Some people are really good at riding the trainer and maintaining a good diet over the winter months. I am not one of those people.

I have put on exactly 10 lbs. since last fall, placing me just at the edge of the clydesdale class.

The thought of lugging myself up all those signature Colorado climbs this summer is just depressing, and ‘diets’ don’t tend to work for me; not even that no-carb fad.

If any of this sounds familiar, here’s what we can do about it.

Setting aside fad diets and gimmicks, weight loss is about one thing: burning more calories than you ingest. It sounds simple, right? If only! Of course exercising ups the calorie burn for a given day, but depending on your schedule and locale, it may be difficult to get in a workout this time of year. That leaves cutting your calorie intake as the best way to fit back into those race-cut jerseys.

On the flip side, starving yourself is also a bad idea and generally results in a major setback and then quitting. This is the reason most diets fail.

So what we really need is a personal dietitian to plan all our food intake, track what we do eat, and help keep us accountable. Easy, right? Virtually speaking, it actually is. A number of websites have popped up recently that allow you to enter your demographic stats, your current and target weight, and your desired weight loss time frame. From this data, the site will calculate the maximum number of calories you can consume in a day and still lose about 2 lbs per week, which is the generally accepted safe amount.

Disclaimer: Always make sure to see your doctor for regular exams, and tell him or her if you plan on starting a weight loss program, or any training regimen for that matter.

How it works

All nutritional planning  / weight loss websites use what is called the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) to determine how many calories you can consume in a day. In plain English, your BMR is how many calories you burn just existing. Yes, this means that you can lose weight by sitting on the couch playing video games, as long as your calorie intake is less than your BMR. It takes discipline, but it is doable.

Tracking the data

There are a number of nutritional planning sites out there and I have tried a couple. One that I really like is LoseIt.com. It is free, simple, and even includes an Android app to help you keep track on the go.

The concept is very simple. You enter your age, height, gender and current weight, along with your desired weight, and the site then sets your targeted daily calorie intake and the date you will reach your weight goal. (The site can also be used to maintain your current weight, or even to gain weight, if that’s what you need.)

Once you have input your baseline data you need to learn to eat the recommended number of calories in a day, which can be difficult at first. Throughout the day you can log what you eat and the site will keep a running tally for you. How much you’ve consumed and how much you can still eat is displayed on a graph for at-a-glance updates. If you have the Android app, you can simply scan the barcode on a package of food and it will automatically enter it for you. The database is extensive and even includes popular restaurant items, or you can enter a food by hand if it’s not listed.

In addition to calorie intake, you can also add exercise. Pick your category and duration, and it will enter the average amount of calories for that activity. It will also deduct the calories from your chart of total calories for the day. (So that you can eat more )

The Bottom Line

Nutrition tracking websites are a handy tool, but it still comes down to discipline and learning healthy eating habits. Once you start tracking your caloric intake, it quickly becomes clear that fast food, junk food and soda are a bad idea. One meal at the drive-thru or a restaurant like Chili’s can exceed your recommended calories for the whole day. Snacking can also be a killer as even a small bag of chips can have 300 calories or more. The trick is to find healthy alternatives. Grilled chicken, potatoes and a vegetable make an excellent meal with a moderate calorie count. The same goes for spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread. For snacking, popcorn has about 1/4 the calories of potato chips. Also make sure to drink plenty of water and limit your soda or beer.

For me, what separates a ‘diet’ from basic nutritional planning is this: with most traditional diets you either completely deprive yourself of something (like carbs) or you limit your calorie intake so severely that you are set up for failure and binge eating. With nutritional tracking however, you don’t really give up anything specific, but rather just eat smart. You quickly learn what is loaded with calories, and you also learn to plan ahead if you’re going out to dinner or having a few beers with the guys…all the while dropping that excess winter hibernation weight!

Ok, so I may have been a little over-ambitious in my New Year’s resolutions this year. Earlier this month I signed up to complete my first 100-mile mountain bike ride, the Cohutta 100 in Tennessee on April 28. It’s 100 days to race day and I’m starting to wonder what I’ve gotten myself into.

The Cohutta 100 is the opener in the annual National Ultra Endurance (NUE) Series so all the best endurance athletes from around the US will be there to kick off the season. As far as 100-mile mountain bike race courses go, the Cohutta is said to be a relatively good one for first-timers with a low singletrack-to-fire-road ratio. Still, the route climbs a total of 14,000 feet and crosses the state line into Georgia and back.

