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I heard it was a bit of a mudfest. Had visitors for rd 1&2, hoping to make it to rd3.
Wheely I was there to! I was racing hard (or is that hardly racing) and managed three laps before deciding to call it a day! Had 3 or 4 offs all on the final decent. Great fun mind. 🙂
Nasty crash involving 5 or 6 riders on initial start sprint. Missed them by an inch !! Wasn't nice.
Completed my first ever off road race in the fun?? Category at cannock today. Mud was plentiful and had me off on lap 2. Thanks to the chap who stopped to see if I was OK. Pride hurt! Completed the race and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Front tyre 24 psi- spesh Butcher (too much in hindsight today) rear tyre 28 psi-Spesh Purgatory.
Kryton - sorry to hear your woes. Analyse what went wrong, rejig training and come back stronger.
Are you starting too fast? Maybe you should chase rather than be chased?
2 weeks before the first Southern XC race. Not raced with these guys before. I've just thrown on the XC RR's tubeless, so i'm ready to go ! if only i had 20% more power and 20% less weight to drag round too !
Kryton - sorry to hear your woes. Analyse what went wrong, rejig training and come back stronger.
Are you starting too fast? Maybe you should chase rather than be chased?
Thanks.
I've 3 weeks until the next one. Traineroad say repeat the last 3 weeks of plan, I can't remember if thats build or speciality. Probably the latter?
Maybe so - my race team colleagues have mentioned the same so perhaps I'll go off easier at the next round an see what happens, but as you know on XC its harder to pass on the singletrack than the start, so I'm not sure I'll fair better. I'd live to see an overhead Video of yesterdays race to see where on the start the people that later passed me were for analysis.
However, a strava comparison over the same rounbd/course last year has me exactly the same speed, 5 places up. Yesterday there was a howling head wind, last year there wasn't. So perhaps I am overall stronger than before just not good enough overall. Last year estimated Wats 177, this year estimated Watts 205. My club collegue was using stages and knocked out 288 NP to come 8th.
Sigh, what does it all mean...
Kryton I wouldn't kick yourself too hard, i don't think it was an ideal course to judge overall how good or bad you or anybody else was.
I was annoyed to lose out to people riding B lines yet I rode all the A lines that shouldn't happen.
Round 2 will be better, hoping to head over there on Sat afternoon to check it out.
Sigh, what does it all mean...
Youre an average bloke with average ability.
The sooner you accept this, the better the world will become.
Over the past 5 months i've learned a massive lesson... I wasn't training enough, i wasn't eating right, i wasn't as fit as i thought.
I'm still not eating right, but i am a LOT fitter and faster than i was.
In simple terms, the guys who are fast are fast for a reason, either genetically, historical training/fitness or current training.... If you want to be quicker... train better/more/harder/intelligently.
if you're putting in an average amount of training, you'll be an average racer 🙂
Kryton, have you got your Strava profile for that bike set to MTB? It massively alters the predicted power I think....
Stages power is immaterial - mine over reads by 30W compared to a powertap.
When I have felt the need to kickstart things but have little time:-
1. Have a key very high quality session each week that you do to complete exhaustion - eg 4 increasing to 5x 15minutes x 90% your 20minute FTP. This session is trumps - nothing must get in the way of going into it rested and giving maximum effort.
2. Get out to an XC course to play/ride each weekend. Concentrate on holding speed and technique.
Kryton, have you got your Strava profile for that bike set to MTB? It massively alters the predicted power I think....
Yes it does but I do.
You're an average bloke with average ability.
The kind of comment which makes me think all the time and money spent on this is pretty pointless. I mean, Turbo'ing and riding to a plan for 6 months for what exactly? To be average. Wonderful.
The kind of comment which makes me think all the time and money spent on this is pretty pointless. I mean, Turbo'ing and riding to a plan for 6 months for what exactly? To be average. Wonderful.
