Can we have a Mad Race Skills Day?

[ollietrex]

I know the faster people in the club are hard training away for the K-Capital and the NPS and the whole plethora of other events. Is there any chance we could maybe do a day race training day somewhere in the future where maybe we can go over race tactics, riding tips and general race type stuff.


It could maybe start with a few hours trailing building and then spend the afternoon going over the race type stuff as then you kill two birds with one stone.


Maybe the before the K-Capital is to close but before the NPS race start would be good?

[ollietrex]

Or maybe over a weekend is another idea, so Saturday is spent trail building and then Sunday is spent riding the trails and practicing?

[paddyobrien]

Race Skills and Tactics:


1 - Wait for man to shout 'Go!'

2 - Go like the clappers

3 - 1 to 2 hours later finish and collapse in a heap, dying for breath shortly after crossing the line.

[ollietrex]

Yep... Thats how I currently do it but I know that I could better make use of the trails and moments to take people etc... that I suppose come from practise racing but would be a good to have a few tips on.

[Fergal]

bikes and trailbuilding don't go well together - seperate days would be much better


we'll see what we can do re; race tips etc... but to be very honest, you simply need to be getting out often, setting goals and measuring your improvement, pushing yourself hard on difficult trails - this would probably acount for the majority of race-prep/training.


Nutrition is another key aspect - you need to recover properly from intense training, an excellent recovery drink is:

http://irish-lifting.com/product_info_supplement.php?cPath=2_29&products_id=119


I posted some guff on this subject on EPIC here:


http://www.epicmtb.com/smf/index.php?topic=3592.0

[TomH]

The best benefits really come from racing yourself, practice makes perfect. How much advice can someone really give you?. That said training/regular riding is pretty important, as is diet. Get these two right and you'll be doing pretty well. After that you will be the best judge of your own strengths and weaknesses.


DH racing helps, I haven't done one yet but when I come back after my summer away I hope to get a DH machine, the guys who do both are generally pretty damn good. And lastly you want to be having fun, as once your enjoying it thats all that really matters.

Tom

[Scrivo]

Pick somebody to beat in the race too. Was given a good piece of advice when I started. If you enter a race just planning on finishing, you wont be racing. Pick somebody to beat and remember the clock keeps ticking so out of the saddle hammering is going to catch people.


Ryan would be the best person to advise on this but from what I can see, it seems like it's all down to giving 100% over every part of the course.

[Richie]

From my limited experience, nothing focusses the mind or gets the adrenaline pumping that hearing the sound of peddling right behind you or seeing someone ahead and chasing them down... mind you, you couldn't tell from my results I think like that in a race :-)

[ryan]

So here is an idea... If enough people are interested I'll do this.


10:30am Sunday morning we LEAVE (so plan to be there about 10:15... a 5 minute ride over from Taylors) the bottom of the Kilmashogue Hill Climb for a timed run up the climb. If people have questions about training I'll answer (as much as I can) before and afterwards... Later, I'll head off on the rest of my spin (K-Caps not long away!)


My 'secret'? Tons of hard work on the bike, consistency, eating the right food (knowing what to eat/not eat/never eat) and resting. It's really just that. I read a lot and have tried out a lot of things over the last few years but always take what I say with a grain of salt... What works for me may not work for you! (but the hard work, eating right and resting right bits will!)

[ollietrex]

Thanks for the offer, I am not here this weekend but the info people have posted has been useful. I come from a back ground of international level competitive freestyle kayaking where the emphasis is on techincal skill and fitness was a secondary concern.


I suppose I look at it from getting the techincal skills and mental preparation right and then fitness second. Guess the best way to do it is really just putting in the miles on the bike...

[mel]

I've got another bit of advice: if there is no immediate single track that you need to get into at the start of the race, then there is no need to exhaust yourself by starting off in a sprint-start. In many cases it happens that people go way too hard for their abilities and race off from the start, just to bonk around the next corner when the lactic acid has build up (which is when I overtake them with a smile ;)).

And then of course the usual: proper pre-race preps: the right food (high on carbs, low on fat), enough rest and sleep the week before your race and also confidence in your abilities etc etc.

[Fergal]

good advice Mel, though Kilruddery as I recall is crucial for sprint-starting into the first singletrack section - lost a huge amount of time there last year when everyone piled-up and I was behind slower riders, so it could be worth throwing a few sprint starts into your training mix....


Castlewellan - no probs there - long fireroad before the s/track - Djouce and Tollymore I can't comment on

[ollietrex]

Do people ride with there Garmin's in races? Ie ride the course before and then have the Garmin course setup to see pace, distance etc...


Do people use the upper and lower limit alarms to make sure say at the start they are not going balls the walls and screw them selves in the first few KM's?

[Fergal]

think you're going a bit overboard on the technology there Ollie ....


I just used to rely on Shane G calling me a fairy and telling me I'm going to be lapped by Morgan to giddy me up, looks like I'll need to find a new abuser for this year - anyone looking for a job??

[Barrydanzig]

i'll take it!


it can part of my bottler duties

[shane]

barry just make sure the abuse is good and loud so everyone hears you and makes a show of him so he does go faster to get away from you

[ryan]

I use my Garmin in races but only as a tool for recording how I performed in the race... i.e. how long up the climb each lap, lap times etc... During the race, I'm pretty much going as hard as I can for the whole thing and my pacing is based on perceived effort rather then HR. My HR in races tends to be a lot higher then in training for a given power output anyway...


The Garmin is really useful for doing the preride with and then looking at the course later. Do a fast lap and you'll see how long the climbs take, how big they are etc... For example, if there is a 4 minute climb followed by a descent that offered good recovery you can go harder on the climb (almost binning yourself) while if after the climb there was no recovery section you would take it a little easier...


Oh, and totally agree with Mel on the hammering off thing. The Expert/Masters seem to do this a lot more then the Elites. I remember in a race last year (I was only the elite) where everyone hammered off at the start - there was an 8-9 minute climb and I sat in 8-9 position for the first 3 minutes then watched as the people who shot off had a slow and horrible death - was in the lead then with 2-3 minutes left in the climb feeling fine. Felt sorry for them, but they were experienced and should have known better.

[diamondG]

that's a very good point, my race experience is limited but I always kill myself in the first 5 minutes, I think its nerves and excitement. But I'll take note!