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How To Pace Your Half Ironman Bike

Use percentage of your threshold to guide you to your best bike. 

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QUESTION

What percentage of my power threshold should I plan on pacing the bike leg of a half ironman? How about a full Ironman?

ANSWER

The percent of power threshold that someone should plan on pacing the bike leg of any long-distance race is different based mainly on experience. For my Half-Ironman distance athletes I like to see them be between 80-85% of their threshold, and for Full distance 68-78% of threshold with beginners being around the lower end of the range. 

I also want the athlete to ride at a consistent power output with the difference between average power and normalized power being as close to zero as possible (e.g., no spikes in power for hills or sprints).  Lastly, I have my athletes do 2 training rides of race distance using their projected target % of threshold to test it out with race day gear and nutrition, so changes can be made if need be.  

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The Ultimate Full-Distance Training Guide

Training Guide

This guide is designed to be used as you train for a full-distance triathlon, with in-depth information on every part of the process. Each chapter is packed with tips, workouts, and insights from triathlon coaches, to give you all the tools you need to succeed.

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