What can I do to get faster Quickly? (Page 3)

You're right, of course. My point was the same as yours. Running is the OPs relative strength. So he needs to work on his swim and bike so he can run somewhere close to his potential.

There is no way I would spend money on nice race wheels on a 'cheap department store bike'. At that point, its not the wheels that is the limiting factor.

If you want to go faster downhill you need to get in the drops, stick out your butt, lower yours chest to the top tube and make your body flat as possible. Also, continue to pedal in the highest gear.

However, if you really have a cheap department store bike, I'm thinking the back cassette has only 8 rings and the front crank has 2? Which therefore means you probably don't have a very good gear ratios to work with.

You discribe getting stiff and various aches/pains when riding..... Did you ever get a basic bike fit? Your LBS should offer a basic bike fit to check seat height, pedal stroke, and handle bars. Its not a retul fit or anything quite so maximized, but you need to at least get a few basics done.

A bike fit is important, but for a beginner its more about spending time riding. No matter how perfect a fit is, a beginner just needs to ride.

Just to clarify I didn't purchase race wheels, just new tires. I did this mainly because my current ones are horribly uneven and I feel like I am bouncing all over the road when I get above 50km/h. So it is a safety issue more than a speed issue (also I have gotten 2 flats in the last 5 rides).

Back has 7, not 8, and yes front has 2. So you are right not very good gear ratios to work with at all.

No I haven't got a basic bike fit, I just can't justify spending $80 ($69.99+tax is the cheapest I've found) for someone to put my seat 0.5cm lower. I read lots online about it though and I really don't see what else they could do for me since there is really only a couple places the fit can be adjusted.

I am working on the riding time though. I starting to get a little more comfortable in the saddle.

It is unlikely that what you describe was the result of the tires, even if they are very worn. While good tires (and latex tubes) are a wise investment for racing, most bikes will experience a "death wobble" under certain conditions. This often happens at high speed and can sometimes be prevented by relaxing your grip on the bars (hard to do when the wobble is established) and clamping your knees into the top tube.



Your gear ratios are probably fine - 7, 8 and 9 generally will have similar spacing between the smallest and largest cogs in the cassette (for example, 12-25 where 12 will be your smallest cog and 25 the biggest where the number gives the number of teeth). The difference will be that there will be more gaps between the inbetween cogs depending on which speed cassette. As for the chainrings, most racing bikes only have two chainrings and likely the only downside here will be that you probably have standard chainrings (typically 53/39 or maybe 52/39) and for most triathletes a compact crankset would be more appropriate (generally either 50/34 or 50/36). So, you have all the gear you will need it will just be a bit of an issue as far as trying to find the gear that is just right in a given situation. For example, you may have a 15 and a 17 tooth cog but one feels a little too big and one a little too small so if you had a 16, it would be perfect. However, this really isn't going to make much difference in your race day performance so just get used to using the gears you have to ride as comfortably as you can.

Shane

It is definitely the tires (mainly the front). It is not that they are worn just incredibly cheap. If I spin my front tire there is a very noticeable bump up and to the left every rotation. The rim is perfectly true. I took the tires off and put them back on and that bump is still there. I made complete sure that it was sitting perfectly in the rim. The tire is just a tiny bit bigger at one point. This bike is made for commuters than never go above 20km/h so most people wouldn't even notice it.

FWIW you haven't done an oly tri before. Doing the distances and doing a race are 2 different things. As it's been said 25 minutes is a lot to take off in such a short time (even for a beginner) You'll have a better idea of what's going on after your first race and you'll probably surprise yourself a little.

I was able to accurately predict my first 10k race time within less than 1 minute. I was able to accurately predict my first full marathon time within less than 4.5 minutes. I was able to accurately predict my first obstacle race time within less than 6 minutes.

Clearly based on the responses here I am much more in tune with my body and my fitness levels than most people are.

I'm positive that my prediction was accurate within 5 minutes.

That being said I'm also positive I'll be faster than that on race day.

Just voicing my concern, but that sounds really dangerous. It's not difficult to have a nasty wobble and lose control of your bicycle at high speed. It's dangerous enough that you are going 50km/h on a bicycle, but having that jitter will prevent you from getting most speed out of your race. It's always faster to go straight than to fight to stay straight.

Do you think you can take the bike to a LBS and see if they can balance your wheel? They should be able to align it with some tools. It might never be perfect, but it should help.

regarding riding position with hands on top of the brakes: this is something i have thought about for many hours on the bike and find it to be true because one's arms are more forward cutting into the wind than if they are straight down in the drops, but you still have to keep your head down. i guess it also depends on your torso vs bike frame dimensions

Edited by fnkyhd 2013-07-28 9:57 AM

Thanks for the concern. Tools won't help since the wheel itself is perfect, it is just the rubber tire itself that isn't. I have ordered new tires, they should be here before race day. In the mean time I am not letting myself go above 55km/h.

In general you're right, the position on the hoods is probably a bit more aero than riding the drops. It does take quite a bit more discipline to stay in the right position though, as time goes on you'll tend to sit up more and more as you get tired. Your body doesn't have that option in the drops. Just something to think about.

Good point. I've definitely noticed that position to be a lot harder on the arms, triceps specifically. Normally that wouldn't be an issue but right after racing 1500 meters it certainly could be.

