Workout No. 2 - Big-Gear Endurance
You can incorporate this workout into a training ride on the road or indoor trainer.- Warm up for 15 to 20 minutes.
- For the main set, complete five sets of five-minute efforts at a pace just below your 40K time trial pace. Remember this is not your best 40K bike leg in a triathlon, but the fastest speed you could sustain for about an hour on the bike.
- Keep your cadence between 60 and 75 rpms for the entire five minutes. Find a number you can comfortably maintain.
- Follow each five-minute effort with a two-minute recovery, pedaling at 100 rpms or greater between sets.
- As these become easier, slowly increase the time of each set to a max of 10 minutes.
- Cool down for 15 to 20 minutes to finish your ride.
More: 4 Bike-Handling Drills for Triathletes
Workout No. 3 - Big-Gear Climbing*
This workout works best on a long climb of four to six miles. If you don't have access to any hills that are that long, find one that's at least a mile in length and do repeats.
- Warm up for 15 to 20 minutes before you begin the set.
- For the first mile, pedal uphill in your aerobars. Keep your cadence between 70 and 75 rpm. Your pace should not be all-out. Concentrate on an even effort for all four to six miles of climbing, keeping your heart rate or power just below your 40K time trial pace.
- For the second mile, sit up from your aerobars and switch to a cadence that's between 90 and 100 rpm. Maintain the same heart rate and power output.
- Alternate between these high and low cadences for each mile until you reach the top of the climb.
- Remember to generate your power, particularly while in your aerobars, in the hips and down through the legs with minimal upper-body movement.
- Spin easy in a cadence of 90 to 100 rpms on flat terrain for 15 to 20 minutes to cool down.
More: Ask A Coach: Are Power Meters Worth It?
*Though you aren't likely to have long, sustained climbs during a triathlon, practicing climbs is a great way to build leg strength.