Cycling Tips: Get the Most Out of Your Pedalling Power for Triathlon (Triathlete Training)
How To Get the Most Out Of Your Pedalling Power
Whenever I watch a Triathlon and it is windy or when there are undulations in the race, I always see Triathletes jumping out of their saddles while riding. In the cycling world this is referred to as honking. Every time I see them do so, I wish I could just reach out there and give them the advice that I am going to give you now. However, it is not an overnight fix and something that you will need to work on in the off-season. The off-season is perfect because you won't be worried about speed and it will give you time to improve.
Although some Triathletes and cyclists think that jumping out of their seats is going to help them to get over the hill faster, give their muscles a rest, unfortunately they are horribly mistaken in the long run. Getting out of your seat is one of the most inefficient habits you can have and something that should be avoided for the Triathlete.
Even though Triathletes may think that it is giving their muscles a rest by honking, they are in fact tiring the most important muscle in the body...their heart. When you honk your heart rate rises and zaps your energy stores, namely blood glucose and muscle glycogen. Therefore, you are unbalancing the equilibrium between fat and carbohydrate use, and hence draining your energy. This means that you are not going to maintain your performance for as long.
Not only will you be decreasing efficiency in this way, but you will also be losing your aerodynamic position. An Aerodynamic position can aide you by 0.5-1m/hr (0.8-1.6km/hr) compared to just using your drop bars. And if you're honking, you are doing yourself a disservice.
When people bonk they generally shift to a lighter gear, and again this creates a problem. Consequently, you will not be getting the same power drive if you were seated with a bigger gear.
With this in mind, you need to incorporate strength training in your pre-season. See below to find out what you should be doing in your training.
Steady Strength Training:
This type of training involves choosing a flat route, which can either be a velodrome or a flat road. You should start your session off by a light ride for 10-15mins. In this time focus on a smooth pedal stroke, concentrating on creating smooth pedalling circles.
Example 1:
After this time, your body will be warmed up and be ready for your main session. Shift your gears to a,lower, larger gear. Your chain should almost be at the bottom of the cassette, so it should be a difficult gear to put but not too difficult. You do not want to choose a gear that is impossible, but, you want to select a gear that will allow you to have a cadence around 60(a slow-moderate pace). This will be your guide. Aim for 3-6 repetitions of 3kms. If you are a beginner, it is best to work around time therefore aim for 3-6 repetitions of 5mins. Try and keep your heart rate between 130-140BPM. This heart rate target zone is great for the off-season.
Example 2:
When you have completed your warm up choose a flat section of the road and ride continuously for 10-15km with a large gear. If you are just starting out in cycling or Triathlon, go on time. 15-30mins is a good duration target for you.
Whenever I watch a Triathlon and it is windy or when there are undulations in the race, I always see Triathletes jumping out of their saddles while riding. In the cycling world this is referred to as honking. Every time I see them do so, I wish I could just reach out there and give them the advice that I am going to give you now. However, it is not an overnight fix and something that you will need to work on in the off-season. The off-season is perfect because you won't be worried about speed and it will give you time to improve.
Although some Triathletes and cyclists think that jumping out of their seats is going to help them to get over the hill faster, give their muscles a rest, unfortunately they are horribly mistaken in the long run. Getting out of your seat is one of the most inefficient habits you can have and something that should be avoided for the Triathlete.
Even though Triathletes may think that it is giving their muscles a rest by honking, they are in fact tiring the most important muscle in the body...their heart. When you honk your heart rate rises and zaps your energy stores, namely blood glucose and muscle glycogen. Therefore, you are unbalancing the equilibrium between fat and carbohydrate use, and hence draining your energy. This means that you are not going to maintain your performance for as long.
Not only will you be decreasing efficiency in this way, but you will also be losing your aerodynamic position. An Aerodynamic position can aide you by 0.5-1m/hr (0.8-1.6km/hr) compared to just using your drop bars. And if you're honking, you are doing yourself a disservice.
When people bonk they generally shift to a lighter gear, and again this creates a problem. Consequently, you will not be getting the same power drive if you were seated with a bigger gear.
With this in mind, you need to incorporate strength training in your pre-season. See below to find out what you should be doing in your training.
Steady Strength Training:
This type of training involves choosing a flat route, which can either be a velodrome or a flat road. You should start your session off by a light ride for 10-15mins. In this time focus on a smooth pedal stroke, concentrating on creating smooth pedalling circles.
Example 1:
After this time, your body will be warmed up and be ready for your main session. Shift your gears to a,lower, larger gear. Your chain should almost be at the bottom of the cassette, so it should be a difficult gear to put but not too difficult. You do not want to choose a gear that is impossible, but, you want to select a gear that will allow you to have a cadence around 60(a slow-moderate pace). This will be your guide. Aim for 3-6 repetitions of 3kms. If you are a beginner, it is best to work around time therefore aim for 3-6 repetitions of 5mins. Try and keep your heart rate between 130-140BPM. This heart rate target zone is great for the off-season.
Example 2:
When you have completed your warm up choose a flat section of the road and ride continuously for 10-15km with a large gear. If you are just starting out in cycling or Triathlon, go on time. 15-30mins is a good duration target for you.
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