H2H Mayhem 2020 - It finally happened

carvegybe

carvegybe

Well-Known Member
So that was a lot of fun and still managed to race in shorts thanks to global warming. Thank you also to @MissJR for pointing out the race to me when I was looking for my first ever race event around December last year.

Did 13 miles at 5:25/M pace, including a dropped chain (I now understand the motivation for 1-by drivertrains). Is that any good? The course was mostly single track with rooty sections, pretty flat, non-technical, and pedaly. There were only 9 riders in my category so looking for feedback on how 5:25/M compares among NJ XC amateurs. Thanks.
 
carvegybe said:
So that was a lot of fun and still managed to race in shorts thanks to global warming. Thank you also to @MissJR for pointing out the race to me when I was looking for my first ever race event around December last year.

Did 13 miles at 5:25/M pace, including a dropped chain (I now understand the motivation for 1-by drivertrains). Is that any good? The course was mostly single track with rooty sections, pretty flat, non-technical, and pedaly. There were only 9 riders in my category so looking for feedback on how 5:25/M compares among NJ XC amateurs. Thanks.
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congrats on your first race!
the pace means nothing on its own - since all races are different.
did you get the results across all classes?
do you know how you finished?

way to mix it up in a weird year.
 
Patrick said:
congrats on your first race!
the pace means nothing on its own - since all races are different.
did you get the results across all classes?
do you know how you finished?

way to mix it up in a weird year.
Click to expand...
I did. I would have gotten a podium spot in Cat 3 but was 8th out of 9 in Cat 2 (45+). Was very close to 7th spot...dropping the chain made the difference.

I'm trying to decide if I like racing and, if so, whether my performance is good enough to keep trying.

Part of me likes the feeling of achievement after an effort like this. Part of me feels that mountain biking is best done without the race anxiety, focusing on the joy of the ride, connecting with nature, and throwing in some tech for good measure. Dunno...maybe the answer is to do a bit of both....
 
i'm the back half of cat 2 45+
and still try to participate in a couple races a year.
Having an event on the calendar keeps me mindful of working out, and watching what I eat.
This year has not been good to my fitness or waistline.
Having a half-marathon or big endurance race on the list is def a game changer for me. YMMV

It is also a good place to meet a bunch of like-minded people, chat about bikes, and exchange beer.
So the social aspect is part of it too. Talking trash while lining-up and then getting thumped :D

If you want to podium one of these things, check @MadisonDan's story - don't let the front get away from you,
there is no way to make it up in a short race.
 
To podium
Patrick said:
i'm the back half of cat 2 45+
and still try to participate in a couple races a year.
Having an event on the calendar keeps me mindful of working out, and watching what I eat.
This year has not been good to my fitness or waistline.
Having a half-marathon or big endurance race on the list is def a game changer for me. YMMV

It is also a good place to meet a bunch of like-minded people, chat about bikes, and exchange beer.
So the social aspect is part of it too. Talking trash while lining-up and then getting thumped :D

If you want to podium one of these things, check @MadisonDan's story - don't let the front get away from you,
there is no way to make it up in a short race.
Click to expand...
Do I want to podium? That's a loaded question. The simple answer is yes.

The complicated answer is I would have needed to shave 8% off my time, which requires a commitment to more power/aerobic engine training and also skills training (cornering, momentum retention, braking). Watching the faster guys pass me I think I had more watts/kg but I didn't use my power efficiently: slowed down too much on turns and had to punch it coming out of turns to catch up. After 70 minutes of this I was cooked. My power meter showed 14.9% of time "coasting" and 17.1% in "active recovery". That's a third of the race time without applying any meaningful power to the pedals! Maybe I need a higher BB or shorter cranks to keep pedaling while the bike is leaned over? Maybe I am too conservative in assessing how much bike lean would result in a pedal strike if I kept power applied on turns? I did have some pedal strikes, so I think I was not too far off from the sweet spot. Anyway, I see my power zones being skewed towards low average power as an opportunity to improve because I am able to sustain high sustained power on the trainer. It's the skills stuff on turns that gets me.

How does one get faster? Does anyone know of a MTB coach in Princeton area that can put down some structure toward achieving this goal?

Thanks
 
carvegybe said:
I do. All the time. It is helpful, but not the same as structured coaching.
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I mean really faster people.

Structured training will always make someone faster, but you previously said you also like to focus on joy of the ride. The question is whether you want your rides dictated by a training plan, or not. I personally hate training so won't do it, but am blessed with friends (and a wife) who loves training. I let them rip my legs off when we go riding and it seems to be working well lol
 
Matt_ said:
I mean really faster people.

Structured training will always make someone faster, but you previously said you also like to focus on joy of the ride. The question is whether you want your rides dictated by a training plan, or not. I personally hate training so won't do it, but am blessed with friends (and a wife) who loves training. I let them rip my legs off when we go riding and it seems to be working well lol
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this is my method as well, although my wife wants nothing to do with bikes so i have to look at friends for this benefit.
 
Matt_ said:
I mean really faster people.

