Race Training Tips

[I am Spartacus]

All the TdF has had its effect. signing on for 3 circuit races at end of month into Aug..... 1 hour + 5 laps format...
anyone got any nice tips/ideas for honing the training specifically?

 

[monnet]

Intervals, intervals, intervals.

They hurt like hell, but then so do crits.

Make sure you're comfortable riding at speed in a group (chaingangs and the like).

Crits aren't everyone's cup of tea but they can be great (if painful) fun.

Good luck!

 

[I am Spartacus]

Cheers.. chain gang not an option readily organised at the mo.. so it is intervals on me tod.. I was thinking ... on a 11 mile loop or so... that has relatively few turns and hindrances.. 5 minutes pace on (ie 90+% effort = pain) 10 minutes recoveries

 

[Bigtwin]

Work out your race pace - either time or HR or both. No point in going off like a jet rocket for the first 10 mins then being shot to bits.

 

[I am Spartacus]

oh thats happend

I can get to the gym on Saturday.. thinking about jumping onto one of the bikes that have a power output and doing a HR comparision 5 minute test at diff HR levels to see what outputs are being generated ...

on todays TdF some of them on the front were pushing out 550 watts on the ramps and then back to 60 ish
Would love to know what DM was pushing out at the end there

 

[jimboalee]

The gym machine is a good place to start.

Here's the load curve of my Spesh SWorks if that's any help.

mph is along the x axis and kWatts are up the y axis.

This is on the flat, of course, but you can read off 550 Watts would be 29 mph on the flat.

 

[I am Spartacus]

Nice one... I just have a basic calculation for power at 170 bpm ... which for me is just on the money for pushing hard on a constant... the circuit is aerodrome, so flat, last raced on a loop that had 2 nasty little ramps on it .. that 'got ' me.. because
a) wasnt paying attention
didnt pace myself clever
c) wasnt paying attention

I am not bothered about speed as such.. its just that knowledge of be able to control exertion within bounds and theoretically able to make a charge and hold it for x amount of time....
However, not being a sprinter and racing on a tighter circuit, I know the chances of any breakaways are pretty limited but can happen.

 

[jimboalee]

On some gym bikes, there is an 'Interval' program where you can pre-select the levels of the intervals.

I liked these to be 200 and 400 Watts.

After a few 400 Watt short bursts, the 200 Watt 'rest' became easier, and then got harder as I tired.

At the transition to 400W, it meant standing up 'honking'.

Unfortunately gym bikes get wooly at 400 W.

 

[jimboalee]

Work out your race pace - either time or HR or both. No point in going off like a jet rocket for the first 10 mins then being shot to bits.

Yes.

Also work out your calorific expenditure and dehydration rate.

Sort out WHEN and how much to eat. Sort out how much water you are losing and replace it well ahead of the theory.


For a 1 hour race, you should get away with a big pasta meal the night before and a light hi carb brekkie a couple of hours before the start.

Make sure you visit the lavvy before the start and take a litre of glucose energy drink on the bike. Swig it regularly. DON'T wait until you're thirsty.

If the race is a decent pace, your mind might get fuzzy, so use a landmark as a signal to swig your drink. Caffeine helps.


Now I remember the gym bike I used had a 'random' resistance program. This was entertaining. I got it set up to select resistances from 50% to MAX resistance. You get a couple of seconds to see the next resistance setting before it changes.
When it changed from low to MAX, it was 'stand up and honk' or stop dead.

Find some real hills and sprint up them.

 

[monnet]

For a 1 hour race, you should get away with a big pasta meal the night before and a light hi carb brekkie a couple of hours before the start.

That's not really going to cut it if the race is in the evening, as many crits are. Carbs at lunch. And in my experience I've always gone for an espresso, a bit of energy drink and some energy food in the two hours before the race. Usually a gel on the start line. 500ml of energy drink through the race with the possibility of another gel if it's getting tough. Home and get the chocolate milk out quick smart. Make sure you've got your dinner ready to eat as soon as you've changed.

 

[I am Spartacus]

more crucially, training.. has gone to pot this week... I could kid myself that I am tapering already.. and yes the races start at 7pm.. but it's not a bad time for my own personal body clock, as I do feel ok at that time.... much better than at 7am

 

[I am Spartacus]

Race on this evening... of course it has to be wet don't it?
tactic 1 - stay in middle
tactic 2 - not to fall off
tactic 3 - stay in middle ( 'cos somebody has to)

 

[jimboalee]

That's not really going to cut it if the race is in the evening, as many crits are. Carbs at lunch. And in my experience I've always gone for an espresso, a bit of energy drink and some energy food in the two hours before the race. Usually a gel on the start line. 500ml of energy drink through the race with the possibility of another gel if it's getting tough. Home and get the chocolate milk out quick smart. Make sure you've got your dinner ready to eat as soon as you've changed.

Its all a matter of timing.

A keen race boy ( or his nutritionalist ) has to use a bit of brainpower ( and training experience ) to determine WHEN to eat.

I could have said "Stop at the India Palace half the way through the race" which WOULD have been wrong.

 

[I am Spartacus]

Curry on order post race

 

[palinurus]

Looking forward to the race report.