Mountain Bike Race Training

WELCOME to MTB RACE TRAINING

2011-05-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to MTB race training info, free! Searching about training right? Been there, done that. Plenty of links & info here. I've become my own coach. Upgrading each year. Sport, Comp, Expert, Semi, then Pro class. Old & get'n faster! Training, Fuel & Recovery links on right. Sharing good finds. My 2011 Spring thought process below. Most of my other ramblings in 2008 semi-pro year. Read do,

Spring Training#6 Works For Me Coach

2011-05-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

This will be my last Spring Training Post....see below fotr posts #1-#5. I just placed 4th overall at a 100mi MTB race.... on my SS. I'm on track this year no doubt. I'm in the force and train like the races mode. July I will peak. My spring thought process below. blah bla bla. I see tons of views. Guess you like? Forget what I say, look on the right and read those articles. And figure out what

Spring Training#5: Fatigue again

2011-05-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this site has many links on the right side of page and various posts of info below. Keeping with my promise I'll continue to share this year's spring training thoughts, plan. What happened with blogger, where did this post go? I'll try it again. Basically I highlighted my real race season is starting this week with many races each month, and then cross season. Although I've missed

Spring Training #4 Lost with Confidence

2011-05-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this site has lot's of links on the right side of page, and various posts of info below. Keeping with my promise I will continue to share this year's spring training thoughts, plan. I admit, I miss my training log but tracking every ride has gotten old even for me, an analyst geek. This year I'm totally losing real time history. Going on feel. For the first time since 2005 I'm not

Spring Training#3 Sore!

2011-04-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this site has lot's of links on the right side of page, and various posts of info below. Keeping with my promise I will continue to share this year's spring training thoughts, plan. Last post shared plan was to basically abuse myself with a big multiday phase. I found over the years once I work through "kinks" prepared for hard exercise, I can hit it. "Kinks:" yeah every year during

Spring Training #2

2011-04-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this site has lot's of links on the right side of page, and various posts of info below. Keeping with my promise I will continue to share this year's spring training thoughts, plan. Last post I explained my thoughts on phases, pulses and cycles. We'll I've had interesting things happen since. I was in the hospital on a Tuesday before a 111mi Saturday gravel race. Stomach pain galore, like

Thinking - Cycle, Phase and/or Pulses?

2011-04-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

So this year I'll try to actually post up my training thoughts through the year. I can't promise I'll respond to comments quickly, but I enjoy so will when I can. Caution: if your not a seasoned trainee use periodization (see below text or blog posts). Bullets related to below paragraphs: -My Winter is all about fun, staying in shape and trying to not get too fat -This Winter raced/rode the

Get in a Cycle (spring training#1)

2011-03-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

Pun intended. It's spring 2011 and you not getting in shape yet....take a few weeks of melllow exercise and prepare to RIDE!!!!!!! ONE: Over the years I moved from heart rate monitor and tracking miles, to tracking percieved intensity...intern volume, and now after figuring much about myself.....I just ride in cycles. TWO: IT'S ALL ABOUT BUILDING A MACHINE. Ride long now, suffer a bit to get

Latest Additions to Training Blog

2010-01-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Below are a few places to start. Post up if questions or want to see something in particular. I get an e-mail when comments pop-up.JAN 10: MOUNTIAN ATHLETE TRN'ing, core beatdowns, link on rightJAN 10: AT ALTITUDE, updated with new linkJan 10: MORE ABOUT ME post belowJan 10: THRESHOLD idea active.com, link on rightJun 09: AUTOREGULATION/COMPENSATION 2 articles on-rightMar 09: WHO's FAT AGAIN

More About Me

2010-01-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

Basically I'm your typical high energy, always have been hyper-outdoor-active guy. Climbing, snowboarding, many hikes and many individual challenges over many years gave me ability. Multi-pitch climbing when younger, on-site flash 5.11's, long triad 10's. Snowboard nationals in 91' etc.. With historical higher intensity base, focus & some a-typical gifts, MTB'ing fits now. Year 2010, 44. Married

Insanity in Repeat

2008-04-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Insainity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Yeah, the gifted can get away with this, but we gotta coach and learn......What will the future bring according to your history?? What's reasonable and worth your time? All things being equal maintianing smart heathly decisions...it's going to be a fab year folks. Your plan? Are you sane? If you can't plan your

THE PALEO DIET

2008-04-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

I've really started to gain an understanding of how important fuel, as in, DIET is. Previously I leaned torward "self timed" low carb, fresh real/foods and proien for diet, you know the drill. Anyawy, reccommend the book. It does great periodizations of what and when. The book also has fab data on protien, acididy of foods, glycemic index, carb foods, and many many other tables and index data.

