Can I Kilo?
05-19-13, 04:37 PM
#26
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I rode my first kilo today. Since I'm 50+, I may never have to ride one again. And right now, I'm not exactly crying about that.
My initial impression: it hurt in a way I didn't quite expect. In a 2k, I hurt just as much, but it's more of a balance between aerobic and anaerobic. Being shorter, the kilo is obviously more anaerobic, but it wasn't the kind of deep muscle burn that I expected, it was more this:
The last lap felt like I was pedaling through quicksand. My quads, rather than being on fire, felt like they were in a permanently over-flexed state and thus could barely budge (it honestly felt like I was adding no power, the legs were only moving because the pedals were pushing them). The weird part is that I would have guessed the final lap was a full 3 seconds slower (I know 3 seconds for a lap is a HUGE difference... that's how slow it felt!!), but it was only 1 second slower than lap 3.
My initial impression: it hurt in a way I didn't quite expect. In a 2k, I hurt just as much, but it's more of a balance between aerobic and anaerobic. Being shorter, the kilo is obviously more anaerobic, but it wasn't the kind of deep muscle burn that I expected, it was more this:
The last lap felt like I was pedaling through quicksand. My quads, rather than being on fire, felt like they were in a permanently over-flexed state and thus could barely budge (it honestly felt like I was adding no power, the legs were only moving because the pedals were pushing them). The weird part is that I would have guessed the final lap was a full 3 seconds slower (I know 3 seconds for a lap is a HUGE difference... that's how slow it felt!!), but it was only 1 second slower than lap 3.
Most coaches will tell you that the last lap feels slower than it really is. Sometimes it feels as though you could get off the bike and walk to the finish line faster! Don't give up or give in. You are going faster than you think you are.
And based on my power files, it's true, you probably aren't adding any significant power to the pedals. You are simply getting your legs out of the way of the cranks so that you can maintain the speed that you have already created.
05-20-13, 05:44 AM
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how do you guys approach the kilo? I have heard different ideas, one is go balls to the wall and try not to fall off the bike before the finishline, giving time back on the last lap, while some suggest a short break after the start (roughly 250meters in) when you are upto speed, and you "float" the pedals to relax the legs for about 100m, then all out for the rest of the race. Im sure there are other approaches.
05-20-13, 07:21 PM
#28
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Balls to the wall... hold it till you start to go blind, then keep pedalling as hard as you possibly can!
You will probably nearly crash after you cross the line, your legs will be completely unable to do anything other than flop around attached to the pedals.
Get someone to help you to a set of rollers to try to turn the your legs again and get the lactic out of the muscles. It will probably take a few minutes to actually get them to even roll over smoothly.
Then ask yourself why you keep doing that to yourself!
That's my method anyway!
JMR
You will probably nearly crash after you cross the line, your legs will be completely unable to do anything other than flop around attached to the pedals.
Get someone to help you to a set of rollers to try to turn the your legs again and get the lactic out of the muscles. It will probably take a few minutes to actually get them to even roll over smoothly.
Then ask yourself why you keep doing that to yourself!
That's my method anyway!
JMR
05-20-13, 07:24 PM
#29
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The start is such a technical skill, that when you sit down and go into blind spinning you get the nice mental break before the deep burn kicks in. Its no physical relief. But the mental is nice.
05-20-13, 08:46 PM
#30
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how do you guys approach the kilo? I have heard different ideas, one is go balls to the wall and try not to fall off the bike before the finishline, giving time back on the last lap, while some suggest a short break after the start (roughly 250meters in) when you are upto speed, and you "float" the pedals to relax the legs for about 100m, then all out for the rest of the race. Im sure there are other approaches.
You forgot about the huge gear-negative split strategy... I've heard that pursuit riders tend towards this while sprinters tend toward the all-out-and-die strategy.
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Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
05-20-13, 09:37 PM
#31
aka mattio
05-26-13, 07:04 PM
#32
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FWIW the guy who won the 2k 50-54 at worlds a few years ago rode a 1:09 opening kilo and a 1:14 closer. Best I've done was 1:11 in the 1k and 2:26 for a 2k. The WR for the 2k for a master is 2:17.
05-28-13, 03:40 PM
#34
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That IS crazy. That person is a hell of an athlete! I've gone 1:09 a couple of times, but I was never doing a 1:14 after that! Respect.
10-10-17, 05:51 AM
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10-10-17, 10:59 AM
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It's strange how doing a kilo in competition tends to stick in your brain. It's been almost 20 years since I had to do one and I can still remember every meter, except maybe the last 10 meters or so, when my tunnel vision was so narrow I thought I would go blind before I could finish. It as a 1:10 and after falling off my bike, laying on the grass for about 20 minutes, I than had to clean up the deposit I made where I lay. And I still only got 7th! 45-49 was a very tough class even then. I look back now and wonder how I ever did that, given that I struggle to do a 500 now!
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