by hattenburrow | Apr 27, 2015 | Racing
Today was the Southern Cross Country series at Crow Hill, in the New Forest. This was my third race in 3 weeks. So feeling a little tired and having done nothing all week due to a swollen ankle, preparations were not their best.
I had been unsure all week if I should race and finally decided on Thursday that as the race was only an hour away it was worth a shot and hopefully I would gain some more points towards my ranking.
Arriving at Crow Hill I felt relaxed (unusual for me on race day) as I had taken the pressure off by saying just go along and ride.
Practise went well and my ankle felt alright and as long as I clipped out gently, it didn’t cause too much agro. The course at Crow Hill is great, relatively flat with twisty sections in the forest, tied together with fire road. It was rather slippy in places and a few tree roots were already starting to lose their bark and reveal white flesh which was being polished under so many people taking the same line!
I finished my practise lap in time to see Fred, who I coach and who now races for Pedal 2 Pedal, ride home to take third place in the under nines race. After watching his podium, feeling very proud of his achievements I went off to warm up.
Arriving on the start line I still felt calm, which was a nice change from my normal nervous feeling!
The race started on an incline and I got a great start, unlike last week in the Nationals and left the arena in fourth position. This huge burst of energy cost me though and as I recovered in the single track and the path opened up I was over taken by a couple of riders but kept pressing on. A silly mistake on a corner in my first lap ended my grip on the group and cost me greatly in time.
I pushed on and felt okay during my second lap, even enjoying it to a certain extent. I hadn’t managed to take on as much water or food as I would usually, but as I was taking it slightly more gently than usual I thought I’d be okay. This was not to be the case and as I pulled up the hill ready for my third lap I knew my pace had dropped to a crawl! I pushed on the pedals but my legs had nothing left in them. My heart rate had dropped to around 166bpm so I knew I had loads more to give, but my strength had been sucked away and my tired legs felt heavy.
Someone once told me that when things are tough, all you can keep doing is the right thing, so today that’s what I did. I kept turning the pedals and pushed as much as I could making the most of the downhills to recover and altering my cadence to ease the pressure on my legs and ankle which was now starting to feel a bit sore.
Coming into my fourth lap knowing I had two more to go was hard work. When you have lost touch with other riders it makes it ten times more difficult to push on because you have nothing in your sights to push on to!
As I was coming back round to cross the arena Cat Ross (Specialized Ruslip) over took me, I felt a wave of disappointment at being lapped as well as a tiny bit of relief at not having to do a fifth lap.
Every race I learn something different. Today I learnt that a big sprint start will cost me dearly in energy so to make sure I am fuelling well.
Thank you to Bike Fixers for making sure my bike was in tip top condition, Grip Grab for keeping me warm (I needed my leg warmers today) and Dog Tag for your support with Pedal 2 pedal.
by | Apr 27, 2014 | Racing
I am a great believer in what Benjamin Franklin said;
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Today was my first race of the season (race report to come) so as usual planning for my race day started on Wednesday when my bike went in to have a cheeky service with Geared Up Cycles and after a thorough clean was ready for racing.
Then it was my turn.
I packed my kit on Saturday making sure I had a practise lap kit, race kit and change of clothes. With the weather forecast I had a feeling it could be muddy so packed a second set of everything just in case it was needed!
I made sure all my bike tools, helmet, gloves, glasses and shoes were in the car.
A few other essentials to pack are a black bin liner for wet kit, loo roll because the race organisers seem to never buy enough and baby wipes so you can wipe off the mud before changing into your clothes to travel home, these are also great for getting the grime off your bike between practise lap and the race!
If I’m driving down on the morning of a race I always pack as much in the car on the Saturday before hand this leaves less to be forgotten in the morning.
