yeah i think i overdid them on sunday, was feeling a bit funny mid race.
@yak, having the carb drink gives me cramp for some reason.
Depends on the race but for long events (3+ hours) I eat a small high carb slow burn pasta meal 2 hours before the race. A banana 30mins before followed by a High5 gel 15 mins before start. Short races circ 1 hour I skip the pasta.
During the race I run with High5 Energy Source mix in bottles, 750ml per hour. Sometime one with Caffeine just after half way. Combined with High5 gels, 3 per hour.
I have struggled the last few years with cramp over longer races and with the above plan I've managed to pretty much remove this, it worked spot on for the last marathon race two weeks ago.
But I guess you need to know your body also and plan accordingly. I know some riders who can't stomach gels at all.
Light meal >2 hours before the race for me, then nothing except caffeine and possibly half a banana, until a gel 5-10 minutes before the start. I'll usually have 1 or 2 gels during the race, depending on length, and whether there's actually anywhere on the course I can have one. My main carb source will be high5 drink though - typically 750ml in a normal XC race.
Grade 2 quad strain and a chest infection at the same time, could be six-ten weeks out of all cycling.
There you go, no more moaning for ten weeks. Bye.
what ? how ? where did this come from ?
It was intriguing watching the different overseas teams and there approach to gels at the recent Hadleigh International, as Feed Zone Commisaire (it was really cold too) i had a good spot to observe the various techniques and approaches.
Each time the riders came through bottles with gels taped on were offered, in the elite races most riders took a gel on Lap 2, along with bottles of water, laps 3 and 4 tended to be a mix of water/energy drink, but quite a few took bottles with flat coke in, usually on the penultimate Lap, depending on race duration.
At the end of the race, we did a seep of the feed zone and cleared up what can only be described as a lot of crap, bottles gel wrappers and these weird toothpaste tube things that contained a nasty smelling black sticky goo, that no doubt came out looking the same as it went in.
I wonder if many do it because others do it or if they have actually seen improved results with it?
So I've done 8 races so far this year and have found a race day nutrition plan that works well for me.
Most of my races are at 14:30 and last up to 1hr 30 max.
So big breakfast of weetabix and grapenuts and probably a banana. Drink water
Small pasta meal about 11am. Water again
1 hour before race x1 200mg caffeine tablet plus banana. Bear in mind that caffeine takes about an hour to reach your bloodstream and become effective so taking caffeine during a race is pointless if it's a short XC race of 1hr 30min or less. The effects of caffeine last a loooooong time so I'm often still buzzing my tits off at the end of the race....
During race 1 or 2 gels depending on how I feel - no caffeine. Drink carb / isotonic mix.
Works well for me. I make sure I've eaten well the day before and drank lots of water to make sure I'm completely hydrated.
Grade 2 quad strain and a chest infection at the same time, could be six-ten weeks out of all cycling.There you go, no more moaning for ten weeks. Bye.
With care and luck it could be 3 weeks which would be annoying but not the end of the world. I had the whole of June off last year and had to reset but raced well in August.
@jimbob, my pre race is pretty much identical, switching weetabix for porridge and loosing the caffeine, definately seems like I've been over doing gels.
I've only recently started using caffeine products. Fortunately I don't get the sideffects that some people do! Definitely helps me push harder.... average HR for last race for 1hr 20m was 188 with max of 200!
I'm paying the price now though. Went out last night to do some 5 min vo2 max intervals and was averaging 161bpm instead of what I'd expect around 190+ 😆 My legs just said no, not today thanks!
My races are generally starting about 10.30, so for me that means a decent breakfast at about 7.30, then an energy bar about an hour before the start, warm up, a pre race caffeine drink 30 mins before. A gel if possible with about 10 mins to start. During the race I may have one or two gels but it depends on the course, I can cope with a 1.5 hour race without any gels but prefer not to, I'll get though one bottle in total, either as one I carry with me or a few half filled ones that are handed up if the course is hilly and I have someone in the feed zone.
I wonder if many do it because others do it or if they have actually seen improved results with it?