Not really.. there's levels of average. There's average within average and there's personal battles within that too. Just because you'll never make it as a podium elite rider doesn't mean it's pointless. If you're fitter/faster/better than previously, then of course that's a good thing. But don't ever think you can just flick a switch and go from Sport mid-pack to Elite front runner in 6 months, because simply put, that's not going to happen.
I'm average... but i've accepted the averageness (sp!) and i now target goals within myself and my realistic expectations.
For example, this weekend i've got the Cat 4 debut.... my target is to make 50% of race distance without being shelled out the back.
Weekend after it's Southern XC, which doesn't seem to have a rubbish bloke friendly class like Gorrick, so my target is 50% of finishers....
Both of these are WAY above what i could have expected this time last year... so even though i'm only average.. i'm a better average than i was 🙂
p.s....
When i say Average... i don't mean that as an insult... I mean that as Average in an XC Racer context. You're still going to wipe the floor with 99% of other humans.... it's only other racers who will fall into your 'average' catagory with you.
I remmeber taking a bunch of lads to Afan "yeah we can ride, we're fit and healthy"... We nearly had to call for an air-ambulance.
Kryton, I think your strategy is right, I'm not a good starter and find if there is a singletrack or other bottle neck soon after the start it's game over unless I really push it to get as near te front as possible off the start. Otherwise you are spinning away behind people without being able to pass and lose too much time
In my book, cramp isnt a fitness thing, its a preparation thing. Were you adequately hydrated the day before?
Actually from this https://www.rootsandrain.com/race5464/2017-feb-26-mud-sweat-and-gears-xc-1-lee-valley/graph/filters/category62117/ it would appear you rode a good consistent race 17th, 21st, 20th, 19th, 20th, 20th, 21st.
21st ex 38th in vets - pretty competitive class no?
Also two points regarding average.
1) The people winning, even in lower cats, are exceptional, to win you need a combinination of genetics, training, technical skill and mental fortitude. Being avaerage in an XC race context is not a bad thing as weeksy said.
2) I don't know your background, but your in vets, this includes ex-elites who have raced since they were in junveiles and so have 25 years of training in them. However hard you train you wont meet their base. Last year I trained as much as I could, based on strava more than others, but was at best mid field sports cat and slightly better in 'cross. However I have to accept that having not touched a bike from the age of 20 - 32, I'll never get that base level of the faster guys and will always be mid pack. 3 years hard training will never beat 20 years
edit. In other news, having spent yesterday slithering down our local pretty technical hashtag enduro trails the motivation is back and I'm looking forward to racing. 😀
Actually from this https://www.rootsandrain.com/race5464/2017-feb-26-mud-sweat-and-gears-xc-1-lee-valley/graph/filters/category62117/ it would appear you rode a good consistent race 17th, 21st, 20th, 19th, 20th, 20th, 21st.
21st ex 38th in vets - pretty competitive class no? Top 10 within 4minutes of eachother.
Thanks ADSH it looks better like that. You can see where I lost out to the 2nd lap stitch then pulled some back.
pretty competitive class no?
Regional A Vets, so yes.
In my book, cramp isnt a fitness thing, its a preparation thing. Were you adequately hydrated the day before?
So er, I have a confession to make. I went out - ableit with good intentions - and had 5 pints on Friday, DID drink loads of water on Saturday but marshalled all day Sunday with only 2 coffees pre race. 😳
In February throughout I haven't been looking forward to this race - I've been nervous of it - have had post Turbo depression if there is such a thing and to be very honest probably didnt act much like "an XC Racer" in the last month. Retreospectively then, I've got myself to blame I guess.
*awaits appropriate flaming*
ferrals - Member
In my book, cramp isn't a fitness thing, its a preparation thing. Were you adequately hydrated the day before?
