WINNIPEG - Provincial governments should force anyone riding a bicycle to wear a helmet, says the co-author of a new report that found helmet use varies greatly across Canada.
"I mean, it's atrocious that in 2010, every province does not have some sort of helmet legislation," said Ryan Zarychanski, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Manitoba. "Clearly, helmet legislation works and clearly it reduces serious head injuries and facial lacerations."
Zarychanski and three other researchers at the University of Manitoba and the University of Ottawa compared 2005 helmet use figures involving more than 4,600 respondents in three provinces with very different rules for cyclists.
Helmets were worn by 73.2 per cent of respondents in Nova Scotia, where helmet use is mandatory for everyone. The rate was just 40.6 per cent in Ontario, where helmets are mandatory for young people only, and a mere 26.9 in Saskatchewan, where there is no bicycle helmet law.
The study, published in the August edition of the Injury Prevention Journal, also found that children were less likely to wear helmets if adults did not have to.
Fewer than half of underage respondents in Ontario said they used helmets, even though they were required by law. In Nova Scotia, the rate for children was 77.5 per cent.
"We hypothesize that this is due to the absence of role-modelling from adults," Zarychanski said Tuesday.
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Newfoundland have no helmets laws for cyclists. Ontario and Alberta require helmets for people under 18 years of age, while Nova Scotia, British Columbia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island require everyone to don a helmet while on a bicycle.
Manitoba's NDP government has long faced calls to make helmets mandatory. The third-party Liberals have tried and failed to pass a private member's bill to that effect.
The province's medical association has also called for a helmet law.
"There is plenty of evidence showing that helmet use goes up when such laws are introduced while head injury hospitalization drops by as much as 45 per cent," reads a post on Doctors Manitoba's health promotion web site.
But the government has instead opted to keep helmet use optional, and has tried to encourage helmet use through promotional campaigns and by offering subsidized helmets that cost as little as $10.
"We're not ruling out helmet legislation ... but we also are looking at and discussing with other provinces to see how their legislation moved forward, how they implemented it, and the pros and cons in each case," Manitoba Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau said.
"Right now, we're still working with the carrot approach."
Critics of helmet laws have argued that making helmets mandatory might discourage people from cycling. But the study found bicycle use remained constant in Alberta and Prince Edward Island after those provinces adopted helmet laws in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
Source:By: Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press Winnipeg Free Press August 10, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Newsworthy excerpts
Both excerpts from the Roadbiker.com newsletter:
Work Out Just 20 Minutes for Amazing Results!
No, this isn't a plug for a miracle no-sweat fitness method. Instead, it's a prescription for more power and endurance on your bike, a taste of the kind of advice you'll find in the new eArticle by John Hughes we plugged above -- INTENSITY: How to Plan & Gauge the Most Beneficial Training Efforts.
It's simple. On a normal ride, choose terrain that allows you to pedal hard and steady for 20 minutes. It might be a long, gradual climb or a flat road into the wind.
Be sure you're warmed up, then go for it. Your effort should be around 85-90% of your max heart rate. It should feel hard but not all-out.
On another ride at least 2 days later, do it again.
These twice-weekly 20-minute efforts are like mini time trials. They increase the amount of power you can generate at or near your lactate threshold (the effort level where panting begins).
Few roadies ride this way because it's lots easier to just cruise along. And that's why they don't get closer to their potential.
But if you discipline yourself to bite the bullet for a measly 20 minutes during a couple of rides each week, you'll feel real improvement after just 8-10 of these workouts.
Or double your money back!
---Exercise scientists have stumbled on an amazing discovery, reports the New York Times. Athletes can improve their performance in intense bouts of exercise, lasting an hour or so, if they merely rinse their mouths with a carbohydrate solution (sports drink). That's right, swish and spit. It appears that the brain can sense carbohydrate in the mouth and then respond, spurring on the athlete. Some of the research was done with cyclists. The advantage for relatively short and intense events, such as time trials up to 25 miles (40 km) is avoiding digestive problems from riding hard with food or drink in the stomach. For longer periods of exercise, though, a person is better off swallowing a carbohydrate drink than spitting it out. This way actual fuel is provided in the form of calories.
I am just the messenger here...
