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Racing the
Ironman with Power
As the training
value of power devices becomes more accepted, athletes will begin
to race the Ironman distance with these devices. Athletes
inexperienced with training with power are often compelled to
reduce their training to pure numbers: do a test to determine
watts at lactate threshold. Then ride X minutes at Y% of LT
watts. The athlete then wants to carry this over into race paces,
with a plan to simply dial in watts for the duration of the ride.
Itęs not that
simple. The powermeter is only as good as your skill in using
it. The best learning tool is the experience of training and
racing with a power device. Ięve trained with power since 2001
and in 2003 I raced the California Half Ironman, Wildflower Long
Course, Ironman Coeur dęAlene and Kona with an SRM. I also
completed several 112 mile race rehearsals and other very useful
training rides.
But before I
begin to describe pacing plans and numbers, I will discuss three
points.
-
You will want
to look at my numbers, do the math, perform some tests, and then
do the math again to determine your own numbers. My
numbers are NOT your numbers. Ięm a solid age group cyclist. I did many,
many animal rides from April to September last year and as a
result had a very high aerobic function on the bike. My steady
state endurance wattage was as high as 75-77% of estimated
CP30. Most athletes should start at 60-65%.
-
The best lab
is your training and, more specifically, the race simulation
ride. Do all the lab testing and number crunching you want, but
if you ride a quality race simulation in Y minutes at X watts,
then you absolutely know what your capabilities are. There is
no more useful test than the race simulation ride with a power
meter.
-
–But when I
am rested and tapered, wonęt my watts naturally increase? If I
then pace my ride in reference to my race sims, wonęt I be
riding too slow?”
Yeah, maybe,
but so what? They donęt give Kona slots or finisheręs medals to
swim and bike splits and they donęt award hardware to average
watts. Your goal for an Ironman is to run a strong 20k after a
4k swim, 180k bike and 20k run. Itęs not about who goes the
fastest but rather who slows down the least. On May 31, 2003 I
did a very high quality race sim ride of 4:52 and 220 average
watts. When I toed the line at IMCDA I had absolute faith in my
ability to average 220 watts for 112 miles and come off the bike
feeling great. However, I was also just barely smart enough to
know that I had gotten a good nightęs sleep before that sim, I
had not swam 4k before the ride, and I did not have the
adrenaline of race day. Therefore I knew if I could ride a
smart race and average less than 220 watts, I was putting money
in the bank to spend on the run.
Race Day
There are four critical ideas about power on race day:
Ride your
optimum bike split while expending as few watts as possible.
This is absolutely critical. The race doesnęt care how many watts
you average for the ride, or about your bike split, for that
matter. It only cares about your ability to run off the bike.
You canęt hide in the last 20k of the run. Therefore, use the
meter to take EVERY opportunity to save and conserve watts, to be
cheesy, and to spend your watts where they will yield the greatest
tactical gain or set you up for a successful run.
Capabilitymeter.
The
power meter tells you in real time how hard you are working
relative to your capabilities, given terrain, environment and the
tactical situation. You have extremely important information
about your ride that your competition does not. This is an
incredible advantage. This advantage is further magnified in the
hands of an experienced, disciplined, patient cyclist.
Stupidometer
Stupid is defined as performing work outside of your capabilities
for little to no tactical gain. With the meter, you instantly
know when you are working too hard and can back off immediately.
Your competition does not have this information.
Not all
averages are created equal.
There are many ways to average 180 watts during a ride. Power
spikes and other instances of throwing away watts for zero
tactical gain have a muscular cost greater than the average watts
for the ride would indicate. This is especially true for Ironman
athletes raised on a diet of steady state mileage. Power spikes
kill us. Elite athletes on the very pointy end of the race may
consider adding some roadie-esque training, with acceleration and
surges, to reduce the muscular cost of responding to tactical
situations. But for the remaining 97% of the field, the ability
to ride state on the flats remains the key.
Numbers with
Meaning
In late January
2003 I tested my CP30 as 310. To be safe, I called my lactate
threshold wattage 300 watts. Then as my training moved forward I
began to relate training and racing wattages to this 300,
identifying numbers that –meant something to me.” My intent was
to determine wattages to define my capabilities on race day, given
the tactical situation, terrain, distance, etc. By June 1, a
picture of race day began to emerge based on these numbers, was
further refined at IMCDA and were solidified as I progressed
towards Kona.
