# TT Training



## Noodley (10 Oct 2009)

What kind of training do people do for TT? Is it all speed work?


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## montage (10 Oct 2009)

Noodley said:


> What kind of training do people do for TT? Is it all speed work?



Prolonged intervals...to ride at a speed, you need to train at that speed...therefore to improve your times, you need to go ride faster than you can currently cope with bla bla bla.

5 mins on (should be hurting alot), 5 mins off x5 times is a good one to improve your 10 miles speed.


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## Noodley (10 Oct 2009)

montage said:


> ....bla bla bla.



Oh I can do that bit 

Anyway, should I not have posted this question in the newly created Training section


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## Young Un (10 Oct 2009)

montage said:


> Prolonged intervals...to ride at a speed, you need to train at that speed...therefore to improve your times, you need to go ride faster than you can currently cope with bla bla bla.
> 
> 5 mins on (should be hurting alot), 5 mins off x5 times is a good one to improve your 10 miles speed.



most people think 5 mins is too long - 4 mins is what you should be doing


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## Noodley (10 Oct 2009)

Young Un said:


> most people think 5 mins is too long - 4 mins is what you should be doing



Could I not just do 30 secs?


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## montage (10 Oct 2009)

Young Un said:


> most people think 5 mins is too long - 4 mins is what you should be doing




that extra minute of hurt can define the man from the mouse. Anyway lets not turn this into a training thread


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## Young Un (10 Oct 2009)

Noodley said:


> Could I not just do 30 secs?



30 secs on 30 secs off, is a good way to start speed training, then up to 1 min on 1 min off, then if your really keen try 2 mins on 1.30 off. this is less of a TT specific workout, but more of a general speed/fitness regime.


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## Noodley (10 Oct 2009)

Any further tips? 

I'm wanting to enter TT next year but I have no idea what kind of training to do. I usually ride longer audax type events and have therefore adopted a steady pace philosophy to my riding.


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## lukesdad (10 Oct 2009)

what distance are you looking at.


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## fossyant (10 Oct 2009)

Tip.... 

Ride first 500m balls out..............then the rest balls out..........

I used to ride watching HR rate, i.e if my HR was up to 180 ish range easily them I was on for a fast time, if I was finding getting the HR up, then I'd be a bit slower..........

Tricky..

Takes practice to know what your body will do......

I fancy getting back into TT'ing next year on my road bike, no hats, no aero bars, no use of my Hed wheels - just my road bike as it is.........???


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## Noodley (10 Oct 2009)

lukesdad said:


> what distance are you looking at.



as short as possible to begin with, then see how it goes. So probably a 10.


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## Ian H (10 Oct 2009)

Just enter one and see what happens. A few high-intensity short rides will help - hills can help with the intensity. If you want to get really serious, then do intervals.


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## fossyant (10 Oct 2009)

10 miles OK...........


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## nmcgann (11 Oct 2009)

Types of TT training? I do 4h endurance rides, 2h tempo rides, 1h sweet-spot turbo sessions, 1h big-gear turbo sessions, 2x20min turbo threshold intervals, 3x15min turbo threshold intervals, 5x6min turbo vo2 intervals, 4x5min turbo vo2 intervals. The progression of pain follows that order pretty much.

What I do depends on where I am in the season. I'm back to the less intense stuff for a while as racing has just finished for me. It's nice to get out and do longer rides for a bit and not have to beast myself with vo2 work


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## Bill Gates (11 Oct 2009)

There are whole books out there on the subject of training for bike racing. By and large the weather dictates what, when and where you do the different elements. Racing gets under way early spring and conditions are at their best mainly in the summer months so this is when you want to be at your fastest. 

The rest of the time is building endurance, skills and strength to provide a base upon which to build. Do too much too soon on training your top end speed will only result in losing that edge you are trying to gain at the moment you most need it. 

This time of the year is a good time to just go out and enjoy riding for the sake of it. Of course this can be a good time to build strength and skills. If you use a computer then you know what sort of speed you can train at over 2-3 + hours. I'm using lower gears so that my cadence is in excess of 100 rpm but maintaining my average speed. 

From my experience in short distance TT's a higher cadence works best so as to get on top of the gear @ 100 rpm. I used to ride 56 x 13/14/15/16 or 116"/108/101/95. 
Racing @ 30 mph = 56x15 @100 rpm and this was my bread and butter gear in a 10 mile TT. IMO you need to train on the road during the winter months @ 100 rpm so as to build the skills and when it comes to training top end, then as well as doing long intervals on the road also do sprint intervals @ 140 rpm on the rollers or these days the turbo.

You will find it difficult to pedal @ +100 rpm if you're not used to it. It will help to just lift your bum of the saddle if you feel that you're spinning more than is comfortable. Look there are people out there who have done studies to show that cadence is not a factor, but when you consider that it takes 2/3 years to build the necessary skills I can't see how they can reach a conclusion from just a few months of study. You will always get the rider who churns away @ 65 rpm @ 30 mph. Great if it works for them over the longer distances but in a 10 or 25 mile TT then I think they are losing time.


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## palinurus (11 Oct 2009)

It does take a few seasons to really get going.

