Taper?

[Pedal Wench]

So, unless I completely chicken out (a very high probability!) I might be doing my first ever race - a 10 mile time trial on Saturday. I've got spin class tonight, but after this, what should I be doing? I've heard that I should stop doing anything, or just do some easy spinning Friday night to stay loose.

Any ideas?

[bcipam]

You know your body but I wouldn't stress it before a race. Typically the week of the events you should lay off activity. A light spin is OK but your body will do better if you just do some good stretches instead.

[pkq]

If it were me, I wouldn't do anything the rest of the week.

I look forward to reading the results of your TT. I really hope you do it.

[annie]

PWench,

It's only Tuesday. I agree not to stress your body with any strenuous workouts between now and your race on Saturday. But that gives you three days between now and then and doing nothing on those days but resting might not be the best thing for you. You absolutely do not want to stress yourself, but you DO want to make sure you are ready for the effort your TT will be. I would spin easily to keep loose tomorrow, Wednesday. Then on Thursday, do an easy ride (or spin) with a few SHORT intervals thrown in. You need to remind your body of the effort it will be making! On Friday, don't ride at all, but do prepare yourself mentally for the effort you'll be making on Saturday. Picture yourself riding at close to your LT (lactate threshold) for the entire 10 miles - plus maybe a sprint at the very end. Do you know the route? If you do, go over it in your mind, if not in a vehicle. Plan how to use your gearing to your best advantage. Shift here? Or wait until here? Stand here, or stay seated? Where can you push yourself? Where might you feel the weakest and need to push past into a better place again? Picture yourself finishing. Crossing that line! You did it! You are strong and powerful and rode your best. Picture that, go over it in your mind, then its there as you are riding, giving you strength that you can pull on.

Can you tell I love TT's? I wish you the best of luck! Enjoy the ride. Love the ride and how you push yourself. Let us know how it goes. I will definitely be waiting to hear.

annie

p.s. When you are riding the TT - focus. Focus on how strong you feel, how amazingly powerful your legs are, turning the pedals around and around. Don't be distracted. Just pedal. Pedal 'til you are done. Then take a deep breathe and appreciate the effort you've put out.

[luv'nAustin]

No ideas, but I do want to wish you good luck! Have fun too :p

[Pedal Wench]

Wow! Great advice!

Annie, I'm going to print that out and keep going over it again and again until that image of a strong, powerful 'me' becomes a reality! I'll let y'all know how it goes. I have to think that I just might not finish last!

I know the course inside and out. I'm hoping that will be my advantage. I've done it countless times (it's part of the ride that I was doing every weekend last year) so I know exactly when to shift up or down. Most folks think it's flat, but there are slight inclines and declines, and I know exactly where they are. I hope that's gonna help. Well, that and the two caffeinated powergels washed down with a Coke I plan to down right before I start!

[Geonz]

Arright... now I'm psyched :-) I'm doing another indoor TT Sunday ('til tonight's indoor training I thought it was the next Sunday! Oopse!). I'm already hoping to be able to better simply because I know I forgot to seat my feet 'just right' on the pedals, and I am really goign to try to sprint at the end this time. I'm also going to have the second place woman beside me, and she's motivated (last time was her first time *ever* and she was next to a guy she knew was a lot faster than she was). The plan is for both of us to kick butt :-)
I know the route really well (sit on the bike, pedal your buns off!)... workin' on that KNOWING I"M STRONG thing instead of *asking* whether I can do it... KNOWING I can.

[annie]

Wow! Great advice!

Annie, I'm going to print that out and keep going over it again and again until that image of a strong, powerful 'me' becomes a reality! I'll let y'all know how it goes. I have to think that I just might not finish last!

I know the course inside and out. I'm hoping that will be my advantage. I've done it countless times (it's part of the ride that I was doing every weekend last year) so I know exactly when to shift up or down. Most folks think it's flat, but there are slight inclines and declines, and I know exactly where they are. I hope that's gonna help. Well, that and the two caffeinated powergels washed down with a Coke I plan to down right before I start!

Knowing the course DOES help! You can take advantage of every little up and down. Are you using aerobars? If so, don't get off them unless absolutely necessary. I can't wait to hear how you do!

Geonz - I've never done an indoor TT......... how does that work? Is it for a set amount of time? Anyway, good luck!

annie

[Geonz]

We're set up with Computrainers on computer courses on our trainers. They do some hocus-pocus with a calibrator, including factoring our weight, and then it's ready set GO! on the virtual course, which for us is 10K.
There are graphics of our bikes and a display of speed, power, and distance done, as well as distance between the riders. You get to totally focus on yourself and the numbers without driving into trees or anything :-) Utter klutzes such as myself like that; the folks who really like racing probably hate it. Aerobars are useless too - fans are very helpful.
The stuff about hovering right at that 'lactate threshold' is what it's all about... if only I knew where mine was...where did I put it last? :)

[Pedal Wench]

I'm not using aerobars, but I've been trying to stay in my drops for the entire time. I have bars, but I've never used them on the road. (I put them on my trainer bike becasue I was having some issues with my hands, and I was experimenting to see if riding was exacerbating the situation.)

I'm also not sure of what my exact LT is. I know approximately though, and I'm hoping to stay slightly above that for as long as possible. Is that a good game plan? I think it's at about 160 bpm, and I'm hoping to ride between 165 - 170 bpm. Max I've ever seen is 179. I might go to 175-177 for the last mile.