Work Out Just 20 Minutes for Amazing Results!
No, this isn't a plug for a miracle no-sweat fitness method. Instead, it's a prescription for more power and endurance on your bike, a taste of the kind of advice you'll find in the new eArticle by John Hughes we plugged above -- INTENSITY: How to Plan & Gauge the Most Beneficial Training Efforts.
It's simple. On a normal ride, choose terrain that allows you to pedal hard and steady for 20 minutes. It might be a long, gradual climb or a flat road into the wind.
Be sure you're warmed up, then go for it. Your effort should be around 85-90% of your max heart rate. It should feel hard but not all-out.
On another ride at least 2 days later, do it again.
These twice-weekly 20-minute efforts are like mini time trials. They increase the amount of power you can generate at or near your lactate threshold (the effort level where panting begins).
Few roadies ride this way because it's lots easier to just cruise along. And that's why they don't get closer to their potential.
But if you discipline yourself to bite the bullet for a measly 20 minutes during a couple of rides each week, you'll feel real improvement after just 8-10 of these workouts.
Or double your money back!
---Exercise scientists have stumbled on an amazing discovery, reports the New York Times. Athletes can improve their performance in intense bouts of exercise, lasting an hour or so, if they merely rinse their mouths with a carbohydrate solution (sports drink). That's right, swish and spit. It appears that the brain can sense carbohydrate in the mouth and then respond, spurring on the athlete. Some of the research was done with cyclists. The advantage for relatively short and intense events, such as time trials up to 25 miles (40 km) is avoiding digestive problems from riding hard with food or drink in the stomach. For longer periods of exercise, though, a person is better off swallowing a carbohydrate drink than spitting it out. This way actual fuel is provided in the form of calories.
I am just the messenger here...
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Where’s the Beach in Stead Race Report…
It was long. It was hard. It was fun.
I wondered if I was in shape for 100 kms of off road “racing”. I wondered if riding a rigid was a good idea. I wondered if my 22/32/44x15 gearing would be low enough. I wondered if I’d be able to beat or even keep pace with Paul. I wondered if my secret recipe for liquid nutrition would work. I wondered if my butt was ready for 4-5 hours on the bike.
I’m not wondering anymore.
I was in good enough shape to finish in 4:38 which is slightly faster than last year.
A rigid wasn’t the best idea but my 31 lb full suspension was 10 lbs heavier.
My gearing was almost perfect. Only a couple of times did I wish for a gear in between what I had.
I did beat Paul but we swapped placements several times during the first half of the race before I finally lost him.
My secret recipe worked great. And it wasn’t unpleasant to drink but NOTHING tastes as good as an ice cold beer after a race. NOTHING!!!
My butt is my business. Nothing to share here.
First Lap:
Rolling group starts are just a kick. I love it. We should do more of these.
The bear was cool. Was almost hoping to see him again.
Riding with different people at different times is always neat. You get to chat with people you’re usually trying to pass or not get passed by.
It seemed to take a really long time for the slower group to settle out and everyone to find their place. I felt pretty strong but my gearing dictated my pace. I loved the 44x15 on the gravel road sections. I found the 22x15 too small for the rock gardens but the 32x15 was too big. I hate that one hidden rock I hit EVERY SINGLE LAP!!!! Note to trail crew: please flag that rock for next year. It’s the one next to the bush that slapped my face each time, just a short way past the squiggly turn with the grass. Rode with Brad E for a while. Then suddenly he wasn’t there anymore. Kind of waited for him to catch up again until I turned a corner and couldn’t see him anymore. Didn’t see him again til the race was done.
Lap 2:
Still felt strong. Left the feed zone with Paul and we caught the wheel of another rider. We drafted him until he became exasperated with us and swerved to the side. Thanks for the pull whoever you were…
Was riding with Paul and Marty H and some other guys I didn’t know. Got away from them on the gravel sections but got reeled in, in the rock gardens. By about the middle of the lap I was riding alone and spent the rest of the race riding alone. Good thing I had voices in my head to talk to.
Lap 3:
Ugh. Felt strong leaving the feed zone but as soon as I was onto the gravel my power faded fast. I wondered if I was going to bonk and I knew that this lap was going to be a challenge. I granny geared it until I had some momentum and decided to ride with whatever energy I could muster and worry about fatigue when it hit. This was the last lap and time to burn the matches I had left.