Periodization Graphing and Planning

2008-04-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I absolutley buy into measuring percieved exertion, volume and increasing loads over time. Periods of increase then recovery then more increases then recovery, repeat. I have great graphs (visual) aids from data gathering that really helps me. While I don't map out a weekly plan per-se', I loosley target a result as shown below. It's enough to keep me on-track. See what data I track? Can you tell

FUEL is KEY

2008-04-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Fuel & Hydration is one of the deal makers or breakers. I include sodium, potasium, electrolytes, carbs & all that in this category. Recovery, protien, omega's etc.. 2006 was my big learning year. Completed Leadville 100 with no cramps! Want a copy of excel tool?

TRACKING: Perceived Exertion (P.E.)

2008-04-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

Perceived Exertion (P.E.) should be used as an independant variable then combined with TIME determine your dependant output, VOLUME.PE means little by itself, "that was hard"..."that was easy"...comments like that mean nothing unless related to TIME. It's TIME and P.E. begin to explain what your body just did. Try this in addition to your ave heart rate to measure events.PE x TIME = VOLUMEor add

Failure May Come if.....

2008-04-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

What will make you fail in a race, ride or event?-dehydration or overhydration-non-water fuel isn't sufficient or you cannot digest at rate demanded-pace is beyond your Lactate Threshold (LT) for too long, you lock up (Lactate can come from any muscles undertrained or stressed causing failure everywhere!)-technical ability is lacking or fail from crash-come into race overtrained or muscles not

Overcompensation

2008-04-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

Article by Jeremy Likness Overcompensation Have you ever had a cut that 'healed' into a scar? Have you ever found that your hands or feet form calluses from friction - either after running or handling tools or moving heavy furniture? Both of these are examples of the overcompensation principle. When applied to your health and training, overcompensation can be a powerful tool to maximize your

Core & Gym Work

2008-04-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

CORE: Must have strong mid-section. Your middle is your crowbar. Leverage to pedals requires strong mid regardless if you got gears or not.STRENGTH THROUGH WEIGHTS or BIKE: I use the weight room at work and do odd home reps, not buying a gym membership ever!!!To ensure weight room transfer to bike, bike often and be careful of overtraining.UPDATE: "weights article" web link on right has on-bike

Who's fat again?

2008-04-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

2009: I'm 5lbs heavier than I like at race season start, in two months. But this year< i'm just going to keep on eating fruit, veggies and protien as much as I want! I'm not talking heavey foods, just eat when I want, and eat lot's. I know it will come off. Aerobic and an-aerobic, feed the fire!!Family, holidays, then late 2006 hernia surgery makes a guy soft. Weak or balanced? Finished 2007

Dress for Success

2008-04-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Who cares how you look. Are you prepared with tools, warm gear & essentials? I often do long training rides with a back pack full of goodies and water. Nothing is better than heading out on a 4 hour ride knowing you have all the tools, fuels & layers you need. I may wear flashy colors when I race but looks are for movie stars. I'm just a joe on a bike.

Recovery, Overtraining and Sickness

2008-04-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

Note to self.... As I write hope it sticks. If I write, I will follow it. Don't overdo it too much or I'll pay. Recovery is key! Remember the ultimate goal of staying healthy, not getting hurt...

Long Steady Speed-O???

2008-04-12T23:39:00.000-07:00

So does long steady, less than max workouts really work. I'll say this......for 4 years I rode hard....on crazy steep dirt trails, the stiffest, craggiest MTB trails I could find. For 4 years thinking short hard benifited my XC race effort. HOWEVER, finally in 2005 I spent many hours on road doing steady work. OK, forget distance, it was 1-2 hrs on my mountian bike, on road. I threw away my

Heart Rate (numbers motivate)

2008-04-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

After reading all the articles you may notice Heart Rate is needed. Since you can't afford a watt meter you'll need to estimate "your" zones. There are many ways to do this, here's one. CALULATOR However, HR is a lagging, fluxuating, measure. In fact everyone's heart is different, and acts different pehaps daily. Investigate you, learn.Update: see "e-tips" link on right side of page for more

Intensity Training Menu

2008-04-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

This is mainly taken from Joel Friel's Mtn Bike Training Bible. I altered for me. You need to go buy book and digest, and learn your zones. It's key to learn how to cater to your needs and always ride with focus. If a season goal is a race over 30 miles, you may have a tricky balance between longer and shorter intensity training rides. These are more for shorter XC races than enurance but helpful

BELIEVE

2008-04-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,Thursday and Friday were my first two painfully happy road rides of 2007.Putting the HR monitor on was almost as tough as getting on the bike knowing a chilly stupid studded tire Minnesota road ride was ahead. It was then, with said first ride, the yearly argument of time and motivation would be settled.Soon I was not cold, just breathing and turning those familiar circles. Oh how