Tanasi Trail System. Photo: ositoking.

At the northern end, the race starts at the Brush Creek and Tanasi trail systems, located near the Ocoee Whitewater Center before heading south on forest roads through the Cohutta Wilderness area. At the southern end, this year’s course will include sections of the Pinhoti trail for the first time, adding another fun and well known singletrack trail to the mix. The race returns to Tennessee via the same forest roads with a downhill singletrack finish on the well-known Thunder Rock trail.

Training for the race

Completing a dirty century mountain bike race has always been on my to-do list and in 2008 I completed the Sumter Dirty Metric Century in South Carolina. That race was 100K which works out to 62.1 miles – nearly 40 miles short of 100. To be honest, I barely survived that race and at that time I couldn’t imagine going for 100 miles. Apparently time dulls painful memories.

But here I am – it’s 2012 and I’m committed, having already plunked down my $135 race registration fee. Doing the math, if I average 10mph during the race – which is aggressive – I’ll be on the bike for 10 hours. That’s four hours longer than the longest ride I’ve done so clearly I’m going to need to do some training.

The Bear Creek Overlook on the Georgia side of the Cohutta 100 course.

Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of (free) 100-mile mountain bike race training plans to skim online (one Google search I did brought up my own article about training for the Sumter Metric Century). I did find several 100-mile road cycling training plans but they all seemed way too wimpy (example: a 10-week plan that starts with a 25-mile “long” road ride). From the short paid plan excerpts I read online, a 100-mile mountain bike training plan should be at least 12-weeks long and will start off with a 4-hour “long” ride (35-40 miles for me).

So I built my own training plan. I won’t share the details of that plan until I complete the race (and know for sure the plan works!) but here’s the jist of it: progressively longer rides (distance but more importantly time) each weekend and 1-2 solid rides (20+ miles) during the week. I’ll use my road bike for about a third to a half of my training rides mainly because road biking offers a more consistent aerobic workout than the heart rate spikes you get from mountain biking. Plus road biking usually takes less time since I can start and end my rides at the house instead of driving to a trailhead.

Nutrition will play a key role in my success (or failure) during the race and in training so my plan includes finding the best things to eat during the ride. Think about it: in 10 hours time, even if you’re not exercising, you’ll eat 3 meals. Now add in the calories you’re burning on the bike and you need a ton of fuel to keep going. Eating regularly and often during my long rides will be key.

Although it’s 100 days until the race, my training plan doesn’t officially kick off until February 11, 12-weeks to race day. Even so, I’ve already started building my base with several 35-mile road rides and 25-mile mountain bike rides under my belt.

Training for a 100-mile mountain bike race promises to be a huge time commitment and mentally I know it’ll be tough to get out for long rides this winter. Still, riding my mountain bike 100 miles is something I’ve always wanted to do and there’s no better time than now to saddle up and do it!

Over the next 100 days I’ll be writing about my training progress which should help keep me motivated and accountable. Just one hundred days until I cross that finish line!

Ask any roadie and they will tell you that mountain bikers survive on a diet of burritos, pizza and beer or soda. While that is mostly true, it turns out that good nutrition helps out no matter what kind of cycling you do.

Food preferences are fairly subjective, so you will need to experiment a little to see what tastes good and works for you, but this should give you some ideas to try out.

There is a plethora of scientific research about sports nutrition, and if you are training for a race, you will want to consult an expert. This is intended to be a guide for recreational riders looking to do better than the stereotypical cheeseburger and Coke.

 photo credit: jameskadamson

Before the Ride

It is important to eat enough before a ride so you have the fuel to get started, but you don’t want anything so heavy that it will make you sick under heavy exertion. If I have a couple of hours before a morning ride, I will eat a breakfast burrito or sausage, egg and cheese bagel. But if I’m riding right away, I will instead do oatmeal or a bagel with cream cheese. Apples and bananas are also an excellent choice, or maybe even a pop-tart or cereal/granola bar, if that’s your thing. If coffee is your morning pick-me-up, have it, but also drink plenty of water or sports drink before you arrive at the trailhead. For an after work ride, I like a Clif bar or $0.99 chicken sandwich from the drive thru on my way to the trailhead.