I found that I couldn’t wait to see the next km marker (what a fantastic idea. They were inspirational during the tiredness) At one point I climbed off my bike to walk for a bit because I know from experience this helps to relieve my leg cramps. Felt like a goof walking with stiff legs because I couldn’t bend my knees but the trick worked and I was able to ride again. Got my second wind and turned the big gear for a while.
Whoever held up the “princess, you’re almost done sign” made my day. Couldn’t help but laugh at that.
Kept looking over my shoulder expecting Paul, Marty or the other guys to come around a corner but alas, no one came. Had to walk through a second section of sand and stood by my bike for about a minute just to rest. Would gladly have quit and gone for a nap at that point but pushed it through and hit the last gravel road section knowing there was only about a mile left.
Things to do differently next year:
Train for endurance racing.
Find better things to eat than powerbars. Yuck.
Tie a rope around Dave so he can pull me.
I wondered if I was in shape for 100 kms of off road “racing”. I wondered if riding a rigid was a good idea. I wondered if my 22/32/44x15 gearing would be low enough. I wondered if I’d be able to beat or even keep pace with Paul. I wondered if my secret recipe for liquid nutrition would work. I wondered if my butt was ready for 4-5 hours on the bike.
I’m not wondering anymore.
I was in good enough shape to finish in 4:38 which is slightly faster than last year.
A rigid wasn’t the best idea but my 31 lb full suspension was 10 lbs heavier.
My gearing was almost perfect. Only a couple of times did I wish for a gear in between what I had.
I did beat Paul but we swapped placements several times during the first half of the race before I finally lost him.
My secret recipe worked great. And it wasn’t unpleasant to drink but NOTHING tastes as good as an ice cold beer after a race. NOTHING!!!
My butt is my business. Nothing to share here.
First Lap:
Rolling group starts are just a kick. I love it. We should do more of these.
The bear was cool. Was almost hoping to see him again.
Riding with different people at different times is always neat. You get to chat with people you’re usually trying to pass or not get passed by.
It seemed to take a really long time for the slower group to settle out and everyone to find their place. I felt pretty strong but my gearing dictated my pace. I loved the 44x15 on the gravel road sections. I found the 22x15 too small for the rock gardens but the 32x15 was too big. I hate that one hidden rock I hit EVERY SINGLE LAP!!!! Note to trail crew: please flag that rock for next year. It’s the one next to the bush that slapped my face each time, just a short way past the squiggly turn with the grass. Rode with Brad E for a while. Then suddenly he wasn’t there anymore. Kind of waited for him to catch up again until I turned a corner and couldn’t see him anymore. Didn’t see him again til the race was done.
Lap 2:
Still felt strong. Left the feed zone with Paul and we caught the wheel of another rider. We drafted him until he became exasperated with us and swerved to the side. Thanks for the pull whoever you were…
Was riding with Paul and Marty H and some other guys I didn’t know. Got away from them on the gravel sections but got reeled in, in the rock gardens. By about the middle of the lap I was riding alone and spent the rest of the race riding alone. Good thing I had voices in my head to talk to.
Lap 3:
Ugh. Felt strong leaving the feed zone but as soon as I was onto the gravel my power faded fast. I wondered if I was going to bonk and I knew that this lap was going to be a challenge. I granny geared it until I had some momentum and decided to ride with whatever energy I could muster and worry about fatigue when it hit. This was the last lap and time to burn the matches I had left.
I found that I couldn’t wait to see the next km marker (what a fantastic idea. They were inspirational during the tiredness) At one point I climbed off my bike to walk for a bit because I know from experience this helps to relieve my leg cramps. Felt like a goof walking with stiff legs because I couldn’t bend my knees but the trick worked and I was able to ride again. Got my second wind and turned the big gear for a while.
Whoever held up the “princess, you’re almost done sign” made my day. Couldn’t help but laugh at that.
Kept looking over my shoulder expecting Paul, Marty or the other guys to come around a corner but alas, no one came. Had to walk through a second section of sand and stood by my bike for about a minute just to rest. Would gladly have quit and gone for a nap at that point but pushed it through and hit the last gravel road section knowing there was only about a mile left.
