Mountain Bike Race Training

Using a Coach

• If you have the means to do so, consider hiring a certified cycling coach. Having someone who knows how to train for a race already will help keep you on track and motivated. A coach can provide you with a training plan and adjust it accordingly as you progress. Carmichael Training Systems is a widely used coaching company. The founder, Chris Carmichael, coached seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Check with USA Cycling on their website (www.usacycling.org) for certified coaches in your state.

Test Yourself

• Test yourself in the beginning of your training and approximately every six weeks thereafter. There are many types of tests, but the main concern is to perform a test that can be accurately repeated. For example, find a flat, 3-mile section of road where you can safely perform the test. You will need adequate warm-up; normally spinning at an easy pace for 10 minutes will get your muscles ready. Ride at the highest tempo you can maintain for the 3 miles and record all the information you can from this effort. This could include the time it took to complete the 3 miles, heart rate and power meter numbers if available, the date and even weather conditions. Spin easy for five minutes, then repeat the 3-mile effort two more times. Take your data and find the average of the three efforts. As the season progresses you should see improvements in your tests.

Building a Base

• For the most part, the cycling season starts in February and lasts until September. During the offseason, which normally runs from November to January, you need to build your endurance. During this time you should build up the amount of miles you ride, but keep the intensity of your workouts low. Oftentimes, athletes try to do too much too early, and that can lead to injury. Focus on endurance and building a strong aerobic foundation. Continue to slowly increase your mileage and remember to take a week of recovery every fourth week by lowering your mileage and getting rest.

Preparing for the Race

• It’s time to increase the intensity of your workouts and focus on improving your lactic threshold. Lactic acid begins to build up in your muscles as they starve for oxygen. This hinders performance. You will need to build that lactic threshold so your body can better utilize its oxygen intake to flush lactic acid out of the muscles. This means adding a few days of anaerobic workouts to your weekly training. Some examples would be hill repeats, tempo rides and intervals. Hill repeats build explosive power in the legs. Ride as hard as you can up the hill and recover on the way down. Do these in sets, and increase the amount of sets you do each week. Tempo rides are important during this period of training. Spend part of your normal training ride riding at approximately 90 percent of your max. For example, if you are going on a two-hour ride, spend 45 minutes of that time riding tempo. Increase the amount of time you spend riding tempo each week. When doing intervals remember it is important to not get a full recovery between efforts. You are trying to build your lactic threshold, and by the end of the workout you should be struggling to maintain your pace. A common interval is riding at max effort for two minutes with one minute of recovery.

Ready to Race

• During this portion of training, cut back on the amount of riding and focus on shorter, high-intensity efforts. This is the time for specific training that will help you in a race situation. Take advantage of your local group rides and use them as race simulations for your event. Set up a few sprint spots along your route with the group and practice racing each other to those spots. You will also need to add some fast sprint repeats at the end of your rides in preparation for race finishes.