During the Ride

Staying fueled and hydrated on the ride is crucial for avoiding cramps, headaches or outright bonking. While riding, try to eat one energy snack every 30-60 minutes in the saddle, depending on the intensity of the ride. I like to bring a hydration pack with water and a bottle with sports drink. I drink the water as needed throughout the ride, and the sports drink every time I stop for a break. In addition to flavor preferences, also consider the delivery method of various energy snacks. If you’re on a laid back rec ride with frequent stops, clif bars and other “hands-on” foods will be fine. If you’re in a race or any ride with minimal downtime, gels and other “one-handed” items are the ticket. For the latter situation, I love the Hammer Gel flask. It holds the equivalent of 5 packets of gel and the ounces are marked on the side for easy nutrition monitoring. I have also seen riders duct tape energy gel packets to their bike stem, allowing the packs to be ripped off / opened with one hand. The tabs don’t end up on the ground and the duct tape is available for trailside repairs if needed. Genius! But I still prefer the flask…

After the Ride

With all that extended effort behind you, your body will be craving fluids to make up for any hydration deficit, and protein to rebuild broken down muscle tissue. To kill two birds with one stone, check out a protein recovery drink like Hammer Nutrition Recoverite or Muscle Milk.

Now you can hit Sonic and grab that bacon double cheeseburger dripping with awesomeness. Or maybe a pizza is more to your liking. Chicken and fish are healthy alternatives, but whatever your preference, have a sensible meal, hydrate as much as needed, and check out the aforementioned protein drinks.or even regular milk.

As a side note, alcohol does not really help your biking nutrition in any way. It has no place on the actual ride, and it usually hurts more than it helps before or after. As always, use your head and enjoy responsibly and you’ll be fine. Just don’t expect to get rid of your beer gut with more beer.

Here are some energy foods I have tried and liked. Your preferences and mileage may vary.

• Hammer Nutrition Products – Hammer is a sponsor of a club I belong to so I have tried most of their stuff
• Gu
• Jelly Belly Sport Beans – great for kids
• Clif Shot Bloks – also great for kids
• Clif Bars
• Powerade
• Honey Stinger Waffles – these are 160 calories of pure awesomeness, soaked in honey. If you haven’t tried them yet, go get one right now!

As I mentioned before, taste preferences are purely subjective so I recommend making a trip to the local sporting goods store and getting one of each thing that looks interesting. Over your next few rides, see what tastes good. Learn what feels right in your body, and soon you’ll have your riding nutrition plan dialed in!

Logs – they’re a fundamental part of mountain biking in most areas of the country since where there are trees, there are trees that fall.  Many riders hate logs and would like to see all of them cut off the trails.  Others, like me, really enjoy riding them and are always wondering just how big we can go.  But part of enjoying riding logs is knowing how to ride them.  A few years ago trek7k wrote a post on a few different ways to ride over a log but in this post I’m going to provide a little more detail and insight into what he called the ‘speed hop’.

When you know how to ride them, logs are an enjoyable part of the mountain bike experience.  Photo: Brian Reynolds

The goal here is to get over the log as smoothly and safely as possible.  Done right, you don’t even have to slow down – if you’re quick enough and your timing is super precise.  This move can be used on all sorts of things, pretty much any time you have to go onto or over something.  Rocks, bridges, even curbs in your neighborhood can be ridden in style with the speed hop.  You can also ride some really big stuff this way.  This is, in my opinion, the best way to get over things tall enough to hit your chain ring.  Bashing your chainring into stuff is hard on you, your bike,and  your wallet plus it’s not smooth and it forces you to slow down.

The Approach

You want to be in the ready, or “attack” position: off the saddle, knees and elbows bent, weight centered over the bike, pedals level.  Do NOT try to ride over a log sitting down with your cranks vertical.  It will not work.  And yes, I’ve seen someone try this.  It resulted in a 10ft nose wheelie to tuck and roll over the bars.  Luckily the only thing damaged was his ego.

First Wheel Up

Pick the front wheel up.  Get you weight back over and behind the rear wheel axle, and pull the bars toward your chest.

Set Up The Pivot

Let the front wheel land on top of the log.  As it is falling down onto the log move your weight forward and prepare for the hop.

Up and Over

Now hop straight up, not forward!  Use the front wheel as a pivot point for the bike.  Suck your legs up to lift the rear wheel off the ground, rotating your wrists can help with this too.  You want the rear wheel to go over the log, so hop just high enough.  No need for a huge hop if the log is only 6″ around.  Extend your arms to push the bike out in front of you and over the log, keeping your weight to the rear, just in case the rear wheel hangs up on the log.  If your weight is forward and the rear wheel hits the log you might take one of those famous trips Over The Bars.