Things to do differently next year:
Train for endurance racing.
Find better things to eat than powerbars. Yuck.
Tie a rope around Dave so he can pull me.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Dirty humour
And now for some comedic relief...
From the guy who brought you the "performance video" is
Get Dirty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru2Dpe1LkNU
From the guy who brought you the "performance video" is
Get Dirty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru2Dpe1LkNU
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Doctor I smell burnt toast
A practicing physician for more than 40 years and a radio talk show host for 25, Dr. Mirkin is a graduate of Harvard University and Baylor University College of Medicine. He is one of a very few doctors board-certified in four specialties: Sports Medicine, Allergy and Immunology, Pediatrics and Pediatric Immunology.
He is a frequent contributor to Roadcyclist.com a bi weekly newsletter provided free to anyone who subscribes. He and his wife ride over 100 miles a week and he's over 70 years old. His website and newsletter are full of training tips that have been gleaned from sports and medicine journals. As I take my blog in a new direction, I will be referring to his research and qouting from his newsletters frequently.
In his latest newsletter he speaks about cold drinks during training. Something most of us never think about beyond preferring col cytomax to luke warm gross sports drinks.
Dear Dr. Mirkin: Does taking cold fluids improve exercise performance in hot weather?
Yes; drinking cold fluids lowers body temperature. More than 70 percent of the calories that you use to convert food to energy are lost as heat. So the more intensely you exercise, the more heat you produce. A rise in body temperature slows you down because the heart has to work harder to pump extra blood from your hot muscles to your skin to dissipate the heat. Seven studies show that cold beverages lower body temperature and improve performance by an average of 10 percent.
He had a previous post about drinking colas and training which I also found interesting;
The limiting factor in endurance racing is the time that it takes to get enough oxygen into muscles to burn food for energy. Anything that reduces oxygen requirements allows you to race faster. Sugar stored in muscles, called glycogen, requires less oxygen than fat or protein. Anything that helps you keep sugar in muscles longer gives you greater endurance.
A study from Georgia State University shows that drinks that contain both glucose and fructose burn more carbohydrates than those containing only glucose, and allow cyclists to ride much faster over 60 miles (International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, April 2010).
Most soft drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Both HFCS and conventional sugar (sucrose) contain a mixture of two sugars, glucose and fructose, in nearly the same concentrations: HFCS has 55 percent fructose/42 percent glucose, while sucrose is a 50/50 mixture. So the relative concentrations of glucose and fructose are not significant. However, the fructose in sucrose from cane or beet sugar is bound to glucose and must first be separated from it, so it is absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream. The manufacturing process for HFCS frees the fructose from glucose to makes it into a free, unbound form that is absorbed more rapidly into the bloodstream. This could cause a higher rise in blood sugar ((Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, March 18, 2010) and provide more sugar for muscles during exercise. We need to wait for more research to know if HFCS drinks improve endurance more those made with cane or beet sugar.
Caffeine increases endurance (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, July 2010) by increasing absorption of sugar by muscles (Journal of Applied Physiology, June 2006). Those who took sugared drinks with caffeine were able to absorb and use 26 percent more of the ingested sugar than those who took the same drinks without caffeine.
On long rides, we drink colas for their sugar and caffeine. However, you should take sugared drinks only when you exercise and for up to an hour after you finish. Contracting muscles remove sugar from the bloodstream rapidly without needing much insulin. Taking sugared drinks when you are not exercising causes higher rises in blood sugar that increase risk for diabetes and cell damage.
On a recent training ride I experimented with using half a water bottle of coke mixed with my usual peformance drink. As far as performance, I had plenty of energy that day. I found that you really had to shake the bottle before riding to flatten the carbonation but as I mentioned; there was no noticable difference in my power output and possibly I had more than usual. It's hard to tell in one ride and so further experimentation is needed and will be carried out.
He is a frequent contributor to Roadcyclist.com a bi weekly newsletter provided free to anyone who subscribes. He and his wife ride over 100 miles a week and he's over 70 years old. His website and newsletter are full of training tips that have been gleaned from sports and medicine journals. As I take my blog in a new direction, I will be referring to his research and qouting from his newsletters frequently.