I won't offer any specific training advice other than mix things up a bit, otherwise it can get a bit dull. If there are one or two local club 10s that run during the season (evening 10s generally run from late April to August) then riding these regularly helps, particularly with working out pacing strategies etc. and you can keep an eye on your improvements- which should come regularly for the first few years at least.


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## lukesdad (11 Oct 2009)

A 10 sounds good to me. The problem most people find with a TT is the sustained effort required Hr power speed call it what you like and unless your on the rivet allday every day,leisure cycling is just not intense enough to condition your body lungs and heart for a TT.

I d look at throwing in a couple of 30-45 min running sessions even at a slow pace include a couple of short hills if you can,unless of course you have a climb to ride for the same amount of time with some steep ramps. This will give you some idea of what your in for.

You ll be sub 24 before you know it.


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## ttcycle (11 Oct 2009)

Some useful info on here re TT training - later on in the training it would be worth looking at maybe doing single leg work (rest your other leg on a stool when training on a turbo) to build up strength and muscle. Along with training for high cadence it would be worth ironing out any inefficiency in your pedal -ie push and pull -It's described really well in the triathlon training book specifically on cycling.

Also don't forget to get a weekly long ride in for maintenance reasons

Good luck Noodley!


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## Noodley (11 Oct 2009)

Thanks for all the replies - looks like I have some pain ahead of me!


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## nmcgann (11 Oct 2009)

lukesdad said:


> A 10 sounds good to me. *The problem most people find with a TT is the sustained effort required* Hr power speed call it what you like and unless your on the rivet allday every day,leisure cycling is just not intense enough to condition your body lungs and heart for a TT.
> 
> ....



That's quite right, it's hard to maintain a constant output at your limits unless you have trained for it. Normal club riding or leisure riding are nothing like TTs, they are much peakier in terms of power output and there's lots of opportunity to rest.


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## Will1985 (11 Oct 2009)

I'm taking part in a study on the effects of double v single leg training at the moment. The findings should be known in about 6 weeks. The problem with single leg training at home is that there is nothing counteracting the force on the unclipped pedal - a weight to create some inertial mass makes it far more realistic and beneficial IME. The closest DIY solution would be to use a fixed wheel on the turbo.
I'm currently doing 5 min intervals at 85% FTP which is bearable although 4 minutes would be much nicer 

I haven't really done my TT specific training this year - most of my training rides are at a high cadence and include a few balls out 5 mile stretches. Not riding fast courses hasn't helped with super fast times, but consistent placings in top 3 among 21 minute men suggests that it isn't all bad.
Long average pace (~34km/h) rides in the TT position were useful for my 25s and 50, but after the 50 I think there is a lot to be said for some upper body conditioning.


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## palinurus (12 Oct 2009)

One thing that can be said for individual leg training is it does break up the turbo sessions a bit and adds some interest. Whether it makes me faster I've no idea.


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## Ian H (12 Oct 2009)

I spend too much time enjoying myself on a bike to go really seriously training. Which is why I'll never be a top TTer - that and age. But I like riding the occasional TT, just for a change.


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## palinurus (12 Oct 2009)

I said I wouldn't make any suggestions regarding training. But I will.

I like riding, don't like training too much. I do do a few weeks of interval work before the season- just one or two sessions a week, after that I just TT regularly and do one short (20-30 mile) ride a week at a fair old pace, taking in a hill or two.

One observation: each year my club does a trip to the alps, they ride a few hills. They're only there for a week- and there's the traveling, and catching a stage of the tour, so I doubt they get more than four days on the bike. When they come back those guys are flying, and I doubt they think of it as training either.

Something I do. You go for a long steady ride, sort of ride you'll be doing anyway, then you ride the last bit hard.

One good thing about doing TTs is that you get better at distance stuff into the bargain.


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## bonk man (17 Oct 2009)

For the first time I am going to do some structured training before next season to see if I can actually go quicker than 25.30 for a ten on our local courses [ slightly lumpy.. ] 

I picked up a Les Woodland training book in a junk shop and the advice seems sane but painful, it can be fitted into my lifestyle, which is important... 

I think most people have a limit around 21-23 mph for a ten without training but just club rides, Audaxes and some weekday brisk rides, the usual club rider's stuff, that seems to be what happens.. after that structured training is a good idea if you want to get quicker. 

My strength is spinning, trouble is; apparently you do need to spin a big gear

Ride an event and see how you get on, the second event will most likely be faster.... as you get the hang of it, until you are regularly doing 22.5mph and then need to train


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## lukesdad (23 Oct 2009)

Leg speed and power a mix of both seems to be the criteria now watching Fab. in the worlds.


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## peanut (25 Oct 2009)

Noodley said:


> as short as possible to begin with, then see how it goes. So probably a 10.



our local club (Yeovil CC ) runs several 5 mile tasters at the beginning and end of season. They are an ideal distance to start on I should think.I expect most race cycle clubs run try it TT events

I read somewhere that the best way to start is to build up a base fitness by doing some steady miles. Frequency rather than intensity. Makes sense to have a good base cardio/vascular fitness level and some strength in the legs before training specifically for TT . 

The only way I am going to clock up some miles is to join a local club and do some regular club runs.I am so lazy I know this is the only way I am going to do this but I dread getting left behind on the first uphill bit


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