Structured training will always make someone faster, but you previously said you also like to focus on joy of the ride. The question is whether you want your rides dictated by a training plan, or not. I personally hate training so won't do it, but am blessed with friends (and a wife) who loves training. I let them rip my legs off when we go riding and it seems to be working well lol
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I ride with really faster people. But they are in front of me, so don't look back so see what I could be doing better. I'd be looking for a blend of fun riding and structured coaching. I already get the fun part, but that's not going to cut it for getting faster though.
 
I think you should look at both. Keep training your fitness. And also spend some time on the trails just trying to go faster.
There’s a ton of online resources for technical riding. Check out ridelogic.bike. I’ve heard really good things about how they teach technique.
 
well now you have some experience, have some numbers, and have some goals.

maybe @Norm will jump in with his FTP5 theory.

nothing better than race experience to evaluate.
if you don't feel people are faster than you w/kg wise, yet they go through turns faster, then ride away from you,
is it technique? timing? equipment? nutrition?

have you been out on a fast road ride to really get an idea of how your power numbers match up?
it is quite enlightening to see how fast some people are.

you should also be enjoying it - cause if it sucks in a bad way (it supposed to suck in a good way)
why do it?

The Cognition folks will make a difference. Hopefully i can hold your wheel when we meet up...
at least for the first lap.
 
carvegybe said:
I signed up for this weekend, but this was for jumps and drops.... but good idea to talk to them about 1:1 coaching.
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Based on what you have posted here and other places, you seems to be in the category of just riding more will work for the time being. At least through next season. Ride as much as possible through next year to develop a base. Ride fast when you feel good. If not, just ride around.

Since you posted number, it would seem that you will be consumed into the numbers game quickly. Be carful, it’s a slippery slope .

let me know when you want to ride baldpate or water co at 5 or 6am 😃
 
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Chris, I know this has been a big topic for us lately (and stating the obvious)but a 34 pound trail bike with a less than a state of the art suspension can’t help. Didn’t know you had an interest in racing. So now, do you look at cross country bikes vs trail bikes -when the time is right of course. Nice work on your first race!
 
Patrick said:
well now you have some experience, have some numbers, and have some goals.

maybe @Norm will jump in with his FTP5 theory.

nothing better than race experience to evaluate.
if you don't feel people are faster than you w/kg wise, yet they go through turns faster, then ride away from you,
is it technique? timing? equipment? nutrition?

have you been out on a fast road ride to really get an idea of how your power numbers match up?
it is quite enlightening to see how fast some people are.

you should also be enjoying it - cause if it sucks in a bad way (it supposed to suck in a good way)
why do it?

The Cognition folks will make a difference. Hopefully i can hold your wheel when we meet up...
at least for the first
Click to expand...

stb222 said:
Based on what you have posted here and other places, you seems to be in the category of just riding more will work for the time being. At least through next season. Ride as much as possible through next year to develop a base. Ride fast when you feel good. If not, just ride around.

Since you posted number, it would seem that you will be consumed into the numbers game quickly. Be carful, it’s a slippery slope .

let me know when you want to ride baldpate or water co at 5 or 6am 😃
Click to expand...
Riding more is one thing but riding with your consistency is out of reach for me. I simply cant accommodate it with other responsibilities. I know numbers is slippery slope but I am a numbers man. It helps me focus.


Patrick said:
well now you have some experience, have some numbers, and have some goals.

maybe @Norm will jump in with his FTP5 theory.

nothing better than race experience to evaluate.
if you don't feel people are faster than you w/kg wise, yet they go through turns faster, then ride away from you,
is it technique? timing? equipment? nutrition?

have you been out on a fast road ride to really get an idea of how your power numbers match up?
it is quite enlightening to see how fast some people are.

you should also be enjoying it - cause if it sucks in a bad way (it supposed to suck in a good way)
why do it?

The Cognition folks will make a difference. Hopefully i can hold your wheel when we meet up...
at least for the first lap.
Click to expand...

Victor I said:
Chris, I know this has been a big topic for us lately (and stating the obvious)but a 34 pound trail bike with a less than a state of the art suspension can’t help. Didn’t know you had an interest in racing. So now, do you look at cross country bikes vs trail bikes -when the time is right of course. Nice work on your first race!
Click to expand...

I thought about that but if I think about the Maslow Hierachy of Needs applied to MTB racing, I think a new MTB is closer to the peak of the pyramid. I probably need to focus on skills first. Don't want to be that guy with a new bike that can't corner properly. Also, it seems there is a major backlog for new bikes anyway - that will encourage me to spend the next 6 months or so focusing on skills.

@jShort did a description of the race and I noted one phrase there: "didn't use brakes". I used my brakes a lot.

But you make a good point re the weight of my bike....I think if I add that to my watts/kg calculation, I would not do well.

But I also need to get a reality check. I just don't ride often enough and looking at some people doing daily rides at 5 in the morning...that is a level of commitment that would require a paradigm shift in my head. I'm just not in that headspace... @stb222, how do you get there with this level of motivation?
 
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