experience. I’m not super fast on the bike - never was nor never will be as I finished in the Cat 4 race pretty much dead middle. Just looking for personal acheviements now.
I noticed after the race (and yesterday), the muscles that were sore on me were where the muscles in the back of your legs where they join up with the ass muscle (Gluteus Maximus & Adductor Magnus /Semitendinosus Muscles area). This isn’t an area with any contact with the saddle so it not the saddle. Any ideas if this could be a fit issue, or just new muscles coming into play that are just sore from race use?
The same thing happened to me after my first TT… soreness/tightness in my upper hamstrings. It turns out that my seat was a little too high. I lowered my seat by about 5mm and the tightness went away. I think this happens because when you are going all out in a TT your foot has a tendency to flatten out at the bottom of the pedal stroke so your hamstrings end up getting stretched more.
A group of friends and I raced Church’s Creek 40k TT this weekend too - first TT for most of us (all triathletes). Course was flat - had a chunk of the Eagleman course in it - but as with EM, the headwinds were the real test. Tough going in places, esp where the road condition was far from ideal. Still, it made for a great feeling when getting to the final 15k with the tail wind and the smooth tarmac…
I’d say two other big factors this past weekend were the heat & humidity and the relatively late start times as most of us didn’t start until after 11am. Good opp to work on nutrition and hydration practice
Overall it was a great experience and it sounds as though most of us will be back for more –
Sorry to hijack, but do you plan on shooting Mt. Nebo this weekend?
Not shooting Mt. Nebo this year…actually not really shooting at all since I’m back into racing again. I had some real back issues which forced me off the bike competatively. I was doing a bit of photography anyway so to keep me in the sport a bit I decided to photograph races. Decided to try my hand a Tris this year and noticed my back does not bother me much doing the shorter distance runs and bikes…so something had to give since I have 3 kids all playing sports and I already coach my middle daughters travel soccer team. Lots to do and not enough time to do it all so I decided to back off on the photography for now…race while I still can (I’m 45). I’ll still end up shooting some cross races in the fall where I’ll be there racing anyway.
Any ideas how to shave 1:40 off a 40k tiime trial? I guess it’s time to put in some long threshold effords now and again.
What wheels/tires/tubes/pressures did you use, and how much do you weigh?
Don’t think I’m going to be able to “Buy” 1:40. I’m riding a Felt DA (2009), Planet X 82/101 wheels with Veloflex Carbon tubulars. Rudy Project Wingspan helmet. I think my position is pretty good as well, but not going to post that again here - learned my lession the 1st time as my basement was - different
Huh…by my rough calculations, you might be looking at 30-40s just from changing tires from the Veloflex Carbons to something like the Bontrager RXL Pro tubular or the Specialized S-Works Mondo tubular, depending on how “well glued” the VFs are.
You also might gain some significant seconds by using a full disc in the rear instead of the PX101. Also, depending on how much wind yaw you typically see, you might want to investigate a different front wheel.
It doesn’t take a ton of power to go under 1 hour in a flat TT. I’ve done a 58:30 before on just 225W.
Oh…and I saw your position…it’s OK, but IMHO you should learn to relax your neck and drop your head a bit…
The perfect time trial would be one where you had exactly the same power output right up until you hit the finish line where you collapsed from exhaustion. If you can output 280watts for exactly 1 hour and you think you can do the TT in 1 hour that is what you should aim for regardless of wind or terrain. Obviously its not always possible. Some elevations on the course are too steep to maintain a constant power output with the range of gearing you have on the bike. Some variations in wind may also be too great or simply too gusty to allow a perfectly balanced power output. Couple your maximum constant power output with the most aerodynamic position you can obtain with the best aero kit you own for the course/conditions and there you have your fastest potential for your race. Power meters - I love 'em.
Experience on the Church Creek course really helps. We (abrtcycling.com) have been running this race for years and from talking to racers this year, the pacing strategy from the top guys didn’t change from previous years.
The middle 20km is where you get the rough road surfaces and the headwind. Too many people try to blaze through this and don’t leave enough for the final 10km which is on a brand new surfaced road. In that stretch the top guys were increasing there average speed by 1.5-2mph.
By pacing that middle section and leaving something in the tank for the final 10km, as well as knowing the course in August, should get you close to an hour.
On an out-and-back, is this true? I get that it’s incrementally harder to go faster against a headwind, but doesn’t going faster into a headwind on an out-and-back course reduce the amount of time the headwind is acting on you, making the ride “easier” wind-wise? I don’t know the answer, just asking.
If you believe the NP algorithm applies, then it’s simply a wash. Any gains you get by going harder into the headwind will be lost (or more) on the tailwind parts. Hills are different because of the physics involved… the incremental advantage of increasing power there (a small amount) will more than compensate for reduced power on the downhill and flat.
