Relearning Bike Handling Skills

Last summer, I wanted to get into triathlons, but I needed to get a bike. Rather daunting was the fact that I hadn't been on a bike in 19 years. Yes, my last bike was a fixie with coaster brakes. It was a little daunting to get a new bike. Is the old adage about riding a bike true? Would I crash a lot? Could I handle a road bike with a much more forward body position? I'm glad to report that I still could ride a bike, but I did forget bike handling skills. The first time I got on a bike again, I was a bit shaky and my hands were glued to the hoods. I remembered saying, "look Mom, no hands", but even several rides later even if I attempted to take a hand off for a split second, I would swerve. I could even ride in the drops. From getting the bike, it took 8 weeks, 8 hours of riding, and about 100 miles to attempt riding in the drops. After about 3-4 rides purposely practing, I was able to reasonably go from the hoods to the drops. I was still shaky taking a hand off, so I had to slide my hand down the side of handlebar. It would be about another 4 weeks, before I could even take a hand off for a quick nose wipe, but I was a long way from being able to grab something from a pocket. I got a Speedplay, so I could drink on the go, so I didn't focus on it exclusively. A month ago, I was able to eat food from my "Bento box" while riding. A week ago, I tried just using a regular bidon in the downtube cage - so pickup, drink, and put back. Today, I successfully grabbed a bidon from my seat tube and refilled my Speedplay, all on the go. It feels great to re-obtain mediocre bike handling skills. I feel like a baby who learned how to walk. So why is this important? For one, safety. At first I couldn't signal or let other riders know of a pothole. Second, if I was on a longer ride, like an Olympic distance triathlon, I'd have to physically stop to refil my Speedplay from another water bottle, which could be a huge time drain. Granted, I am going slow while refilling or drinking (10-12 mph), but this is much better than having to stop. Lastly, I can try out aero bars, something I thought would be impossible for me. It took 80 rides, 77 hours, and 1,100 miles, but I am ready for aerobars!

The Effect of Temperature on Running Pace

Despite 3 more months of training, I have not replicated my PR 5k time of 26:34 at the CB&I triathlon. I think the weather is largely to blame. CB&I was perfect running weather... probably 55 or so by the time I started running. Despite a best effort over the weekend, I only managed 28:58. This was a drop in pace of 0:50/mile. The heat was tough. The weather at run time was 85 F, but it felt like 95 F (that is what the weather report said it felt like, not just me).

How much doesn't the weather impact run time then? My heart rate for the run averaged at my Lactate Threshold of 184, so I don't feel like I was slacking. An online calculator shows a change of 0:19/mile from 60 F to 85 F and only goes up at total 0:27/mile at 95F.

What about real life data? I compared participants in the 30-44 male age groups from CB&I to Bridgeland. Including myself, there were 38 people that did both races. The median differential was 36 seconds per mile, with the 20th percentile at 18.4 seconds and the 80th percentile at 50.6 seconds. As with any statistics, there are outliers on both ends, but you never know the circumstances: e.g., if someone had stomach cramps at CB&I.

So real-world data indicates a higher impact of temperature than the calculator. Is the calculator wrong? Well, maybe the study that produced the data for the calculator only included only professional or elite athletes, who may have higher tolerance to the heat, or a variety of other reasons. My 50 seconds may be higher than the average, but it's not tremendously out of line, and doing this comparison has made me feel better about it.

Race Report: Bridgeland Triathlon

The Bridgeland triathlon was a 600m open water swim, a 12.8 mi bike, and a 5k run. It was originally billed as 550m/13mi/5k, but there was some last minute changes.

Swim: 12:56 (2:09/100m)

This was my first open water swim since CB&I back in May. I was in a later wave, so I didn't start for 32 minutes after the pros went off. Overall, the swim went pretty well. A couple times I found myself significantly off course, but since I sight rather frequently (about 14 strokes - counting both arms), I don't think I added too much distance. I did start to get hot at about 300-400m or so. The water was warm, the sun was coming up, and the swim cap keeps the heat in. I tried drafting once or twice, but it was a failure. The visibility in that lake is about 0.00001mm, at best, so that made it harder. The water was warm, so I started getting hot after about 300m, with the swim cap on. My time was 0:02/100m faster than CB&I and my time was a little outside of the top 3rd for my AG which was very consistent to CB&I.

