10 mile TT and Heart rate

[amaferanga]

Vamp many thanks your feedback but having a bit of trouble getting it. Probably due to my ignorance on this subject as opposed to your explanation though. I do not have a power meter just a Decathlon HRM. (Garmin is to come - but still no proper power meter).

I have a plan to calculate my Functional Threshhold which explained very simply is a few intervals ending with a ride as hard as I can for 20 mins. I then have to record my average HR for that final 20 minutes (for me that will be reset the HRM on the go) multiply my Average HR (for that 20 mns) x 0.95 and that is my FT.

Is that similar to Ramp test as it appears that a proper ramp test (or the monitoring of the test) can only be done on a watt bike which I do not have easy access to.

So (according to the plan I have) to ride pace a perfect TT my average heart rate should be 95-105% of my Functional Threshold Heart Rate. this would mean that I am riding near my functional threshold. To ride the perfect TT I should have a FTHR of 100%.

To interval train above FT I should be looking at 106%+ of FTHR.

Apologies but all this is quite new to me but am I on the right track?

Thanks

Vamp shouldn't really have mentioned FTP as it only relates to power, not HR.

If you are determined to know your threshold HR (often known as Lactate Threshold HR) then you should get that from riding a 10. HR can and does behave very differently in training compared to racing, which is one of the reasons you have to take care and not try to stick too closely to a number. So if you want to use HR to pace a 10 then use the average HR from a few 10's in preference to testing without a number on your back.

 

[Garz]

Question 1 - If I ride this weeks ten will that give me a better indication of my max HR
Question 2 - Would my Max HR on the club run give me a better indicator of my max HR. It was quite pacy?
Question 3 - for Future TT's is monitoring my avg. heart rate a better pacing strategy than get round the turn in a time or look at avg. speed?
Question 4 - what % of max HR would you run a 10 mile ten mile TT 85-90%?

Any help would be much appreciated

I will try to be direct:

1) Yes
2) See above (same question really just rhetorical)
3) No
4) A good effort will be nearer to 100%, however that wont necessarily translate to achieving the better time.

 

[black'n'yellow]

4) A good effort will be nearer to 100%, however that wont necessarily translate to achieving the better time.

Are you suggesting it is feasible to sustain near 100% of max HR for the duration of a 10m TT..??

 

[Garz]

No, instead of stating an out of the air number I think 'nearer' would capture the top end of the % better. Of course at them moment for the OP, the current 100% is only his theoretical so far and probably has never pushed near that mark.

 

[Nosaj]

Thanks for all the advice.

It is still very early days for me on the TT's and I want to get the pacing dialled in as much as I can along with get to the turn by x and look at average speed. I also want a decent yardstick with which to measure my training so I know that an interval is actually an interval as opposed to me thinking it is .....if you get my drift.

 

[VamP]

Vamp shouldn't really have mentioned FTP as it only relates to power, not HR.

If you are determined to know your threshold HR (often known as Lactate Threshold HR) then you should get that from riding a 10. HR can and does behave very differently in training compared to racing, which is one of the reasons you have to take care and not try to stick too closely to a number. So if you want to use HR to pace a 10 then use the average HR from a few 10's in preference to testing without a number on your back.

Yes sorry for confusion, meant to say lactate threshold but was writing in a hurry and put FTP. Sorry Nosaj, it's not as complicated as I made it sound honestly.

 

[endoman]

Did my second 10 tonight, avge HR was 176 with a peak at 184, my max being 189. Chuffed to do 24.55 on a road bike with aero bars as I've only been riding a year. Getting to know the course a bit which helps, tried to really push up the little ramps, looking forward to the next one in a couple of weeks.

 

[Nosaj]

Well done Endoman that would have you put you in the top 5 at our club's TT and there are some decent Cat 4 racers that fill out those spaces. Winner came in at low 22 minutes

Goal one for me completed, break evens put in a 29.49 avg HR 164 Max 174 so I think that is a good indicator as to how hard I pushed for it I am 40. Monitoring my heart rate just went out of the window, I think I looked once. Concentrated on avg speed and time at the turn and that seemed to work.

Next goal is 28's now and improving aero position. my First TT was non aero I had a flipped stem (up) to start no aero's that got me a 31.58 flipped back stem for TT no. 3 and added Aero's that got me a 30.30. Will drop a spacer for next week as positioning was very comfortable and not at all restrictive.

Not bad considering no miles over winter due to injury and only getting back out on the bike at Easter!

 

[Blue]

Thanks for all the advice.

It is still very early days for me on the TT's and I want to get the pacing dialled in as much as I can along with get to the turn by x and look at average speed. I also want a decent yardstick with which to measure my training so I know that an interval is actually an interval as opposed to me thinking it is .....if you get my drift.

Buy or borrow a copy of 'The Cyclist's Training Bible' by Joe Friel - lots of detail therein.

 

[Enigma2008]

Question 1 - If I ride this weeks ten will that give me a better indication of my max HR
Question 2 - Would my Max HR on the club run give me a better indicator of my max HR. It was quite pacy?
Question 3 - for Future TT's is monitoring my avg. heart rate a better pacing strategy than get round the turn in a time or look at avg. speed?
Question 4 - what % of max HR would you run a 10 mile ten mile TT 85-90%?


Q1 No! Max HR is reached at a point where you would not be able to continue racing at any significant race pace (you can ride but only to recover to a lower HR). Riding a ten at TT pace is (as already mentioned) just above your functional threshold, you will see a higher than average HR on difficult parts of the course but not your max HR.
Q2 No! See above but... there is a chance of reaching max hr on a club run if the group choose to sprint for signs etc. As I said above, once you hit max HR you can hold it for a very few seconds and will need serious time to recover.
Q3 Yeah but no but yeah but no! Your HR (the average and max you can attain) can vary considerably depending on your physiological state, (rested and recovered v tired and fatigued), air temperature (lower average HR in cold weather). The value of monitoring average HR is in the subsequent ride analysis where you can determine where thing went well.not so well and then look for the reasons why.
Q4 There isn't a specific percentage to aim for. As your fitness increases then, generally speaking, so will your ability to ride at a higher percentage of your max HR. This raises two questions: 1) What is your max HR? and 2) What is your average HR in a ten as a % of max.
Finally, once you're able to race at a high percentage of your max HR you will find that your average HR (+/- a few beats) is around the same each time. To improve your times you will need to improve your power to weight ratio, aerodynamics etc. A whole new ball game.
Enjoy, there's years of fun to be had!!