Ultra Endurance TT Pacing

Training Concepts
1

I feel like there needs to be a Race Strategy category for this question, but I’ll drop it here to see what kind of responses it generates.

What have others used (or would propose) for a pacing recommendation for athletes preparing for ultra-endurance events, with a podium goal in mind? To put real context around this, specifically 12 hour time trials in the World Ultra Cycling environment. These are generally flat(ish) courses held in low-altitude environments (US locations include California, Florida, Texas, etc.)

In looking at prior race profiles, it seems like podium athletes go out quite fast and experience a considerable drop off in power, pace, and increase in HR (for the power output) over the course of the race. However, I wonder if the furthest aggregate distance / fastest finish time would be realized by an even pacing strategy where the athlete uses a constraint target power or HR to moderate effort at the beginning with a goal to sustain that power/HR/pace over the entire race?

So, synopsis few questions:

  • Pace recommendation - go out hard and accept the fade in pace OR target 12 hour sustainable metric?
  • What metric to target - power (input) or HR (physiological response)? Have an athlete target a certain power number and be at risk of HR drifting to a point of unsustainability later on OR target a certain max HR and accept whatever power can be generated at that HR over 12 hours?

Thanks for your thoughts!

2

Although I’ve never done a 12-hour TT, I know some people who have. They all targeted a sustainable pace over the duration of the event, rather than going out hard and accepting the fade. That pacing strategy seems to be effective for a range of TT lengths, right down to the Hour on the track. The thing to remember is that the sustainable pace will likely feel very easy at the beginning. There will be a temptation to increase the pace; but that will inevitably put you into a hole, that you will have a hard time digging out of at hour 9 or 10 and beyond.

As far as the metric to target, I think you should pay attention to both, of course, but rely more on HR overall. As you noted, HR will undoubtedly drift over the course of the 12 hours. How much is hard to say, because of the many factors involved. But, at least you will have a baseline or anchor point to work from. Relying on power initially might not be problematic, but it will lead you stray if you expect to be able to sustain the same power throughout.

I hope that helps. I feel like, based on the way you phrased your post, your instincts are telling you to be conservative and rely on HR. And I would agree that that is a sound strategy that corresponds with what I know others have used successfully in the past.