by hattenburrow | Dec 3, 2016 | Coaching
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Today I coached my mountain bike academy riders, the session was based around pumping, a key trail skill that is used to carry speed through transitions. The key to this skill is using your body to ‘weight’ and ‘unweight’ the bike.
Technique:
- Look a head
- Feet in the ready position
- On the downward slope into the dip of each roller push yourself into the bike to ‘weight’ it
- keep your heels down pushing forward on your pedals
- On the upward slope and to the top bring your body back up to ‘unweight’ the bike
Tips:
- 90% of the movement should be your legs squashing the back wheel into the ground
- Keep your chin up, don’t lean forward to wait the bike, instead crouch back and down into a squat
Pedal 2 Pedal mountain bike academy runs from Queen Elizabeth Country Park If you are interested in joining please use the contact form.
[/fusion_text][fusion_images picture_size=”auto” hover_type=”zoomin” autoplay=”no” columns=”2″ column_spacing=”5″ show_nav=”yes” mouse_scroll=”no” border=”yes” lightbox=”no” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility”][fusion_image image=”http://lvv.a25.mytemp.website/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/IMG_5598-e1480772900764-1024×768.jpg” image_id=”2873″ linktarget=”_self” alt=”Libby and Horace” /][fusion_image image=”http://lvv.a25.mytemp.website/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/IMG_5608-e1480772995860-768×1024.jpg” image_id=”2874″ linktarget=”_self” /][fusion_image image=”http://lvv.a25.mytemp.website/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/IMG_5610-e1480773291751-768×1024.jpg” image_id=”2875″ linktarget=”_self” /][fusion_image image=”http://lvv.a25.mytemp.website/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/IMG_5605-e1480773370179-768×1024.jpg” image_id=”2876″ linktarget=”_self” /][fusion_image image=”http://lvv.a25.mytemp.website/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/IMG_5607-e1480773481784-1024×768.jpg” image_id=”2877″ linktarget=”_self” alt=”Josh track stand example” /][/fusion_images][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
by hattenburrow | Nov 29, 2016 | Film & Photo, Training
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I have a new found love for country walks, they have been made more exciting by the addition of Luna. Our 5 month year old German Shepherd puppy who just loves strolling around the countryside with me. We have been exploring the local country parks and beaches around where we live and I have been amazed and the incredible scenery and animal life that surrounds us.
So far we have spotted foxes, owls, lots of birds, swans and even a deer or two!
Our daily walks have been keeping me ‘sane’ whilst I recover from my operation. As I have internal stitches life is taking place in the slow lane for a few weeks while I heal. Doctors orders!
I hadn’t really been keeping track of how many miles or steps I had been doing and instead have just been enjoying exercise with no objective or aim, it is quiet refreshing from training where every session counts and has an aim attached to it. So it was rather a shock when I looked at my fitbit data and found I was clocking up some good miles! I have done over 77,000 steps this week and now have a challenge to beat that next week.
Keeping healthy is really important to me and so finding out that I was actually walking a good amount was very rewarding and made me realise that although I may not be training all this walking was keeping my body ticking over until I can start training again.
I have been on two short rides (27 minutes) since my operation which were odd I felt like my leg muscles knew what was going on but my stomach is still not happy about the idea of cycling just yet! So I will continue with the small steps and building up day by day. It is important to remember that muscle memory does not fade over night and building up slowly will mean I am back training quicker than ignoring what my body is saying. As hard as this may be to actually do!
So for now I will be practising my photography skills and enjoying the views.
I hope you enjoy these too!
[/fusion_text][fusion_images picture_size=”auto” hover_type=”zoomin” autoplay=”yes” columns=”2″ column_spacing=”5″ show_nav=”yes” mouse_scroll=”no” border=”yes” lightbox=”no” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility”][fusion_image image=”http://lvv.a25.mytemp.website/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_5400-e1480431794255-1024×768.jpg” image_id=”2857″ linktarget=”_self” alt=”Luna at the beach” /][fusion_image image=”http://lvv.a25.mytemp.website/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_5533-e1480432444218-1024×768.jpg” image_id=”2858″ linktarget=”_self” alt=”Early morning ride” /][fusion_image image=”http://lvv.a25.mytemp.website/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_5514-e1480433378406-1024×768.jpg” image_id=”2861″ linktarget=”_self” alt=”Luna learns to swim” /][fusion_image image=”http://lvv.a25.mytemp.website/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_5226-1-e1480433465952-1024×768.jpg” image_id=”2862″ linktarget=”_self” alt=”Luna and Lola at the sea side” /][fusion_image image=”http://lvv.a25.mytemp.website/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_5508-e1480433536533-1024×768.jpg” image_id=”2863″ linktarget=”_self” alt=”Countryside stroll” /][/fusion_images][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
by hattenburrow | Nov 20, 2016 | Adventure, Mountains
The last two weeks I have been unable to ride my bike or get up to much as I have been recuperating after having an operation.
I am usually fighting a battle between wanting to go outside to play or train and planning the next challenge. Having a week or two not being able to get outside has been helpful. It has given me plenty of thinking time, time to work out what I want to achieve in 2017 and beyond.
Also the fact that next year I leave my twenties and enter the new world of thirties has given me a new perspective. I want to continue to challenge myself, to push the boundaries of what I think I’m capable of physically and mentally. I have found a new love in endurance sport because it tests not only your physical strength but your mental toughness too.
Whilst having some ‘rest’ my boyfriend, Martyn and I started watching the film Everest it set into motion an idea to reach the seven summits.
Neither of us are mountaineers; the highest mountain we have climbed is Snowdon. So before we could even dream about making that happen we needed a slightly more realistic target.
Mont Blanc meaning “White Mountain”, is the highest mountain in the Alps and the highest in Europe after the Caucasus peaks. It rises 4,808.73 m (15,777 ft) above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence.
In September 2017 we will head to France to climb Mont Blanc after a year of training on smaller peaks we will spend 3 days in Italy with a guide getting used to altitude before attempting to summit Mont Blanc.
Martyn and I fell in love with majestic snow-capped peaks snowboarding down them. Now we will take on a slightly slower but tougher challenge of walking up one of them!
This challenge takes me out of my comfort zone in many ways, I have been focusing on biking for years now and so to change to a walking expedition is very new, having to learn how to use ice axis, walk in crampons and trek through the snow whilst dealing with the altitude will be an exciting new challenge and one I can’t wait to start training for and sharing with you how we get on.
I look forward to writing about the highs and lows of getting to the top.
by hattenburrow | Nov 4, 2016 | Inspiration, Training
The alps was incredible, I never expected it to be so hard to return to normality after the race but it has been tough!
Puppy’s make life better
In late August Luna burst into our lives and for a while my world was consumed with puppy duties, which took my mind off the way I was feeling and having to deal with it.
Luna is super cute and I am delighted at being a dog owner and cannot wait for her to join me on long rides and walks. For now though she can’t have too much exercise and is more interested in chewing than running!
At 17 weeks old we have started on mini adventures, which so far have been great fun and she has helped me get back outside and reconnect with my love of the outdoors. It also means I’m back to being able to train and deal with the way I have been feeling.
Since coming back from the alps, life has not been ‘normal’, I have not been able to get ‘my head in the game’ so to speak and have been feeling anxious about what comes next and not satisfied with ‘normal’, I want to drive myself forward and challenge myself to pursue new adventures. But the motivation has been lacking…. At times it has felt like I’m a spectator of my own life, like I’m in a bubble looking down knowing what I want to and should be doing , but not quite having the control to be able to make it happen.
It was a relief in a way to stumble across a podcast series called Tough Girl which shares the stories of some amazing women doing incredible things! A lot of these women also talked about this post ‘adventure blues’ which is certainly how I have felt. It’s a great series and well worth checking out.
The people around me have been super supportive and everyone keeps saying to rest and let myself recover and figure it out. However, exercise has always been my stress reviler so sitting at home watching the TV and eating cake doesn’t help my mood or state of mind if anything it makes it worse.
I don’t think there is an easy way to deal with this post race blues feeling apart from keep trying to climb out the other side and that is exactly what I am going to keep trying to do.
by hattenburrow | Oct 19, 2016 | Biking Adventures, Inspiration
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]Hey, I did this a while a go for Specialized and thought I would share. #happyRiding
What bike(s) do you ride?
Specialized Era Carbon Comp
Very old Carrera road bike[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][youtube id=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYLr1kyj9IQ&w=560&h=315″ width=”600″ height=”350″ autoplay=”no” api_params=”” class=””][/youtube][fusion_text]– Favorite ride?
Wow, that’s a tough one there is so many! Locally to me I love riding around the South Downs exploring new trails and usually getting very lost!
I love being in the mountains and have spent a lot of time walking, climbing and now biking in Wales. There are so many trail centres and plenty of natural riding too if you know where to go.
My favourite trail centre at the moment is Afan Forest because you can easily link more than one trail together to make long rides.
Afan also packs in lots into its trails with technical rocky descents, big hard climbs, fun rooty singletrack through forests, board walks and stunning scenery where ever you look.
– Favorite food?
I love Greek and Italian food, there is nothing better than fresh pasta and pesto with some scrummy olives!
My favourite riding food is salted peanuts, or malt loaf. On long training rides I use nuts as a source of energy which is a change from sweet training ride food.
