It's really cool that Anderson/the Upstate has such a large contingent making final preparations for IMFL. I think y'all are crazy, but cool at the same time.
I can't be there with you to cheer you on, but I want to share something with you that might help you have a better race. I know ... I'm not a triathlete, so what do I know. But I DO know something about how to get the most speed out of a bike. Somewhere around half of your race day will be spent on the bike. Did you know that a savings of just 5 watts of energy will take 90 seconds off of your bike split? If you're not planning to use an aero helmet, change your plans. It'll save you more than 5 watts. An aero helmet is the most bang for the buck of any item of aero equipment out there (assuming you're already on a TT-style bike with a good aero position). Wheels will save you a few more watts than a helmet, but not by much ... and they'll cost a lot more. So not as much bang for the buck. But if you can afford them, get them. (Did you know you can rent them online?) A disc is faster than an open wheel on the rear. Discs can be expensive, but you can buy custom wheel covers and achieve the same aero advantage for a fraction of the cost. Check out
www.wheelbuilder.com for more on that. 5 Watts here, 5 Watts there. It adds up. And it turns into time you save without expending any more energy.
What I really want to get into, though, is something everyone can do to make a difference for relatively little cost. Run the right tire pressure. It's a bigger issue than you think. There's a great article on the subject here:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Tech/What_s_in_a_tube__1034.htmlHere's what it says, in essence. On an imperfect surface like a paved road, rolling resistance will decrease as tire pressure increases only to a point. Up to that point, whatever energy the front edge of the contact patch (where the rubber meets the road) absorbs, the back end will release and all will be good. But after that point, more energy is absorbed at the front of the contact patch than can be released at the back. The excess energy becomes vibration and pounding that comes through the wheels and frame and beats you up ... like body punches from a boxer.
Case in point. I did the SC Half as a member of a relay yesterday. Another team had a young Cat. 2 cycling stud doing their bike leg ... a guy I know and have ridden with quite a bit. I was prepared to get humbled, big time. I happened to see him pre-race just as he was pumping up his tubular tires and he went all the way up to 165 psi. The SC Half is a very rough bike course in spots and my young cycling stud friend hit the wall and blew up half way through the rough patch. This little old man whipped that young stud by 12 minutes and I attribute it all to my choice to run only 95 psi in my tires. I warned him. He wouldn't listen. (Note: I rode 95 psi because the SC Half course is especially bad. For most tires, whether tubular or clincher, 110 to 115 psi is usually a good choice. )
There are lots of "old school" folks who believe that the best way to reduce rolling resistance is to run really high psi. Forget it. It's not true unless you're riding on a sheet of glass. On a real road surface, you need supple tires and tubes that will absorb and release energy without transferring it to your body. The right tire pressure will make you faster and it'll leave you fresher for the run.
Finally, a quick word about tires and tubes. For race day, latex tubes are best. They stretch better, so they absorb and release energy more efficiently. There are lots of good tires out there ... and lots of very bad ones. Tufo tires are the very worst! Seriously. Michelin Pro 2 and Pro 3 tires are good. Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX or KS are excellent. Continental GP 4000s are another good choice. Expensive tires usually have a high TPI (threads per inch) count which makes them more "supple." Again, that means they absorb and release energy better. Look for tires with high TPI. The tires I've mentioned have low rolling resistance, but also good puncture resistance. (Some of the very best tires have really lousy puncture resistance, so there are trade-offs.)
There's so much more I could cover, but I don't want to swamp the blog. Feel free to e-mail me with questions if you have them and have a great race day!