In his latest newsletter he speaks about cold drinks during training. Something most of us never think about beyond preferring col cytomax to luke warm gross sports drinks.
Dear Dr. Mirkin: Does taking cold fluids improve exercise performance in hot weather?
Yes; drinking cold fluids lowers body temperature. More than 70 percent of the calories that you use to convert food to energy are lost as heat. So the more intensely you exercise, the more heat you produce. A rise in body temperature slows you down because the heart has to work harder to pump extra blood from your hot muscles to your skin to dissipate the heat. Seven studies show that cold beverages lower body temperature and improve performance by an average of 10 percent.
He had a previous post about drinking colas and training which I also found interesting;
The limiting factor in endurance racing is the time that it takes to get enough oxygen into muscles to burn food for energy. Anything that reduces oxygen requirements allows you to race faster. Sugar stored in muscles, called glycogen, requires less oxygen than fat or protein. Anything that helps you keep sugar in muscles longer gives you greater endurance.
A study from Georgia State University shows that drinks that contain both glucose and fructose burn more carbohydrates than those containing only glucose, and allow cyclists to ride much faster over 60 miles (International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, April 2010).
Most soft drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Both HFCS and conventional sugar (sucrose) contain a mixture of two sugars, glucose and fructose, in nearly the same concentrations: HFCS has 55 percent fructose/42 percent glucose, while sucrose is a 50/50 mixture. So the relative concentrations of glucose and fructose are not significant. However, the fructose in sucrose from cane or beet sugar is bound to glucose and must first be separated from it, so it is absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream. The manufacturing process for HFCS frees the fructose from glucose to makes it into a free, unbound form that is absorbed more rapidly into the bloodstream. This could cause a higher rise in blood sugar ((Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, March 18, 2010) and provide more sugar for muscles during exercise. We need to wait for more research to know if HFCS drinks improve endurance more those made with cane or beet sugar.
Caffeine increases endurance (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, July 2010) by increasing absorption of sugar by muscles (Journal of Applied Physiology, June 2006). Those who took sugared drinks with caffeine were able to absorb and use 26 percent more of the ingested sugar than those who took the same drinks without caffeine.
On long rides, we drink colas for their sugar and caffeine. However, you should take sugared drinks only when you exercise and for up to an hour after you finish. Contracting muscles remove sugar from the bloodstream rapidly without needing much insulin. Taking sugared drinks when you are not exercising causes higher rises in blood sugar that increase risk for diabetes and cell damage.
On a recent training ride I experimented with using half a water bottle of coke mixed with my usual peformance drink. As far as performance, I had plenty of energy that day. I found that you really had to shake the bottle before riding to flatten the carbonation but as I mentioned; there was no noticable difference in my power output and possibly I had more than usual. It's hard to tell in one ride and so further experimentation is needed and will be carried out.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
What it takes to race
What does it take to race?
Racing is the venue in which you test yourself against others who share your passion for going fast on a bike. In its simplest form it requires three things. You need to show up with a strong bike, a strong brain and a strong body.
A strong bike is not a bike that weighs so much that it handles like a tank. It is a bike that is well maintained and that will last the duration of the event. Sometimes that means spending quite a bit of money to replace parts that might be just fine but allow for that shadow of doubt as to whether or not they’ll hold up when you stand up and put all your power into the pedals. Or when that rock comes out of nowhere and strains your suspension or tires to the limits of their performance window. It means that you have evaluated the course and chosen tires that will withstand the obstacle. You’re using a tire pressure that allows for the right combination of speed and traction. It means you might replace a perfectly good chain just for the peace of mind that it gives you knowing that it will withstand all the force you demand of it. It means checking bolts and torques. I’ve seen others and experienced myself losing races because of a mechanical breakdown; which includes flat tires. I lost a race I was sure to win because one of the bolts holding my derailleur pulleys worked loose and I lost chain tension. I would never have expected that to happen. I’ve seen races in which a considerable number of people have finished with flat tires. I’ve moved up placements because others have had “mechanicals” Without a working bike you cannot bike race. Losing a race because of a foreseeable or preventable mechanical issue is your own fault and stems from laziness and a lack of maintenance. There is no excuse for this. Losing a race because of an unforeseeable mechanical issue like breaking a brand new chain or crashing onto a rock and bending your derailleur hanger or breaking a seat post is just bad luck. Even so; you have to make sure your bike is ready to go the distance.
