Heather Fell: It's easy to look at the differences between pro cyclists and triathletes. They ride
in a peloton, they draft each other. They have team tactics with individual roles to play and,
obviously, they don't put it in between swimming and running. However, there is the time trial,
and we can learn a lot from the pros here. They have it dialed in as world tours can be
won or lost here. I think we could be gaining a thing or two-- or, at least,
that's what I'm hoping-- by speaking to a pro cyclist or, in this case,
an ex-pro cyclist because today we are getting some time trial tips from GCN's Conor Dunne.
[music] Heather:
All right, just before Conor joins us, I quickly want to explain what the benefits are of actually
working on your time trial. Obviously, in triathlon, we top and tail it with a swim
and a run, but whether you're working on actually doing a race or just purely wanting to improve a
set time, working on your time trial can seriously benefit your overall triathlon. That's why Conor
comes in handy. Here he comes. Conor Dunne: Hey, Heather.
Heather: Hey, Conor. How're you doing? Conor: How's the going?
Heather: All right. Conor: Thanks for having me.
Heather: Thank you for joining us. Now, I am looking forward to picking your brains on time
trial. Now, obviously, you're a road rider, but how much emphasis did you actually put on
time trialing in your training? Conor: Yes, I used to put a lot
of emphasis on it, actually. More so if I was aiming at a specific time trial event,
which happened towards the earlier parts of my career and when I was looking for a pro
contract, so things like national championships. Heather: Okay. Because I was going to ask,
how much does your trial improve? What tweaks have you made throughout your career?
I didn't realize you came from that background. Conor: Yes, I started off mainly doing time trial
events just because they were simple to enter and
you could find club time trials or events at the weekend. They're a lot more prolific than
road races. I started off doing a club time trial every week, which, I think, is a good way to begin
your time trial progress, because do a weekly event on the same course and get used to that
effort. You can find quite easily ways where you can improve your performance. When I was a pro,
it was more team time trials actually that we prepare towards in races and national
championships. I'd often take six to eight weeks. Heather: Well, sadly, Conor, us, triathletes,
we are individual solo souls, but I'm still sure there's a lot that we can
benefit from your knowledge. What is your first tip that you got for us?
Conor: My first tip is to take it easy in the first minute or two in your time trial. I
think when you begin an event, you have so much energy, pent-up adrenaline, and you just want
to get going, and it's so easy to go too hard. If you just take the first minute or two easy,
really back off to what you aim to do for the duration of the whole event, you'll really feel
the benefit for the whole race because you-- I always used to start too fast. I’d get like a
two minutes in and then I'd realize I'd gone too fast and I'd suffer for the rest of that race,
and it just negatively affected my time trial. Heather: It's one of those that's really easy
to say, but how did you make sure you did it? Conor: I just literally ease up. The pace you'd
want to complete the time trial at, you really want to take 25-30% off, mentally.
It will feel super, super easy and at the time, you'll be like, “I'm going way too slow here.”
But once you get to that one or two-minute mark, you can start to push on again,
and you'll ease yourself into the time trial. Across the whole race, I think, you'll benefit
more than if you set out from the block super fast and then realize you've gone too hard,
used that adrenaline to a disadvantage and-- Heather: It makes total sense. Well,
I think we're here dressed to ride. We should head out on the road and get some more tips.
Conor: Let's go. [music]
Heather: Well, Conor, obviously, as triathletes, before we get on our TT bikes,
we've done a bit of swimming, but any tips on getting straight on your TT bike for the warm-up?
Conor: Yes, I think for me, the warmup is a key part of a time trial. Obviously, you said,
when you did a triathlon, you have a swim beforehand. Time trial race you have all nerves,
thinking about the race, and it's easy to get distracted in your warm-up routines. It's really
important to learn your routine and understand each step in your warm-up before the race,
just to stop any pre-race nerves or things going wrong beforehand. I'd actually plan
my warm-up not in terms of how long each interval will be throughout the warmup, but how much time
I had to go until the race started. I'd work backwards, so I'd give myself
10 minutes before the race started, finish my warm-up, get off the bike,
get myself ready for the race. Now, I've worked back through the warm-up, so I normally give
myself about 40 to 45 minutes warming up but also write down things like when to get changed,
when to arrive at the race. I'd make a big schedule throughout the day, all the way back
to breakfast. When I woke up, I just knew what was coming up the morning or the time before the
race started and I was prepared for it. It's something you can practice as well and train
before you actually get to your event. Heather: When I'm there putting my number on at
the start of the TT, I've gone wrong? Conor: Yes.
Heather: [unintelligible 00:05:29]. Conor: Sorry. Sorry, Heather.
Another good idea to do is to bring a clock with you. Bring your clock from the kitchen,
put it up in your car or wherever you're warming up, so you can always see the time. You're not
getting changed, scrambling around, looking for a watch or a phone and
thinking about when your event starts. Heather: We, as triathletes, we've always
got watches on, but I still like that tip. Conor: Then, if anyone's helping you out, helping
with equipment or things like that, they know the time as well. It just reduces the panic and the
nerves, and the stress before you race, which is really beneficial once you get out on the road.