You need to consider reasons why your body stops working so hard.
One is too much heat, one is not enough sugar in your muscles but the other is the central governor theory that your brain is effectively protecting you from yourself.
So not only is topping up on sugar important to maintain the level of intensity- but it also may help trick your brain into letting you go harder for longer.
http://bicyclelab.com/why-endurance-athletes-should-re-think-fatigue/
You do obviously need to consider how long it takes for the gels to have an effect but there could be a placebo effect too. When the guys at Hillingdon pop a gel with 5 laps to go, it's almost definitely too late for that to reach their muscles in time for the sprint- but mentally, it might delay the onset of fatigue symptoms or even just give them the confidence they can go harder than they thought.
This is pretty relevant to the recent discussion:> http://bicyclelab.com/why-endurance-athletes-should-re-think-fatigue/ <
Signed up for SouthernXC at Crow Hill this weekend. I'm in open as its first time at a "big" event like this. Anyone else on here doing it?
need some new XC tyres, seems the best thread to ask this
whats hot?
I'm on a Rocket Ron front and Ralph rear. Seems to be the most popular choice for racing. 2.25's and 19 / 22 psi
I've been running saguaro f and r in this recent megadry dustfest. But this thunder/downpour/maybe dry/ maybe not is causing me mild tyre panic before tomorrow 😉 🙂
Going to put a Barzo on the front I think.
the new compound RoRo & RaRa available yet?
Maxxis Pace! Been running them front and rear since the start of the season, haven't found anything (apart from deep mud obviously) that they can't do well yet. Grippier than they should be, light enough, very fast, haven't torn yet.
Did have Ron in front and Ralph on rear, now gone to Ardent Race front and Ikon rear. 13 and 16psi. Probably roll a touch slower but with some of the man made sections on the national XC rounds, found the grip, confidence and durability to be better. All 29 2.25
Anyone down at southern xc?
You guys all still doing Wantage?
Not me obvs, but good luck to those who are, looks like a nice day for it.
Conditions are perfect, we were out on there around Wantage on Friday.
Any got suggestions for off bike exercises? Bearing in mind i have to nurse a Quad - and actually i am enjoying having all this spare time to sit around watchimg sports and drinking beer (oops), But I feel like after the weekend i should start to do something. Walking is already on the agenda. I have Kettlebells.
?
Swimming? That's always my go to for injury rehab.
...except swimming, i cant swim... 😐
Awesome little woods sections today down near Bournemouth for Southern XC racing. We've been out practicing gear selection as its tight, twisty and uphill in sections, seems fun though.
Gutted I'm not racing as the open race is out now.
Not the greatest start but got away in the bunch, 8th over the line on lap 1, up to 5th on lap 2, joint 3rd after 3 laps in a battle
3rd place with 2 laps left. I'm sweating for him
I think it was 4th actually. Did really well though
5th place, I'd missed one kid in the battles
its tight, twisty and uphill in sections, seems fun though
Yeah really fun course. Proper tight and rooty in places, quite flat overall but really carried speed well and each section linked nicely into the next. 😀
He missed out on 4th by 0.5s!
Ooooh, close!!
Well done to your lad. Course was punchy and gave some great close racing. The adult course was great too - also lots of punchy climbs and loose loamy descents. Bit greasy in the depths, but another good one by Southern XC. Barzo was the right choice up front.
Did Wantage and really 'enjoyed' it. Great course and some very fast riding. Most of the trails avoided walkers and not a single horse.
Burped my front tyre, lost my group, caught back up (ouch)and had to get off and walk for a couple of minutes with killer cramp. 3hrs 1O minutes - more work to do as I think the fast group came in at 2hrs 45minutes?
'Fish was brilliant.
Just entered the next round for my boy with Southern XC series
http://my3.raceresult.com/66812/registration?lang=en
SouthernXC Round 4 - Matterley Basin, nr Winchester on 25th June.
Got to wait and see if Mrs Weeksy is free to see if I can enter, although it does make it more complex as my boy does like pretty race practice together etc, so I may not enter myself.
