Preparing for the XC Indoor Challenge at Ray’s Indoor MTB Park

hey lee-

i am super lucky and super psyched. i’ve been invited to do an indoor mtb timetrial at ray’s indoor bike park in ohio.
2009 Tri-Flow XC Indoor Challenge at Ray’s Indoor MTB Park

was wondering if you’ve ever ridden there and if you have any advice. i’m racing my hardtail which i feel pretty good on. per the website, the course sounds like mostly xc riding and 2 technical lines. don’t know what you could say, but thought i’d ask. i’m reviewing mastering mountain bike skills by some guy l. mccormack as we speak.;)

thanks!

judy
* * * * *
tough girl cycling team
judy-freeman.com

When you are uncomfortably pinned, your instincts will tell you to stand up, away from the “danger.” Don’t. Whatever happens, concentrate on staying low. This gives you the range of motion to carve and pump the way you need to. Judy practices high-intensity XC-bike pump at The Fix.

Judy!

Wow, what a great opportunity. The top five women get paid — and only five are invited. That is rad.

You pose an interesting question. You’re a pro racer, and I guess you’re in decent shape, so let’s focus on specifics:

Go for the flow
The winning racer will carry smooth, consistent speed from start to finish. I’m guessing most of the racers will haul butt on the XC sections then tense up and slow down in the tech sections. You’ll be riding on wood-over-concrete, and that can be freaky — especially to a base-mile-riding, Lycra-wearing XC-type.

Forget that you’re in “that tech part” or on wood. Focus on the next section and just ride your bike.

Intensity plus technicality
All of you practice your intensity, and some of you practice technical riding. Very few practice technical riding with intensity. This is key. Get used to entering tech sections at red line. Learn to stay relaxed and let it flow. Super D and DH racers know all about this.

Idea, since you live in Boulder: Go to The Fix. Rip some hot laps around the neighborhood to get your heart rate way up. Dive into the pump track for a few laps. Pull back out and hammer in the parking lot. Repeat. Keep the same mindset the whole way. You’re not “pedaling” or “pumping” — you’re just riding.

Experiment with your intensity level, and see which intensity gives you the fastest times through the tech sections. Hint: It’ll be higher than you’re used to but lower than you expect.

Drop your seat
Your seat must be high enough to yield Awesome Power(tm), but it must be low enough to let you flow the fun stuff. It’s too late to learn a remote system, and, besides, you won’t have time to mess with it on such a short course.

Try dropping your seat just a bit — the international Super D standard is 5/8 inch. Experiment to find a height that gives you good power and opens up your cockpit so you can flow. Remember: You won’t win this with your Awesome Power(tm). You’ll win it with smooth, consistent speed from start to finish.

Warm up really well
Endurance racers frequently underestimate the demands of shorter events. When you toe the line, you should feel like you’re in the middle of an XC race. You should be warm and frothing at the mouth. And — this is important — the specific energy systems must be ready to go. That means your warmup must include sprints and hops and pumping and everything you’ll be doing in the race.

Good luck, and tell us how it goes!

— Lee

Lee Likes Stickers

I finally made up some stickers, and Judy is rocking some at Ray’s this weekend. That sure would look cool on the front of Mountain Bike Action!