Pacing myself, advice required.....

[Panter]

As title.

I'm doing some TT's this Year, and although I'm a fairly strong rider now I really struggle to pace myself to avoid burning out too quickly when pushing hard to get a fast time.

Can I use my HRM in some way, if so what sort of % max HR should I be looking at substaining?

Or, does this only come with experience?

TBH I'm not really too bothered, I still have a lot of weight to lose and fitness to gain but, by the same token, I want to do as well as I can

The TT's are 10 miles, except for my first ever novice ride on 15th March (although thats only 6.5miles and I'll just sprint that. he says hopefully )

 

[domtyler]

Mainly practice, experience and discipline. Yes you can use a HRM to begin with which will help you get it right to begin with.

 

[walker]

Do you know a 10 mile route panter?
I've never done a TT before but do they let you know how far you are at half way?
I would personally aim to go for a speed rather than a HR myself. I would aim to do the first 5 miles at around 22-25mph (depending on your fitness) and then aim to do the last 5 miles at around 25-30+mph. Train on doing this and see what your HR is at each half. Work to be in around group 4 on both (what HRM do you have?) but one in the lower half and then in your second half on the return 5miles.

In other words what I'm trying to say is go for your life and you will soon get fitter doing what your aiming to do.

 

[John the Monkey]

Panter, coincidentally t'other place has a time trialling guide here.

And some stuff from the Tour of California here.

The Slipstream/Chipotle riders left the start house aboard Felt's latest DA frames which were designed using computational fluid dynamics software and wind tunnel testing.

Maybe you shouldn't worry about the computational fluid dynamics yet though

 

[palinurus]

I found this useful

http://www.abcc.co.uk/Articles/tenpace1.html

 

[domtyler]

Do you know a 10 mile route panter?
I've never done a TT before but do they let you know how far you are at half way?
I would personally aim to go for a speed rather than a HR myself. I would aim to do the first 5 miles at around 22-25mph (depending on your fitness) and then aim to do the last 5 miles at around 25-30+mph. Train on doing this and see what your HR is at each half. Work to be in around group 4 on both (what HRM do you have?) but one in the lower half and then in your second half on the return 5miles.

In other words what I'm trying to say is go for your life and you will soon get fitter doing what your aiming to do.

This is actually not the best advice for TTs, it is well known that a constant power output over the course will produce the best times. If you go for constant speed then you will be overexerting on the hills and not doing enough on the downhills. There is lots of research on the web, especially on Triathlon sites.

Most TT courses will be out and back btw Walker, so you will know when you get to halfway. I always use a computer on TTs though as it helps during the event to know where you're up to. I have a Garmin Edge and that is really the business for this kind of event as you can not get lost either (which does happen believe me).

 

[fossyant]

You don't need to pace yourself for a ten - it's flat out, just under the point where you go into oxygen debt.....

It's all in the head - concentrate, use a HRM, but don't let it limit your output - you have to know what rate your heart normally does in those conditions.... I was able to tell if I was going to do a good ride, in that my HR would reach a high rate quickly and easily, bad rides would be when I couldn't get to that level and it was hard.

HRM's are better for 50's - that's when you know just to ease off a little.

All practice - do lots of 10's first.

 

[walker]

.

Most TT courses will be out and back btw Walker, so you will know when you get to halfway. I always use a computer on TTs though as it helps during the event to know where you're up to. I have a Garmin Edge and that is really the business for this kind of event as you can not get lost either (which does happen believe me).

Just like my club TT...........



Which I've still to enter

 

[Ludwig]

If your doing a 10 mile TT then a try doing 15 or 20 mile TT's or in your training and wind up the pace in the latter stages. If you can do more speed and hill work it will give you the sharpness and strength.

 

[Panter]

Fantastic, many thanks guys

I'll post back some times when I do them

 

[papercorn2000]

Well, if a 10 takes you (for example) 24 minutes, start your race and take yourself to a level of pain that you think you can sustain for 24 minutes. You can use a HRM, but this technique always worked for me from 10s up to 100s.

 

[yenrod]

Panter: if yor doing a '10' then the best advice is to just go for it..

Though a 25mler TT requires MORE thought.

The way id train for a 25miler is to just do the miles but also do the intervals (intervals are; during a ride you ride hard say -25mph- bursts for a couple of mins NO MORE THAN 3mins then easy - recover then hard again) - to do this though, you've gotta be pretty fit / have the miles in your legs etc...

If you can ride a 25miles route close to the hour in normal road conditions then you'll be quite ok - with some work needed to hone/arrow the fitness.

If your riding at the moment and the hills arent a problem then your in good shape if the flats a 'problem' then you need to do the miles...

Basically its like this;

Miles (a hell of a lot of them..)

Hills (some power work helps a lot on a bike as you'll know)

Intervals (if you do these you'll understand how these ACTUALLY do bring you on in fitness.

 

[andygates]

I use my HRM to pace myself for the bike leg of triathlons.

From training, I know my "race effort" - it's about 160-165 BPM. That's maximum aerobic effort for me. So on the bike I just keep an eye out for my HR and use that to push me if I'm slacking or trim my effort if I'm blowing up on a climb.

For a pure TT you might want to go harder.

 

[palinurus]

All that said I wouldn't worry too much for a first TT. Your pacing will probably improve quicker than your fitness and you'll get a PB every time for the first few attempts (and if you do club TTs you might win their handicap competition- it's always the new riders that fox the handicapper).

I didn't give my first 10 or 25 much thought beyond trying to go as fast as I could (while giving some consideration to the distance).

 

[Panter]

Thanks guys, I'll keep putting the miles in and see how it goes. I've also lost over half a stone in the last month so hopefully that'll help a bit with the upward bits

All that said I wouldn't worry too much for a first TT. Your pacing will probably improve quicker than your fitness and you'll get a PB every time for the first few attempts (and if you do club TTs you might win their handicap competition- it's always the new riders that fox the handicapper).

I didn't give my first 10 or 25 much thought beyond trying to go as fast as I could (while giving some consideration to the distance).

Good point Palinurus, I may be taking it too seriously when I've never even done one before.
I must admit that some sort of competition win would be an awesome aceivement, or even just a mention in the club mag as a decent improved time