My top tips for race day nutrition;
- Eat a good breakfast something like porridge and a egg or protein shake
- Malt loaf with a thin layer of butter is a good energising snack to add with a banana for 45 mins before you race
- If you don’t like malt loaf, peanut butter is high energy goodness in a jar, I love it. Spread it on toast or if this is all too stodgy try Nairns Oat cakes for a lighter alternative
- Stick to the same brand of gels during a race, I find SIS, Zip Vit and High Five gels are all good they are less sweet and sticky than some other brands
- Bounce Balls make great snacks for straight after there easy to eat, high in protein and quick
- After eating lots of gels I find fresh fruit seems to help my body feel normal again after a race
- Eat a decent healthy meal within one hour of finishing a race it helps your body get over what you just put it through
by hattenburrow | Apr 13, 2014 | Nutrition
Cross country mountain biking is fast paced and the ground is often rough with roots, rocks and other obstacles which make opportunities to refuel few and far between.
Races last around 1 hour 30/40 minuets so taking on board fluid and energy is very important for maintaining race pace and also not feeling like death afterwards!
My go to snack for during races is energy gels. They are really handy because you can bite the top off, hold it (usually squirting it all over yourself and your bike) and drink/swallow it when ever possible.
My first ever gel was a sticky sweet mouth drying disaster! It was like trying to swallow superglue, not pleasant and distracting in a race!
Since this first experience I have tried a variety of different makes of gels from Holland & Barrett and other stores with no real luck.
Then I tried the Science in Sport energy gels which have a more jelly like consistency and are not as sweet they contain 22g of carbohydrate and mostly are caffeine free. They are easy to digest and during a race can be swallowed easily. During an average race of 1 hour 30 mins I would eat two or three of these to maintain my energy levels.
The other gels I have found work really well are High Five these gels have 23g of carbohydrate and are as easy to use as the SIS ones. The big difference is actually something simple and that is the packaging design, I have had a couple of issues trying to rip the tops off and cycle at the same time with the High Five gels. Once the top is off however the High Five gels are brilliant and give a great tasting energy boost. My favourite flavour has to be the Mojito although you really have to drink after taking this as its slightly too sweet.
As with all performance products especially gels I think some of the energy they give you is phycological! However in a race if this works then that is all that matters.
I would recommend trying out a couple of different brands during training and see how they sit with you, this is the best way to pick your race energy products.
Happy Racing!
by | Jan 10, 2014 | Training
Keeping training momentum in the summer is easy, you jump from work to your bike and eat up the miles and sprint up the hills with the birds singing and the sun shining until late. In these conditions its easy to have decent training sessions and concentrate on your riding and not the elements. The winter is a whole different kettle of fish! To start with its dark by 4pm, the roads are wet and full of drivers eager to get home not looking where their going, and the single track has turned into a sticky mess (great in the light, not so great in the dark). This although sometimes good fun is not ideal training time and often makes me frustrated not feeling I can get the most out of training rides.
This is the time of year when my turn my attention to the gym and especially get into Spinning.
Spinning, when you cant get out on your bike is a fantastic way to get a high intensity workout of the muscle groups key for cycling. Spin classes have the added bonus of an instructor and loud music to keep you pumped up and pushing up that last hill climb which is great for days when your motivation is lack luster!
The high intensity of spin classes means I usually spend most of my time anaerobic (that nice place where you feel like your lungs might burst and your heart is beating out of your chest) with my heart rate above 160bpm.
High Intensity Interval Training is (according to a 2011 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting) a great way to improve your aerobic capacity, just 2 weeks of HIIT can improve your aerobic capacity as much as 6-8 weeks of endurance training. I certainly feel like Spinning has improved my fitness and feel exhausted after a class. After a spin class I refuel with a protein shake and a carbohydrate lunch like a brown bagel and cream cheese (a little bit of fat is good for you!).
Spinning is often a sticky hot affair so its worth taking a towel and large water bottle too!
I use the spin class once or twice a week to help reduce my lactate production and enhance neuromuscular control as there are often sprints in a spin class I try and tailor this into my training plan as a fun variation to the gym.
by hattenburrow | Dec 16, 2013 | Biking Adventures, Kit Reviews, Nutrition
The day started early, leaving the house at 7.00 to drive down to the New Forest to take part in our first Sportive. I had convinced Martyn we should do it together and that we wouldn’t race it but just enjoy it, I wasn’t until we arrived that it became apparent Martyn had other ideas!