– How long have you been riding?
When I was growing up I used to go mountain biking with my Dad to Wales and around our local Dunwich Woods. When I was 10 I went to Slovakia on a mountain bike holiday which was really hard work, at times Dad had to tie a rope around my handle bars and help pull me up the hills. I loved the experience of being outside and the freedom of exploring trails. I then discovered horse riding and it wasn’t until 2012 (some 12 years later) when I was watching the Olympics at Hadleigh I felt inspired to get back on my bike and try racing.
– How did you get into it?
I got into racing when the Olympics came to London. I was watching the girl’s race at Hadleigh on the TV and was so inspired by these incredible riders that I wanted to try it myself. After my first race I was hooked and decided to set myself a goal, to see how far I could take cross-country racing.
– Who inspires you?
My parents have always been very inspiring to me both competing for Team GB in Judo and Canoeing. They have always taught me to go out and push myself for what I want to achieve.
From the world of cycling I find a lot of the women racing inspiring but lately watching and hearing about Annika Langvards training for the Cape Epic and how she runs up 16 flights of stairs in her local hospital 10 times has really helped to keep me going in my Trans Alp training.
– What kind of riding do you do?
Mountain biking is my passion and where I compete, but I enjoy the freedom of getting out on any bike, I just think it’s a great way to experience your surroundings and to be able to go places by your own steam.
– What’s your favourite thing about riding?
One of my favourite things about riding a bike is you see the world in a different way, on early morning training rides I often see deer, badgers and owls all creatures that you would usually never see in your car.
I love the freedom cycling brings when I clip into those pedals it’s just me, my bike and the trail, nothing else matters. My mind is clear from everything apart from what’s going on in front of me and I find that is a magical feeling.
– What’s your best cycling memory?
My best cycling memory has to be travelling around Scotland with my boyfriend Martyn ticking off as many trail centers as we could in a week.
There has been many from a coaching point of view the first time I taught a child to ride their bike with confidence.
– What’s your least favourite thing about cycling?
Working full time, like most people my training time is squished in around work. I am an early bird so tend to train around 6.30 before work. I actually love this time of day but when the wind is howling and its chucking it down or icy outside it makes training a lot harder, but it’s about having the resilience to get out, endure the bad weather and know when it comes to racing you will be stronger for it.
– What advice can you give to people starting out?
If you’re new to mountain biking I would suggest you go with friends who have some experience and head for either your local bridleways or a trail centre and try out green/blue graded trails.
The key things to mountain biking are:
- momentum – speed can be your friend it’s going to help you when the ground is muddy or sandy so remember to keep the bike moving
- look where you want to go – this sounds easy but when you start to progress onto steeper terrain or more committing trails the key is to look where you want the bike to go, looking down at the tree stump usually means you hit it!
- gear selection – using your gears effectively makes climbing so much more enjoyable, don’t change down to your smallest gear as soon as you start going upwards, ‘reward’ yourself with a change down gear as you go up the hill this will make it easier going and again you will keep your momentum
Getting some coaching is always a good option as you will learn things correctly and stop any bad habits.
– What advice can you give to people who want to improve/ potentially start racing?
There are two options when you’re looking to race if you’re thinking you want to do it seriously you need to look at you strengths and weaknesses to choose the type of racing which will suit you, or if you’re just keen on mountain biking then just getting into cross country is the most accessible type of race with regional races all over the country for different abilities.
The best way to improve your riding or racing technique is to practice, analyse your strengths and weaknesses, then set yourself a plan of how to improve. Getting a coach is a great way to keep motivated and reach your goals.
– What’s made you want to do the Trans Alps?
In 2012 when I started racing I set myself a goal of a stage race. Now 4 years on I feel my fitness and ability is ready for such a challenge. My aim is to encourage and inspire other women to get outside and have adventures on bikes whether they’re big or small. I want to show that with hard work, determination and focus you can achieve your dreams.
– What will be your biggest challenge?
The Trans Alp will be a huge challenge both mentally and physically, we will be climbing over 17,000 m which is twice the height of Everest over 7 days in heat, so getting enough fluid will be really important. The altitude makes its harder work too and it’s something I can’t really train for in the UK.
Mentally getting up each day for 5/6 hours in the saddle is something I have not yet experienced, but something I can practice. Michelle my Trans Alp team mate and I will be going to Wales to do long rides over a few days to get an idea of how this will feel!
– Tips to improve confidence?
Look at how far you have come and what you have achieved, when you are faced with a new challenge look back at the last challenge and how you achieved it and think positively about how it will feel to overcome this new obstacle.
Please can you add these social details:
Follow Hannah’s journey to the Trans Alp and beyond on Instagram @beyondthemud
Twitter: @Hannaha87[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
