Train Your Limiters

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
As we move into the post-race season, it's a good time to begin thinking of how you did this year and what you hope to achieve next season. One way to do this is to give some thought to your areas of strength and weakness as a rider.

Most of us are pretty well aware of what we do well, because it's what we "like to do" when we ride. Climbers climb, huckers huck, hammerheads hammer, etc. This is all good, and a big part of the stoke we get from riding, but it leads to us short-changing the areas of our riding that are not so proficient and are begging for more attention. These are our limiters.

Take some time and think about all of your riding and honestly consider the areas that may be slowing you down. Now is the time to begin giving them a little more practice. Ride some different terrain, seek out riding partners who are more proficient and can help you out, do some reading on training, whatever you think will push you in the right direction.

If you spend the next few months working on your limiters, you're likely to find that they'll limit you less.:D
 

Kirt

JORBA: Chimney Rock, Team MTBNJ.COM
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
So many!!! Where to even start? Thanks for the tip anyhow.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I think the question most people would have is, "How do I find out my limiters?" What are the general areas I have to think about?

Personally I know from races where I need to get better which, like Kirt, is kinda all over the place.
 

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
I think the question most people would have is, "How do I find out my limiters?" What are the general areas I have to think about?

Personally I know from races where I need to get better which, like Kirt, is kinda all over the place.
We all need to improve our game across the board, that's a given. Beyond that, we need to do some thinking.

When you ride with people who you'd say are your peer group on the bike, where do you rise in the pecking order, and where you fall off? Climbs, rocks, twisty stuff, descents? