Time Trial Pacing

Pacing in a time trial (TT) is essential for cyclists and triathletes alike. Everyone who has ever ridden a TT has at some point, started out to fast, gradually slowed down and limped across the finish line.

I am going to discuss two different pacing strategies for a TT, one for a pure time TT that a cyclist would ride and a few modifications for triathletes of different abilities.

For a cyclist and/or an advanced triathlete, we want to break the TT into quarters (Q). For this example, lets look at a 40k TT, the “gold standard” of TT’s and the Olympic or International Distance Triathlon, where each quarter is 10k or 6.2 miles. For a less experienced cyclist or non-elite triathlete, it is recommended that you break the TT into thirds (T) which would be 13.3k or 8.25 miles.

Quarters (Cyclists)
For the first quarter (Q1), you want to hold back a little bit on the first quarter. If you are using RPE, HR or power, you want to hold back about 3-5%, your breathing should not become heavy during Q1. This is mentally challenging for a lot of athletes, but it is setting you up for success with strong quarters to follow.

For the second quarter (Q2), you want to be at you desired pace and effort at the start of Q2, whether it be using RPE, HR or power. For Q2, you need to focus on your race, riding at your intensity while really focusing on technique and breathing.

For the third quarter (Q3), this is the toughest portion of the race. You want to maintain the same effort (HR or power). You probably noticed that RPE was not listed under effort for Q3, that is not on accident. In Q3, your RPE will start to increase while your HR and/or power will remain relatively constant. Q3 is without a doubt the most mentally taxing portion of the TT- you have to do whatever is needed to maintain your mental focus. This is the part of the TT where the inexperience rider will struggle and drop off.

For the fourth quarter (Q4), the end is in sight! This is where you start to slowly increase your effort and start racing. Gradually increase your effort and start picking people off. With a few minutes left, you want to gradually increase your effort to the maximum. In general, a good rule of thumb for cyclists is- if you can get out of the saddle and sprint at the end, you held back too much.

Quarters (Advanced Triathletes)
For the first quarter (Q1), you want to follow the same general guidelines above for cyclists. For triathletes, the major issue that needs to be accounted for is nutrition. If you are racing a short-course (sprint or Olympic distance), you should be getting the majority of you calories from a sports drink like Infinit Nutrition. For a long-course triathlete, a mixture of sports drink and perhaps gels is how you should get the majority of your calories. In general, it is a good idea to get settled into the ride for 10-20 minutes prior to starting your nutrition plan. This will give your body a chance to settle down, your BP and HR will drop back down to within your desired ranges allowing your stomach to actually absorb the nutrition you ingest.

For the second quarter (Q2), you also want to be at you desired pace and effort at the start of Q2, whether it be using RPE, HR or power. For Q2, if you are an experienced triathlete whom is going for a new PR or an elite triathlete, this is where you start racing on the bike. Nutrition at this point, is paramount, especially for long-course triathletes.

For the third quarter (Q3), this is also the mentally toughest portion of the race. You want to maintain the same effort (HR or power), you have to do whatever is needed to maintain your mental focus. Nutrition at this point is essential to set you up for the run- you have to be taking in calories.

For the fourth quarter (Q4), the end is in sight! This is where the pacing strategy changes drastically for triathletes. The strategy differs based off the distance of your race.
Short-Course:
For a triathlete who is racing a short-course event, you need to maintain the same effort
that you have been producing for Q2 and Q3, where cyclists ramped up the effort. Short-
course events are more-or-less red-line events, you’re going to be going hard the whole
time. When you hit Q4, you need to start tapering off on the nutrition, transitioning to
water with a limited amount of sports drink- we don’t want you have a lot of sports drink
sloshing around in your stomach when you get off the bike.

Long-Course:
For a triathlete who is racing a long-course event, you need to back off a little bit once you
hit Q4. When you get to within 30 minutes of the end, you need to start tapering off on the
nutrition, transitioning to water with a limited amount of sports drink.

Thirds (Triathletes)
For the normal age group triathlete, it is recommended that you break the ride down into thirds (T1, T2 and T3).

For the first third (T1), you want to hold back a little bit on the first third. If you are using RPE, HR or power, you want to hold back about 3-5%, your breathing should not become heavy during T1. This is mentally challenging for a lot of athletes, but it is setting you up for success with strong thirds to follow.
Nutrition is still a major issue whether you are using thirds or quarters. If you are racing a short-course (sprint or Olympic distance), you should be getting the majority of you calories from a sports drink like Infinit Nutrition. For a long-course triathlete, a mixture of sports drink and perhaps gels is how you should get the majority of your calories. In general, it is a good idea to get settled into the ride for 10-20 minutes prior to starting your nutrition plan. This will give your body a chance to settle down, your BP and HR will drop back down to within your desired ranges allowing your stomach to actually absorb the nutrition you ingest.

For the second third (T2), you also want to be at you desired pace and effort at the start of Q2, whether it be using RPE, HR or power. For T2, this is where you start racing on the bike, while staying within your own racing zones. Nutrition at this point is paramount, especially for long-course triathletes.

For the last third (T3), the end is in sight! This is where the pacing strategy changes drastically for triathletes. The strategy differs based off the distance of your race.
Short-Course:
For a triathlete who is racing a short-course event, you need to maintain the same effort
that you have been producing during T2. Short-course events are more-or-less red-line
events, you’re going to be going hard the whole time. When you hit T3, you need to start
tapering off on the nutrition, transitioning to water with a limited amount of sports drink-
we don’t want you have a lot of sports drink sloshing around in your stomach when you get
off the bike.

Long-Course:
For a triathlete who is racing a long-course event, you need to back off a little bit once you
hit T3. When you get to within 30 minutes of the end, you need to start tapering off on the
nutrition, transitioning to water with a limited amount of sports drink.

Whether you are breaking the race into thirds or quarters, a key thing to remember, within the last mile of the ride, you want to increase your cadence a little bit to spin out your legs. Feel free to stand up on the pedals and stretch out your hamstrings and calves to prepare for the run.

The main difference for triathlete is the amount of time and distance that you are riding at higher intensities. If you are a more experience triathlete who is racing an Olympic distance race, by breaking it up into quarters, you will be riding “hard” for 30 of the 40k (18.6 miles) versus 20k (12.4 miles) which can make a huge difference in your final time.