Need to look into IF and TSS, never really paid much/any notice tbh. FWIW my rode today suggests I’d have been screwed on the run, only did 6k but it felt easy, obviously only a very small proportion of the total. IF was .0988, TSS 440 for 130k
That’s over 12 hours isn’t it - or do you mean 0.988 - in which case your FTP is way too low!
That was a 4 hour plus ride, oops 0.988
1 Like
Yes, you can’t do 0.988 for 4 hours, your FTP Is wrong
1 Like
I’ll go check the set-up
“Racing” is a funny thing in Ironman - for me the objective is to get from start to finish as quick as possible and for me if I start racing people then that probably means I don’t get from start to finish as quickly as possible overall.
I started pacing the bike mostly by heart rate, keeping around 135, and trying to keep NP and average power as close as possible. The speed, time and power would ultimately then be what they would be. I used to ride at 150+ bpm to hit the ftp chart power and the marathon turned into a disaster, I suspect now partly/mostly because I can’t process food for hours on end at 155bpm.
1 Like
When I said racing I didn’t even mean racing other people, it can still be racing a time, ie you know you need a perfect day to get 12 hours, but you chase that perfect day, accepting 13 if you fail, rather than just optimising execution that will give you a reliable 12:15 say.
4 Likes
Hear it’s smoother but has the course got that much better? 2019 the only fast was down sheephouse and a bone shaking potholed 30s drop with a steep left at the bottom.
Only easy bit was Sheephouse to Bolton smooth cycling 35-40kmh.
I had so much domino’s, at least a large pizza worth probably two. Agree everything else was awful though!
Good discussion to read through, learning lots.
My take is that people managed long before power meters and tables telling them what to do. Nothing will ever replace training rides, recce’s and racing on feel. Combine that with having a PM in training and knowing what you can do is the ultimate.
@Poet sounds confident he’s got it dialled in and is in a great position. Obviously if he does completely blow we’ll say told you so 
but I think that’s less likely, and good learning for next year if so!
Definitely getting jealous at people’s fitness and to be racing!
5 Likes
Basically, the road from Belmont (Black Dog Inn) to Rivington.
Once you’re to the top of the climb where the Chorley sign is, it’s all down hill to the reservoir road, that part is rapid.
And if the wind is on your back for the A666, it’s crazy fast 
Yeah down Sheephouse is nice, and the 2019 2021 courses benefit from doing it that way, always used to be reverse up the other side from rivington towards Belmont. Be careful down there in the wet/if you’re overtaking on later laps especially with the cattle grid at bottom.
Looking at the course properly now it looks like it skips a lot of the worst form. 2019 of the northern sections - pickup bank, Roman road. And looks like you stay on the A666 a bit longer, we turned off onto stones bank road to get to Belmont, is that still in? That was the worst bit of the whole course, the only bit I agreed was dangerous rather than just hard. Although there were lots and lots of warnings from IM pre race and signs on course to warn you.
ETA: A666 was where I had a car coming towards me on a closed road. While I was trying to lap someone, annoyed to slow to below 20kmh on the easy speed!
1 Like
No. You go much further down the A666 now, sharp right between some stone cottages to Longworth Road, then up up up past Delph Sailing Club.
Off topic:
There is a house from Grand Designs on the left of the A666, just off Cox Green Road. They were a nice couple.
Back on topic:
There was roadworks there Monday, and a cross-tailwind. So I’m thundering down at 50kmh, setting off the village speed warning sign, then have to slam all on 
RE: Sheephouse Cattle Grid
My last double loop in May bucketed down on loop two and that cattle grid had flooded
And you couldn’t tell there was a grid underneath.
That whole descent was awful in the wet.
RE: Rivington to Bolton
I actually don’t find that road too bad.
I just ride slightly to the of the centre white line to avoid the worst surface.
I’m generally doing 36-40kmh down there, which is the speed most cars are doing.
One recce I hit it at the college kick out time.
OH. MY. DAYS.
All of Tonge Moor to Winchester Way and Red Bank has been resurfaced, too. So that’s a good bit out of Bolton, just ignore the smack heads 
1 Like
I think that for a lot of people it is OK, however, both of us are probably in the 90th percentile in terms of FTP. For me, the limiting factor is fueling, not power; I can maintain 300w for 2 hours, however, I am on empty after that. A much better strategy is to keep intensity lower and take on as many carbs as I can absorb effectively
@stenard - Found the Power Curve chart on Training Peaks:
1 Like
I couldn’t stomach it. Took a slice, had a bite, binned it. I think I had a couple of slices of an orange. The food in the tent at Kona on the other hand… hours were spent there!
I remember there is a small road when you descend sheephouse, climb back up beyond the reservoir then take a left onto this small road. It spits you out onto the start of the main road. The small road is quite well surfaced and there are a few unexpectedly sharp turns.
On my recee I was following a guy in a yellow jersey with “Froome” across the bike of it like a soccer jersey, not paying enough attention to the road and suddenly I was hitting a bend in the road and going too fast for it, luckily no traffic nearby. I paid good attention to it on race day…!
1 Like
Yes 
Cool story about that sharp left hander.
I was doing about 32kmh coming round the bend
And the guy who lives there was pulling out.
I did a little skid (bike and 
!) and exclaimed “HOLY CRAP!”
He had a little word with me to pay attention to the slow signs and use the convex mirror, which he’d used to see me
He then wished me luck for race day and to take care on the corners 
3 Likes
Yep the convex mirror! I blame Chris froome for my little skid 
I was too busy watching and chasing him…
I’ve often wondered why they can’t give marshals a broom or a brush and tell them to spend 5-10 minutes sweeping the road where they are stationed. They are usually stationed at corners or dangerous spots. It wouldn’t be hard to do. There was one very steep descent in 2019, with a hard stop and hairpin at the bottom, they had a number of crashes there and a number of marshals were there. There was a lot of gravel and grit on approach and at the apex of the corner. How hard could it be to brief them to clear it?! If I was a marshal at that point and hadn’t had such a briefing, I’d go and kick or hand pick the gravel clear…
4 Likes