tjwoodruff

Race Preparation

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You have likely started the race season and many of you are in the heart of the road or mountain bike calendar.  Some of you might even be just weeks away from your most important event of the year.  So we thought it would be a good idea to give up a few of our favorite tips on race preparation.

Race preparation doesn’t start Sunday morning when you wake up and pack your race bag.  Race preparation doesn’t start Saturday night when you decide to eat pasta for Sunday’s main event.  Race preparation goes all the way back to the beginning of the season when you first laid out you goals.  The daily training rides, all the hard work, and all the sacrifices are the beginnings of the preparation.  Following those training plans and knowing you’ve done everything in your power is what brings you the mental confidence heading into the week before your race.

As you get closer to the event you can start to be more specific.  One week away from the event you need to start going through the checklist in your head.  If you can’t keep it straight in your head, it’s a good idea to write it down.  Everybody has a slightly different checklist, and part of being prepared is having your own.  Is my bike working?  Have I done my research on the race course?  What time does the race start?  Is my hotel reservation confirmed?

Two or three days away from the event I fine tune it just a little more.   I’ll be riding my race bike making sure it’s dialed and making sure my body is used to the geometry.  It’s key to preventing injury if you do all your training on one bike, but are racing on a different.  I start thinking about hydration, food intake, and start thinking about the race course.  I like to visualize the race course during my last few rides before the race.  I take a little time to come up with a plan of attack for the race itself.

The night before the race I like to pack my bags early and have a relaxing evening.  If everything is done right the morning of the race can be very relaxing and low stress.  You’re now ready to go!  Just don’t forget that post race recovery drink because next week’s race prep starts just as soon as you cross the finish line.

-Brian

Dalby & Offenburg World Cup Report

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Writing up a race report is an opportunity for reflection: what went well, what didn’t, and how do I go about using the experience to pull together a better race next time.  So I’m going to briefly reflect on the past two weekends of racing, the good, the bad, and what’s next.  The first race was the second UCI MTB World Cup held in Yorkshire, United Kingdom.  I raced with the US National Team, so the race support was superb and my teammates were, well, mostly my BMC Mountainbike Development Team USA teammates.  Plus, cyclocross superstar Amy Dombroski who is now sprinkling in some mountain bike races with her ‘cross.  I can’t thank our race mechanic, USA team manager, or travel companions enough – all fantastic people!

We arrived near Pickering, UK on Thursday morning.  On Friday, I got my first couple laps in on the race course.  There were two notable spots on the course where I had to stop, consider the lines, and watch some riders negotiate the sections.  I had a solid day on the course, the tricky sections dialed, and a World Cup Sprint Eliminator to look forward to that evening.  A what? The Sprint Eliminator is formatted with multiple heats – first a qualifying run, then brackets are set up with heats of four riders, semifinals, quarterfinals, etc.  The top two riders from each heat proceed onto the next round – until all but four are eliminated before the finals.  The course was less than 2 minutes long with three short climbs, a stairway drop, a sketchy dirt corner, and an uphill sprint – my kind of race!  I qualified 8th of 20+ racers and went on to finish 8th.  In the Small Final, I was on the line with Katerina Nash, Tracey Mosley, Cecile Ravonel (Top-10 World Cup racer, Downhill World Champ, Top-10 World Cup racer) – whoa!   I learned that while I can start fast enough for a US ProXCT race, I was left on the start line before I even realized the whistle sounded in every single heat.  I need to work on that.

I was confident coming into the cross-country race on Sunday.  I felt good, I had trained well, rested up, and was ready to race.  My start was good despite a 71st call up position.  I lined up along the right barrier, so I was outside of the first sweeping corner—right where I wanted to be.  Halfway through lap one, I was riding in 45th.  Beginning of lap two, I felt my tire give way on a root and I ‘burped’ some air out.  What could have been a minor quick fix with a Big Air (throw in a little extra air so it doesn’t happen again) essentially ended my race.  I mentally checked out.  I rode the “B” lines to the pit, lost too many positions, took a wheel change I didn’t need, had some shifting problems, had too much tire pressure, hurt my back, and let too much air out only to be back where the problems began .  I got pulled before completing my final lap. Ugh, that was not how things should have gone.  I let a minor problem end my race.

Monday we traveled to Oberried, Germany (near Freiburg in the Black Forrest region).  Freiburg is one of my favorite cities in the world and the riding in the region is incredible.  We stayed at Steirebarlehof, a farm with two cats, two pigs, dairy cows, bunnies, ponies, and Emma (the farm dog).  Fresh eggs, yogurt, frankfurters, steak, and veggies almost every day—yum!  Two good days of training—you would be jealous of the roads!  The week was very therapeutic, to say the least.  I put Dalby behind me and looked forward to the Offenburg World Cup.