Arriving in Brockenhurst it was great to be back where I had spent so many days training last year. I love the New Forest it’s one of those places where you can ride for miles through different landscapes from heathland to forest, the scenery is always changing and hills spring up out of no where.
We set off on the Epic route which was 35 miles long at 9:45. The course meandered through forest and heath using the main forest tracks linked together by the odd road section. It was great to see so many people of different abilities doing the same ride, all out to enjoy the fresh air with friends on their bikes, it reminded me of The Ride London back in August which had the same feel.
Martyn soon picked up the pace and we seemed to be eating into the miles, to get ‘Gold’ you had to finish in 3 hours 50 which seemed fast for an off road race and like I said we were taking it easy, or so I had been led to believe !!…
The first food stop was at roughly a third of the way round, there was lots of snacks to choose from and I had half a banana and tried one of my USN Vooma caffeine gels, which USN had kindly given me to test during the event. I had used other brands of gels before in my XC races but not during an endurance event. As we were stopped I could open with my hands, but usually during a race I would do this with my teeth moving. I think from the way the packaging is designed it would be easy to open with teeth and shouldn’t spew out over you before you can eat it which is a bonus!
The gel was mocha flavour, not being a coffee drinker I was intrigued to see what this tasted like! it tasted like it smells when you walk into Starbucks with a hint of chocolate and a warming feeling. What I liked about this gel is that the texture was nice, some can be too sticky and leave your mouth feeling dry but this did not, which is a real plus for me as there is nothing worse than having a sticky horrible mouth when your racing and breathing hard.
The gel contained 24g carbs which is good for the size of pack and I would have been able to fit a couple easily in my jersey pocket.
As with most other gels if taken, it contained a mix of carbs and electrolytes which is great because it means you can take it just with water, saving you from having to buy energy drinks as well, and for a racer on a budget like me that’s a great option!
The gel seemed to kick in after about 10/15 minutes and I felt like I had an extra boost of energy and was able to push hard which was good as we had reached the hilliest part of the course and the extra energy helped me keep up with Martyn who was setting a medium/fast pace.
I only took one gel but think that if you needed to take them more regularly it would still taste and be fine. Some gels, if i take them too often don’t agree with my stomach but this seemed fine and I would be keen to try during a XC race where I usually take one per lap (every 30/40 mins).
The miles seemed to fly by as we got close to the end. We chose not to stop at the next feed station and pushed on, we were doing very well until we got about 8 miles from the finish and I heard this shout of ‘stop’! from behind, Martyn had a puncture! We quickly pulled out a new inner tube and got it changed but had some pump issues. Luckily a nice guy and his little boy stopped and lent us their pump. Once sorted we continued in having lost around 10/15 minutes, we pushed a little harder, but now raining slightly as well we were keen to see the end and a nice hot drink! It seemed like all the drama was going to happen in these last few miles as we went flying down a hill and it was my turn to shout stop! Martyn pulled up and pulled along side him, not able to open my eye because I had so much grit in it, not ideal. After a brief stop we were back in and eased off slightly and enjoyed the last part of the course.
We crossed the finish line in 2 hours 50 minutes travelling time which was a great achievement for our first sportive and meant we were comfortably within the time for a gold finishing position.
For anyone thinking about doing an off or in road sportive I would say go for it! It’s a brilliant way to get out and see new areas you wouldn’t usually cycle in and also a great sense of achievement to finish.
My tips would be take lots of layers, even if it looks like a nice day the weather in the UK is unpredictable especially in winter! Drink plenty, staying hydrated is important so make sure you have at least one bottle of water with you. If you’re doing a longer distance than you are used to make sure you have some decent padded shorts and chamois cream or Vaseline to stop any irritation. Take two snacks with you incase you get hungry in between feed stations, peanut butter sandwiches are great, as are bananas and gels. I can personally recommended the USN Vooma mocha gel it kept me going to the end.