My point was I think you're going to go faster than you expect given you have really no point of reference. However you'll give most credit to the last 5 weeks. The time is more about your current ability rather than the gains you're going to make in 5 weeks (they'll be minimal given you have a base somewhat already). Tri's, unlike open road races, have a lot of variables. For example my second race this year, on a course I had already ridden several times, I was hoping to break 2:20 for an OLY. I got ideal conditions and went 2:12. I think I'm pretty in tune with my body as well. 3 weeks later in less ideal conditions I went 2:14. If your predictions are as close as you say they are then you're not setting your goals high enough IMO (in your RR it says you crushed your goal of 4 hours with a 3:40....last I checked that was 20 min not 4.5?). As with most the advice you've been given in this thread I know you're going to excuse this with how you're right I'll be curious to see how you do.

Edited by rjrankin83 2013-07-28 10:35 PM

No point of reference? I have a perfect point of reference.

I have raced multiple times, so I know how race day adrenaline and excitement effects me.

I have swam, bike and ran the course Hundreds, probably thousands, of times over many years. I know the course better than most people know the street they live on.



And you'll give it to your inflated opinion of my fitness level from last week, when You really have no frame of reference. :p



That's far from true. I had a cardio base & a running base, but that's it.

Keep in mind at that point I hadn't set up my bike properly, nor did I have all the proper gear on it. It is completely inconceivable that I won't improve after doing that.

Keep in mind that at that point I had only ridden a road bike 5 times. It is completely inconceivable that I won't continue to improve when I go from an absolute beginner to getting more experienced.

Keep in mind that at that point I had only done an OWS for distance or speed once in my life. It is completely inconceivable that I won't continue to improve when I continue to get more practice.

Keep in mind that at that point I had only swam in a wetsuit once in my life. It is completely inconceivable that I won't continue to improve when I continue to get more practice.

Keep in mind that at that point I had done absolutely no strength training in months. It is completely inconceivable that I won't continue to improve when I continue getting stronger.

Add all these together and of course I will continue to improve from me original 3:10 time.



I disagree a tri where I have done the course hundreds of times is way easier to predict than a full marathon when I only knew parts of the course (and Much easier to predict than a obstacle race when I only partially knew the obstacles). Also shorter races (Oly Tri) are always easier to predict than longer races (Marathon).



I seriously hope you are right about my goals not being low enough (not sure what you are basing that on though).

My goal for my marathon was 4:00. My super target was 3:30. My prediction was 3:45. I hit 3:40:42. So I was only off by 4 mins 18 secs.
My goal for my 10k was 50 mins. My super target was 43 mins. My prediction was 45 mins. I hit 44:02. So I was only off by 58 secs.
My goal for my spartan race was 1 hour. My super target was 40 mins. My prediction was 50-55mins (I had a 5 min range for this one because of the uncertainty about the obstacles) I hit 49:25. So I was only off by 35 seconds or 5 mins 35 seconds depending on whether you take the low or high of my prediction.

For all races I always have a goal that I want to get under. That is the level that I need to hit to be happy with my performance. Then beyond that I have my super target, the level that I would be ecstatic if I could achieve. Then usually in the middle of that I have my actual prediction (doesn't everyone do that?)

For my upcoming 2nd Oly Tri my Goal was 3:00, my super target was 2:40, my prediction was 3:10. If I had of had my tri on the day I posted this thread I would have hit 3:10 +/-5 mins. There is no doubt in my mind about that prediction. Does that prediction still hold today? No. Will it still hold on race day? Absolutely not.



And when I do better than 3:10 you will excuse it with how you were right I was just underestimating my previous fitness level.

As a relatively new triathlete (who raced stanley park last year too) if you need to take 25m off your target times then I suggest:

Take 5min off your swim. You are comfortable with the distance? Then start working on your pace. Know what swim gears/speeds you have. This is easiest to do in a pool, kits is great as it's nice and long. If you can't maintain your new target pace then it's time to break it down into intervals with short rests. 60x25m, 30x50m, etc, etc. Are you using a wetsuit for the race?

Take 20 min off your bike. Make sure it fits. If you don't want to pay for a bike fit, then start researching, get a buddy, get a mirror, video tape yourself, etc. Do you have employment benefits that cover physio? Some physio places offer bike fit services which you can claim.

Also, don't under estimate the blender that is the swim start/first buoy turn.

Lastly, train and race safe.

Edited by aavlee 2013-07-29 2:01 AM

Funny you should mention Kits pool since I am going there tomorrow for the first time this year.

I'm not comfortable with the distance, but I am comfortable with my ability to finish it, if that makes sense.

Yes I am going to be racing with a wetsuit, but I am only training with it for my open water swims. I'd feel kind of goofy swimming in kits pool in a full wetsuit (would they even allow that?)

My last couple swim training sessions have been at Spanish Banks getting used to open water swimming in a wetsuit. Tomorrow I'm gonna be trying the distance for speed, with maybe some drills as well. We'll see how it goes...

The good thing about being such a slow swimmer is that everyone will leave me behind quickly so I won't get too beat up in the water

Assuming one is well positioned on a road bike (and since this is a triathlon site, let's assume aero bars as well), when riding in a racing posture, aero bars should be fastest, followed by the drops and then the hoods. However, many athletes are setup poorly on their road bike, don't know how to ride in the drops or both. While the position shown in the earlier picture was fantastic and there would be little difference between that and the drops, most athletes aren't anywhere close to that position but instead more upright with the elbows locked. The other thing is that when one is in the drops, the forearm should be roughly parallel to the ground so it will look a lot like the hoods position just a little lower.

Shane

Yeah... That is until the faster swimmers from the next wave start to pummel you.

Haha good point, forgot about that.

The good news is I start with the fastest group and the next group doesn't start for 10 minutes. Based on last years results max 50 people should overtake me so it won't be too bad.

Congratulations!

Clearly your bike and swim fitness were better than you anticipated along with the work you've done in the past six weeks.

Now work on those transitions along with SBR and get that under 2:30!

Nice work,

Shane