The rear tire might land on top of the log, or on the back side.  That’s fine, you’ll hardly even notice.  It’s also okay if it clears the log completely.  Generally, the faster you go, the more likely it’ll clear the log completely.

One more tip:  if you’re going fast, you’ll actually start to hop before your front wheel touches the log.  If you don’t you’ll hit your chainring… which doesn’t usually end well when you’re going fast.

Ride Away

Now just ride away in style, at the same speed you were before, and without hardly even feeling a bump.  But be nice – don’t laugh at your friends who had to stop and walk over the log.  It is okay to laugh at the guy who just bent a tooth on his $100+ XTR chainring though. 

Moving Pictures

Here’s the video all of the screen shots from above were pulled from.

So how do you feel about logs?  Love?  Hate?  Indifferent?  Tell us in the comments section below!

Big thanks to Tyler and David for help with the video.

Most riders are told that a powerful, efficient pedal stroke means that you need to spin circles or pull through the top of your pedal stroke. However, some recent studies are calling that advice into question. Based on this new understanding of the pedal stroke several top coaches now call for a powerful downstroke with the lead leg while minimizing the interference from the trail leg–a controlled “mash” in effect.

In this video I go over what science is now telling us about a powerful and efficient pedal stroke and demonstrate three exercises to help improve yours:

1. Single Leg Roman Dead Lift

2. Bulgarian Split Squat

3. Reverse Lunge with High Knee

Do these exercises a couple of times a week and you’ll be on your way to getting more out of your pedaling as well as benefits if you’re a runner, too.  For a more comprehensive mountain bike specific strength and conditioning program, check out the Ultimate MTB Workout by James Wilson of MTB Strength Training Systems.

Ahhhh, home sweet home

Your local trails: they’re the home stadium, your turf. I submit that there are a huge list of things that make your go-to singletrack a very special place indeed. I got to thinking about this when I went out for an after work ride to grab some pictures of my new neighborhood spot. I rolled through at an easy-breezy pace, stopping to capture some images and thinking about how I would describe these trails to my buddies back home.

Come on in

These trails are pretty new to me. I moved to Wisconsin in January (I know, didn’t think that one through) for a new job and it’s taken quite a bit of getting used to. The first bikey thing I did was buy a snow-capable bike to get my ass back into shape after a long winter spell of sloth. After some fitness training and indoor riding that didn’t require the snow to melt I was feeling good and counting the days until the local trails were officially opened for the spring. When the go ahead was given by our trail keeper I was pumped and ready to hit it.

When I say trail keeper I mean the guy who is a full-time paid employee at the company that makes features, clears the brush and fallen trees, changes up the routes seasonally, fights erosion, etc. One of my coworkers asked me if I was enjoying “country club mountain biking.” He’s exactly right, short of a pro rider I can’t think of anyone who has it this good. For lunch I get changed in the locker room, pedal less than 10 minutes up the street to the trailhead, then get rad for an hour. Once that’s done I head back to the office, take a shower, change and lean by bike up against my desk to wait for the next session. How sweet it is…

High road or low?

So anyway, how would I describe these trails to my Philadelphia riding buddies? I’d say they’re a bit like White Clay in Newark, Delaware with the fast, flowy, almost pump-track quality of the David English trail. But the real difference is the man-made features everywhere. White Clay has a compact but very challenging skills section, but my Wisco trails have good stuff like the above all throughout. Plus there’s a double diamond trail with huge gaps, high drops, and wicked speeds if you can clear everything.

Some serious Forest of Endor shit going on

The magic of the local trail dawned on me while I was riding and thinking about this post. It’s the trail you head to if you’ve only got a couple hours after work, or before you have to mow the lawn, or if you’re a little too hung over for an all-day grinder. You know all the routes like the back of your hand, and you can pick and choose depending on whether you want to go balls out or just keep sharp and work up a sweat. The value of knowing the location of every root and rock, where it stays greasy the longest after the rain, or that straight section you know you can pin it on is immeasurable. This is your training ground. There is an uphill switchback that I’m still figuring out how to carry speed through without going wide and losing momentum. There’s a fast downhill section with 7 whoops in a row that I’m now able to blast my way down without a second thought or hesitation. The familiarity you have with your “backyard” lets you build skills, boost confidence, apply laser focus to your technique and have a blast all at the same time.

