WE DON'T SHARPEN THE SAW, WE...
FROM WHAT I CAN TELL FROM THE COURSE MAP and satellite view, the upcoming A race needs some specific training. No intervals, no huffinpuffin, no long climbs...
... something I haven't done enough of lately.
Off I went,
busting spider webs,
enjoying the sun rise across the hills.
I was in search of turns.
Lot's of 'em.
Sure, I've been riding off road a lot lately. However, much of that has been on the gravel bike and...
... railing turns with flat bars requires a different approach.
It is so easy to lose time in twistyturny single track.
We'll be racing two 19 mile laps, with an infinite amount of turns. Let's say there are 300 turns per lap. If I lose a half a second per turn, that's 150 seconds...
... well over 2 minutes each lap.
That's hard to make up.
What if I gain 150 seconds/lap?
Also, hard to make up...
... but not for me.
Fortunately, there is a great playground not too far from home.
Take a look.
Here are a few of the tricks to taking the turns fast...
- lean the bike early
- get on the side lugs
- play with tire pressure
- play with suspension settings
... these little things add up.
Because I was focused on the turns and riding at a low effort endurance pace, I also focused on my pedal stroke.
For racing offroad, especially MTB racing, keep the power down throughout the pedal stroke is key to cleaning the steep, loose, and rocky sections.
The great Stephen Covey, preached sharpening the saw before starting to cut.
For us, that means...
... sharpening the skills before starting to rip.
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This is my favorite MTB cornering video
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163.5
7 hrs
Quick RaceDay circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
Podcast:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries