Time Trial (10) warm up?

gandhi
gandhi Posts: 187
edited June 2008 in Pro race
Last 10 mile TT I did, I feel that I lost out by not warming up well enough. I worry that if I harm up too hard, I'll be tired for the actual ride. I'm sure there's a balance in there though.

Does any one have a decent routine that they user that they could share with me, or any warm up tips in general?

Thanks

Comments

  • andrewgturnbull
    andrewgturnbull Posts: 3,861
    Hi there.

    This is what works for me:

    20 minutes easy riding to get loosened up (usually achieved by riding out to the strip from my house)
    10-15 minutes warm up: Start in an easy gear, spin for 30 seconds to a minute. Change to a harder gear for another 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat all the way through your gears until you've got to just above race pace, approx 80% of maximum heart rate. Spin for a minute or two then repeat the process.

    Aim to finish your warm up and get to the start line no more than 2 minutes before your start time - but make sure you're not late! Watch some early riders going off and check them against your watch.

    Alternatively, if the event is further from home (or the weather is bad) I've been known to take the turbo and do a similar warm up while sheltering under the tailgate of my car.

    Cheers, Andy
    http://www.andyturnbull.co.uk
    http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    Mine's similar to Andy's but I aim for 30-40mins* warmup starting with easy gears and building up to near TT pace / heart rate. I may also throw in a few sprints or climbs to get the heart rate up high for a couple of minutes.

    If you are fit, it should not take anything away from your TT performance, however riding a balls out effort not fully warmed up risks injury and certainly will not allow you to go 100%.

    *-think the older you get, the longer it seems to take to loosen up. I'm 40 now, so if I'm still testing in 20 years I'll probably be doing 1hr+ warmups!
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • celbianchi
    celbianchi Posts: 854
    andrewgturnbull wrote:
    Hi there.

    This is what works for me:

    20 minutes easy riding to get loosened up (usually achieved by riding out to the strip from my house)
    10-15 minutes warm up: Start in an easy gear, spin for 30 seconds to a minute. Change to a harder gear for another 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat all the way through your gears until you've got to just above race pace, approx 80% of maximum heart rate. Spin for a minute or two then repeat the process.

    Aim to finish your warm up and get to the start line no more than 2 minutes before your start time - but make sure you're not late! Watch some early riders going off and check them against your watch.


    Alternatively, if the event is further from home (or the weather is bad) I've been known to take the turbo and do a similar warm up while sheltering under the tailgate of my car.

    Cheers, Andy

    Andrew - maybe i am reading what you are saying wrongly. 80% of HRM seems a bit low for a 10 - you say you warm up to just above race pace, 80% of HRM?
  • chopper1
    chopper1 Posts: 45
    Warming up is different for everyone, you have to find out what works best for you.
    I usually do an easy 25-30 mins, then a few hard sprints for about 30 seconds each in the TT position and get to the start ready to go.
    But you really do need to experiment a bit to find out what is best for you.
  • Mike Willcox
    Mike Willcox Posts: 1,770
    My warm up is about 10/15 minutes riding at moderate intensity and 5 minutes easy while waiting for start time. I don't believe that blasting away at full TT pace in a warm up makes any difference. All you need is to get your core warmed up sufficiently. IMO anything else is a waste of energy.
  • andrewgturnbull
    andrewgturnbull Posts: 3,861
    celbianchi wrote:

    Andrew - maybe i am reading what you are saying wrongly. 80% of HRM seems a bit low for a 10 - you say you warm up to just above race pace, 80% of HRM?

    Hi there.

    Everyone's different, but 80% is about right for me, although it does drift upwards as the race progresses, but probably no higher than 85% until the last push for the finish over the last 1.5 miles or so.

    In modern parlance we're talking right at the top of level 4 - 320w for me at present.

    Cheers, Andy
    http://www.andyturnbull.co.uk
    http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk
  • gandhi
    gandhi Posts: 187
    Thanks very much all. I'll have an experiment with some of the ideas here. I think I'll try riding to the venue (normally about 25 mins easy), then ramping it up after I've entered to get my legs up to speed.
  • Mike Willcox
    Mike Willcox Posts: 1,770
    Mike Willcox wrote:
    My warm up is about 10/15 minutes riding at moderate intensity and 5 minutes easy while waiting for start time. I don't believe that blasting away at full TT pace in a warm up makes any difference. All you need is to get your core warmed up sufficiently. IMO anything else is a waste of energy.

    It seems like sports science is catching up with feel and PE

    http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/t ... tart-16833
  • andrewgturnbull
    andrewgturnbull Posts: 3,861
    Mike Willcox wrote:
    Mike Willcox wrote:
    My warm up is about 10/15 minutes riding at moderate intensity and 5 minutes easy while waiting for start time. I don't believe that blasting away at full TT pace in a warm up makes any difference. All you need is to get your core warmed up sufficiently. IMO anything else is a waste of energy.

    It seems like sports science is catching up with feel and PE

    http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/t ... tart-16833

    Hi Mike.

    Good article - another one of those that backs up what old hands (like yourself) have known for a long time.

    Please don't misinterpret the role of the guys in white coats here Mike - just because they aren't discovering something new, it doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile. Scientific tools can be used to go back over existing knowledge to separate the myths from the truths, and also to figure out how and why the stuff you've always done works.

    You should be pleased to be 'proved' right!

    Cheers, Andy
    http://www.andyturnbull.co.uk
    http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk
  • Mike Willcox
    Mike Willcox Posts: 1,770
    andrewgturnbull wrote:

    Hi Mike.

    Good article - another one of those that backs up what old hands (like yourself) have known for a long time.
    Please don't misinterpret the role of the guys in white coats here Mike - just because they aren't discovering something new, it doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile. Scientific tools can be used to go back over existing knowledge to separate the myths from the truths, and also to figure out how and why the stuff you've always done works.

    You should be pleased to be 'proved' right!

    Cheers, Andy

    Just looked at the CTT website and they have added previous Nat Champs under Retro Results. The last one I rode was National 25 in 1980 and finished 16th. Quite pleased with that. It was the first time I wore a skin suit.

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