How to train for MTB racing?

The Noble Nudge

Seems like a stupid question but took part in the blitz yesterday and jaysiz it was an eye opener...:eek:
Some extremely fit/young people taking part there hats off to youse.
It was like the 100m sprint off the start line that didnt stop until then end of lap 2..
How to improve.

iwillhtfu

Did you take part in the baggy shorts category or the super pro? I assume the latter. If so a lot of those lads would be strictly XC racing and would do a lot of road and CX racing also so they'd be fairly well used to sprinting tough sections. The baggy shorts is more the real mtb riders if you will mostly enduro guys having the craic.

As with most things it's a matter more is generally better particularly when it comes to MTB I've found. The good lads are usually physically strong also and have some sort of strength routine built into their training. The juniors were absolutely flying it yesterday.

The Noble Nudge

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Did you take part in the baggy shorts category or the super pro? I assume the latter. If so a lot of those lads would be strictly XC racing and would do a lot of road and CX racing also so they'd be fairly well used to sprinting tough sections. The baggy shorts is more the real mtb riders if you will mostly enduro guys having the craic.

As with most things it's a matter more is generally better particularly when it comes to MTB I've found. The good lads are usually physically strong also and have some sort of strength routine built into their training. The juniors were absolutely flying it yesterday.

Yeah did the Super pro just to justify the effort to get there packing the bike etc...
When you say XC presume Cross country? On an mtb or cyclo cross...
Taking part is happy out for me i’ll never win a race but just keen to improve.
Flat pedals are going!

iwillhtfu

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

Yeah did the Super pro just to justify the effort to get there packing the bike etc...
When you say XC presume Cross country? On an mtb or cyclo cross...
Taking part is happy out for me i’ll never win a race but just keen to improve.
Flat pedals are going!

XC - cross country typically all mtb. Think nino Schurter
CX - cyclocross. Think auld lads in lycra

I jest I know nada about CX other than it looks like hard work

Definitely a matter of doing more off road training. Road biking isn't a good substitute for it other than base miles and obviously fitness. There's a lot more effort involved in XC sure look at the likes of Peter Sagan that came from a MTB background. Strong and explosive. I wouldn't be 100% but other than the skill involved I would say strength training is key.

I wouldn't be even remotely strong at XC so probably not best to give advice though to be honest but like yourself I do be amazed at their endurance.

Lemming

I once saw XC racing described as an hour and a half on a torture rack due to the nature of the racing involved. Fair assessment all told when compared with Enduro or DH or the like where it's not constant hammer-down from start to finish line.

Mr. Grieves

I wouldn't be an expert, but here's a few thoughts:

Threshold intervals, on the road or the turbo will get you climbing faster. Skills are important, but you can be the best descender in the world and you still won't make back the time you can lose if you can't climb.

When you're on the limit, your technical riding can really deteriorate. Practice riding technical stuff smoothly when you're at threshold heart rate. Find a short loop, with a 3 min climb and a 1 min technical descent. Ride up the climb really hard, so that you're suffering as you begin the descent and concentrate on riding good lines smoothly. Do the loop 3 times, full gas up the climb each time.

For a race practice the course for as long as you can. Look for the faster lines (follow a better rider) and where you can recover/drink.

sparrowcar

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

Taking part is happy out for me i’ll never win a race but just keen to improve.
Flat pedals are going!

Good starting point, trying to compete against these guys will only frustrate you. The junior in yesterday's race did the fastest lap time beating the lap 1 time of the super pro winner. These whippets are in a different league literally.

It's down to training and varied versions of training. Doing 3 x 10k runs plus a 20k mtb spin at the weekend will never prepare you for a Cold winters morning xc sprint start.

JazzyJ

For Ballinastoe its all about fitness... it isn't the most technical place in the world.

If you're on Strava, how far off the top lads were you on the climb up? https://www.strava.com/segments/1010568

The Noble Nudge

JazzyJ wrote: »

For Ballinastoe its all about fitness... it isn't the most technical place in the world.

If you're on Strava, how far off the top lads were you on the climb up? https://www.strava.com/segments/1010568

Im in the top 10% overall (2227 have done the section)...and close enough to the whipper snappers as I’ll ever get other than marginal gains....
All new to me so the Bltiz events are XC events?

Im mostly doing endurance work of late to cater for events im taking part in so just partook yesterday as I missed last years event due to injury.
But have to say enjoyed it and the speed was a series eye opener.

nak

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

All new to me so the Bltiz events are XC events?

Yep, billed as an intro to XC as trails are easier than the NPS races.

The Noble Nudge

nak wrote: »

Yep, billed as an intro to XC as trails are easier than the NPS races.

Nps throw up a link Nak...
The dark side is calling

nak

http://www.offroadcyclingireland.ie/wordpress/2018/01/30/dates-for-the-nps-xc-series-and-xc-championships/

C3PO

The best advice would be to join one of the XC focuses MTB clubs and get out on their club spins ... that would bring you on very quickly!
Where are you based?