Apparently it's neither. There's a Nobel prize winning scientist who is also a top ranked competitive kayak'er and he's been researching it. As it can occur at any point in anyone he is of the opinion is due to humans being imperfect with numerous evolutionary glitches and considers the onset of cramp to be a neuro-muscular (?) issue rather than a physiological issue; where there's a glitch in the brain that suddenly causes the dramatic muscular contraction that causes cramp.
The common theory that strong tasting foods such as pickles etc delay the onset of cramp don't do so sue to their sodium content but because the sudden strong almost overpowering taste interrupts the signal generation in the brain and therefore the message to cause cramp.
*awaits appropriate flaming*
Why would we flame you ? You got out there, you tried, you pushed, you ENTERED.... The only thing you're guilty of is being human.
I will flame 😈 😆
What were you expecting? piss-poor prep = piss-poor performance. If you are marshalling at least have a bottle of water and an energy bar with you. The cost of races these days I'd not waste an entry by getting drunk a day or two before. I've actually made Sunday my default drinking day. Works well with a TR plan.
So er, I have a confession to make. I went out - ableit with good intentions - and had 5 pints on Friday, DID drink loads of water on Saturday but marshalled all day Sunday with only 2 coffees pre race.
Andy Cockburn (3rd elite) was at a wedding the day before and was definitely a bit hungover. NO EXCUSES ALLOWED 😆
My club collegue was using stages and knocked out 288 NP to come 8th.
Blimey! That's more than Rich or me (278W NP), is this guy really bad at going round corners or something?
To be honest I was really surprised that the average power round that course was so high with the amount of twisty stuff. Some XC races in tight woods end up around 170W NP, just because you spend half the time not pedalling.
I just snuck a look at his strava - 262w average via Stages. Its may be his Watts/KG of course. Our 5th place man was 175w proving guess its not what it is but what you do with it.
because you spend half the time not pedalling.
There was a lot of pedalling yesterday, certainly from me!
However I have to accept that having not touched a bike from the age of 20 - 32
Pretty similar - Rugby from 21-26, social MTB from 30-40 with some "for giggles" team 24's, last 4 years proper training and now in my 3rd year racing.
I remember at the Emergency Service Nationals last year, there was a guy in Masters who said his stages was showing about 280W over the duration (plenty of fire road climbing) but he finished about 10 minutes behind me and I sure as hell can't kick out that amount of power off road for any length of time.
Probably had draggy tyres on 😆
Don't pay any attention to Stages power. I'm verging on Elite according to my W/kg from mine. All it's good for is testing yourself and then setting your own training zones. You absolutely cannot use it to compare against others or for W/kg etc.
What PM do you have Paddy? I wonder whether whether left only power meters work well when there are so many accelerations from low speed.
Eg if you lead with your right leg then you are missing the first big pedal stroke coming out of every corner. (I've just made this up. You would have to have a data file for the race to see if adding a powder spike after every 0W section makes a difference).
I've got a Quarq Riken (road one on mountain bike cranks). It apparently can separate out left and right leg power, although I'm not sure how because it's just a spider. It reads slightly higher than my road powertap, but not outside what is reasonable for drivetrain losses.
1. Have a key very high quality session each week that you do to complete exhaustion - eg 4 increasing to 5x 15minutes x 90% your 20minute FTP. This session is trumps - nothing must get in the way of going into it rested and giving maximum effort.
Not that want to walk away from good advice, but wouldn't repeating VO2Max in the 3/4 weeks between races be closer to real race efforts?
FWIW my Key events (A races) are the Scott Marathons - 1st mid April. So in the three weeks to the next MSG in March, I should do the last 3 weeks of a TR Build plan, repeating that monthly unless its the month leading up to a Scott Marathon where I'd do the last 3 weeks of Speciality?
Honestly I'm not sure as I have a coach built plan. All I can say is off the back of a 5 weeks of only doing that session once a week because I was moving house, I was race fit and got my best result at the Gorrick 100.
I've done 3 races now in Vet/Grand Vet and **** me there are some nifty old buggers about.
