Best Bike Split - Race Preparation

Racing
,
1

Hello TR forum :slight_smile:

I am preparing for my A-Race. A Time Trial on a local course (30 km and punchy/hilly).

So far I have been looking at it as a “normal” time trial, where I would benefit from labelling it as a “time trial” and have TrainerRoad make a plan for me.

However I tried something I find very interesting. Something that I would like to share and hear your comments on:
I ran the numbers through Best Bike Split and exported to TrainerRoad as a workout:

TR Vrads Classic
TR Vrads Classic413×842 32.4 KB

It looks like I should ALSO focus on VO2 Max leading up to the race and not entirely on threshold. :thinking:

Thoughts of the approach by using BBS and importing into TR?
Thoughts of Threshold vs VO2 Max?

Edit 1: Date is wrong on the screen dump, I have 13 weeks of training ahead of me before the A-race.
Edit 2: Using TrainerRoads progression levels to analyse race specific demands given by BBS was a new way (anyways for me :blush: ) of combinating the two softwares. I do not know if it is clear in the above, but I wonder whether anyone has experience with this approach?

2 Likes
2

I use this BBS feature all the time. Every time trial/triathlon…but I’ve never paid attention to the workout levels. So that’s a good idea you’ve got there.

Just using the workouts as workouts has great benefit, though, without regard to Workout Levels.

Make sure you have good data for your climbing CdA if there is a lot of climbing. Make sure to keep an eye on the forecast as the event approaches…big shifts in wind speed/direction can mean material changes to the power plan.

Also, BBS CdA calculation is better than nothing…but the best value/accuracy is probably myWindSock. For an A event its worth paying up for both, IMO. More data → more better.

2 Likes
3

Thank you for the tip on CdA. I have never heard of mywindsock before. I will check that out, thanks.

Yeah I have used BBS for several years now on TT’s and I am impressed by the accuracy and gives good pacing strategies.

However this idea with looking at the BBS plan in TR and the progression levels was an eyeopener for me. I know there is VO2 Max efforts, but I have never thought it would be so dominant over threshold… :man_shrugging::thinking:

4

Think of it this (simplified) way.

BBS has to make some assumptions about what your power curve looks like and how well you can recover. You also give it your FTP. That ask is used to figure out how much energy (power multiplied by time) is available.

Then given your weight, aero, rolling resistance, drivetrain resistance, and elevation and distance of the course, BBS calculated power demands of the course at various speeds.

When the energy available and the energy to hold a certain average speed match, then that’s the optimal plan for getting you to the finish line as fast as possible with you being exhausted right as you finish (probably with a small safety margin).

However, any of those variables can be off, and significantly off in the case of hilly terrain. How much will your aero change on the hills from standing or just shifting position? How much will the wind vary on the day and different parts of the course?

How well does your actual power profile match the power profile that BBS assumed for you? That’s a really important question. The most important question, I say, in a hilly TT. It’s not optimal to sit at threshold or SST during the climbs, but how much harder can you push on each climb?

You are probably thinking that you can load the power plan into TR and looking at the required progression levels, then as long as you can match those PLs you’ll be fine. But it’s not that simple. The TR PL assignments of “random” custom workouts is far from perfect.

See how Threshold and SST are only set to 1.6 PLs? That’s not accurate at all. Giluwe is a 1.6 PL Threshold workout and it’s a total of 21 minutes of threshold split over 45 minutes. That’s a far cry from a 50 minute TT, even before factoring in the climbing.

You should try executing the BBS power plan at say 95% of the prescribed power on the trainer (or outdoors if you can manage). See if you blow up or not and try to pay attention to what did you in. It will most likely be those above threshold efforts.

3 Likes
5

Okay, thank you very much for the explanations. All of your inputs makes very good sense, when you explain it.

Actually… I already have 5 C-races on the course (they could be 0.9IF and progress to 0.95IF)

The “discovery” of the progression levels had me second guess that approach. I was thinking that I would be better off focusing in on the VO2 Max efforts in quality workouts… :thinking:

You got me back to thinking that training on the actual course might be the right approach. Also considering that I do almost all my training indoors. Getting out on the course would also benefit my bikehandling skills…

Thanks again for the input, feedback and thoughts :slight_smile:

1 Like
6

One word of caution though. Don’t completely ignore VO2max training. Your FTP can only get to 80-90% of your VO2max power. So if you only train FTP, then you’ll end up bumping against that limit. Seeing how low your VO2max PL is, if you’re not getting that training outdoors then you might benefit most by training VO2max.

And VO2max training has a big lag before you see the results. Generally a 3-4 week block of VO2max training will take anywhere from 4-12 weeks for you to see your FTP increase. So if you’re going to do it, now’s the time.

If you decide to do a dedicated VO2max training block, do some more reading on it before you do it. @kurt.braeckel has some great posts in this forum. It’s kind of a different beast than regular training.

Alternatively, you can do one VO2max workout a week as one of your intense days and still see gains.

1 Like
7

This again gets back to the whole "zone 5 being called “VO2max” " thing. In a 40K TT you are necessarily going to spend some time above threshold, but you should never be approaching VO2max or max aerobic power. So I wouldn’t spend a whole boatload of my interval time approaching the race doing VO2max workouts. Do those several months out with the purpose of improving your threshold.

You’re going to spend most of your time at or slightly below threshold, and occasionally above threshold. But we’re talking like 95-105% (roughly, obviously). So think more like “over/unders” which are generally thought of as “threshold” work, instead of actual “VO2max” intervals when you’re talking about race-specific preparation.

This is also where things like 5x5 at 105% of FTP come in, which is not “really” VO2max work, but would likely be categorized as such because of the power being coggan zone 5.

4 Likes
8

Great idea to use BBS to generate the workouts.
However, i would approach the classification in power zones by TR with caution. I use a lot custom workouts, and some of them are really badly classified.

2 Likes
9

As Chris says, id take the power zones once its a TR workout with a pinch of salt.

I have a hilly TT this coming weekend which according to BBS/TR is somewhat VO2 max heavy.

M21_BBS
M21_BBS745×603 29.9 KB

1 Like
10

Yeah all right… I seem to have overrated the quality of suggested progression levels given by TR on the BBS workout…

I guess I got a little carried away by the TR breakdown of the workout. Thank you all for helping me realize that.

Also the comments on VO2 Max vs Threshold makes perfect sense. I already have a build phase in the plan with VO2 Max efforts sprinkled in early on. I will stick to original plan with build- and later on specialty phase. Also, during the next 12 weeks I will do my 5 test races on the course fully geared up :wink: with a progression from IF0.9 towards race IF.
This will also help me finding the correct pacing IF.

Thanks again TR forum :slight_smile:

1 Like
11

Atleast yours got the IF to a realistic level.

Mine states 0.01 IF whilst being 59min & 91 TSS… shouldnt be possible to display that.

1 Like