British National Points Series 2008 - Eastridge

The penultimate round of the British National Points Series was held at Eastridge, Shropshire, over the weekend and, oh my, was it a hard one. However, following a volatile season littered with illness, mechanicals and Ofsted, I finished it – and I finished it in 5th! In fact, I was the 3rd British woman. But it bloody well hurt me …

Designed by Matt Hart of Torq Fitness, the course contained over 300 metres of ascending, according to my heart rate monitor. And, when a much needed descending break was expected, he had planted technical, rooty, rocky, difficult, body-thrashing single-track in its place. I have never ever ridden such a challenging course: I climbed 1210 metres in one race! I think that’s nearly Alpe d’Huez – off road!

I was racing for way over 2 hours! Well, ‘racing’ would be a bit of strong verb to use; ‘surviving’ may be more appropriate. I raced the first two laps but my body couldn’t physically handle such intensity on such terrain for the final two. Instead, I was disillusioned, talking to myself and my bike willing it all to finish soon. Ironically, I used to think myself a bit of a climber but for once I was desperate for the technical stuff so my legs could have a break. Of course, it all fell apart even more as soon as my husband caught me on my final lap, telling me I was looking too ‘comfortable’! Comfortable?

Support around the course was great. With Joolze Dymond snapping away and Eldrick, as always, making confident-boosting comments, the laps were slightly sweetened. There were loads of ‘obstacles’ to watch us tackle; myself, I enjoyed watching a bundle of elite men, who had just passed me, unscramble themselves and their bikes following the intervention of a slippery log across the track. In fact, even Matt ventured away from his stand to watch us attempt to perfectly ride his creation! I did make sure my opinions about him and what he had done and how I felt because of it were known.

Likewise, through the feed zone, I’m sure we racers must have appeared slow, drained and amusing to watch – I was! In fact, it was so embarrassing to be in my easiest gear and still struggling in front of spectators! Fortunately, I had Debbie Burton of Activ, Folkestone reassuring me and handing me that much needed drink; and, fortunately, again, her husband wasn’t about to add his usual insults to my ever increasing injuries!

The race was won by Jenn O’Connor – it was her new speed-enhancing hair colour that did it of course – followed by Mel Speth, Jenny Copnall – wearing her new stripy jersey – Maddie Horton and me!

Did I already say, I was 5th? Ha ha!

5 Ways to Recover Faster (Part 2) By Lynn Clay, Sports Nutrition Consultant

Benefit from Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

BCAAs are a sub-group of amino acids which make up the most abundant amino acids in human muscle tissue.  Amino acids are simply building blocks of protein.  They can be found in many foods and in greatest amounts in high protein foods such as eggs, milk and meat.  Today these super amino acids can also be found in protein and carbohydrate sports drinks too.  A study in the International Journal of sports nutrition and exercise metabolism, Dec 2007, looked at the effect of a branched chain amino acid (BCAA) drink on markers (indicators) of muscle damage after endurance exercise.  The researchers compared drinking a BCAA drink with an equal calorie carbohydrate drink and a zero-calorie flavoured water, during exercise.  They found that all measured markers of fatigue were reduced in the BCAA supplemented group, indicating that BCAAs provide great support for recovery when taken on board during exercise.  The easiest way to achieve this is via a fortified sports drink.

Juice your joints

As you train harder for longer it becomes even more important to protect and cushion the joints.  When we tear or damage our tissue, as we do with the nature of training, our body reacts by producing glucosamine (this naturally occurs in tendons, ligaments and cartilage) to form new connective molecules.  Glucosamine’s main function in the body is to stimulate the growth of cartilage, and to hydrate tendons and ligaments protecting them from injury.  The body normally manufactures this miracle hydrator and protector and nominal amounts are obtained from our diets, but with production levels diminishing with age or with excessive training glucosamine supply can fall short of demand leaving our joints, tendons and ligaments vulnerable.  By adding glucosamine to the diet in the form of a supplement, this increases the synthesis of a substance called chondroitin.  Chondroitin keeps the cartilage filled with fluid, nourishing and hydrating it, both of which are vital in keeping it healthy, flexible and strong.  When looking for a glucosamine joint formula, ideally select a product combining glucosamine and chondroitin which in combination will work to restore synovial fluid and tissues in and around the joint, as well as between the vertebrae of the spine, acting to cushion the bones, tendons and ligaments from damage. The ideal combination is 520mg of glucosamine and 300mg of chondroitin per day, which can be found in formulas such as ‘Ache Free’, found in all good health food shops.

