My first XC MTB race

26 miles - the Super Series South Downs 'Ups and Downs'.

Got lost about 3 miles in with a handful of other riders, ended up taking a detour which cost around 40mins! This is all thanks to general public taking down the signs which point us in the right direction! So thanks go their way.

About 4 miles from the end I destroyed my back tyre on a fast downhill stretch, looked like a stress puncture, due to excessive enthusiasm. Consequently, as I had no inner tube for repairs, I hoisted the bike onto my back and started jogging. Covered about a mile (with an unparalleled feeling of failure, but a grim determination) before a kind samaratin passed me. I gave him a fiver for a spare inner tube and 5mins later was back on track.

Some of the climbs throughout that race were absolutely brutal, like I've never experienced before. I found it important to go into another world during some of those ascents, the pain was too unbearable for this reality. However I made a pact with myself to persevere, and as a result never got overtaken.

I felt that my downhill speed had a huge impact, not only does the small adrenaline hit help a lot with the immediate ascent but I push my time that little bit further.

The strength training had a huge impact. Although the balance is utterly necessary, I felt that without the strength in my legs I would have failed on many of the climbs, it just allowed me to push when otherwise I would not have, or when others may not be able to. It's like a secret reserve fuel supply.

It may have been in my mind, but it felt like I was breathing so much heavier than those around me. I told myself to keep breathing deep the entire race and never hold my breath, it helped big time. Despite the exhaustion at the top of each ascent, a quick time on the flat or downhill was all I needed to recover most of that energy back. Interval training anyone?

Being technical makes a huge difference, from powering up really steep descents, changing gears mid climb and to flowing down a twisty singletrack and bunny-hopping over the gorge to avoid bike damage or death. Having that technicality seems an absolutely essential aspect of XC racing. I love the multi-dimensional aspect of that.

So my take-away lessons from this race are:

• Wear better shoes. My lace got caught in the chain on one of the downhills which was fun.
• Bring 2 spare inner tubes, and a pump!
• Keep breathing, in nose (and mouth a bit), out mouth.
• Keep peddling. Get the devil out of my mind. Singing to myself, or mumbling some random nonsense seems to do the trick.
  
• Standing up in the bike really helps the legs stretch out and recover.
• Pedalling downhill also helps the legs to recover, I assume by flushing blood to them while not undergoing any resistance.
• Downhill: look ahead, pick the line, attack it without holding back. Have trust in the bike.
• Biking is as much glutes and hips as it is quads!!!
  

Some thoughts on training, why we should listen to our body etc.

I'm not really all that big a fan of the word 'functional' when talking about training. Too often it's meaning is confused and misled. On the one hand we have a large mass of people believing the pinnacle of functional training is stability balls, bands and medicine balls. A whole other cleek of trainers believe functional training is the advocation of bodyweight exercises only, or weighted overhead squats and lunges.

Running in trainers is functional, running barefoot is even more functional (more on that later). Rarely do I see running as an advertised product, probably because there is little to sell, if there is something to sell which is running related, you can count on it being anti-functional.

If you have a car, it needs maintainance. Improving a car by putting a bigger engine it might make it go faster... for a while. That is until some other component explodes because you haven't considered the result of your improvements.
Our body is no different, it needs maintainance. However we require less maintainance and repairs if we treat ourselves with respect. If a nut or bolt is loose, improving the component is not going to address the weak point in the structure.

If you are not correcting problems that arise in your training, you are not training efficiently. You are stacking more problems on top of dysfunction. I recently discovered that I am substituting hip extension for back extension, which might explain why I always get so tight after a few sets of deadlifts. My glutes aren't firing when they should be doing so. This is a problem area I am addressing by including a correction in every single warmup I do. Talking of warmups, here is mine now in chronological order:

1. Foam roll and stretch.
2. The 'Cook' hip lift (basically a one leg bridge with the other knee pulled to chest to prevent back extension, tiny range of motion, massive benefit). Followed by psoas stretch and repeated 2 or 3 times.
3. Goblet squat.
4. Hips high get-up.
5. Pump stretch.

This warmup is good for me, and is oriented around the hips, and general mobility.

Unfortunately I think there is a lot of misguidance in the fitness industry. Money fuels everything. We have exercise machines, gadgets and even shoes that advertise that you can get toned up without any effort.
Talking of shoes, I hate running shoes, wearing a pair just doesn't feel right anymore. Since going minimalist I officially no longer have any bother with shin splints, yet I run further and longer. Although it flared up in the rugby season when I was running around in cleats. Oh and my calves are looking more 'toned'.
I find it amusing how if someone is discovered to have a problem with their running the solution is not to fix that form but to provide a pair of shoes which will 'correct' the issue. Is this fixing the problem or just covering something up? The problem may not be muscular, but neuromuscular. The problem might not be tightness, but stability.
If somebody can't squat properly and to depth does that justify raising their heel with blocks of wood or sending them over to the leg press machine? No it means they should practice until they can do it properly. It's the same with all skills, and running is no different.

Explore all possible areas, try all things. Dare to be different.