A strong brain means you’ve ridden the course, hopefully more than once. Course knowledge is worth a couple of minutes a lap because it gives you the advantage of knowing where to push hard, where to rest and where you need to bleed of speed because of a tight corner or obstacle. It means you’re rested and alert. It means you’re quick thinking enough to find a new line on the fly. I know where the perfect line for me is in the Grand Beach rock gardens but during a race there might be someone occupying the space I want to ride through. I know where to go fast and where I have to go slow in Bur Oak but someone might be chasing me or I might be tailing someone who rides a different pace than I wish to.
I also means knowing your opponents. It means knowing who will most likely blow up, who to chase, who you can follow and when to take off on a group. It means knowing how much you have left in the tank and knowing when to drain that tank. It means knowing how hard to go off the front, when to conserve and when to put it all on the line and push yourself to your absolute maximum. A strong brain means you can watch others and gauge their fatigue by how they ride. Mistakes they make and being ready to capitalize on those mistakes.
A strong body seems self evident but it ties into having a strong brain. It’s exactly knowing when to “burn your matches” and when to conserve. It’s impersonal self evaluation. Judging your strengths and weaknesses and turning those weaknesses into strengths. It requires stepping away from your pride and ego and judging what you can do well and what you cannot do well. One of the earliest things I discovered about myself and bike racing is that I am not a strong climber. I do very poorly on steep climbs but I’ve also realized that I have considerable physical strength in my legs over short bursts. I made myself into a shallow climb specialist. Short, non steep climbs allow me to turn big gears and use my strength to close or open gaps. Steep climbs will always elude me but the more I climb the stronger I get at it. I feel strong on straight sections where I can turn up the speed but tight, twisty and technical sections also challenged my limited abilities but I practiced sections of trails that were hard for me in races and over the years I improved. I’m not nearly where my friends are in these regards but I’m not nearly as poor at them as I was. Confidence comes from practice and confidence wins races.
Most important of all though is that racing requires respect. Respect and celebration of your fellow athletes. No person ever brought accolades to themselves by sitting in the stands or standing on the sidelines. Racing is a celebration of physical endeavour. Without your foes you have no race. You need them as much as they need you. It is an honour to line up at the starting line and test yourself against them and against yourself. We must respect and honour our antagonists; for without them we have nothing.
Racing is the venue in which you test yourself against others who share your passion for going fast on a bike. In its simplest form it requires three things. You need to show up with a strong bike, a strong brain and a strong body.
A strong bike is not a bike that weighs so much that it handles like a tank. It is a bike that is well maintained and that will last the duration of the event. Sometimes that means spending quite a bit of money to replace parts that might be just fine but allow for that shadow of doubt as to whether or not they’ll hold up when you stand up and put all your power into the pedals. Or when that rock comes out of nowhere and strains your suspension or tires to the limits of their performance window. It means that you have evaluated the course and chosen tires that will withstand the obstacle. You’re using a tire pressure that allows for the right combination of speed and traction. It means you might replace a perfectly good chain just for the peace of mind that it gives you knowing that it will withstand all the force you demand of it. It means checking bolts and torques. I’ve seen others and experienced myself losing races because of a mechanical breakdown; which includes flat tires. I lost a race I was sure to win because one of the bolts holding my derailleur pulleys worked loose and I lost chain tension. I would never have expected that to happen. I’ve seen races in which a considerable number of people have finished with flat tires. I’ve moved up placements because others have had “mechanicals” Without a working bike you cannot bike race. Losing a race because of a foreseeable or preventable mechanical issue is your own fault and stems from laziness and a lack of maintenance. There is no excuse for this. Losing a race because of an unforeseeable mechanical issue like breaking a brand new chain or crashing onto a rock and bending your derailleur hanger or breaking a seat post is just bad luck. Even so; you have to make sure your bike is ready to go the distance.