Tenzor07

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

Seems like a stupid question but took part in the blitz yesterday and jaysiz it was an eye opener...:eek:
Some extremely fit/young people taking part there hats off to youse.
It was like the 100m sprint off the start line that didnt stop until then end of lap 2..How to improve.

The guys in the top 10 would be out on the bikes all winter, some just coming off a season of Cyclocross racing so are very fit...Even in "baggy shorts" riders would be training over the winter too..
A combination of road riding for fitness and 1 MTB spin per week, power to weight is very important around places like B'Stoe..

C3PO

Tenzor07 wrote: »

... power to weight is very important around places like B'Stoe..

... speaking from experience there Tenzor?

Tenzor07

C3PO wrote: »

... speaking from experience there Tenzor?

Ha! Of course, I'm no C3PO in terms of athleticism! ;-)

I'd need to fill a camelbak full of Helium to reduce my heavy weight on the bike!

youllbemine

Folks, slightly off topic but I'm looking to join an MTB club. More for fun than serious riding but I'd still like to take part in some races / events as the year goes on. I started in August last year and live close to Ballyhoura - mainly do the brown loop with tech loop 1 & 2 added on - and Rostrevor - Red loop and have done the black a few times too (had to walk some sections). Are there any clubs in the North Cork area that take on beginners / improvers for weekend spins etc.?

JazzyJ

youllbemine wrote: »

Folks, slightly off topic but I'm looking to join an MTB club. More for fun than serious riding but I'd still like to take part in some races / events as the year goes on. I started in August last year and live close to Ballyhoura - mainly do the brown loop with tech loop 1 & 2 added on - and Rostrevor - Red loop and have done the black a few times too (had to walk some sections). Are there any clubs in the North Cork area that take on beginners / improvers for weekend spins etc.?

http://teamballyhoura.com/

JazzyJ

nak wrote: »

Yep, billed as an intro to XC as trails are easier than the NPS races.

NPS is a walk in the park compared to the blitzes :pac:;)

iwillhtfu

JazzyJ wrote: »

NPS is a walk in the park compared to the blitzes :pac:;)

That looks all kinds of crap tbh.

Tenzor07

iwillhtfu wrote: »

That looks all kinds of crap tbh.

huh?

iwillhtfu

Tenzor07 wrote: »

huh?

Queuing/walking/running/standing with your bike. All kinds of pants

Tenzor07

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Queuing/walking/running/standing with your bike. All kinds of pants

That's only the lads at the back of the race, front half of the race would be flying it...

The Noble Nudge

C3PO wrote: »

The best advice would be to join one of the XC focuses MTB clubs and get out on their club spins ... that would bring you on very quickly!
Where are you based?

South Dublin

C3PO

Then I would suggest Epic or MAD if you are in the vicinity of Ticknock, Leadmines etc or IMBRC if you're more in the Tallaght/Blessington direction! All great clubs!

nordicb

In XC event it is very hard to make a difference on flats, pretty much every one will have decent enough skills and enough power to go on the limits trail permits. So these races usually boil down to who can climb faster for longer, this opens a lot of room for addressing weak spots, such as: your setup for climbing, w/kg, ftp, etc.

I did Ballinasloe that day myself, first time ever there, took a wrong turn on my 2nd lap, got confused and followed baggy shorts fella, oops.

See ye in BH.

The Noble Nudge

C3PO wrote: »

Then I would suggest Epic or MAD if you are in the vicinity of Ticknock, Leadmines etc or IMBRC if you're more in the Tallaght/Blessington direction! All great clubs!

Yeah I know a few lads in IMBRC so will sound them out...
They are training for downhill stuff at present.

easygoing39

No point in going out with downhill lads if you want to be fit for XC.Any downhill race I've been to has uplifts for the racers,and if no uplifts they push their bikes up to the start.Join a club and start training with the XC riders if youre going to race XC.IMBRC,MAD and EPIC are all great clubs.

Whatwicklow

I got some good results in the blitz's last year. . Training routein was
Flog yourself in s Tuesday night for two hours
Flog yourself Sunday for 3 hours
Flog yourself any opportunity
Flog yourself for the first 2km on race day. . Settle down for a few km then empty the tanks until the flag. .

sparrowcar

Whatwicklow wrote: »

I got some good results in the blitz's last year. . Training routein was
Flog yourself in s Tuesday night for two hours
Flog yourself Sunday for 3 hours
Flog yourself any opportunity
Flog yourself for the first 2km on race day. . Settle down for a few km then empty the tanks until the flag. .

Flogging yourself had a very different meaning in my childhood... unless that's actually your training plan?

Whatwicklow

sparrowcar wrote: »

Flogging yourself had a very different meaning in my childhood... unless that's actually your training plan?

Having a pedal. ....

Oh I see!