Plunge taken... so TT advice required

[lejogger]

Ok, some of you might remember my previous procrastination about whether to remain a Strava obsessed joy-rider or actually bite the bullet and put myself up for some proper TTs.

Our club are holding a couple of open 5mile TTs tonight and next Tue, so I've dusted off the carbon, fitted a new chain, stuck on some GP4000s and put my money where my mouth is.

Obviously for a first go I'm just looking to set a benchmark to improve upon, but I'd be very grateful of some advice in terms of preparation and the event itself, bearing in mind that it's a very short route.

Cheers folks

 

[Rob3rt]

No real advice but Good Luck

 

[lejogger]

No real advice but Good Luck

Cheers
My current plan is to melt down a Cadburys Boost Duo and inject it straight into my bloodstream (possibly via the eyeball), perform a few roadside lunges and a perhaps a squat thrust or five for a quick warm up, and then PLF!!

 

[Nosaj]

Warm up well, Get your HR well up in the warm up by short little sprints, you should go off at one minute intervals (double check when you sign on) and you should time so your warm up ends a couple of minutes before you strat. Do go off too hard from the start or you will go pop, try to get to the end line feeling like you have nothing left to give, a recce of the route helps.

Do not worry about the first time you get, you will obliterate it if you do em regulalrly.

Turn up early enough to allow you to sign on, pin your number on, warm up and get to the start (around an hour ish)

And most importantly enjoy it (well enjoy it when it is all over)

Good luck

 

[Ian H]

For club events where you just turn up and sign on, try to find a suitable 'rabbit' to chase. In other words try to sign on after someone who might be just a little slower than you. Then your aim is to catch them as quickly as possible without blowing up.

 

[Nosaj]

Yes very good advice above, try and not go off no. 1 you will put so much more in chasing someone down

The best position to end up in is to have someone almost around your time but a tiny bit quicker (literally a second or two) off as your minute man as you will do all you can to reel em in and this can lead to a good time), someone 2 mins slower than you in front of them and 3 minutes slower than you in front of them and so on then you can scalp all the way round there is no better motivation for tired legs when you see someone with a number on their back ever so slowly getting closer to you.

 

[lejogger]

Cheers guys.. just prepped the bike and taking on a little fruit. No idea what the standard of rider turning up will be like so it will be down to luck what the guy in front of me is like.
Got a few nerves but that's no bad thing!

 

[palinurus]

Cheers
My current plan is to melt down a Cadburys Boost Duo and inject it straight into my bloodstream (possibly via the eyeball), perform a few roadside lunges and a perhaps a squat thrust or five for a quick warm up, and then PLF!!

You've got the right idea. You'll do fine.

 

[lejogger]

Well just got home... posted an 11:43 for the 5 miles, and picked up first prize!!!

Shocked and over the moon! Cheers for the advice guys, it obviously worked wonders!

 

[palinurus]

Holy farking shoot!

Nice one.

I mean really nice one.

I knew I couldn't teach you anything.

 

[palinurus]

You've got one eyeball left, how about a 10 before you're reduced to stoking tandem?

 

[lejogger]

You've got one eyeball left, how about a 10 before you're reduced to stoking tandem?

There's an open 10 on Thursday but to be honest I'm contemplating retirement... I fancy quitting the sport at the top of my game!

 

[lejogger]

Warm up well, Get your HR well up in the warm up by short little sprints, you should go off at one minute intervals (double check when you sign on) and you should time so your warm up ends a couple of minutes before you strat. Do go off too hard from the start or you will go pop, try to get to the end line feeling like you have nothing left to give, a recce of the route helps.

Went off at one minute intervals and had a feeling I'd catch the rider in front so focused on reeling them in, which I did in the first 4 minutes or so. I definitely went off a bit fast but realised early enough and managed to get into a steady tempo. Definitely gave it everything... I was dribbling all over myself on the home straight and panting for what felt like half an hour at the finish line. The route was only two miles from my house and it definitely helped that I knew the roads.

Do not worry about the first time you get, you will obliterate it if you do em regulalrly.

Well I'm not sure how I can improve on that one!

And most importantly enjoy it (well enjoy it when it is all over)

Mixed feelings. Part of me never wants to be in that pain again, but it was a really great feeling to have people telling me I was still top of the pile when more and more riders came in.

The biggest problem now is that despite all the guys in skinsuits, TT bikes costing £000s and teardrop aero helmets, I beat them all on a Boardman Team carbon with a cracked saddle, standard non aero ritchey wheels that don't even have bladed spokes, and a £30 set of profile aero bars that look like the ones Lemond used to beat Fignon back in the 80s! How can I stop myself spending money to get even better times!!

 

[atbman]

Ah, so there's the answer - a cracked saddle.

If I was riding on one, I'd go as fast as possible to cut the pain short.

As for the equipment question, simples. Don't change anything, but keep on training until your times only improve by a second or two. Then get new equipment. Your times will improve immediately. Then keep on training until your times only improve by a second or two. Your times will improve immediately. Then get even more expensive new equipment. Then keep on training until your times only improve by a second or two. Your times will improve immediately.

Repeat until become international (they will give you even more expensive bike(s)) or until credit card transaction is refused. then concentrate solely on training.

 

[lejogger]

Ah, so there's the answer - a cracked saddle.

If I was riding on one, I'd go as fast as possible to cut the pain short.

As for the equipment question, simples. Don't change anything, but keep on training until your times only improve by a second or two. Then get new equipment. Your times will improve immediately. Then keep on training until your times only improve by a second or two. Your times will improve immediately. Then get even more expensive new equipment. Then keep on training until your times only improve by a second or two. Your times will improve immediately.

Repeat until become international (they will give you even more expensive bike(s)) or until credit card transaction is refused. then concentrate solely on training.

Excellent advice. I guess it goes to show that the kit doesn't make a huge difference, it's got to be a high percentage down to the legs, so I'll hold off on the kit for a while...

...except for a saddle. It appears that's quite urgent now!