If you weren’t addressing any of these recovery factors, gradually employing them will likely lead to a dramatic improvement in recovery.  Even just getting the fundamentals of energy and hydration right, however, will leave you with more energy to train.  You can then more than imagine a body be strong and fit right through the summer months. 

5 ways to recover faster (Part 1) by Lynn Clay, Sports Nutrition Consultant

If you are tempted to get out on the bike a bit more in the spring and summer months and make the most of the weather, it is important to support your training well with a diet that will provide energy and help you to recover a little better.  Imagine being able to pick up the pace at the end of a long ride or simply make a cycle that you regularly miss due to fatigue. Well, here are some simple solutions to help you to avoid lead legs or simply to speed up your recovery and ensure you can still put in some quality mileage. Lynn clay explains.

Balance calories

One of the most important factors in training preparation and recovery is simply ensuring that you are consuming adequate calories.  When adding mileage it is worth considering how many extra calories you will burn as you add on the miles.  You may be tempted to take a fast-track to weight loss, by upping the cycling dramatically and keeping calories stable.  It is more sensible however, to add calories as you add mileage, so that you are not left in a heap at the end of a tough weeks training.  After all, what good is that if you are then out for a week due to a cold or general lethargy.    Even for a 60kg female cycling at an average speed of 15mph, average calories expended per mile are around 40, so gently up your calorie intake as you increase your mileage to stay strong.

Calculate carbohydrate

Ensuring you are eating carbohydrate in each meal will keep your energy stores full for training and provide immune system support too.  Opt for low glycemic carbohydrates in your daily food and high glycemic carbohydrates around exercise.  Ideally aim for at least 5 grams of carbohydrate for each kilogram you weigh and consume this daily from a variety of sources.  Ensure you include carbohydrate straight after exercise, whether in a drink or food source.  Ideally combine carbohydrate with protein as research shows an improvement in glycogen replenishment (stored carbohydrate levels) when carbohydrate and protein are consumed together.  If it is not easy to transport a post-training meal opt for a sports nutrition formula such as ‘Recovermax’, available from GNC or at www.maximuscle.com. Simply including this post exercise fuel replenishment will make a big difference to muscle soreness and energy recovery.

Hurry and Hydrate

Dehydration can have a huge impact on performance and immune health.  Just 3% dehydration can decrease power and co-ordination by 15%.  Just think how much training effort you put in to improve your performance and by simply not drinking enough fluid all of this hard work can be negated.  General hydration guidelines are to consume 2 – 3 litres of fluid per day however this will need to be complimented with extra fluid around exercise.  Ideally for runs lasting longer than 45 minutes, opt for a carbohydrate drink to supply additional energy and improve hydration.  Once duration is greater than 90 minutes an electrolyte drink should be selected to replace salts lost in sweat.   Approximately 0.75 litres of fluid should be added per hour of exercise in moderate climates.  If you are lucky enough to be escaping for some training in the sun, increase this to 1 – 1.2 litres per hour of exercise.  Rehydrating the body after exercise will also reduce inflammation in the body, improving the recovery process.

Caution:  If all of your added fluid is water, in extreme circumstances, it is possible to drink too much water, diluting sodium and potassium levels in the body.  This can lead to a condition called hyponatremia commonly known as ‘water poisoning’.  The easiest way to rebalance this during exercise is to use an electrolyte drink.

Hard Times

I have had a hard past few weeks: it’s coursework and exam time. And, I work in a demanding and successful comprehensive school where the pressure is relentless in ensuring we exceed last year’s results. It’s an enjoyable and challenging environment and I have really missed getting out on my bike.

However, riding and racing my mountain bike complements my approach to working.

You see, I am an Assistant Head of English (hence the plagiarised literary titles of all my blogs!) and have a lot of responsibility when it comes to achieving results. But, I have noticed that I have this extra energy and focus in comparison to many of my colleagues and I owe this to being an athlete. Recently, I have spent many after-school hours administering coursework and result predictions. However, all those hours I have spent in the wind, rain, hail on the Kentish marshes and pushing my body to the limit in training and races have paid their dividends in my ability to deal with the pressures brought by my work. I have played hard and can therefore work hard and understand why my Head Teacher is so supportive of the athletes he employs.

