JohnnyKay and Fred Doucette's HIM/IM focused Mentor group-CLOSED (Page 5)

I know Dan's comments of being efficient in transition don't go directly to the topic being discussed of how to pace the bike (or run or swim), but I think it's something to definitely think about for both HIM & IM racing. 

There are two general 'mistakes' I see in transition.  One is what I'll call 'lollygagging'--walking around, sitting down, drinking, eating, digging in a bag for some piece of equipment, etc.  The other, as Dan noted, is rushing through at top speed, equipment flying everywhere. 

Efficient is a very good description of what I think people should strive for through transition.  This can (and should) still lead to times which are quite "fast" relative to the field.  But, simply be organized and move with a purpose.  Don't get frustrated if your wetsuit gets caught or your ankle (or something else unexpected happens).  Stay calm go though what should be a well-rehearsed checklist of things that need to be done, and in the order that you plan to do them.  There is no need to sprint.

"Speed" in transition should not require significant effort and, as such, is effectively "free" for your overall time.  Even if the savings are relatively small, free is a hard price to beat!

Thanks for the responses guys. 

I'm probably going to try another race pace effort ride this Saturday followed by a 4 mile run at expected race pace.  I have an easy week afterwards, so it should fit in well.

FYI, I do use a power tap and HRM, but won't be using the powertap for my HIM.  I have a disc cover for it, and discs aren't allowed at Hawaii 70.3...so I'm using a 404 rear instead.

This brings up two great questions for me to ask the group based on Dan's comments.

1)  What % of FTP will you ride a HIM?  I think anywhere from 80-85% is pretty much the norm, but wondering if others have different ideas or comments about those numbers.  How much will you base the % on a goal IF score?  Does it make a difference to you if the course is hilly vs flat? 

2)  How close have your HIM runs been in comparison to the VDOT chart that John posted earlier?  The chart is giving the range of 90-95% of your HM pace, although you obviously need to factor in course conditions.  Dan commented that he ran the HIM in Z2 at the beginning, but I'm curious how long to stay in that type of zone vs zone 3/4. 

I know that for me to run the HIM at 90-95% of my HM pace, I'm not going to be able to spend too much time in Z2.

This is simply my opinion, but I would dump the 404 and run the PT instead.  Like you said, you may go too hard at the beginning of the bike, and by the time you realize it, it could be too late.  The time savings with the 404 aren't going to be as important as pacing IMO.

x2

Part of me knows it's better to use a training set with powertap rear than a 404 set, but my initial decision to use the 404 set is based on a couple things.

1.  I've been training with power for about a year now.  And I have a pretty good feel for what RPE correlates to what power level.

2.  I'm still using HR...and I think I'm also fine tuning what HR correlates to what power level.  The hard part is accounting for cardiac drift.

That being said, I have not completely ruled out using the PT training set over my 404 set.  In about 3 weeks I plan to do another long ride where I turn my power display off on my garmin to see how my power numbers compare to my RPE and HR post ride.  If I see an obvious problem in my pacing, I will strongly consider the powertap set.

Agreed - but it's nice to see what is working for others, where they've found things have gone right or wrong.

I checked out the ST thread, and clicked into the other thread showing fast positions, and this is what I really would like to focus on now.  Obviously increasing FTP/CP is key in my mind, but lowering my CDA and making some equipment choices is also going to part of the plan this year.  Also learning to stay aero is going to be something new for me, although Muskoka doesn't allow for it nearly as much as other courses.

Already lots of good responses on this, but I'll throw my $0.02 in the pot.

1) I have raced HIMs from ~78% to 84%.  The difference is largely due to the nature of the course.  Hilly courses take longer so I ride at a lower percentage.  I've sort of calibrated to a TSS range that I feel comfortable with.  I will say that there is a BIG difference between 78% and 84% and if I rode 84% for a 3hr ride (I've done HIMs with 3+ hr bike legs), I would be toast for the run.

2)  I have been at or near the 90% level for a HIM run, but never gotten to the 95% level.  I no longer use HR when I race, so I couldn't tell you what zone that was.  It starts out "comfortably hard" and finishes "uncomfortably hard".