Training Coach Pages

2008-04-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've never used a coach and have no interest in paying the fee. Regardless, interesting list of coaches below. If bored look through their sites for information and knowledge.areUfit - Robin Akers, cycling coach, providing details of the training, guiding and holiday services provided for cyclists and general fitness services for non-cyclists.Arnie Baker Cycling - Arnie Baker MD, bicycling coach,

Recovery: Whole Athlete Performance Center

2008-04-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

Optimize Your Training off the BikeBy Dario Fredrick[Velo News, Vol. 34/No. 7, April 25, 2005]Effective training has many components: proper intensity, sufficient volume, intelligentnutrition, and a balanced psychological approach. While each of these components playsan important role, the most important part of effective training actually happens off thebike: recovery. The process of physical

3 Great Aerobic threshold workouts

2008-04-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.active.com/mountainbiking/Articles/Three_great_aerobic_threshold_workouts_for_mountain_bikers.htm sourced from Active.com on 4/3/2011 Edmund R. Burke, Ph.D. Active.com While endurance training is the backbone of a mountain biking fitness program, in order to compete in racing one needs to compete at a heart rate that can be maintained for 15 to 45 minutes of decidedly hard

Hammer Nutrition Rocks

2008-04-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hammer Nutrition is a good site with lots of fuel/training info. Excellent products, order up, use my account. New refferals score 15% off. Just call 800 336 1977 Hammer order line, tell them Heath sent ya. Acct# 96496 HAMMER SITE HEY BUCKO! I spent mucho time putting this site together. And you've obviously spent time here. I don't have google ads and not trying to make money. Just trying to

MTB Race Starts (archive date for retreival)

2008-04-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

Mountain Bike Race Starts (LW Coaching)The start of a mountain bike race can be crucial in deciding race outcome. When the trail narrows down to single track after the start, there is always a furious fight for the hole-shot. Getting that hole-shot and being first into the single track can be a huge advantage. If you are in the lead in the single track you can control the pace. On the flip side,

The Lactate Threshold

2008-04-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

original source documentThe Lactate ThresholdIntroduction: Few topics in exercise physiology have been more frequently investigated, or more vigorously debated than the lactate threshold. The details create the biggest debates. However, it is the basics that have great application to training and performance. So, we'll stick to those.What is Lactic Acid and Where Does it Come From?The

Lactate Threshold Training (archive for retreival)

2008-04-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

Lactate Threshold TrainingBy Ken Mierke (the sport factory)Whenever an athlete exercises at any intensity, even walking, lactic acid (lactate) is constantly being produced. Fortunately, our bodies also constantly recycle lactate, actually burning it up for fuel. As intensity increases, lactate production also increases. Lactate threshold is the highest intensity at which an athlete recycles

Weights???

2008-04-07T04:35:00.000-07:00

originalCYCLING PERFORMANCE TIPSWEIGHT TRAININGCycling regularly is great for lower body strength, but leaves a lot to be desired for the upper body muscle groups. And this can be a major liability - both for roadies who need that extra edge in road competitions and for mountain bikers who need this upper body strength to lift, jump, or just plain muscle heavier bikes over rough terrain and

No Weights MTB Training

2008-04-07T04:30:00.000-07:00

No Gym, No Problem Mountain Bike Strength TrainingReal Bodyweight Training for Mountain Bikers - Day 1From James Wilson, for About.comSee More About:bike trainingbodyweight trainingstrength trainingmtb strength training systemBodyweight training is a very effective and efficient way for mountain bikers to add strength training into their programs. It is convenient since it can be done anywhere

HOW MUSCLES WORK (dated for archive retreat)

2008-04-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

........I found this on Las Cruces Fire Department site. It's been removed but I found it in my cache. One of my favorite articles for basic muscle understanding.Fitness & Health \ Principles of Physical ConditioningHaving a basic understanding of how the muscles work and basic principles of conditioning makes for the designing of workouts that are much more effective and personalized. A

BASE TRAINING

2008-04-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

Joel Friel, November E-tips 2007Ya Know, my base training has always been Z2 & Z3 based. That LSD didn't make sense to me(at least the slow part). I figure as long as you can go "steady" at least an hour & a half or more (exceed your glyco stores) your good at "whatever" pace. Bottom line, when I feel that deep expentidure of fuel and deep satisfaction followed by late day recovery sweats, I know

AVOID GETTING SICK

2008-04-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

TWO ARTICLES CNN and EZINEATICLES.com How to avoid -- gesundheit! -- the cold and fluSimple steps keep you healthy during cold and flu seasonBy Amy CoxCNNMonday, December 13, 2004 Posted: 9:54 AM EST (1454 GMT)Peak season for flu and cold is usually December to March.SPECIAL REPORT(CNN) -- First, it's a scratchy throat. Next, the watery eyes. Then, the dreaded runny nose. Your personal cold and