Training for Time Trials

TIME TRIAL TIPS

In another thread Cassandra Cain asked me;

“Can you share some of your training techniques and such? I'd enjoy hearing about it from someone who is an accomplished TT'er.”

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=10176

And although I feel far from accomplished, I do spend a lot of time thinking about and gearing my training rides towards Individual Time Trials, and I am seeing improvements, if gradual, in my performance.

So I thought why not start a new thread specifically for tips and tricks for time-trialling… an amalgamation of ideas and suggestions… That way the TE TTers can pool data and experiences specifically about what we do or have tried that works or doesn’t work…

So, I guess I’ll start and will look forward to hearing what you other TTers have to say. [/COLOR]

Training… I try to make this specific to my race goals (see further on in thread). Each training ride should count and have a purpose.
I find Gale Bernhardt’s “The Female cyclist: Gearing Up A Level” to be a fabulous book. Bernhardt has based the training rides and programmes on Joe Friel’s suggestions in his “Cyclist’s Training Bible” (which is also part of our library).

Training Log… I keep this ‘religiously’. Every ride is logged and dated; the weather, the wind, the temperature, the course, who I am riding with, which bike I am on, my warm-up/cool-down, the ride or race distance, my time, my average, the heart-rate zone I rode in, my maximum heart-rate, my cadence.
This way I can compare rides more accurately because I have more data to see the similarities and differences... and, ultimately, my improvements.

Tapering… this is where the training log is also valuable. Too much riding the week before any race or event you have been specifically building for can be detrimental.
This is truer the older you are sadly, as the older you get the longer your body takes to recover. Some of my best rides have happened after I have been virtually off the bike for a week to a week and a half.

Training Zones and Rides… I have a selected few from the above mentioned books which I use specifically as part of training for time trials.

S1 – “step ups”. 1 hour spent to improve pedalling form and neuro-muscular coordination. Work in Zone 2 (for me that is 132-143 heart beats). You warm up at a cadence of 90, then you spend 3 minutes at 100, 2 minutes at 110 and 1 minute at 120 before dropping your cadence back to 90 again.
I do this 3-5 times inside the hour. You can do it outside on flat terrain, however I always do it on the spin bike inside (I have to lay the ornaments flat on the piano or they shake so much when I get to a cadence of 120 they topple!).

E2 – “endurance”. 1 ½ hours minimum designed to improve aerobic capacity and to improve your lactate threshold. Work in Zones 1-4 (for me that is 105-162 heart beats). Ride outside/on the road, preferably with others, and stay seated on hills.

M2 – “cruise intervals”. 1 hour minimum designed to develop your speed and improve your lactate threshold. Work in Zones 4-5a (for me that is 152-170 heart beats). After warming up, you spend three minutes in Zone 4, three minutes in Zone 5, three minutes in Zone 5a… then you rest for 1 minute and you repeat it over again – and again – and again…
Have chocolate milk waiting for you after the ride, and a comfortable place to lie down for half an hour.

T1 – “aerobic time trial”. This is a 10-15km ride designed to measure improvements in your TT fitness. Work in Zone 4 (for me that is 152-162 heart beats). You ride as you would for a time trial (position, rhythm etc), but at 8 beats below your lactate threshold. Always use the same, flat course on a windless day. Conditions must be as similar as possible every time you do this.
You can use an indoor trainer for this also.
As you get fitter, you will be able to the distance more quickly at the same heart-rate. I use a 15km “out’n’back” course.

PL – “motor-pacing”. 1 hour minimum designed to lift your speed endurance. You ride with others, drafting at 5km above your own top speed. It is called motor-pacing because you can also do it behind a training partner who is on a scooter.

E1 – “recovery”. 1 hour minimum designed to help your legs and body recover from the more intense training sessions. Work in Zones 1-2 (for me that is 105-143 heart beats). Although not specific to TT, recovery rides are vital to any training programme.
I tend to keep my HR below 130 beats in a recovery ride.


I also have specific rides to improve my sprinting and hill climbing (both weaknesses in my road racing) and also a workout for improving my pedalling form – though I find the spin bike great for this as the fly wheel gives me no choice!

hThe Race itself!

Warm-up… “they” say 1 minute for every year of your age… I always try and get between 35-45 minutes warming up with my HR about 135 or lower, just gentle riding. (I will be 42 in 2007).

The Start… practice being ‘held’ and use that if it is offered. This way you have no mucking about with clipping in or changing up gears as you begin. If held, I start in the big chain ring in the middle of the block, and stand as soon as I have momentum to get my speed up quickly.

Rhythm… I get into a gear I can just stay on top of, and try to pedal at a good cadence. I do not try to speed up or change gears when passed by someone else: this throws my rhythm. I hydrate before-hand and don’t drink during the race… its only 20km or so and drinking will not only lose time and speed, but it also throws my rhythm.

