Sprint RAce - Heart Rates -Ranges etc.
849
Member
1488 days
catwood posted 3 years ago.
I'm sure I do a lot of things wrong pacing, maybe its luck that I usually end up with good results... But for sprints... (take 1-1.5 hours)... For that amount of time, I can be very close to my lactate threshold. My hr is generally in the low-mid 180s and pushes 200 by the end of the run. I swim the first 75 yards fast to get out of the big pack, then settle at a pace that I can breathe every three strokes and not feel like I need more air. That pace seems to work well. I somehow usually start redlining running too fast from the water to t1 though and I need to stop doing that. Basically I just ride hard on the bike. I drink 75% of my water/gatorade during the first half so it can be absorbed before the run because I have really bad tolerance for anything running. My HR is around 180+ for the whole bike. I slow down a tiny bit the 1/2 mile (maybe 5-10 sec) so I can recover a little bit. I find that a small bit of recovery goes a long ways-- but that could also mean that I'm pushing too hard. For the run, I just pace it like a 5k. My rule of thumb is to run the 1st mile 5 sec slower than you think you should have (maybe 10 for a tri) and you'll finish strong. I stick at a high aerobic pace for the 1st mile, pretty much at AT for the 2nd and anaerobic for the last mile. But all that is totally relative. I think I too need some real pacing plan... I pretty much go by instinctive pacing and it works well, but I'm sure if I calculated and planned it it would be even better.
49
Member
1446 days
Jcody posted 3 years ago.
Thanks for the reply catwood - I thought pretty much the same thing that I was at or near AT for the entire race - I like the part about swimmming the first 75 fast to get out of the pack - but I suppose you try to darft off someone about the same speed right ;) The run is where it all gets a little tricky - I too will have to see if I can put a more sound race plan together this year. thanks
2455
Member
1331 days
Triguy98 posted 3 years ago.
Instead of trying to outswim that big pack, start to the outside. Let all the hot shots take off, and just maintain your pace. You'll catch them and pass them about 1/2 way. The race is an hour or so long, no need to redline it out of the gate. Your plan for taking the swim slightly slower would be the correct course of action... unless you are chasing a podium finish, in that case, push it. As far as the bike, I "warm up" for two miles, then hit my pace, then relax a little the last 1/2 mile or so.
I personally dont train with a HR monitor. I don't need one on the run at all, i could possibly use one on the bike, but my training methods dont really depend on those numbers...at least not for sprint or Oly. Ironman distances, I would serious look at one.
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.
I have done several Sprint tris but I must admit I have never used my heart rate monitor. One of the things I have struggled with was getting the effort just right on each leg. I know this is highly subjective and very dependant on age fitness etc. etc. But may some general descriptives of how maybe someone else is approaching a "competetive Spint time. For example what I have done in the past is stay somewhat slower (I mean 15 -30 seconds or so slower in the swim to save a little energy then on the bike recover a little with a drink or two while increasing the intensity steadily througout - finally hopefully being able to maintain a very strong run at the end. However I really do not know at what point I am aerobic verses anaroebic etc. Anyone experience this or got info on what worked for them?