Training & Nutrition - 40 km itt - 1 month - training

Alright I am getting my TT bike hopefully next week and I have set my sights on the California state TT championships on May 28, 1 month away. I have been training and racing crits for about 2.5 months now and I am getting into race shape. I have been focusing my training on LT intervals, hill climbing intervals and Anaerobic sprints mixed with solo rides.

I have never done a 40km tt, my longest was 14.5 miles (approximatly 25km). I can ride near threshold for quite some time (at least close to the 23.3 mile mark) but I want to get faster. With my new TT bike I am thinking on the flat course 23 - 24 MPH average is feasable. That will not make me win but it will be an accompishement to do that solo. I can currently average 22 - 23 MPH at threshold on my road bike so conservativly I am guessing 1 MPH faster. Boy 25 MPH average would be nice (not going to be feasable though).

Now I want to do my best in the itt. What kind of changes do I need to make in my training to get ready for a longer itt? Should I do longer threshold (and harder) intervals vs the crit style intervals I currently do? Should I consider spending some time in the gym to build core power (what I can in 1 month)?

My understanding is that for longer TTs you can not sit there over threshold the whole time so I will need to learn to manage my HR more for the duration.

Thanks as always.

Alright I am getting my TT bike hopefully next week and I have set my sights on the California state TT championships on May 28, 1 month away. I have been training and racing crits for about 2.5 months now and I am getting into race shape. I have been focusing my training on LT intervals, hill climbing intervals and Anaerobic sprints mixed with solo rides.

I have never done a 40km tt, my longest was 14.5 miles (approximatly 25km). I can ride near threshold for quite some time (at least close to the 23.3 mile mark) but I want to get faster. With my new TT bike I am thinking on the flat course 23 - 24 MPH average is feasable. That will not make me win but it will be an accompishement to do that solo. I can currently average 22 - 23 MPH at threshold on my road bike so conservativly I am guessing 1 MPH faster. Boy 25 MPH average would be nice (not going to be feasable though).

Now I want to do my best in the itt. What kind of changes do I need to make in my training to get ready for a longer itt? Should I do longer threshold (and harder) intervals vs the crit style intervals I currently do? Should I consider spending some time in the gym to build core power (what I can in 1 month)?

My understanding is that for longer TTs you can not sit there over threshold the whole time so I will need to learn to manage my HR more for the duration.

Thanks as always.Did you fire your coach already?

He doesn't need a coach. He knows evertything already. He even finished a race.

Did you fire your coach already?

:roflmao:

my58vw: I don't think you'll be able to get too much improvement in 1 month's time. You're better off spending time riding your TT bike so that you get comfortable on it. The more comfortable you are on the bike the faster you'll be able to go.

He doesn't need a coach. He knows evertything already. He even finished a race.

Please stop with your smart a$$ comments, they do nothing but annoy people... troll...
I do not think anyone knows everything, I know about as much as 8 months has taught me... bye bye

Back to out regularly scheduled thread.

I was not happy with the way things were going with the scheduling, etc. I am currently looking for another coach that will fit with my schedule better. He was a good coach but the conflict with time made it hard. Everytime I could come in he was not working... it was quite annoying. I did learn quite a bit though working with him though.

Zach I think you are right, getting some good saddle time in the coming weeks. The question is is there anything in particualar other than actually riding that will get me more prepared for that length on itt?

i have never done a tt, but i am doing one in two weeks and can tell you what i have been told about training. Do longer (8-10 minutes min.) LT intervals and at least one ride a week longer than 40K. Also, try and ride the course before if you live in the area or get a chance to go out to the race site. I would also Spend some time on the new tt bike (which i hope to see pictures of soon), and do at least one 40K + ride on it to make sure your comfortable on it for that long of a time period. You obviously don't want to go quite as hard as your 25k or you'll blow up, but idealy you would be able to keep your heart rate right at or BARELY below your LT at a cadence of 85-95 (the cadence is more of a personal preference, though). Don't forget a good warm up so you can go out hard and make the most of every bit of the course. Also, get in some complex carbs before (fruit, oatmeal, energy bar, etc...) and make sure to take plenty of water and whatever carb drink you use. Also, take an energy bar and the stuff to fix a flat (if you can carry them). On a 40k tt course, assuming it's unsupported and is an out an back or a single loop, you would be in trouble if you flatted or bonked and didn't have the stuff to get yourself rolling again. Good luck, and let us know how it goes. Oh, and don't worry about the people saying negative crap. Get out there and give it your best, it sounds like you've got what it takes to set a good benchmark to improve on.

