10 mile TT advice wanted

Southgate

As I'm not doing any of the big international sportives this summer, I thought I'd focus on getting a good time at my local club weekly 10 mile TTs, which finish end of July. It's a very hilly course, incl two longish (1 mile+) climbs of 8% or thereabouts and it's actually about 9 1/2 miles. I finished last year in 25 minutes (with no specific speed training, although I was doing a lot of miles training for the Etape), and I'd like to knock a minute or more off that if I could.

I'm a shade under 49 years old and I currently do around 160 - 200 miles a week, comprising a mixture of club rides, Regents Park interval training, and very recently 1 to 3 hour sessions on a turbo. I don't have any monitors (and don't intend getting any, at least for now) and rely purely on perceived exertion.

I have plenty of free time over the next few weeks, so I thought it would be fun (or maybe torture!) to follow a more structured training program with a 10 mile TT as the goal. FYI, I am 179 cm about 83 kilos and don't intend losing more than a couple of kilos as I also swim and do weights, and any additional weight loss would be muscle mass (which I don't want to lose).

Thanks in advance for your advice.

ric/rstsport

it may take more than a few weeks for any change in your training to have a noticeable effect on your performance. if you want people to suggest some training ideas, it may help if you could explain by Regents Park intervals (other than they take place in Regents Park) - mainly as there's millions of intervals you could do, and i wouldn't want to suggest something you're already doing.

in brief though, and in general, to improve at 10-mile TTing you want to look at increasing your FTP (~1hr TT power) as well as increasing your MAP/VO2max, so this may include intervals (but not limited to) of between 20-mins and 4 or 5 mins repeated multiple times along with various types of endurance work.

Ric

Southgate

Oh yeah, I guess that would have helped! :oops: Typical week looks something like this:

80 - 100 commuting miles / 6 hours total.
1 or 2 x long club rides (50 - 65 miles each, fairly hilly routes in Hertfordshire / Essex) at av speed 18mph.
1 or 2 x Regents Park sessions of 60 - 90 minutes duration each. Of late I have been doing one lap 'on' / one lap 'off', which equates to 7 minute intervals with 9 minute recoveries.

Currently only on a Turbo cos of a hand injury, but back on the road in two weeks.

As I said, I have plenty of time to train over the next few weeks, so I can follow any program. I would like to peak in 7 weeks time to coincide with the final TT, so basically I'm looking for the most effective training to achieve this.

Cheers

Mettan

Southgate wrote:

It's a very hilly course, incl two longish (1 mile+) climbs of 8% or thereabouts and it's actually about 9 1/2 miles. I finished last year in 25 minutes (with no specific speed training, although I was doing a lot of miles training for the Etape)

- don't want to sound like I'm knitpicking m8, although the above caught my eye - you really should contact Team Sky if you can do a 25 min 10 containing two 1 mile climbs at 8 % - more seriously, have you thought of doing the National Hill climbing champs?

Southgate

Sorry, I meant UP to 8% at the steepest points (and it's less than 10 miles). My rough guesses are making it look like I'm trying to pass myself off for Bradley Wiggins!! whereas sadly I'm just a bog-standard club rider who would like to do a little better. I think the club record is 22 minutes, so I don't think Murdoch will be calling me anytime soon!

I'm a bit heavy to ever be any good at hill climbing, so I think I'll leave the Nat Hill Climb Challenges for the skinny guys.

simon_e

Southgate wrote:

I would like to peak in 7 weeks time to coincide with the final TT, so basically I'm looking for the most effective training to achieve this.

I would cut the mileage and increase the intensity.

Shorter, harder intervals (4min above 10mile pace or 10 x 1min on, 1min off hard interals), with rest/very easy days in between each session and the time trial days so you're fresh enough each time.

Do these in race position, focus on really getting the most out of each session while staying as aero as you can and riding through the pain towards the end.

Southgate

Thanks for the tips, Simon. Much appreciated.