Originally Posted by Hermes

Allow me to offer a counter position.... I am not so sure about the banking faster miles and pushing the pack. You are a first year racer. I suspect that "platinum" status is tough to get and the racers who get it, have been doing it for years. Hence, the guys were telling you that the race was on track for platinum but they have the fitness for the last 1/3 of the race to make that happen.

My other observation is the big men have an energy management problem inherent in their size. You have to produce more watts which consumes more fuel and increases your temperature. You have to cool yourself by sweating and refuel. Well, according to my experts, that is not so easy since one can sweat faster than the stomach can process water intake. Hence you lose plasma volume and power.

IMO, you need more fitness and better position in the lead pack. Your goal, considering your size, is to conserve energy, hydrate, manage your resources but have the power to weight capability on the last 1/3 of the race when fatigue starts to set in. If you try to press the pace early, I find it hard to believe that will yield a better result especially if you use more energy to do it.

In time trials, we always use the most power uphill and against the wind. All other times, we hold constant power or float. We would not push the downwind section using more energy in hopes to increase our speed to offset a slow windy section.