A strong brain means you’ve ridden the course, hopefully more than once. Course knowledge is worth a couple of minutes a lap because it gives you the advantage of knowing where to push hard, where to rest and where you need to bleed of speed because of a tight corner or obstacle. It means you’re rested and alert. It means you’re quick thinking enough to find a new line on the fly. I know where the perfect line for me is in the Grand Beach rock gardens but during a race there might be someone occupying the space I want to ride through. I know where to go fast and where I have to go slow in Bur Oak but someone might be chasing me or I might be tailing someone who rides a different pace than I wish to.
I also means knowing your opponents. It means knowing who will most likely blow up, who to chase, who you can follow and when to take off on a group. It means knowing how much you have left in the tank and knowing when to drain that tank. It means knowing how hard to go off the front, when to conserve and when to put it all on the line and push yourself to your absolute maximum. A strong brain means you can watch others and gauge their fatigue by how they ride. Mistakes they make and being ready to capitalize on those mistakes.
A strong body seems self evident but it ties into having a strong brain. It’s exactly knowing when to “burn your matches” and when to conserve. It’s impersonal self evaluation. Judging your strengths and weaknesses and turning those weaknesses into strengths. It requires stepping away from your pride and ego and judging what you can do well and what you cannot do well. One of the earliest things I discovered about myself and bike racing is that I am not a strong climber. I do very poorly on steep climbs but I’ve also realized that I have considerable physical strength in my legs over short bursts. I made myself into a shallow climb specialist. Short, non steep climbs allow me to turn big gears and use my strength to close or open gaps. Steep climbs will always elude me but the more I climb the stronger I get at it. I feel strong on straight sections where I can turn up the speed but tight, twisty and technical sections also challenged my limited abilities but I practiced sections of trails that were hard for me in races and over the years I improved. I’m not nearly where my friends are in these regards but I’m not nearly as poor at them as I was. Confidence comes from practice and confidence wins races.
Most important of all though is that racing requires respect. Respect and celebration of your fellow athletes. No person ever brought accolades to themselves by sitting in the stands or standing on the sidelines. Racing is a celebration of physical endeavour. Without your foes you have no race. You need them as much as they need you. It is an honour to line up at the starting line and test yourself against them and against yourself. We must respect and honour our antagonists; for without them we have nothing.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Big mouth, small impact on racing. One racer's impressions of the season.
For a guy with such a big mouth, I’ve had surprisingly little to say over the summer. Since February actually. Now it’s time to unload what I’ve been storing up through the MCA XC race season with some observations, opinions and general blathering about racing.
Grand Beach;
Great race, well marked as always but I seem to recall that the prizing took an exceptionally long time. Probably the best post race food of all the races. And Olympia is always extremely generous with their prizing. Olympia is one of the, in my opinion, best race organizers in MB.
Brandon:
Once again the BBC presented us with a course that can best be described as flowy with surprises. They have some fantastic real estate to work with out there and it’s definitely worth the drive. Also well marked but the flow is interrupted by abrupt turns. The thing is though; this abruptness is there for everyone and knowing this, it is up to the racer to be prepared. Cash prizing was a nice change from shwag and this gem of a race course is rapidly rising up my list of fave’s.
Falcon:
Ok, I know that it’s a rocky course. I also know that the skies were relentless in their determination to make sure things were going to be damp for this race but what I simply cannot understand is why races are started late. Granted, the kids were out there for longer than expected but after 3 weeks of rain, it seems to me that it would have occurred to someone that maybe the race was going to be slower than normal and maybe new start times should have been posted, announced or generally made known. Racers prepare for noon starts. When the race start is constantly being pushed back, or no one seems to really know when it will start, well, it messes with our mojo. All things considered, this race started late and got later and later. It beat us up with rocks and mud and some organizational glitches. Hopefully the people in charge will learn from this year and last year and have a more authoritative approach to setting and keeping a revised start time.
Bring a Friend Birch:
My mom taught me that if I have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. With respect to my mom, I have nothing to say here.
