Subject: Training vs. race pace Hi all,
I'm a long-time lurker who is coming up on my first tri (sprint distance ) this weekend. I've followed a training program very similar to the 13 wk sprint plan listed on this site. I hadn't found this site when I began training
http://www.trinewbies.com/10wtp.pdfis what I trained to, in case you're curious.
For the last half of my training I've been using a heart rate monitor, keeping myself in the upper end of my aerobic zone (mostly, I suffer from getting over-eager sometimes ). Overall I'm feeling prepared and excited for the race.
Given my pace I'm guessing I'll be a MOP'er and my goal for the race is strictly personal. That said I'm also somewhat competitive and would love to make a good showing. So my specific question is, with the use of a heart rate monitor, how much (if any ) are you willing to bump your effort level for race day over what you've trained at. I've seen from training that I'm comfortable at 150bpm (could go all day long ), feel like I'm pushing (racing ) at about 160bpm, and feel like I'm sprinting (couldn't sustain for more than a few minutes ) at 170 bpm. This is for the bike and run, haven't used the monitor in the water.
Do you guys race at the same aerobic level that you trained at?
Thanks!
Jeff |