In my previous post I discussed several strategies to maximize your potential during the Frostbite Time Trial. These strategies included using a variable pacing strategy, getting up to race speed as quick as possible (but not above) and exhausting all your potential energy while on the course. Examining an athlete’s power file can be a great way to determine how well an athlete executed the planned strategy and where improvements can be made.
The Frostbite TT course is 11.4 miles and is an out and back course. The course gently rolls down on the way out and then rolls back up on the return to the finish. On Saturday, racers had a slight headwind on the downhill out portion of the course and a slight tailwind on the uphill return to the finish.
Primal p/b Firstbank rider Lucas C had a great result at the Frostbite Time Trial this past Saturday. Lucas came in second place in the Cat 3 Men’s category with a time of 25:53 and was only 9 seconds off the winner’s time of 25:44.
Lucas was kind enough to share his power file from his SRM with me.He had an impressive ride, but could he have trimmed 9 seconds off his time with a different pacing strategy?
Below is his power file from the race and my analysis.
Lucas started the race with a surge of 848 watts for 2s and ramped blasted his speed up to 34.5 mph, his maximal speed for the course.
It took Lucas 25:53 to finish the race. His average power was 335 watts and his average speed was 27.2 mph. Lucas completed the first half of the course with an average power of 344 watts and an average speed of 28.1 mph. After the turn around, Lucas average 324 watts and 26.3 mph. Therefore, Lucas produced more power and had a faster first half of the race than the second half of the race.
In the closing minute of the race, Lucas average 371 watts, well above his average for the entire race.
Lucas had a really great race and a very good placing in his category, but with a few modifications I believe he could have shaved seconds off his time, maybe even 9 seconds resulting in a win.
At the start, Lucas could have spent a little less energy. For example, he might have started with a 2s power burst of 650 watts and immediately got his speed up to 28 mph, as opposed to ramping it all the way up to 34.5 and then slowing down to race speed.
Applying the correct variable pacing strategy to the particular course and wind conditions is sometimes not obvious. The first leg of the course had a headwind, but was downhill and the return leg of the course had a tailwind and was uphill. In reviewing the file, the correct application of the variable pacing strategy would have been to ride at a slightly lower than average pace on the first leg and then a higher power on the return trip with the tailwind. Even though there was a tailwind, the return trip was the slower part of the race because of the uphill return to the finish after the turn around. The simplest way to think of using a variable pacing strategy is to apply greater effort on the slowest parts of the course. On that day, the slowest part of the course was the return trip to the finish.
There were also several opportunities for Lucas to apply power more effectively during the race. At the start, Lucas blasted out of the gates with an 848 watt burst of power at the speed of 34.5 mph, well above race speed. Tempering this effort might have saved him a bit of energy and time overall. The greatest savings of time likely would have come from reversing his pacing strategy – averaging 324 watts for the first half of the race and 344 watts after the turn around to the finish. Lucas gave an incredible effort during this race, but his final minute of the race was well above his average power for the entire race (371 vs. 335 watts). This extra effort should have been used to maintain a slightly higher speed elsewhere on the course.
Finding the correct pacing strategy given your fitness level, the course, and wind conditions is not easy and takes some experience. But by carefully reviewing your results, you should be able to find areas for improvement, develop an effective strategy for your next race, and move up in the results.
Vie! Vie! Racing 