Position on the Bike… knees tucked in, head low over aero bars, arms relaxed (if possible) and shoulders ‘tucked’. The aim is to reduce the “bucket” I create that catches the wind and slows me down.
I don’t get sucked in to looking behind me – this will lose speed and time every time you do this. I stay on the aero bars – shifting position to hold the drops, or the tops, or sitting up also loses speed and time.

Intensity… Ride above your lactic threshold, my TTs are 18-25km so its only 35-50 minutes for me at the moment and I know I can race above my lactic threshold for an hour. It should not be comfortable – you should be riding so it hurts and you have nothing left at the end. This could also be listed under “head-space”… I have to learn to push it further, past the point of pain until there is nothing else except the road, the bike and the engine (me).

Head-space… stay focused on yourself and your performance. An ITT is about you and your race – it is the “Race of Truth” and if you allow yourself to “get thrown” it can have significant effects on your performance.

Things that have thrown me and the other TTers I know include:
Leaving the heart-rate monitor belt at home
Getting a flat tire during the warm-up
Getting passed during the race
The wind getting up
Occupants of a car yelling or tooting (whether supportive or abusive is irrelevant)
Another cyclist showing up with new gear or a new bike
Leaving the TT helmet or booties at home
An animal making an unexpected noise (sheep or cattle or a dog barking)
A horse running the fence-line alongside the road

The Finish Line… About 5km from the finish when you think you have nothing left, I actually try and lift my power output a bit more. After all, there is only 5 or so kilometres left, I can now not only give it everything but I can add a little more… I have nowhere else to go and nothing else to do after I cross the finish line… I can stop, so why not use everything I can possibly find?

(Note I said “try and lift my power output” – this is the goal, but I am still working on this. But the effort of trying to lift the output seems to ensure that I don’t drop my speed and ‘relax’ as the finish line gets closer). c

Thanks posting all this Roadraven. I am printing it out. I have a hard time finding a flat 15-20 k route that doesn't have at least a few stop lights. The only flats here are in town and as soon as you're out, it gets very hilly. Our TT route is rolling hills so I practice on that. I have to ride a flat 20 km to get to the route. Can that be my warmup?

Hey there Kelowna

I assume you are referring to doing the Aerobic TT on 15-20km of flat?
The reason a flat course is suggested, or that you do it an indoor trainer is because you need to keep your heart rate an even 8 beats below your lactate threshold.
Hills make it difficult to keep your heart rate even.

The step-ups you can do on less than flat ground.

If your normal TT course is a hilly one than that is what you work with, I guess. The 20km the town is a great warm up because you won't be pushing it too far.

I'm interested in hearing what you do in prep for your TTs too :)

Haha, I have no prep. I am a super newbie. Only started riding last spring. However, I have a secret wish to compete in a TT. I did the local route last year for the first time on my own and was only a few minutes off the young girl's times (the slow ones that is :) and only 1.5 minutes slower than dh. I'm sure with some training I could do ok in my age group (46). Not sure if there are any women my age who race though. Might make for an easy win eh? ;)

So, in answer to your question, my training looks pretty like what you just outlined for me :D

Haha Kelowna... I'm kinda like you I guess - I had not really thought about TTs or being competitive - then I started looking at others and riding with others, and then I did my first TT and loved it (despite REALLY sucking at it!)

I like that a TT is about yourself and you do not have to be responsible for others safety like you are in a pelaton.

As a 'relative newbie' you need to ensure you build in rest days - it is too easy to get excited about goals and overtrain.
3-4 intense rides a week is enough.

I do not count S1 - the step-ups - as intense... although your legs fly, my heart rate raraely gets above 125, which is right in the recovery zone for me.
So do step ups inbetween two of the more intense rides.

And well done on being so close to the times set already. Remember in a race situation you inevitably go even faster! I look forward to you writing up your first TT race in the Race Results forum :D

Here are some tips I have gathered from various books (Friel, Bernhardt) and magazine articles (Bicycling, Endurance Sport, Cycle Sport, Ride, Bicycling Australia)


1. Do 5 minute intervals once or twice a week, gradually increase interval length to 15 minutes each time.


2. Do “pyramid” intervals… based on distance… ½ km (¼ mile), recover, 1km (½ mile), recover, 2km (1 mile), recover, 4km (2mile), recover, 8km (4miles), recover, 4km (2mile), recover, 2km (1 mile), recover, 1km (½ mile), recover, ½ km (¼ mile), recover all the way back home.


3. Do 3-5km (2-3 mile) intervals with 3km of recovery (2mile) in between.

1. Time trialing is about efficiency, not just power. You increase efficiency by becoming more aerodynamic. It's much easier to increase your aerodynamic efficiency rather than increasing your power.

