To race or test ?

giannip said:

Any thoughts?

Race. Racing is not only a good training (beyond your body), it gives you valuable data which will help you determine your training targets as well.

If I was you, I'd do the race on sunday, recovery on monday and the test on tuesday.

yup...that's waht I was thinking.

+ it's FUN!!

giannip said:

...one of the local clubs is having a training race on Sunday.

SO I was thinking of doing that instead of the test and then do a 1hr Endurance ride the Monday and then continue with the program.

Any thoughts?

What is it Andy likes to say..."The best indicator of performance is performance itself" or something like that.

Assuming the race is an hour or longer it's the perfect test. Just race it like a test, unless this race is particularly important to you (doesn't sound like it) don't ride cagey and wait for the sprint. Get to the front, attack if you can, try to make stuff happen and push yourself real hard. Try to find out how many "matches" you can burn and how you define your own "matches". Find out where you stand relative to your competition both during the steady efforts and when crunch time comes.

You might blow up or get burned in the sprint by folks sitting in but you'll find out what you're capable of and where you need work. Call it a "test race" and make sure you give it your all.

Have fun,
Dave
P.S. I wouldn't follow it up with a Tuesday test if you really go all out on Sunday. Testing with partial recovery never made much sense to me. You probably already have a good ballpark from your long and short interval work so what's to be gained by testing while tired. Use the race data to set training levels and estimate FTP and wait till you're well rested again for formal testing. Just my 2 cents........

I would say Race.......thats why we train, isnt it?

Thanks all.

My main goal is to have first peak around April so this is definitely not serious for me other than a great opportunity to get some race data sooner than expected.

I know the course of this race and should be just on an hour, maybe tiny bit more which is perfect.

I definitely won't be testing on Tuesday, just carrying on with the plan as mapped out for that week.

Thanks again.

RACE!!! and who said you have to be peaking to win bike races??? Race as much as possible and race to WIN every event. That atleast gives you an oppurtunity to sneak in some good results without even being 100% fit.

Try to win the race! If you find you didn't do much work and didn't exert yourself totally then make up the effort in training! But dont rock up to a race without the intention of wanting to win...thats just a waste of money and pointless.

We train to give us the tools to win races! Anything else we do in training is a waste of time.

giannip said:

Any thoughts?

I agree with Dave. If you're going to ride the race, then race as aggressively as possible so you can view the file as a test, or work hard for your teammates. Sitting in to try to win a training race is just a waste of a training day toward the more important events, and will spoil your testing opportunity after your recovery week.

The tests and hard training rides will mean a lot more later than having won a training race in Feb that you weren't even sure you wanted to do.

Yup. That was my intention. This was never in the plan so now that it is, I'm going to go and just go "ape".

I couldn't care less whether I win or not of get dropped afer doing too much. My plan is to be ready to race in April. Everythig up to then is geared to working to that.

If it leads to a good result all the better.