But, because my mom doesn’t read my blog, I have a problem with this race. Yes, I do know that lightning means “no start”. Yes I do know birch is climbing. What I see as a problem is, is that there seems to be an attitude of “we have to make them suffer” approach by the organizers. A race should challenge a racer on all aspects of mtn biking but I really don’t think it’s necessary to climb incessantly just because we’re at Birch. I also think that it is completely unnecessary to make us race on fresh cut trails when there are plenty of flowy trails that connect reasonable climbs and descents. Granted, I will admit that I was still beat up from the Falcon race and a bad crash there but I still don’t think it’s necessary to have to climb as much as we did. 3 reasonable but challenging climbs spread throughout a race course is enough. Off camber fresh cut trail is unnecessary. Being told that the “friends” would start after the XC race and then suddenly rushing my friend to the start line because everything changed is unprofessional. Again, this is MY opinion but there was NOTHING about this race that would attract newcomers to the sport. If all races were run like this and were this hard, I simply wouldn’t race.
Swan River:
The only bad thing about this race is that the course is so far away. I would love to ride here more. Simply put, the Swan River crew deserve more than a simple thanks for their work. They deserve a standing ovation. No one works harder for less racers than these guys. One of the best things about Swan River is that we know exactly what we’re in for. A fast descent with a hairpin turn into a climb to separate the field heading into what is probably the sweetest single track of any race course in MB and then some tight turns and climbs to remind you of the quad bursting climb back up to the start line. In conjunction with Olympia, Swan River was also very generous with the prizing. This is how races should be run.
Grand Beach;
Great race, well marked as always but I seem to recall that the prizing took an exceptionally long time. Probably the best post race food of all the races. And Olympia is always extremely generous with their prizing. Olympia is one of the, in my opinion, best race organizers in MB.
Brandon:
Once again the BBC presented us with a course that can best be described as flowy with surprises. They have some fantastic real estate to work with out there and it’s definitely worth the drive. Also well marked but the flow is interrupted by abrupt turns. The thing is though; this abruptness is there for everyone and knowing this, it is up to the racer to be prepared. Cash prizing was a nice change from shwag and this gem of a race course is rapidly rising up my list of fave’s.
Falcon:
Ok, I know that it’s a rocky course. I also know that the skies were relentless in their determination to make sure things were going to be damp for this race but what I simply cannot understand is why races are started late. Granted, the kids were out there for longer than expected but after 3 weeks of rain, it seems to me that it would have occurred to someone that maybe the race was going to be slower than normal and maybe new start times should have been posted, announced or generally made known. Racers prepare for noon starts. When the race start is constantly being pushed back, or no one seems to really know when it will start, well, it messes with our mojo. All things considered, this race started late and got later and later. It beat us up with rocks and mud and some organizational glitches. Hopefully the people in charge will learn from this year and last year and have a more authoritative approach to setting and keeping a revised start time.
Bring a Friend Birch:
My mom taught me that if I have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. With respect to my mom, I have nothing to say here.
But, because my mom doesn’t read my blog, I have a problem with this race. Yes, I do know that lightning means “no start”. Yes I do know birch is climbing. What I see as a problem is, is that there seems to be an attitude of “we have to make them suffer” approach by the organizers. A race should challenge a racer on all aspects of mtn biking but I really don’t think it’s necessary to climb incessantly just because we’re at Birch. I also think that it is completely unnecessary to make us race on fresh cut trails when there are plenty of flowy trails that connect reasonable climbs and descents. Granted, I will admit that I was still beat up from the Falcon race and a bad crash there but I still don’t think it’s necessary to have to climb as much as we did. 3 reasonable but challenging climbs spread throughout a race course is enough. Off camber fresh cut trail is unnecessary. Being told that the “friends” would start after the XC race and then suddenly rushing my friend to the start line because everything changed is unprofessional. Again, this is MY opinion but there was NOTHING about this race that would attract newcomers to the sport. If all races were run like this and were this hard, I simply wouldn’t race.
Swan River:
The only bad thing about this race is that the course is so far away. I would love to ride here more. Simply put, the Swan River crew deserve more than a simple thanks for their work. They deserve a standing ovation. No one works harder for less racers than these guys. One of the best things about Swan River is that we know exactly what we’re in for. A fast descent with a hairpin turn into a climb to separate the field heading into what is probably the sweetest single track of any race course in MB and then some tight turns and climbs to remind you of the quad bursting climb back up to the start line. In conjunction with Olympia, Swan River was also very generous with the prizing. This is how races should be run.
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