Hi! This is Mari Holden. I’ve been a professional cyclist for the past 16 years and I just retired last year. I’ve had a long endurance-sports career. Before cycling, I raced triathlons in the late 80’s. I switched to cycling in 1992. As a junior triathlete, I was awarded Junior Woman of the Year by Triathlete Magazine. In cycling, my best results came in 2000 when I won an Olympic Silver and World Championship in the Time Trial. Along the way, I won 6 National Championships (road and time trial) and set a national record in the 40K Time Trial. What I have learned about time trialing over the years can help you as you prepare for your next time trial or triathlon.

Top 15
Time Trialing Tips

 

1. Know the course:  One of the most important things to know is where you are going! It’s great when you have a local course that you ride on a weekly basis, but when you’re going to race on a new course, don’t rely on other people’s word that the “turnaround is really tight,” or that “there is a sharp turn at mile 5.5.” This is a race to see how fast YOU can go, and that means knowing what to expect.

2. Choose the right equipment:  Choosing the right equipment for the right day can mean FREE SPEED! Is it a climbing course? Is it dead flat? How is the wind? Do your research, know what works best for you in different conditions and be prepared. But, once you make a decision, don’t second guess yourself because everyone else is doing “blah, blah, blah.” Stick with your plan and get on with your preparations.

3. Little details that save time: Have you pumped your tires to the maximum pressure for the road conditions? Have you covered the holes on your disk with tape? Is your number pinned in such a way that it won’t act like a sail in the wind? These are the little details that will help you be more aero and not lose time for silly mistakes before you even start.

4. Visualize yourself riding the course:  I know it sounds crazy, and when I hear about visualizing the win, etc., I automatically stop listening. But, I do believe in preparing to win. And a big part of that is picturing yourself taking a perfect corner or imagining just how you are going to shift at a certain point, because you know that once you’re on the hill you are committed to the gear you are riding. Finally, I have come to terms with the idea that ‘visualization’ is just a fancy way of saying imagine yourself doing something over and over. In time trialing, picturing yourself winning is going to help prepare you for winning.

5. Choose the fastest line:  Most people like to ride a time trial like they are riding in the bike lane on a road open to traffic. Try to ride it like a Formula One driver, or a Moto GP racer. Look at the road and pick the fastest line. Look at the road in a new way. I hear it all the time: “It’s your world, we’re just living in it…” Typically true, and definitely how you need to view your race. If you don’t have the whole road to yourself, you need to keep yourself limited to the space you have available; but look at it all and use it. When pre-riding the course, pay attention to where there’s good and bad pavement, areas where there might be traffic moving the air for you (not motor pacing), or possible windbreaks. Little adjustments can mean big differences in the race of truth.

6. Pay attention to where you think everyone else is going to falter: Rolling hills are a perfect example of areas where people often falter. Use psychology! People get tired and glad that they are at the top of hills, and they slow down near the top without noticing. You need to focus on getting past them! If you take a big breath and relax a bit as you are nearing the top of a hill, you will lose time. Pushing over the top will ensure that you get all the time you can. Take that breath while going down the other side. I truly believe that making the best time doesn’t always have so much to do with fitness as just chasing every last second.

7. Be your technical best:  Focus on areas where you can pick up time like corners or descents. Practice taking them as fast as you can without crashing. Sometimes that can mean doing it a few times over until you feel comfortable pushing it.

8. Get a good warm up:  Have a schedule for warming up that you have worked out with your coach. Do what you need to do, but always be prepared for last-minute stress. Don’t let anything bother you; just focus on what you need to get done.

9.Don’t get to the start too early:  There is no need to spend 20 minutes after a great warm up freezing in the waiting area. Roll around, stay warm, and get to the start as close to your time as possible.

10. FOCUS:  Get in a rhythm. I count over and over: “one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four.” I also keep telling myself that I can go harder.

11. Don’t start too hard:  Roll into your pace. Nothing is worse than needing to recover 1 km after you start.

12. Don’t be afraid to get out of your saddle:  I think sometimes people get so fixated on being aerodynamic that they hold it at the expense of being fast. If you need to accelerate, don’t be afraid to get out of that beautiful aero position and just do it!

13. Anytime your cadence slows, get up and go:  It’s the same idea as #12, but in this case, I am talking more about that sweet spot where you can feel that the bike is starting to slow on a climb, and you have to get out of the saddle to keep your speed and cadence. Don’t let yourself slow down at all. If you have to get up and jump on the pedals, then do it. Commit.

14. Don’t put limits on yourself and just go for it: One thing I have learned from so many years of racing is that you have to leave it all on the course. You should never look back on the race and say ‘I could have done this or that, or gone harder or faster.’ We all have areas for improvement, but your effort should leave no question that it was the best that you could do on that day. Don’t let anyone define you, and don’t hold anything back.

15. Always sprint for the line.

If you have any questions or would like coaching please contact me at 719-321-0743, or check out my website at www.mariholden.com.