The importance of training in position
A lot of triathlon racing is non drafting, head down and full gas on the TT bike. To be effective you also need to train in the aero position, but for how long and how important is it?
Due to geometry and position differences between a Road and TT bike position, a TT bike can produce more closed hip and knee angles in flexion which challenge your body’s physiology in a different way and if not conditioned can impact you towards the end of the bike and impact your run.
Also you may have seen pro riders narrowing the shoulders by shrugging which reduces drag (CdA) to gain an aero advantage. This cannot be sustained without proper conditioning (and the use of high arm rests), otherwise fatigue will catch up with you quickly losing any advantage. To ride and hold an optimised position requires practise and a strong core!
For triathletes, it is critical to familiarise yourself with this position in training, but how much focus should you put into maintaining that forward, aero position?
For sessions that include a lot of race pace training or conditioning, or sessions where you’re doing aero drills it's essential to ride the TT bike, whereas for Zone 2 or recovery rides a Road bike can be an alternative.
Time Trials are very popular in the UK and provide an ideal opportunity to get practise riding in position and to gain an insight into pacing to help with your pacing strategy for your A and B events.
Longer rides are more of a choice but if you are riding in a group then a Road bike would make more sense.
In summary, this is what I do to provide a balance which works well for building to key races:
· Indoor Trainer – TT bike where much of my race specific workouts are performed.
· Time Trials and Triathlons – TT bike.
· Training outdoors – Road bike which is great for the development of bike handling skills and a more comfortable setup for longer rides.
Get in touch if you are interested in developing your performance as I can help with your conditioning to hold a more optimised position, as well as your overall performance development so you can smash your 2024 goals!