Haven’t mastered this one yet…

So get out to your local dirt! If you can pedal in from home it’s all the better. No loading the car, backing over the front wheel you forgot to put in the trunk, leaving your shoes at home, or getting stuck in traffic and running out of light. Plus it’s a built-in warmup. No matter where they are, your go-to trails provide fun, features, fitness and the chance to keep your game tight. The more you ride them, the more severe the smackdown you can put on your out-of-town buddies when they come to visit.

Tell us about your local go-to trail ride!

I recently had the chance to spend three days at a BetterRide mountain bike skills camp. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in school and the amount of information was overwhelming – in a good way!  I learned a ton of ways to improve my mountain bike riding and handling skills.  With new skills to master, now I approach mountain biking with the same excitement as when I was starting out over 14 years ago.  This post won’t cover nearly as much as I learned while at camp so if you want to know more, head over to BetterRide’s website and find a camp near you.

BetterRide Coach Andy Winohradsky leads a women’s MTB skills camp

In my pre-camp post I mentioned how Gene Hamilton stresses the importance of using visualization for mountain bike racing and riding, and during Gene’s BetterRide mountain bike skills camp at Georgia International Horse Park I realized this actually means two different things. There is the positive-imagery type of visualization that can be used on and off the trail which I find most effective at boosting my riding confidence.  If I use visualization to psyche myself up for a race, or even when thinking about a technical section of trail that I always freeze up on, my actions become almost instinctual to mimic those visions when faced with the real situation.

But positive visualization can only get you so far. Most of time we are physically and mentally capable of riding a mountain bike trail, and to ride it better and more efficiently requires a whole different kind of vision. At BetterRide mountain bike skills camp, Coach Andy taught us about having vision on the trail.  The kind of vision to see the best line that will allow you to keep your momentum and get you where you want to go.  The best line isn’t always the most worn-in, main path on the trail and it certainly can have its share of obstacles.  It sounds easy in theory; of course, we want to take the path of least resistance, but when you’re riding 15 mph down a trail you may not have time to even realize you need to make a decision.  That’s why at camp we slowed things down and practiced training our vision in the parking lot first.

On the first day we did some vision drills to practice scanning and trusting our peripheral vision.  The most important outcome from those drills was remembering to always keep our heads up and focused two steps ahead of where we wanted to go.  Looking down, especially when coming up on an obstacle, can lead to falls and at a minimum it kills your momentum. When you combine vision with proper body position (photo left), also taught during the camp, you have the basics for riding efficiently and being in control.

Over the next two days of camp, Coach Andy showed us more drills for cornering, braking and wheelies, switchbacks and balance.  Putting it all together on the trails was tough, especially because I’ve been riding for more than a decade and have become comfortable in the way I ride.  In particular, downhill cornering is one area I know can use a lot of practice and it turns out this is probably the most common place mountain bikers throw away momentum when not executed correctly.

The first few times I executed a good bike lean in a corner on the trails it felt weird – the acceleration through the corner felt fast, almost too fast, and it definitely surprised me!  I realized I have a habit of slowing down before going into a turn which is clearly the wrong approach. It always felt natural for me to squeeze the brakes at the last second in the crook of a corner but it turns out that’s way too late to maintain good control of the bike. The photo below shows one of the cornering drills we did during the camp.

One of my initial goals for the camp was to learn how to control my heart rate during a ride.  I had gotten to a point in my riding where I thought just pedaling faster and harder would make me better, but it has actually just been making me more tired. Now, having been to camp, I’m convinced I can control my heart rate better by fine tuning my skills to ride more efficiently.  Throughout our time at camp, Coach Andy would say, “sometimes you gotta go slow to go fast.”  I know I have some slow rides–on and off the trail–ahead of me, slow enough to train my vision while doing things right.  I left camp with enough drills to practice in the convenience of my own neighborhood, so I can practice skills like cornering and wheelies on days I can’t make it to the trails.

BetterRide camp was a great experience and I learned a lot, but actually becoming a “better rider” takes a lot of disciple.  Andy was an awesome coach, teaching me what to do and what not to do on my bike, so now if I do my homework I should be able to accomplish my goals.  In fact I’ve even come up with my own measurable goal to check my progress: by the end of the summer, I hope I can shave a few minutes off the time it took me to ride the Blankets Creek trail in the Dirty Duathlon just a few weeks ago.  I’ll report back in a couple months with the results, or watch the MTB event calendar and come ride my time trial with me!

About six weeks ago I embarked on a training regimen based on the product “Mountain Bike Dumbbell Combos” from James Wilson. One of the key features in the program is its elimination of all possible excuses someone like me would use to avoid an undertaking like this.