Offenburg is a keep-you-on-your-toes kind of course with lots of euro chutes (steep downhill drop-offs), some good climbs, and technical sections with names like, “Wolf’s Drop” and “Snake Pit.”  Spectators pay 15 Euro a piece to watch the race!  The course and atmosphere were just that good.  I only pre-rode on Friday since we had over an hour long commute from Freiburg.  I rode two laps of the course.  For the first, I tagged along with the junior and U23 women who were in Freiburg for a USA Cycling Development Camp.  We took our time and talked over all the tricky sections.  It was very inspiring to see some of these girls muster the courage to try some of these sections which were the most technical trails they’d ever seen.  I warmed up for the second lap and then rode a lap near race speed.  I pieced together the technical sections fast and flawlessly—I think the talking over the tricky sections helped tremendously.  On race day, I rode one of the most consistent races of my career.  Every lap was within seconds of each other and my last lap was the fastest.  I had no mishaps, was on the verge of cramping for the final two laps, had fun, smiled at spectators who were cheering on the last lap (which always gets more cheers)—I loved it!  The first lap was a cluster—and I’ve never been yelled at more in my life.  I could probably fight for positions a little bit more, dig a little deeper on lap one and take some more chances.  That’s what I’ll work on for the next World Cup in Mt Saint Anne.  Until then, I’m happy with my 49th place.

Enjoy the ride,

Chloe

Power of Placebo

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Many cycling related products on the market make claims for how drastically they’ll improve your performance.  Most of these claims are not warranted by science; however people still tend to perform better when using them. How can this be?  The power of what we believe cannot be under-rated as this video outlines.

Momentum’s advice?  Steer clear of the bogus claims and put the same confidence into the tried and true.  Training hard(er) and recovering will improve your performance. Believing that your training will drastically improve your performance will allow you to bump your performance up to another level.  Train well and put your mental stock where it is most warranted. Banking on placebo alone might work for some, but the same confidence put into something sound – such as a well thought out training program, a balanced diet, or more sleep at night will bring you the biggest dividends.  Work hard, know that you’re going for it 100% and enjoy the experience.

Welcome Coach Brian Matter!

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brian_matter_wins_iceman

Brian Matter winning Iceman 2010.

I am excited to have Brian Matter joining the Momentum Endurance team.  Brian and I were teammates from 2003 to 2006.  As an up and coming racer during those years I learned an awful lot from Brian and successfully made the transition from expert to pro on the MTB and from cat 4 to cat 2 on the road.  I was quick to recognize Brian’s well thought out and methodical approach to racing.  He knew what it took to excel and he didn’t sweat the details that didn’t matter so much – thus he was a great teammate to learn from.  His approach was refreshing and helped to keep me on track.  It’s important to have a mentor and Brian was often my go to man when I really needed to know how ‘it’ should be done.

Brian won his first Chequamegon 40 in 2004

Brian won his first Chequamegon 40 in 2004.

Now, several years later, it’s exciting to have Brian join on as Momentum’s newest coach.  If you might like to benefit from Brian’s expertise as I have, I suggest you drop him an email or talk to him at the next race.  Yes, he’s notorious on course, but I assure you he’s also very approachable and one of the nicest guys you’ll meet.  You can check out Brian’s bio and find his contact on the ‘Coaches’ page.  Welcome to Momentum Brian!

Pedal Your Way to Marketing Success: Tips for Promoting Cycling

The popularity of live streaming platforms like Twitch has paved the way for niche communities to connect over their shared interests. One such interest is cycling, which has gained a significant following on the platform. From group rides to virtual races, cycling on Twitch has become a hub for enthusiasts to share their love for the sport. If you’re looking to promote cycling on Twitch and build a community around it, here are some marketing tips to help you pedal your way to success.

Identify your target audience: Before you start promoting your cycling content on Twitch, it’s essential to identify your target audience. Are you targeting amateur cyclists, professional athletes, or fitness enthusiasts? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your marketing messages to their interests and preferences.

Partner with influencers: Cycling influencers and enthusiasts can help you promote your channel to a wider audience. Consider collaborating with influencers to host virtual rides, races, or training sessions. This can help attract more viewers to your channel and build a community around your brand.

Leverage social media: Social media can be a powerful tool for promoting your cycling content on Twitch. Use platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to share highlights from your streams, announce upcoming events, and engage with your audience. Be sure to use relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience.