T1: 2:42

The ground was a bit muddy from rain the night before, so I took a few seconds to wipe off my feet. Overall, though I didn't make any major mistakes. This race had a longer run in transition to my bike, which increased my overall time. GPS data shows that I was at my spot for 1:18, but I barely eeked into the top 75% of my AG. I need to work on this.

Bike: 41.28 (18.5mph)

I was happy with the bike. Per my coaches instruction, I was to not go too fast the first couple of miles. After that I was usually over 19 mph for most of the ride. Sometimes my mind would wander a bit and I would slow down slightly, so perhaps I need to focus more. At Sugar Land, I hammered the bike as hard as I could and average 19.3 mph, but I thought that was a cause of my poor run, so I deliberately spun at a lower gear before the finish for longer. I definitely felt like I could have continued at that pace for longer, so I'm feeling more confident for Galveston. Despite an improvement of 1.7mph over CB&I, I was still one of the slower bike - 100/129, but it was an improvement of 5 percentile.

T2: 1:39

Per my GPS, I only spent 39 seconds at my station, the rest of the time, I was running.

Run: 28:58 (9:19mi)

Chesty Puller said that "Pain is weakness leaving the body." Well, a lot of weakness left today. My run time was 2:24 slower than my PR, but it hurt the entire time. The weather was brutal. My wave was one of the last, so starting a half hour later in Houston in August is the difference of 3-4 degrees. According to the weather report it was about 84 for the run, but it "felt like" 95F, and yes it sure did. I normally run at 5:15 in the morning before work, which is usually the coolest part of the day and is about 76 and no sun. I found heart rate training to be helpful here. I know my LT was 184, and if I could stick to that, then I knew I was actually putting in a good effort and I didn't have to question whether I was "wussing out" over the heat. What to do differently? Carry my own freezer pack? I wonder if I could keep some freezer packs in a small cooler, and then grab them on the run. Twice on the run, there was someone with a hose which was helpful, and at the Mile 2 station, they handed out iced sponges. Both of these were welcome reliefs, but I could have used more. My relative rank in my AG was right at the same, so many must have been impacted by the heat.

Total: 1:27:45 Overall I was pretty happy with my performance - 78/129 - very consistent with CB&I. Despite the heart rate data, I still question whether I could have done better on the run. I'm sure every athlete does. At least for me, it's not like I'm getting 4th and miss the podium by 10 seconds. I'll keep striving for improvement, but it does ease that anxiety knowing that I am just comparing the difference between the 60th and 55th percentile.

July Totals

July is done and I hit my highest totals ever by a long margin: thanks to getting a coach and her setting an aggressive training plan for an Olympic distance. Swimming would have been a record had the pool not been closed this week (and next month) for maintenance. Some of the bike was on a trainer, but based on data riding outside, I can calculate distance based on time and heart rate.

Swim: 5h 29m, 15,060 yds (record: 16,528 yds)

Bike: 14h 20m, 213.6 mi (old record: 146.5 mi)

Run: 9 1m, 50.2 mi (old record: 38.3 mi)

The Benefit of a Coach

I recently started a training plan with a coach. I sat on the fence for a while but I have an Olympic distance race coming up and I was adrift. I had a feeling I wasn't doing enough volume, but I didn't know how much to do.

1. Pushing you to higher volumes
2. Giving guidance on the right paces or intervals to do different workouts at
3. Accountability - the coach can look at your data from your GPS watch and know if you are slacking
4. Accountability - you are paying for it.

