Improving TT Speed

Specifically related to IM distances. What would people recommend to improving avg speed over the 180km's? Currently training for Canberra 1/2, so not going to change anything too much 5 weeks out, but more looking ahead to Port IM next year. I'm currently at about mid 37km/h for a straight 100km TT in training, which relates to ~34km/h on a Port type course in a race for 180. Both training and race is done according to HR, maxing at top of Z2.

I find I can TT @ this speed / hr all day long, but struggle to get anything more out. Some ideas of things to work on post Canberra would be nice.

Improve your "base" speed and you'll improve your IM speed.

Basically, consider your "base" speed as your FTP (~40k TT speed) which you improve by a combination of shorter, faster reps. The greatest "bang for buck" is from the following 2 sessions:

VO2 max
* 6 x (3min on / 3 off) OR 5 x (4 on / 4 off).
* The "on" is as hard as you can go while still being able maintain the same power from the first min of the first rep, to the last min of the last rep. This one hurts...a lot.

Threshold
* 3-4 x (10min on / 2 off) OR 3 x (15 on / 3 off) OR 2 x (20 on / 5 off)
* The "on" is at or just above your Oly Dist intensity / power.

These are just 2 of a range of sessions you can do, but are guaranteed to improve your bike riding over sprint / Oly dist...and by extension, over IM dist.

Agree with Campbell,

Focus on your FT power right up until your IM specific preps (approximately 12 weeks out) and that will then create a good window to lift your IM power with a block of IM specific work.

Minimize the work at IM effort now in order to be fresh and recovered to hit those threshold effort really hard. Keep doing your endurance work but keep that below IM effort and also focus on doing lots of strength work (hills) to develop your ability to push a big gear at Threshold.

fluro

P.S What are you doing for a 40km TT? Your splits above are very similar to mine. I'm also doing Port and the focus for me right now is threshold power not IM power, that will come later.

Thanks for the replies. How often / week would you be doing one of those sessions? I currently have a session similar to the workouts suggested by Campbell, on the WT once a week. Once more out on the road be useful?

Paul, no idea on 40km TT sorry, never done one.

An excellent week of riding would include those 2 sessions, plus a long ride. Any other ride, at easy pace, would be a bonus extra.

Alternatively, because they are hard sessions, and depending on how you recover from them, and keeping in mind the desire to include a hard run session...a week of riding could still include the VO2 reps as a stand-alone session, and incorporate the threshold reps into your long ride. Thus 2 key bike sessions per week, with 1-2 other ride being just for extra miles. Then your running would consist of something like 1 hard session, 1 long run and then 1-2 other, easy runs.

Of course, I'm saying this very generally without knowing anyting much of your background, current training, etc, so take it with a grain of salt when considering it for your own program.

I can handle 2 sometimes 3 threshold sessions PW.

I would suggest you go out and do a 40km TT soon. It will give you are good starting point, not only in terms of where you are at, and to have a goal to aim for, but also in terms of the how hard the effort is to be able to hold threshold power for an 1hr. Once you know what it feels like you'll be in a better position to execute your threshold intervals at the right level of effort.

HR becomes secondary at that intensity. Quite often my HR won't reach FT numnbers until the end of the interval even though FT power will be there from the start, so developing a feel for the effort would be your next step.

It takes time to adjust to this sort of training and you may need to cutback on your running and swimming intensity work in order to get the biggest gains on the bike. You can't go into these sessions fatigued, they just don't work.

fluro