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Training Tips TOP TRAINING TIPS FROM FOCUS RIDER MATT PAGE, WINNER OF THE SOLO CATEGORY AT OS MOUNTAIN MAYHEM 2009
In 2004 and 2005 I did four 24hr events, three were in a team, once as a pair at Sleepless in the Saddle 2005, which we won. During 2006 I had a major change in life as I moved to Cardiff to work as a cycle courier. It was hard work, but I loved it and the massive mileage I was doing had a big effect on my endurance. I decided to give solo racing a try at Mountain Mayhem 2006 (the dry one!). I had no big ambitions, I just wanted to see what solo racing was like and ended up finishing 20th. One thing was certain, I loved the whole solo thing. The camaraderie, atmosphere and of course the challenge of riding non-stop for a whole day! To date I have entered four 24hr solo races, Original Source Mountain Mayhem will be number five. I've finished 3, had 2 podium finishes including a win at Sleepless in the Saddle 2008. From April 2008 I have been riding full time for team Wiggle/Focus, specialising 12 and 24hr events. My top 10 tips for solo racing: · Arrive at the site in good time, make sure you relax as much as possible in the 2 days prior to the event.
· Take plenty of tools and spare parts. If you have a spare bike take that too. Anything can happen when you are riding for such a long time.
· Enjoy a nice big carbohydrate meal the evening before and follow it up with a good breakfast. Don't eat anything substantial in the 3 hours before the start (11am onwards).
· Comfort on the bike is one of the most important factors. Comfortable contact points, including saddle, grips, shorts and shoes are vital to keep you riding.
· Start at a sensible pace and try and maintain an even tempo. Don't get carried away on the first lap.
· 24 hours can be a long time, so try not to think about it too much. Break the race up into smaller chunks. 4 hour periods work well for me.
· Give yourself a reward at dawn for making it through the night. The night laps are often the most difficult, so anything you can do to get through them will help. Personally I'll have a bacon sandwich which I really look forward to.
· A good support crew can make a massive difference, but there are many who will race without. Either way, organise your gear to you know where everything is should you need something in a hurry and drill your support on everything from your bike setup to what you like to eat. Make notes for them if its easier.
· If you need to stop to rest, try your best not to sit or lie down. I know from experience that your muscles will soon seize up and you will find it very hard to get moving again.
To find out more about me, my training and racing visit my blog - http://www.wiggleblog.com/matthew-page-profile/
Chipps Tips for 24 hour racing Chipps Chippendale is the editor of Singletrack Magazine (www.singletrackworld.com) and a self-confessed 24 hour race junkie. So far he reckons he’s raced about 27 of them over the last dozen years. Who better, then, to ask for some tips for surviving a 24 hour event? Riding a 24 hour race isn’t about riding fast. The quickest rider in the world isn’t going to win if he or she doesn’t have a good team around them, and that’s the secret. The other thing to remember is that, while you’ll be racing flat out to beat the team in front, or the team your other friends are in, the majority of your memories from the event will be from the camping, the waiting for team mates, the eating and the relief from it all finishing.