“I don’t want to have to buy all that special workout gear or get a gym membership”

Well, all you need to do this is a jump rope, a chair and a set of adjustable weight dumbbells. Total cost according to my quick internet search: 35 bucks plus shipping. You’ve got a chair right? If you don’t, maybe your priorities might need reevaluating.

“I don’t have time”

According to the well documented instructions, workouts take less than 45 minutes to complete and you only need 2 to 3 per week to see results. 2 hours and 15 minutes is less than the running time for Pearl Harbor, and trust me, you can skip that one.

Casey is a better actor anyway

“I don’t have the space to do it”

No matter how small your dim little hovel is (unless you’re a New York minimalist) you can find the 5′ X 5′ space required to perform the exercises. Go ahead, push the futon out of the way and get to business.

No coordination? Fear not, within the package are links to online videos showing step-by-step instructions on how to get down. Mr. Wilson really does have the knack for making this workout program approachable for anyone and removes any roadblocks to getting into the best ride shape you’ll ever see. But wait there’s more…

Let’s talk nutrition

Along with the 23 page workout description there are seven Nutrition Handouts with titles like “Eat This Not That”, “Breakfast is the Most Important Meal”, “8 Super Foods” and “Protein”. These sheets give you the digestable (wha wha whaaaaaa) information about maximizing your results by eating correctly before, during, and after your training. It’s amazing how my food consciousness was transformed once I read some of the wisdom included. It’s easy to fall into the habit of grabbing anything when you’re hungry. When you not only understand that the chips you’re reaching for are full or fat and empty calories but that there’s something equally satisfying that will take you one step closer to trail stud status the choice is easy.

My frequent rider partner and bona fide trail mangler Jim

As for my results? Sadly in the time I’ve been tackling the training I haven’t had a chance to do much mountain biking. I went to Ray’s Milwaukee right around the time I started the program and I did get out on some super secret employee-only trails back when the white stuff was still around.

Aside from that it’s been all road for me. But in that time I feel stronger, able to ride longer and recovery times seem to be dropping. My body fat percentage is down, my lean muscle mass is up. I’m probably the worst product reviewer (and they pay me for this?) because empirical data is nigh worthless in my world where if it feels better from the saddle, it’s all good. That, my friends, is the bottom line.

I love the Mountain Bike Dumbbell Combos program simply because it gets me motivated to get in top shape for the season. I don’t know about you, but when I feel like I’m in good shape and ready for the trails every ride is a bit radder, the singletrack just a bit tastier and that post-ride beer is as close to sweet nectar as I imagine I’ll ever taste.

Get pumped, get in shape and get out there. It’s spring and the trails are calling.

I was looking forward to the Blankets Creek Duathlon for months because I knew signing up for the race would force me to get out ride my bike more. I was only able to pre-ride parts of the course two days before the race and even though Blankets Creek is a local trail, the pre-ride was my first time riding the infamous Van Michael Trail. For those who aren’t familiar, the VMT goes up and down and up some more and is one of the most challenge trails at Blankets Creek. I was hoping for rewarding downhill but most of the descents were rocky or slowed down by switchbacks… or both.

On race day I had to push aside thoughts of wishing I had trained more and all the other shoulda/coulda/woulda’s that entered my mind. There were a lot of serious competitors among the 260+ racers, but the majority of mountain bikers I met were there to finish and have fun. All the chatting and meeting other racers, especially the women, before the race was a great way to calm my nerves.

Any remaining nervous energy got burned off during the initial trail run. The duathlon started with a 5-mile trail run on the Dwelling Loop, and being a runner and former marathoner, I definitely preferred running before biking. After the first mile and a half I realized my heart rate was way up after I nearly tripped on a root. I was passing folks on the singletrack and feeling the pressure of other runners behind me so I decided to settle in with a few other ladies that were going about the same pace I was. Soon after, over my left shoulder I heard, “C’mon, you’re not satisfied.” She was right – in the back of my mind I was saving my legs for the Van Michael Trail, but it takes more than 5 miles of running to wear me out. So I gladly let the woman by and stuck to her like glue the rest of the way.

The running pace was perfect, a little faster than I would have run if I were running alone. We even caught up to my new friend, Cathi, an experienced ultra-marathoner. At that moment I started thinking negative thoughts, “I need to slow down, I’m going way to fast, Cathi should be running circles around me!” But I decided to make my move. I felt a little guilty about trading places with Cathi but I wanted to run as if I was only there to run the 5 mile trail run; I’d worry about the biking part later. I was so glad to be reminded early on that racing is often more of a mental challenge than a physical one. I finished the run in 44:16 and was one of the first 5 women into the transition area.

