"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Recommend a training plan for an upcoming sprint race?

Hello -

There is a sprint race coming up in a few weeks, and I'd like to train for it specifically. I'm hoping to do much better than the last time, possibly in the top 3, and at least have a good chance of winning it altogether. If you could recommend a training plan for me, I'd really appreciate it and try my best to follow it - plus post a race-report afterwards. Thanks... so here's the parameters:

The race is coming up, May 3rd. It will be held at night - 11pm (qualifications) and end whenever it ends. Not sure how large the field is, but the last time this was done we started with 24 competitors in the 'geared' category. I passed the quals, ended up 8th place. Not that bad. This is purely an urban-style race... no licensing needed. If any of you local SoCalers want to come out of the woodwork and dominate some urban racers, I highly encourage it! Entry fee is $5 as of now.

This is not a field sprint race. It's from a standing start (bikes held by judges, released at the call). Length will be .38 miles, approximately, and all in a tunnel (no wind).

The favourites range from a former Cat 2 racer (and current mechanic for Rock Racing) to a guy who has been racing track (with wins and podium finishes)...

What else?
I'm not riding with a power meter, and don't have a coach. Just haven't made the purchase yet ($$$$) Sorry. I do have a basic cyclo-computer, however...
Should be done with the rebuild of my bike of choice by Saturday, it could potentially be around 17 lbs. Wheels are light-ish at 1500g, somewhat aero (30mm niobium, hidden nipples, smooooooth hubs)

My specialties are climbing - of which I'm very, very good (and have beaten everyone at so far)... but I can't currently sprint worth sh*t (in my opinion).

Currently 150 lbs, 5'8" frame. Not sure if that will help you help me, but I might as well put it out there.

So... I've got 22 days from now until the race...

Any ideas/tips/plans of action?

Thanks in advance, I really appreciate this. :)

You need to come home with wobbly legs twice/week until the race. Standing starts are probably best, some in your 53-11, some in your 53-19 with shifts.

Actually, I'd do at least one WRI™ workout each week. 6x, with 3-5 minutes of rest between them. All-out, explosive to the last pedal stroke. Maybe alternate them 3, standing start, 3 rolling from 20mph (so your fatigue doesn't kill your stress stimuli).

I think some jumps would be good too, Walden style (off the bike). Squat down, hands on the floor, explode upward, reaching for the sky. Come back down and go right into the next one.

Seated over-geared hill repeats. 53-11 up a 5-6% grade for 3-5 minutes.

I'm sure I'll think of others.

You need to come home with wobbly legs twice/week until the race. Standing starts are probably best, some in your 53-11, some in your 53-19 with shifts.

Actually, I'd do at least one WRI™ workout each week. 6x, with 3-5 minutes of rest between them. All-out, explosive to the last pedal stroke. Maybe alternate them 3, standing start, 3 rolling from 20mph (so your fatigue doesn't kill your stress stimuli).

I think some jumps would be good too, Walden style (off the bike). Squat down, hands on the floor, explode upward, reaching for the sky. Come back down and go right into the next one.

Seated over-geared hill repeats. 53-11 up a 5-6% grade for 3-5 minutes.

I'm sure I'll think of others.

Sweet jeebus...that'll expose any knee issues in a hurry.

Other than what WR posted, I'd say hit the gym. It's of debatable utility to overall road cyclists, but absolutely not an option for track sprinters. They do primarily legs, with a day or two of upper body and core work per week. Squats/deadlifts/rows etc. If the race is in 2 weeks, I'd say don't hit the weights, if it's in three or four you could see decent adaptation over two to three weeks, rest up and then hit the race.

+1 on the standing starts and sprint workouts with some 1m intervals.
-1 on the weights - I just don't think it is the best use of your time with just 22 days until the competition. If you had a couple months, then I'd do some weight training.

You might want to ask the question on the track racing forum and see what they suggest.

Hijack:

Hipster. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZdTgwT0rX8

Looks fun.

End hijack.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I think I may take up the WRI™ intervals (sans powermeter measuring, though) out in Beverly Hills - sprinting on a block-by-block basis, as the roads are über smooth, no traffic, no lights and slight uphill in one direction.

I considered asking the track guys, but usually they don't sprint straight away from the standing start, and instead work into it strategically. Plus, they aren't shifting from an easily-accelerating gear into the high gear from the standing start, hence the slow start but a massive final speed. That's why I'm here, asking people with gears ;)

+1 on the standing starts and sprint workouts with some 1m intervals.
-1 on the weights - I just don't think it is the best use of your time with just 22 days until the competition. If you had a couple months, then I'd do some weight training.

You might want to ask the question on the track racing forum and see what they suggest.

Yeah, my reading comprehension failed me. I just saw May 3rd, I was tailoring the previous weight advice for a vague "few weeks"

Specificity is probably best in the short time period given.

Hijack:

Hipster. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZdTgwT0rX8

Looks fun.

End hijack.

Ah, I didn't do that one - I was out of town for the first race. I did do this one instead:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmG9ewGwjTc
Where I ended up 8th. Windy, on a bridge, damn long sprint. You can see me lose out in the last few meters at around the 1:30 mark. That guy I was pitted against is the former Cat 2, current RR mechanic. (not sandbagging: I was told about the race at 10:00 that night and only had a taco-truck taco and water prior to the race... ugh.)

and I'm not a hipster. I avoid hipsters like the plague.

By the way,

If there are any people on here that are in the LA area, please come. I invite you, no - better - encourage you to do this.
Dominate. Crush Souls. Represent.

Regarding the WRI™, I only use the power meter after the effort. You don't need a power meter to tell you how to pedal as hard as absolutely possible fore every single pedal stroke for a minute :D

Before I had a PowerTap, I didn't know I should be doing them that way (I used to pace it really high). So, the PT exposed my lower than expected 1m power, and experimentation figured out why. Seriously, I don't have any use for the PT until I get back to download data for 1m interval workouts.

Just regular training with some emphasis on high end work. After the first sprint or two it gets really tiring if you're not fit. I can speak from experience on this one.

Get the lightest rear wheel you can get. Get an aero front one. If it was shorter than 0.38 miles, I'd just get super light wheels (at about 200-250 meters, but at 400 meters, aero will count up front).

Experiment with your wheel set up. You may find your sprint/jump style makes a different setup better.

Get an aero helmet or at least tape your vents. And practice sprinting looking down and being low.

Get a mid sized chainring, 50 or 51T, unless you'll run out of a 51x11 (43 mph?). It's possible depending on wind, grade, and you.

Start on the big ring, big cog (or thereabouts). Lowest gear for acceleration. Maybe have a hybrid cassette, one with a second position 21. So like 11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-21-23 (the last two cogs, for campy, come as a set). Don't start on the biggest cog, start on the second biggest.

Practice shifting while sprinting. You should be able to get to top speed in about 100-150 meters. It's different sprinting from 0 mph and from 38 mph.

Practice getting up to speed in each gear before shifting. Experiment with in or out of saddle.

I'd lift if you eased off a bit. In 2 weeks of hard lifting, if you've tapered a bit, you can gain a lot of strength. Focus on upper body, core strength. If you're already maxed out, or if you haven't lifted at all, a bit of lifting might help. If you haven't been lifting it'll hurt for a week.

I think 400 meters is long enough that the strongest guy will win, not necessarily the best jump guy. A Cat 1 that could jump just as hard every single time (he wasn't getting fatigued) won the state sprint championships. Short too, about 150 meters tops.

Good luck,
cdr