Here are ten tips to getting the most out of it. 1. Your team-mates They’re the most important part of your weekend. It’s VERY important that you all have the same goals and attitude to the event. Are you out to do well? Or are you just out to finish? Being on the same page as each other can make the difference between a group hug at the end and a screaming row at 2am when your super-competitive member gets back to find the slack member of the team still in bed. As long as everyone is agreed, you’ll be fine. 2. Camping set-up Look at Mountain Mayhem as a weekend of festival camping with six hours of riding to do each over two days. You’ll spend more time sitting around the campsite than actually riding, so you might as well enjoy it. Bring chairs and tables, lanterns and luxuries. There’s nothing better than finishing a 5am lap and tucking under a duvet and pillows. Just because you’re camping doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. 3. Food Your food supply needs to power you round the course all weekend, but bear in mind that you’re not going to eat any food that takes too long to prepare, or that you don’t actually fancy eating. The thought of cooking pasta for five minutes will all seem too much in the middle of the night. Therefore, unless you’ve brought a chef, have a big meal on Friday night, and then have a selection of tasty snacks to see you through the day. To this end, I’d recommend the usual no-no of shopping while you’re hungry. This will make you pick the craving foods that you normally try to avoid. I know I’m far more likely to eat a cold Cornish pasty at 3am than a more nutritious pasta dish that takes five minutes to prepare, or a fruity energy drink that I can’t stomach. Unless you plan on winning, it’s all about keeping your energy levels topped up all weekend. 4. Clothing Simple. Take ALL your cycling clothes. If you’re lucky enough to have eight pairs of shorts, bring them all – if it’s wet, you’ll want a dry set of clothes for every lap, plus more for your practice laps. You’ll be befuddled in the middle of the night, so I try to make things easy by having separate plastic bags for socks, shorts, gloves and so on so that I don’t have to rummage. Don’t forget lots of clothes for hanging out in, plus a big warm coat to wear while waiting for your team mate to come in. 5. Your bike Make sure you’ve been out on your bike before the event and that it works well and that your lights work well too. The morning of the race isn’t the time to be fitting new chains or hurriedly charging your lights. Bring enough spares (or a whole spare bike for the team if you have one) to cover any disaster you can think of 6. The race itself Enjoy it! You’re out there for 24 hours as a team, so don’t go flat out and wear yourself out on your first lap (although everyone, myself included always does). Everyone’s in it together, so some cheer out on the course goes a long way. Make it so that by the time you ride your final lap, you have every corner and bump dialled in. 7. Timing If Jim went out at 6.45am and it takes him 57 minutes for a lap, what time do I need to be out? Take a kids’ practice clock face and a blackboard/clipboard. Write what time people went out for their lap and you’ll stand more chance of being at the handover in time, but without freezing there for an hour. I’ve seen more teams come a cropper by missing handovers and losing precious time than by their riding speed. If you never miss a changeover, you’re already better than 50% of the teams out there. 8. Night time It’s going to be dark out there, so make sure you practice riding at night. It’s a different skillset and more about staying between the trees than actually being a riding god. Pack a spare light so that you have something to see by while trying to work out why your main lights have stopped working. It’s a long walk in the dark otherwise… 9. Remembering the event Take loads of pictures, make little videos, talk to your video camera every hour for 24 hours – that sort of thing will let you remember the event – the highs and the lows – because you’ll be too busy or tired to remember stuff properly while it’s on. 10. Next time…Even before you finish the event, you’ll vow never to do it again, but on the drive home you’ll already be coming up with ideas for how to improve next year’s event. Write all these down and keep them safe. You’ll be back…
Kirsty McDade and her team of message therapists are providing the massage at Mountain Mayhem. She is a qualified sport and remedial massage therapist, qualified to SMA level 4 and has also studied sports and exercise science. She has a keen interest in sports herself and lives in a house full of bikes, running shoes, heart rate monitors and kids toys! You may have seen her at Enduro 6 last year as well as the Belvoir Triathlon, the London Marathon, and other cycling events. She treats private clients ranging from divers, sailors, cyclists, runners to arthritis and RSI sufferers. Kirsty's ten tips for a successful preparation and event are Warm up - give your muscles a chance Stretching - stretch properly after each ride Cross train - a bit of variety helps keep things interesting (and might actually help you enjoy the run at the start)! Don't over train - rest between training sessions Drink - keep yourself hydrated before, during and after exercise Eat the right things - when exercising choose things you can digest and you will actually enjoy at the top of a climb Eat regularly - eating little and often is better during activity than large amounts Listen to your body - if something feels wrong it probably is Use tried and tested kit - make sure your kit fits you and you're familiar with it Get a massage - massage can help you stretch muscles you can't otherwise stretch in ways you can't do on your own and may help to identify problems you may suffer from in the future.
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24
hour racing has been a passion of mine for as long as I have been
entering Mountain Bike events. My first taste of what I would come to
love was Mountain Mayhem 2004, the first year it was held in Eastnor
Park. I was in a team of 4 with friends, “Team Matt”. For anyone who
entered that year, they will no doubt remember one thing above
everything else; the mud. I loved it and I was totally hooked, despite
an arduous 2 hour lap in the middle of the night.