 

Pre-coach average weekly volumes:

• Swim - 3000 yards
• Bike -  30 miles
• Run - 7 miles

 

 Coach prescribed volumes (approximate as it varies by week):

• Swim - 6500 yards
• Bike - 90 miles
• Run - 18 miles

Bike Wheels & Tires: Speed Improvement

 

So my bike, a KHS Flite 300, came with Kenda Kontenders and Quasar Q2 wheels. Professional reviews gave decent marks to both, but I was curious as to how much difference upgrades. Were we talking 0.1mph or 1.5 mph?

 

I started doing some internet research, learned about rotating weight vs static weight, the coefficient of rolling resistance, etc. It lead me to conclude that the benefit would be much more than 0.1 mph.

 

I  made three changes:

• Lower handlebars on stem - improve aerodynamics
• Bought Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheel - reduce rolling weight. The alternative would be a more aerodynamic wheel that isn't necessarily lighter. Even though I live in a flat area, where a more aero wheel might be more preferred by many, since I am a bigger guy, a low-weight wheel would offset my disadvantage when I am on hills.
• Bought Mavic Griplink/Powerlink tires - reduces rolling resistance

 

Overall, I reduced the weight of my bike from 23lbs 5 oz (w/o saddle bag) to 21lbs 8oz, a drop of 1 lb 13oz!

Results
At my race in May (15 miles), I rode at 16.8 mph. In June (10 miles), it was 19.3 mph. I would say 0.5 mph was due to the lowered handlebars, 0.5mph were due to the shorter course and training in between races, and 1.5 mph was due to the wheels and tires.

 

Reference:
http://www.rouesartisanales.com/article-1503651.html
http://www.biketechreview.com/tires_old/images/AFM_tire_testing_rev9.pdf

Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Triathlon

The Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Triathlon consisted of a 300 meter pool swim, a 10 mile bike, and 3 mile run. The race sees a wide range of participants from professionals to first timers.

Swim (5:58)

I had done some recent time trials at 5:52-5:53, which was quicker than the 6:15 that I put down on the entry form, so I was expected to pass some people. I caught the woman in front of me within the first 30m, then I caught three more people over the course of the swim. I was originally worried about passing and the potential for head-on collosions. I did see one almost head on collision while waiting to start, but it was always clear for me. I touched the person in front of me's toes and then I sighted to make sure it was clear.

My time was 5:58, but that includes getting out of the pool and dealing with other swimmers, so I was very happy with the swim.

The biggest problem was getting under the lane lines. I had practiced this beforehand, but it didn't go according to plan. The first lane crossing, I had caught another woman at the wall, so we were both trying to go under at the same time. There was also less of a grip at that side of the pool, which messed up my second try.

T1 (1:53)

Everything went smoothly this time, except that I forgot to put on my 2nd bike glove. It didn't end up bothering me. I also didn't hit the button to end the "transition" period on my watch, so I didn't get any bike data. 

Bike (31:05 - 19.3 mph)
It felt really good. I was 16.8 mph in my last race so this was a huge improvement, at largely due to some bike changes: lower handlebars, new wheels and tires, as I had only rode 175 miles since. I passed probably 15 people, while only about 5 passed me.

Based on my run performance, perhaps I over did it. I thought I could hammer throughout the race since it was shorter - so I was pushing the pace, riding out of the saddle up hills, etc. I probably need to do more bricks to figure out how hard I can go on the bike and still run effectively.

I also normally spin out at a higher cadence prior to hitting the bike in, which helps to clear blood from the legs, but I was caught off guard - I turned a corner, and there it was.

T2 (1:29)
Except for racking my bike on the wrong rack and having to move it, it went pretty well

Run (27:38 - 9:09/mile)

The race was going very well up until this point. My legs felt heavy and it was hot. The run was definitely a mental battle, which I wasn't winning.  At my last race under ideal temperatures, I ran at 8:31/mile. I bet I lost about a minute on my overall time due to the temperature and minute because I didn't try to push hard enough through it.  My average HR was 178, which is about 4 less than my Lactate threshold, so I know I wasn't pushing hard enough.