I hurried through the transition, gulped down a Gu and a bottle of Accelerade, switched shoes, slapped on my helmet and hydration pack and bolted back onto the trail with my heart rate still approaching maximum velocity. I had 12 miles on the bike to look forward to so it helped to think about it in pieces. First up, ~4 miles on the Van Michael Trail.

It took a while to get into the groove of climbing and I became frustrated when riders in front would stop in the middle of the climbs, forcing me and others following to do the same. This happened a lot on the VMT and I suppose it’s partly my fault for following too closely.

At one point I tried to pass a group of bike-hikers on the left side when I found myself out of space and momentum. I tumbled about 15 feet down a cliff still clipped into my bike like a fly on flypaper. I picked up some scrapes on my shoulders and legs but the worst part of the fall was one of my calves cramped up. Fortunately a couple of nice gents fished me and my bike out of the brush. I think I was cursing out loud by now so I hope they didnt take offense – I really did appreciate the help!

I stretched my leg out and pushed my bike up the rest of the hill and for a few minutes thought, what a waste, I might as well take my sweet time riding now. I was sooooooo mad! Then I thought to use all that anger to my advantage, so I pedaled like a mad woman. I was having crazy thoughts now. I wanted to blast down that stretch with the ropes (pictured above), but fortunately there were some folks from the race crew there telling the riders to take it easy.

By the time I got onto the next section of trail, known as the Dwelling Loop, I was still mad. Dwelling looks a lot different on a bike than on foot. You don’t notice the little rocks as much so it’s actually a pretty fast ride, at least for the first mile. Everyone seemed to be spaced out better on Dwelling and whenever I found myself alone, I pedaled harder to catch the next rider and make up time. Before I knew it, I was back with some of the racers I had seen before my crash.

We turned onto South Loop and the pace slowed a bit. South Loop is not like any of the other Blankets Creek trails, and of course this is the section I left out of my pre-ride. There was a lot of narrow, twisty singletrack through pine trees. Not knowing what else was ahead, I just told myself there’s less than two miles left so it’s time to ride until I puke.

When I saw an opportunity to pass the female rider that I had been behind for the last several miles, I bolted past only to come around the corner to a slow granny gear climb. I fell again going up a short technical section because I was distracted by a rider sitting by the side of the trail. What was he doing there? Did he puke? Am I going to puke here? I was totally embarrassed as I was passed back just seconds after getting in front of the woman. I hung onto the woman as long as I could, wondering if I could out-sprint her when we made it back to the doubletrack.

Before I knew it I could hear the race crew and spectators through the pine trees and I knew we were coming out of South Loop. I was over-anxious and started frantically mashing the pedals and, doh! my handlebars clipped a tree. Down I went for a third time and in front of so many people!

I finished strong knowing I ran and rode my hardest. My final time was 2 hours 11 minutes, and I was shocked to win my age category (the woman I was chasing ended up being in a different age group) and I finish 5th overall in the women’s race!

It’s two days later and I’m still a little sore from the crash, but certain I’ll do another dirty duathlon. A big kudos to Lisa Randall and SORBA Woodstock for putting on an awesome event. See you at the Rope Mill Duathlon!

Photo courtesy of Sorella Cycling

Spring arrived early in Atlanta this year with high temps in the 60s or better most days since late February. It’s been great for a fair weather rider like me and I’ve been able to hit the trails at least a half dozen times so far this year.  I went all out on nearly every ride, leaving the trails feeling satisfied yet exhausted, legs burning, and Camelbak sucked dry.  And every time I wished I could have ridden my bike just a little longer and just a little faster.  I made excuses like, “I need to trim some weight off my bike,” and “running during the winter just isn’t good enough cross-training for mountain biking.”  Then one of my riding buddies from Sorella Women’s Cycling Club mentioned Gene Hamilton, mountain bike coach to many top pro racers, is having a BetterRide mountain bike skills camp right here in Atlanta.  Perfect – being totally immersed in mountain biking for three days is just the kick in the pants I need to get serious about mountain biking again!