The down-side has been that the challenges of my job, I haven’t yet been able to apply to my racing! (Although, the on course aggression fails to rustle me – I teach teenagers, after all!) My most recent race, the British NPS at Drumlanrig Castle was very hard. I began as a teacher and not an elite athlete. I have huge respect for the women who are able to get out there (putting aside their working lives and other external pressures) and compete at such high levels. It’s an art I’ve yet to master … but I will!

I’m a mountain biker.

Oh, I will!

Quality Matters with Carbs

I’ve been gradually increasing the amount of training I’ve been doing on a weekly basis and this has prompted me to reassess my nutritional intake. Up until recently I had viewed carbohydrates as something to limit as much as possible but now with longer rides I am discovering that I need their help more than ever!

Of course, it does make a difference as to the quality of carbs consumed as to how you perform on the bike – complex (low glycemic) or simple (high glycemic). Complex carbohydrates are best generally for any individual, but especially for a cyclist as they provide sustained energy over a longer period of time. Try plenty of fruit and vegetables, brown rice, pasta, wholegrain cereals etc. Before a ride, be it short or long, it is important to fuel-up at least an hour before starting with low glycemic index foods, for example porridge and banana or wholegrain toast and yoghurt.

If your ride is longer than 60 minutes, then refuelling throughout is key to not ‘hitting the wall’. Studies suggest that 30-40g of carbs every 30mins thereafter need to be consumed. However, again it is the type of carbohydrate consumed which is crucial. During a ride, your muscles require instant energy in the form of glycogen – something which the body cannot hold on to over 2000kcal and as such has to be consistently replenished – this can be provided by simple sugars which make energy available after approx 20 minutes; try gels, glucose cereal bars, even jelly babies (well, they worked for me when I was training for and running the marathon).

Equally important to what you eat before and during your ride, is how and what you refuel with post-ride. In order to prepare for your next ride and to help your body replenish its energy stores, it is vital that you refuel within 60 minutes of finishing your ride. Which type of carbs this time? A combination of the two – simple carbs to aid immediate refuelling and complex carbs to provide sustained energy.

Remember – just as imperative is replenishing any fluids lost during the ride. Happy riding and refuelling!

How many hours?!

I've done far too much exercise this week and I don't say that very often!

Sunday - 2 hour 16min ride with trailer and son in tow                                                                 Monday - Rest day                                                                                                                               Tuesday - 45min short spin                                                                                                                 Wednesday - 1hr 48min interval training on bike (hills, fast spinning and speed-work)                            Thursday - 1 hr 26min medium intensity ride with trailer and son                                                           Friday - 2hr round trip commute to nursery/work with backpack, trailer and son                                     Tomorrow - 3 hour medium to high intensity road ride

Total (projected) 11hours 15mins !! A record !

The kiddy trailer is an excellent training tool and probably gives me double the workout! However I do notice that I have to be careful when pushing up hills so as not to strain my knees. Yesterday I did an excellent loop of Milton Keynes which included a long steep drag up to the city centre and a great view of the city and surrounding countryside as a reward. You can't beat that absolutely shattered feeling followed by a rest! My son, however remains completely oblivious to all the hard work his mummy is putting in and sleeps peacefully throughout the entire bike ride! Typical!

Tomorrow it's going to be 20 degrees and sunny so I'll be out there somewhere in Buckinghamshire on my road bike totting up the miles - give me a honk if you see me! :)

Go By Bike

I know it doesn't sound like much of a big deal, but I rode into work today. "Ha, easy", I hear you say, "I do that everyday." No, it probably doesn't impress you that much and quite rightly.

But think about this: getting up at 6am to get all my kit ready, get washed and dressed, make breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. Get my 20 month old son up, get him washed, dressed, fed, teeth cleaned, helmet and shoes on. Sort out my bike and the kiddy trailer. Load it and me up with his kit for the day and mine in a huge backpack. Then cycle the 8 mile journey to nursery. Drop my son off, then cycle the remaining 2 miles to work - all by 8:30am.

Now, it's impressive. Well, it is to me.