ŕ
JRA =
180-200 watts
ŕ
AeT =
210-220 watts
ŕ
Steady =
230-240 watts
ŕ
Headwind
= 245-250 watts, max
ŕ
Long
aerobic climb (6+ min) = 275-285 watts
ŕ
LT watts
= 300-315 watts. Critical for avoiding power spikes on short
climbs
ŕ
IM
rehearsal wattage: 220 watts on May 31 for a very successful, 4:52
rehearsal. This is an extremely powerful number to have on race
day.
ŕ
IMCDA
average watts. This number was clouded by a serious crash, a
flat, and a healthy dose of adrenaline, so not the cleanest
dataset. I did not reference this number at Kona.
Kona with Watts
ŕ
1st
30 minutes: The first 30 minutes of the bike are when HR, PE and
watts are most out of whack. What feels easy may actually be
quite hard, as measured by watts. So I sat at or just under 200
watts, JRA. This takes tremendous discipline and confidence, as
you will be smoked by the athletes around you.
In fact,
I marveled at the poor pacing and discipline of world class
athletes, as age group females hammered past me on climbs in the
first 10-12 miles before the left onto the Queen K. I had the
patience and discipline to watch them ride away from me.
ŕ
Kailua
Kona to Kawaihae: Maintained an average of about 210 watts, well
under my 220 rehearsal watts. Aerobic climbs at 260-275 max.
Soft pedal and coast at every opportunity.
ŕ
Climb to
Hawi: when the road tilted up I dialed in 250-265. Itęs a long
climb and I wanted to set myself up for a strong descent. A few
people passed me but I had absolute faith in my limitations.
ŕ
Turnaround: at the turn I looked at my average watts for the first
half and decided I would let myself see watts higher than that
average more often on the ride back.
ŕ
Descent
from Hawi: the natural tendency on a descent or tailwind is to
back off the wattage significantly. However, monster wattage is
required to ride materially faster at speeds over 30mph. The
additional wind resistance is just too great. So I dialed in my
tailwind watts and absolutely screamed past people, while still
riding well within myself. This was a tactical decision for me,
as I anticipated my competition would rest a bit on this portion.
ŕ
Waikoloa
to Kona: we had a descent headwind. I dialed in the headwind
watts and continued to bounce this off my turnaround watts and IM
rehearsal watts, always staying within myself.
ŕ
10 miles
out: realizing I had almost zero training miles in my run legs
(twisted ankle in mid August) I shut the ride down about 10 miles
out, riding at or just below my average for the day.
Results:
5:08:38, 181 OA. My speed sensor was knocked lose early in the
ride and the SRM stops recording wattage after a few seconds of
coasting with no speed input. So I have about 8 minutes of data
missing and inaccurate average watts for the ride.
Summary
1.
Use high
quality training rides and race simulations to determine the
numbers that define your capabilities and limitations, given
various tactical, terrain and environment situations.
Experience really is the best teacher. I tell my athletes this is
the kind of subject best discussed over a few beers. There is
just so much to learn and so many nuances. This article will give
you some good starting points but is no substitute for the miles
and smiles.
2.
Have
absolute confidence in the tool and the discipline to ignore the
others around you, creating the conditions for a successful run.
Addendum
Riding Hills
with Watts
I applied these
techniques in all my races this year and smoked the guys near me.
The idea is to conserve watts where there is marginal opportunity
for tactical gain (on the climb) and spend them a bit where you
have more to gain (on the crest and downhill).
ŕ
Approach/base of the hill: avoid the power spike that is natural.
I stared at the meter and willed myself to not see 300 watts
(LT). Best to enter the hill with a competitor in front of you,
so he can provide you with an additional visual reference point.
Let him gap you.
ŕ
Body of
the hill: settle in at your –Climbing” wattage and ignore the
people around you. You will begin to close the gap as your
markeręs body reacts to the initial power spike and backs off the
watts.
ŕ
As the
hill begins to flatten out MAINTAIN YOUR CLIMBING WATTAGE. The
natural tendency when the road begins to fall away is to shut it
down. Simply continue with your climbing wattage over the crest,
accelerating quickly into the first third of the downhill. You
will quickly accelerate past your •marker.ę
ŕ
Getting
very aero and coasting is a better strategy than pedaling hard to
go faster. It takes enormous wattage to go materially faster at
30+ mph. Better to accelerate quickly to top speed using the
techniques above and then coast.
ŕ
In the
intervening flat, dial in your headwind wattage so you can hold
this speed for a while. Then settle back into –flats” wattage.
ŕ
Look
behind you. I guarantee you are 200+ yards ahead of the guy
who hammered the climb. Works every time.
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