2. Your bike accounts for only about 15-20% of overall drag.

3. Approximately 75% of drag is determined by your body's resistance against the air.

4. Aero-bars will save up to two minutes on a 40km/25mile course. Aero-bars are more aero-dynamic than tri-bars.

5. Keep tyres pumped up hard - tubulars should have about 140psi (regular car tyres are pumped to 30psi)

6. A non-aero helmet creates four times the drag of a non-aero wheelset. It is therefore better (and cheaper) to spend money on a TT helmet, rather those tri-spokes and a disc.

7. How the race number is fixed to the bike matters more than having an aero wheelset. Place it low and stretch the jersey so the number is as flat as possible when the rider is in position and so that it does not create a "sail" effect.

8. On a round tubed bike frame, a water bottle on the seat tube is more aero than having no water bottle. It is more aero to put it on the seatpost than on the down tube.

9. Wearing gloves creates more drag than having a non-aero front wheel. Like the helmet - spend money on close fitting, smooth gloves rather than a HED disc...

10. TT booties and a skin suit will only save you seconds, and are not worth the expense unless you are an elite contender.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RoadRaven

6. A non-aero helmet creates four times the drag of a non-aero wheelset. It is therefore better (and cheaper) to spend money on a TT helmet, rather those tri-spokes and a disc.

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Just going to take myself to task here... while this statement is pretty accurate, it is only accurate if you wear your TT/aero helmet correctly and position your head so it sits in the most efficient place between your shoulder blades and if you never look sideways or behind you.

If you do move your head alot, or can't get the helmet to sit low between your shoulder blades, then your money is much better spent on aero wheels.

Whew! I suppose it is safe to say that if the TT is indoors, all that aero stuff doesn't matter? That I better work on the power? (Yea, I know, clipless!!! But ya know, it's even more fun to go hard in sneakers... I could tape myself in like in Breaking away, maybe?)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RoadRaven

1. Time trialing is about efficiency, not just power. You increase efficiency by becoming more aerodynamic. It's much easier to increase your aerodynamic efficiency rather than increasing your power.

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Got the power, now working on the aerodynamic... ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RoadRaven

4. Aero-bars will save up to two minutes on a 40km/25mile course. Aero-bars are more aero-dynamic than tri-bars.

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This is the newest piece of equipment going on my TT bike - integrated stem/aero bars. DH says that they are about 1lb lighter than my current setup.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RoadRaven

9. Wearing gloves creates more drag than having a non-aero front wheel. Like the helmet - spend money on close fitting, smooth gloves rather than a HED disc...

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Precisely why I don't wear gloves when I am TT'ing.... Then again, I don't wear them while road racing/training either.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RoadRaven

10. TT booties and a skin suit will only save you seconds, and are not worth the expense unless you are an elite contender.

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Well, I don't consider myself an elite contender, but I have both a skinsuit AND TT booties, and they do make a difference. Depending on the length of your TT, seconds count. For me, the addition of these items and an aero helmet probably saved between 30-45 seconds, which on a 9.75 mile course, is significant. Where these really made a difference though was on the tandem TT attempt.

Great advice, RoadRaven! And thanks for the training tips, too ;).

SheFly

We'll see how much difference the equipment makes ;)
Truthfully, I will have changed a lot of things, hopefully power is among those things so I won't be able to say its any one thing, but I'm totally tickled.
I've ordered my helmet from the team, so aero helmet check
I got my TT bike last year check (only had the opportunity to race it once last year) check
Just purchased a used disc wheel last night (Hed superlight) and got a front wheel from ebay a while ago (Hed Jet 60), both tubulars.
All I need is one more tire and I'm all set to go. Best thing, I've managed to keep the budget for all of this under $1000, by going used on most stuff.
I can't wait to ride it now. The first TT is at the end of February, its totally flat, and only 8 miles so it should be a real barn burner.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SheFly

Well, I don't consider myself an elite contender, but I have both a skinsuit AND TT booties, and they do make a difference. Depending on the length of your TT, seconds count. For me, the addition of these items and an aero helmet probably saved between 30-45 seconds, which on a 9.75 mile course, is significant. Where these really made a difference though was on the tandem TT attempt.

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I would be interested to know how much of the 30-45 seconds was the helmet and how much was the booties and skin suit.

I know seconds count - every second counts... (to quote "THE" book)!! - I was just meaning that unless your right up there with your power-output (and it sounds like you are), then you may not see the gains made by equipment because they will be swallowed up by your increasing ability.
Heck, I know what I'm trying to say, I'm just not saying it very well!!! Sorry - might try again tomorrow!

I always wear a tight-fitting jersey with no pockets, but thats as brave as I'm gonna get - think I'd look too darn scarey in a skin suit...