There are several reasons why I'm happy I made the effort this morning:

1) I didn't contribute to the huge amount of traffic on the roads or the nasty emissions                        2) I didn't sit in any traffic jams and was completely in control of my journey                                       3) I saved petrol and money (increasing amounts daily, it seems)                                                        4) My son got fresh air and fun - and a sleep in the latter stages of the journey                                   5) I got even more fresh air and a strenuous workout                                                                         6) I burnt 600 calories and will burn another 600 more on the way home                                              7) I feel great, energized and ready for a day of work

Now my journey by bike is really worth it and I hope to be making the effort more on the days I work. You could benefit too.

Go by bike.

Great Expectations

Saturday saw the beginning of my 2008 mountain bike race season: it was the first race of the British National Points Series held in Thetford Forest, Suffolk. And, ouch, it was a hard welcome back.

However, I owe a lot to my coach who had not only prepared my legs for this but, more importantly, had encouraged me to see a tense and nervous situation positively and with more calmness.

I love mountain biking; I really do. I love being on my bike and enjoying the freedom it brings. I needed to apply this love to my racing too. And, I did. Thetford should have been my most challenging course – it demands a lot of continuous power - but when it hurt, which was from lap one onwards (there were five), I consciously reminded myself why I enjoy this sport so much. The quick, flowing Thetford single track did help.

This isn’t just true for racing. There are days when the weather is grey, grim and ghastly. There are times when my legs don’t want to turn the pedals anymore. There are moments when effort is needed to even leave the house! However, what I have learned this weekend is that can’t won’t.

From now on, when I’m on my bike and it’s starting to hurt, I’m going to think about happy things: hot summers’ days; blue skies; my lovely bicycle; my garden; my cats; my husband (sometimes!) – not necessarily in this order. I need to remember what it is that mountain biking gives to me: I’m not stuck in a classroom teaching 11.4 or sat at my desk marking papers, I’m outside pushing my body … and now my mind.

Down and Out

Not me - my bike. It's down from the rafters and out the door. (But it might be going back up again if it snows!) I have already bagged two rides on my two wheeled road friend and boy, it feels fast - especially after a winter season on the mountain bike.

I have a 2005 Trek Madone 5.9, which I've modified a little to make it faster - well, it does when I go above 20mph! I've got some slick Bonty aero wheels and carbon aerobars, as I had planned on doing a couple of triathlons this year - it looks the business. I love the aerobars - it's the first time I've ever used them and it's great to have another position on the bike; I love the tuck. I don't have enough confidence to use them all the time yet though and they can get a bit hairy when I go over bumps! My plan is to train with the heavier componentry until June, when I'll ditch the aerobars and get some lighter wheels to make climbing easier. Hopefully this should make me faster and lighter up the hills of the dreaded 'Dragon Ride'.

With only 9 weeks to go, I've got to step up my training quite a bit in the next few weeks. I'm up to rides of about 1hour30mins but I know the ride will take me well over 5 hours. Got to put in the miles or there will be no smiles :) (Strangely, I don't think I'll be smiling at the end of the Dragon Ride....)

The Time Machine

Who says ‘it’s not about the bike’? After a weekend’s riding my Trek 9 Series at a favourite trail centre in South Wales, I have to disagree.

My husband and I were mountain-biking in Afan Forest last weekend. I wanted to try my carbon fibre race machine on more challenging off-road trails than offered by the Kentish countryside; and, because it was my birthday, I chose where we went.

Saturday’s ride was a wash-out; literally. It rained and rained and rained. But the weather could not dampen my enthusiasm to test my bike. Our first ride was Cwm Carn’s Twrch Trail and within a few minutes of riding … wow! I realised how fantastic a carbon fibre bike was going to be at climbing. It made me feel awesome: it was nimble, quick and light. Riding this bike was no effort at all, despite the horrendous weather and the loss of brake pads (my fault). And, I completed one lap faster than I have ridden that course before. This bike was fast!

We rode my all time favourite trail on Sunday: Skyline. This course begins with a long and gruelling climb from the trail centre. However, this bike took the ‘gruelling’ and the ‘long’ out of the climb and we were climbing comfortably and enthusiastically.

It wasn’t just the climbs where I knew time was being saved but technically too. This bike did as I told it.

I never thought the material of a bike would affect me. However, I can fully empathise with carbon converts: what fantastic bikes they ride. I really can’t wait to see how well this bike performs on the race scene which is all about quick times; I’m so excited and if it wasn’t snowing right now … !