I have been trying to soak up the recent success at the MTB Marathon National Championships. Interestingly, it can actually be difficult to enjoy a big win when you have a sport that forces you to move the goalposts so quickly. I got stuck in that “process, process, process” mentality and when a window finally opened for me to make it happen I had to trust myself in a new way. I've had to intentionally pause and enjoy the wake of a major elite-level win. To mix things up and try to provide something valuable from it, I figured I’d use this article to break down the race and tactics that led to my first Elite National title. Key Points of Preparation:
I had two focus points for Auburn: the heat and the terrain. Firstly, I knew the biggest factor for a race in Auburn in June was going to be the heat. This was one of the main things I considered in the weeks leading up to the race. If you are curious how heat affects performance and ways to adapt to it, check out this artice I wrote for The Feed. I would hop in the sauna post-training about every other day in the weeks leading up. Brevard is fairly mild this time of year, so it allowed me to get in really high-quality training while adapting to the heat passively. The second was the terrain and course conditions. I got specific in the weeks leading up, training on the MTB more in general as well as incorporating more time on loose, dry trails. I used a couple of tune-up races (Danville UCI and Bump n Grind) which were fortunately also fast and loose courses. There’s nothing particularly “tricky” about this course, but it constantly keeps you on the edge of traction and pays dividends if you can be efficient. Staying cool was a priority. Tech Talk: I’m not much of a bike nerd. So getting a lot of questions about my setup was actually kind of funny. I could tell that the youngsters weren’t super pleased when I would tell them I just ran a stock setup. I was on the Specialized WC Pro with a standard build. No ceramics, no fancy or proprietary tech, and a build that pretty much every consumer can buy. The goal of my setup was efficiency. I did, however, run 2.4 Maxxis Aspens and a tire insert in the rear wheel for added puncture protection and some small bump compliance. When a course has no elevation, practically, then weight is hardly an issue. Fueling Plan Planning for a 3.5-hour race in the summer heat in Auburn, AL is quite the task. You have to really consider how the heat will play a role in your fueling and hydration. I am a particularly salty sweater, so increasing sodium intake and overall water volume was a priority. Check out this article on The Feed \ Insider to get a better look at practical ways to fuel and hydrate this summer. I came back to the theme of efficiency. What was efficient and would provide the most security with fueling/hydrating? It’s not a UCI XC race where you can grab a bottle every 5min. I opted to run 2 x USWE packs; start with one and grab another halfway in. This allowed me to drink and fuel about anywhere, anytime on the trails. They were impossibly twisty and fast, so bottles were going to be a risk. I set out with the goal of about 90g of carbs + 600mg of sodium an hour – with the majority coming from drink mix. I front-loaded more carbs when conditions were cooler and the gut was happy, then switched to more fluid/hydration in the latter half. Key Takeaways: As silly as it may sound, I developed a motto/mantra for the race that was EAT: standing for Efficiency, Aggression, and Trust. And, to remind me to eat. It can be easy to get scrambled during a race…but if you have a few simple things to remind you where your focus should be, it can provide some poise and direction. These three things I used in different amounts throughout the race. It was important to be Aggressive at certain selection points, Efficient when on the front and settled into race pace, and then employ Trust when I got off the front. Lean into your training, trust yourself, and work the plan.
1 Comment
Mike Lang
7/3/2024 04:51:16 am
Congratulations. An amazing and well-deserved accomplishment.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorCarson Beckett, 26 | Coach, Pro, and Co-Founder of Dirt Camp Racing | Carson Beckett Coaching CategoriesArchives
November 2024
|