Still waiting to see championship positions but hopefully he'll be gridded now either on from row or at the worst row 2. See if we can find our way back to the elusive podium spot, although he does need to still find 4s per lap for that. May depend on the course layout etc.
It was good to see you and your lad Weeksy. Awesome racing by him, he seems to really enjoy it - bloody great big smile!
It was good to see you and your lad Weeksy. Awesome racing by him, he seems to really enjoy it - bloody great big smile!
I see you're keeping up the forum tradition of batting WAY out of your league, we were chatting to your good lady for a fair while 🙂
My boy really does enjoy it, up to now we've both been really impressed with your courses, you really do make the most of things and the layouts are fantastic, not too hard for the youngsters, but not too easy for the older in the class too ! Really well done.
Had some good time chatting with parents at the weekend, which was nice... We're all 'rivals' but all there just to see our small ones enjoying themselves, so was nice chatting and discussing bikes, ages, racing etc.
I see you're keeping up the forum tradition of batting WAY out of your league, we were chatting to your good lady for a fair while
Haha, cheeky sod!!
See you in a few weeks.
Race report should you want it for blog type stuff Adam 🙂
28th June, Crow Hill. Southern XC Round 3.
We turned up early enough to get some practice in as we've not been to the New Forest racing before.
Awesome little woods sections today with plenty for the lads to think about with Southern XC racing. We've been out practicing gear selection as its tight, twisty and uphill in sections, lots of 90-180 degree hairpins, uphill which really makes them concentrate on looking ahead/round the corner to get it right. The Woods section is full of pine needles, so once offline, it can be quite slippery and means getting drive out of the corners hard as you lose traction. We spent the first 15 mins of practice time in here, trying 1st gear, then 3rd and finally settling on 2nd for the uphill twisty section.
The boys and girls we gridded/seeded for the race and James was on row 2, behind a couple of his main rivals in the series, Joe Carpenter and Leon Atkins Off the start it was a bit of a semi-disaster, just didn't quite get it right but ended up in about 9th going down into the woods.
8th over the line on lap 1, and a bit of ground to make up. But that improved to 6th on lap 2 coming over the line. Up to the line was a tough little climb for them, field based but that really suits James's strengths as he can get a bit of power down and passed a few people.
Over the line the next time it was starting to get quite confusing, with the small fields you end up with riders sometimes 2-3 laps behind and you're never quite sure who's racing who.... James was working VERY hard, you could see in his face the efforts he was putting in lap times comparable with the leaders, but they had pulled away earlier as he was passing a few people. There was a battle going on with a rider from Wyndy Miller as they were swapping fast/slow laps.
Into the final lap, it was a bit chaotic, I was trying to shout encouragement but I wasn't sure who he was now battling. I thought he was in 4th position but it seems now from the results he was just fractionally in 5th at the time... An epic last lap battle with both James and the Wyndy Miller rider putting in 2 very quick laps that would have seen them battling for the podium if they'd done them earlier... James powered up the hill again but lost our on 4th place by 0.5s ! Ouch....
He was happy, but dead on his feet.... Well... Like all kids, he'd recovered within about 2 minutes and was wanting to race again !
Checking results and he finished 2m 25 behind winner at checkendon in round 2, today was 1m 07 behind the winner and he beat 2 lads who beat him by minute that day, so a lot of improvement and finishing closer to the leaders.
We've entered the next round which is at Matterley Basin on the 25th June... From what I can see, James is in 7th place in the championship, slightly hindered by the fact we missed round 1, but with a few people who are unlikely to ride that event as they seem to focus on 1 or 2 races, I think he'll end up on either row1 or 2 for the start assuming they're gridded again. It's not a course we've been to before, so we'll be putting in some early morning practice pre-race to work out where it goes.
Like all parents of young budding racers, it's really hard to not get carried away with it all, but we're hoping to make the step back up to the podium this time. Last year We gained a few podiums against the same guys, so we're hopeful we can get it all back on form 🙂
We'll keep you posted !
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Nice write-up weeksy!