Offer exclusive content: Consider offering exclusive content to your subscribers on Twitch. This could include access to private training sessions, virtual races, or behind-the-scenes content. Exclusive content can help incentivize viewers to subscribe to your channel and become a part of your community.

Host giveaways and contests: Giveaways and contests are a fun and engaging way to promote your channel and reward your viewers. Consider giving away cycling gear, equipment, or even sponsorships to your most engaged followers. This can help build buzz around your brand and attract new viewers to your channel and choose to buy followers on Twitch.

In conclusion, promoting cycling on Twitch requires a combination of marketing tactics and community building strategies. By identifying your target audience, partnering with influencers, leveraging social media, offering exclusive content, and hosting giveaways and contests, you can build a thriving community around your brand and become a leader in the cycling community on Twitch. Happy pedaling!

-Travis

Training Considerations for a High Altitude Race

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MTBRaceNews.com published this Q&A article and I’m also sharing it here for you to check out. Plan ahead to succeed in your next high altitude race!

Question: I live near the mountains but not in them. I am racing the Breck Epic this season, which starts at 9,000 feet and goes up from there. How can I get acclimated to that high altitude and race at my best short of dropping 10,000 clams on a hypoxia tent?

Answer: Racing at altitude presents a unique set of challenges to all riders on the starting line.  Racers who live and train at higher elevations seemingly have an advantage over others, but let’s take a closer look at how ‘altitude training’ works and how it can be used.

It’s possible to ride harder (at a greater intensity) when at lower elevations since there is more oxygen available for the muscles to work with. Any lowlander who has raced at high elevation has undoubtedly learned that it’s much harder to do the same intensity.  At higher elevation any given intensity can be sustained for a lesser amount of time versus what you’d normally do at lower elevation.   Keep in mind that the goal of training is to overload a system before allowing it to recover and ultimately come back stronger.   Training at lower elevation allows you to ride at a higher intensity, thus you can more readily achieve the required overload. Training low will allow you to maximize your hardest efforts and you’ll get the most training response accordingly.

Those who live at higher elevation are not able to train as hard as they otherwise could at a lower elevation, but there are some benefits that effectively counteract this (to a varying degree). When living at higher elevation the body will naturally produce more hemoglobin and thus oxygen carrying capacity is improved.  With more oxygen available the muscles are able to do more work.  Athletes who live at high elevation physiologically acclimate to their hypoxic environment after about four weeks.

Understanding the above, the best means to do ‘altitude training’ is to live high and to train low.  Exactly how high or how low will certainly impact the effectiveness of such altitude training.  Those who live between 7000-9000  feet (approx) likely will have physiologically acclimated more completely while those who train at elevations under 5000 feet will be able to train with the greatest intensity.  Altitude tents allow athletes to sleep at a simulated higher elevation, however the amount of time spent ‘at altitude’ when sleeping in a tent may not be sufficient for some to acclimate.  Some athletes might require more exposure to high altitude (hypoxia) for adaptations to occur while others might not adapt at all.  In some areas it is completely possible to ‘live high, train low’ naturally, though doing so most often requires a commute to/from lower elevation for training.

Being that you “live near the mountains, but not in them” I’ll guess that this might be between 5,000-6,000 feet.  At this elevation you’re likely striking a nice compromise between the benefits of living high and training low.  You likely have an increased hemoglobin mass as a result of living at this moderate altitude.  Also, your capacity to train at high intensity isn’t overly compromised.  You’ll certainly be more prepared for high altitude (Breck Epic) than if you were to live/train at sea level.  Also, if/when you might compete at sea level you’ll be more prepared there than if you were to live/train at high altitude.  If a person is to live and train at the same altitude, moderate altitude is likely the best all-around option once all performance factors are considered.

Your best approach for preparing for Breck Epic will be to stick to your training plan as best as possible.  Try to do your highest intensity workouts at lower elevations when you can.  Incorporating longer rides at high elevation will allow you to learn how the altitude affects you so that you can best plan your pacing strategy.  As long as you understand how hard not to go when at higher altitude, that’s all the high altitude training you’ll need. Pacing will be critical at the Breck Epic and through specific training you’ll be able to develop a reliable gauge using your perceived exertion.

When you get to the starting line at the Breck Epic take confidence in your preparations and know that you’ve trained harder than those who live higher and you’ve better acclimated than those who live lower.  Go knowing that you did all that was possible with your training and don’t sweat the small things. Know your pacing, stick to it and climb strong.

Train well and enjoy your preparations for the Breck Epic!  Please feel free to contact me if I can answer any further questions too.