I have power meters on my TT and road bikes but cannot see how it really helps with XC? I am pedalling loads and putting down quite decent NP (I would imagine) but that is not why I am being owned - its because my skillz are shit and I don't have any flow 🙂
Very enjoying it though, even if I am firmly in the bottom half the field.
Spending 3k on a short travel 29er would definitely make me faster and a better husband/father right 😉
So, first round of southern xc next weekend! Wasing park. I'm looking forward to this. Seems an interesting course. I'll decide closer to the time if I'm taking the Parkwood or the T130. The weather and subsequent rubber choices may influence the decision.
First round of the Welsh xc series tomorrow, looking forward to it but apprehensive about fitness! Course sounds epic, incorporating 373 and graveyard from the wall trail and the 4x track. Wish I was fitter!
@Weeksy- shame I'm busy or I'd have come and cheered you on. What cat are you racing?
CH, racing in Mens E3C's Open, which seems from the groupings to be about the least quick one they have, of course its all relative as we know as even fun classes are still quick at the pointy end.
I only entered it because my lad was entering but he's now got a tryout day for the Philharmonic for flute, so he's bailed on me, but I've now paid my £22 and its a new course I've not ridden, so will be interesting anyway.
Cool! Be interesting to compare to today.....
Spending 3k on a short travel 29er would definitely make me faster and a better husband/father right
Absolutely. Though I got well beaten by an enduro bike at Afan today and kinda wish I'd taken mine.
Funny old race today (Welsh round 1), 2 month old decided to be lively last night so minimal sleep meaning I wasn't really feeling competitive at all. Didn't warm up just rode half the lap and then sat in the car, didn't bother pushing for a good starting position (not that you needed one with the start fireroad hill). Still really enjoyed myself, quite nice not feeling any pressure, just paced myself round. Tiredness didn't actually hit my fitness a huge amount as I'm not fit at the moment anyway, but my focus for the 373 and graveyard section was shot, rode them very poorly. Pleased with my consistency though: according to strava all three laps within 40s of each other and on the main 2km climb my three times were 11.31, 11.32 and 11.34.
Wish we'd had that course last year when I was fit and had sleep, would have suited me down to the ground, half think I should have pushed harder as legs feel ok now but hey-ho. One of my club mates broke their collarbone in practise and I was mindful I'd be divorced if I came home incapacitated!
My eyes are wrecked now. I always wear glasses but by half way through second lap I couldn't see a thing so took them off. Currently leaking grit out of them.. Now I remember why I have a phobia of not wearing glasses!
chrispo - Member
Absolutely. Though I got well beaten by an enduro bike at Afan today and kinda wish I'd taken mine.
It's funny, at all the trail centre based xc races I've done there have been a few enduro racers turn up and smash most of the field.
Can anyone explain the category's for the National Champs at Cannock? There is a Sport Male (non-championship) and a Senior Male (Elite, Expert, Sport).
Am I right in thinking that you don't earn BC points in the Senior category? You forfeit those for a chance at the National Champs jersey? And vice versa for the Sport Male category?
Confusing!
If i remember rightly you get double points in the championship category but not in the sports cat as its not a championship race. Its on the BC website somewhere in the description of points.
EDIT. Interestingly just looked at 2016 results, only 12 did sport and only 30 in senior. Guess as sport isnt part of a series its not that atractive and you dont enter senior to get lapped!! WOnder if being in Scotlnad last year impacted nubmers. I really enjoyed the cannock race last year so was half thinking of doing it but a long way to go for a small field.
Usually the Sport only race at national champs is a support race. Meaning you win it you've just won the support race. If your in sport and enter the actual champs race (elite/expert/sport) your position is your national ranking i.e you could in theory win and become the national champ...
Anyone know the difference between National A and National B points?
National champs at Cannock has the sport category down as a regional A race. Double points are awarded for regional champs. Does that include national champs?