Heather: I like that one. Now, Conor, as triathletes, we obviously
look to you guys as cyclists and admire you, especially when it comes to time trial, and
aspire to the positions that you guys can get into on the bike. But I'm aware that sometimes,
as triathletes, we’re maybe pushing ourselves to hit a position we can't hold. Have you got any
tips on actually how we should be on the bike? Conor: It's a good point, and I think is one we
all fall foul of a little bit. I think when you get your time trial bike,
and you want to get as aerodynamic as possible, so you automatically try and slam your stem
down and get really low. But that can be a bit counterproductive, sometimes, because
if you're not flexible enough to get down there-- which I actually never was either--
and you end up overcompensating and get more frontal area because you're reaching down,
and your air at the front just increases. Sometimes, it's better to raise your stack height,
become a bit higher up and then be able to relax your head into your shoulders, bring your head
down in your position and, as a result, you'll reduce your frontal area and be more aerodynamic.
Heather: How am I looking? Conor: Looking good. You want
to try and really relax your upper body, relax your head and your neck into your
shoulders and really tuck your head in. Heather: I know Mark always talks about
the turtle. [laughter]
Conor: It's when you're too low at the front. It's like you can't quite
reach your head in and you end up just creating
more air at the front than you'd like. Heather: Well, I'm not low at the front,
so I'm actually doing something right. Conor: Yes, there you go.
[music] Heather:
This is turning into quite an education, Conor. What else? Have you got anything else for us?
Conor: Next tip, this is quite an old-school one, but bear with me. Don't change gear, when you hit
a climb. I know what you're thinking, but what you want to try and do is recce the course a bit,
look at the route, know where the key climbs are. If you can select your gear before you
actually hit the climb and then try and keep that gear for the duration of the slope-- because
if you're going to change gear on the climb on a drag, you will lose that little bit of
speed when you reach down for the gears. You have to use a bit more energy to get back up to speed.
I know these are minute things, they'll lose your time. For instance, starting a little climb now
what you want to do- Heather:
[laughs] Am I not allowed to change gears? Conor: No. You want to be in the correct gear at
the bottom and try and keep it to the top. If you are suffering at the top, just push on through.
Heather: [laughs] Just push on through. Simple. Conor: Yes, push on through. Even if your cadence
drops below what you're comfortable with for maybe 400, 500 meters,
and you are suffering, just push on through it, get to the top, and then you really need to up
the pace as well. You need to think about getting back up to speed quickly, getting back on top of
the gear, which is really painful, but those are the moments which will win you the race.
Heather: I'm just seeing this hill in front of us now and I'm desperate to get to my gears.
[music] Heather:
Conor, you just touched on pacing there. Any tips specifically on how to pace your time trial?
Conor: In terms of pacing, I'd always try and do a negative split. That means I've tried to race
the second half of my event faster than the first half. I think mentally, this is a really good way
to approach a time trial because you leave yourself with that extra gas at the end of
your race. When the finish line is approaching, you really give it all you've got
and empty the tanks, really. Whereas if you did it the other way around,
can be quite tough to get to that mid-point in the race, when you've really gone over your limits,
and then you're suffering all the way to the end. That's when it becomes easy to lose faith,
maybe drop your mentality a little bit and not push as hard as you would have done.
Heather: Well, I personally much prefer racing negative split. I think as triathletes, it's quite
nice to go into a time trial and know you can empty the tank and not have to run afterwards.
Conor: I know that was never really a problem I had. I always finished
and collapsed in a hedge somewhere. Heather: We'll have to practice that one.
Connor: Yes. Heather: Connor,
that is a lot that we've covered there and a lot of transferable stuff for us. Is there
anything that's just used to do that it’s just interesting and maybe we couldn't quite copy?
Conor: Yes. When I was preparing for a specific time trial, I'd actually get out on the road
with my coach and he'd drive a moped behind me and alongside me. We'd do a set course,
try and keep some kind of race pace, and if I dropped, he'd come up next to me, push me
on like a shout encouragement. If I did drop my pace too much, it actually motivates me back up
to race speed and then peel off, and I'll have to keep back at the effort. It's a really good
way of really squeezing out the training section and giving everything you had. I'd actually finish
those days more tired than the actual race. Heather: Nice. That's why you're getting so
close behind the cameraman when we're filming? Conor: Yes, it's bringing back good memories.
Heather: [laughs] Before you go, I've just got one last question-- well, not question,
just pick your brain. I have asked Manon to race me. Now, I'm going to be on my TT bike, but I
still need as much help as I can get, so anything, any advice you can give me on how to beat Manon.
Conor: I think you need to stick to your warm-up routine, Heather, make sure you get
a good warm-up in. I think you need to make sure you don't get scared in the beginning,
because Manon's going to come out fast. She's a sprinter, she's going to go from the gun.
I think if you stick to your pace and keep your effort constant, I think you'll come out on top.
Heather: Awesome. Cool. Thank you so much for your help. It's come at a perfect time for me,
but hopefully for you guys as well. If you liked it, do hit that thumb-up button. Remember,
you can follow us on our social media channels and you can also subscribe to us
here on Youtube. Thanks so much, Connor. Conor: All right, thanks for having me.