It is my understanding that this time trial is supported, at least a sag vehicle will probably be roaming due to it being a tt championship. On the shorter itts that I have done on a road bike I have carried a cell phone with the number of someone that could help if there was a problem, never has been.

The bike is being built this week. I think my biggest hurdle will be getting used to the bike, the 40k is not the biggest thing for me. As of milage I am doing a metric group ride tomarrow. My conern is always blowing up in a TT, the last 14.2 mile one I did I ended up crashing at mile 13, but I did improve my time by 3 minutes.

It is my understanding that this time trial is supported, at least a sag vehicle will probably be roaming due to it being a tt championship. On the shorter itts that I have done on a road bike I have carried a cell phone with the number of someone that could help if there was a problem, never has been.

The bike is being built this week. I think my biggest hurdle will be getting used to the bike, the 40k is not the biggest thing for me. As of milage I am doing a metric group ride tomarrow. My conern is always blowing up in a TT, the last 14.2 mile one I did I ended up crashing at mile 13, but I did improve my time by 3 minutes.

I attached a crudly photoshoped version of the bike, well it is the stock photo with as many of the new parts I could throw on...

I will definitly be posting photos later this week... I can not wait!

Oh ya, discription in my sig... I am not feeling the yellow pads on the aero bars though... that may end up as red bar tape!

Good grief! :eek: Did you sell your car to get that bike? :D Looks pretty aero. Did you get a TT helmet to go with? They'll probably require an ansi compliant helmet if it is a sponsored event.

I'd probably agree with pearcem at this point. No need to do any sprint or Vo2 Max training. Push LT and get used to the aero position on the bike. I've even been trying to get used to the drops myself! :o

After reading many of your posts and getting a feel for how you like to push yourself, my only real advice at this point would be to taper prior to the event. Seems that is a reoccuring theme for you where you push yourself right up to the last minute and don't give your body enough time to recoup prior to a competition.

Edit: It's my goal to get bar end shifters someday when my STI shifters wear out. It's not that STI isn't great, I just don't like adjusting them when I do maintenance or have to change cables.

Nah, did not sell my car... (well my parents want me to and get a motorcycle, but that is a different story).

Graduation gift, sale of mountain bike and saving for the last 3 months.

My understanding is that for longer TTs you can not sit there over threshold the whole time so I will need to learn to manage my HR more for the duration.


Per Chris Carmichael, Lance TTs at about 10 beats over threshold for hour-plus events (aka the 1999 Prologue, I believe, 35 miles in 1:08?). My DH did a 40K TT a few years ago, 195 (~15 beats over threshold) for an hour.

The big thing you can do in one month time is ride TT the bike a lot. You need to both get comfortable riding on aero bars for extended periods of time and you have to be able to make power in that position. Both sound simple but aren't that easy. By the time you're 40k is here, you should be comfortable riding in the aero extensions for an hour at a shot if not more.

One thing I always do leading up to long TTs is to do all my long intervals (2x20s or 2x30s) on my TT bike and stay in the aero extensions until done. Out of the 3 hours in a training ride, 2+ will be in that aero position. Do them solo, you don't want to be riding your Cervelo with a group.

You can expect some power loss compared to a normal road position but if you spend enough time preparing you can minimize it (one place a wattage meter comes in really handy).

It is my understanding that this time trial is supported, at least a sag vehicle will probably be roaming due to it being a tt championship. On the shorter itts that I have done on a road bike I have carried a cell phone with the number of someone that could help if there was a problem, never has been.

The bike is being built this week. I think my biggest hurdle will be getting used to the bike, the 40k is not the biggest thing for me. As of milage I am doing a metric group ride tomarrow. My conern is always blowing up in a TT, the last 14.2 mile one I did I ended up crashing at mile 13, but I did improve my time by 3 minutes.

I attached a crudly photoshoped version of the bike, well it is the stock photo with as many of the new parts I could throw on...

I will definitly be posting photos later this week... I can not wait!

Oh ya, discription in my sig... I am not feeling the yellow pads on the aero bars though... that may end up as red bar tape!

Assuming this is an out-and-back course, do some work on the turnaround so that you don't lose too much momentum and get back up to TT speed quickly. So, what I have done is to come in wide to the turnaround point, tap the brakes, then lean the bike over hard. Then, sprint to get back up to speed. The crits that you have been doing will come handy since it is similar to sprinting out of a corner.
Finally, keep your head up!! A guy who used to race, had his head down and a deer jumped out in front while he was going 32 mph. He ended up with a broken pelvis, which pretty much ended his cycling career.

It is my understanding that this time trial is supported,
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=29025!

Did you cut and paste that rear wheel? :p It looks like the tyre is overlaping the front derailleur