I signed up for the BetterRide women’s mountain bike camp right away and I immediately received some articles with good information to help me prepare for the camp.  In one article, Gene explained the importance of imagery or visualization for mountain bike riding (and racing) success.  I had practiced positive imagery while training for marathons for years but I never thought to apply it to mountain biking just for fun.  Gene says “consistent imagery will make a bigger difference in your riding than actually doing the drills if you spend 20 minutes twice a week working on it.”  This is something I’m definitely going to do more of, particularly with respect to the MTB skills I want to get extra help with at camp.

The BetterRide camps cover a ton of  mountain bike skills like:

• Learning correct body position
• Setting up your bike
• How to look ahead correctly
• Climbing & descending techniques
• How to conquer small and advanced obstacles
• Cornering & riding switchbacks
• Braking effectively
• Mental skills

Personally, I have three main goals for completing the camp.  First, I want to gain confidence on downhills.  If you’ve ever ridden with me, you know I don’t mind the challenge of a climb but it’s really all about the downhill reward on the other side. But sometimes I feel like I’m not going as fast as I should be (and therefore not having as much fun as I could be!).  Maybe I burn too much energy on the climbs and underestimate how much energy the downhill will take so I slow myself down.  Or maybe it’s just my human instinct to brake when rolling over jagged rocks and between trees that seem mere inches away from my elbows.  My point is, momentum is a terrible thing to waste so I want to get faster going downhill!

My second goal is to learn how to control my heart rate during a ride.  Most of the time I don’t like to stop during the ride so I keep breaks short unless there’s great scenery along the way.  Like a 3-foot high log across the trail, an erratic heart rate can just as easily ruin my flow.  I don’t really care about the actual heart rate number, but I want to know how to handle those heart rate spikes that result from short, steep climbs or powering through hard, technical sections.  I want to be able to stop and take a break when I want to, not after every tough part of a trail.

Lastly, I’d love to learn a new trick at the BetterRide camp – to be honest my bike handling skills are terrible!  After 14+ years of mountain biking and building a teeter-totter to ride in my backyard, I still get nervous going over some 8” wide bridges on the trails (I can’t believe I just admitted that on the internet). Hopefully after the camp, I’ll be able to ride skinnies, do a wheelie, or land bigger jumps!

I’m super excited about the upcoming BetterRide mountain biking camp and taking my riding to the next level.  There may still be a few spots left in the Atlanta women’s camp on April 15-17, 2011 if you want to join me.  And for the guys, there are BetterRide camps for you too! Don’t pass up the chance to learn from Gene’s expert coaching at one of the many Colorado camps or other locations around the US.  For camp dates and locations, visit www.betterride.net.

Photo courtesy of BetterRide.net

About BetterRide
BetterRide provides structured skills coaching, designed to get you riding at your best. Coaching sessions range from two hour clinics to three day camps across the US and abroad. BetterRide was founded by pro racer and USA Cycling Expert Coach Gene Hamilton who has over 20 years of coaching experience including 12 years coaching mountain biking skills. BetterRide’s coaching highlights include coaching many top pro racers (Chris Van Dine, Brian Buell, Mitch Ropelato, Joey Schusler, Graeme Pitts,…) and over 1,900 riders who just want to get better. Gene and his certified coaches are passionate about coaching, riding and helping others reach their goals. All mountain bike clinics, camps and private lessons are guaranteed to improve your riding or your money back.

No more of these for me, I’ve gotta be ready to crush the springtime trails.

This week I received a digital copy of James Wilson’s 12 week mountain bike training program called “Mountain Bike Dumbbell Combos”. The package includes a 23-page manual explaining and laying out the options for the warm-ups, exercises and combined routine schedules that you can put together to whip yourself into full-on trail destroyer mode. If you’re snowed in right now as I am, you’re looking for anything to keep you sharp for that first day on the trails come springtime.

Looking over the 12-week plan and all its exercise components, I am truly psyched to get in the gym. But one of the best parts of this training regimen is that you don’t even need a gym to do it. Forty five minutes, 3 times a week in any 5′x5′ space will do. Grab a jump rope and adjustable dumbbells and you’re ready to work your upper body in addition to conditioning your core and legs.

Along with the detailed explanation of the exercises, Bike James includes several nutrition tips about the most important meal, what you should be eating (and avoiding), and some great meal suggestions to feed those muscles you’re developing. Nutrition has always been the weak point of any “training” I’ve done in the past; I’m hoping that having the benefit of concise guidelines about it will allow me to take full advantage of this non-trail time.

I’ll report back as things progress. Perhaps next post I’ll be raffling off a couple tickets to the gun show. Dadum ching!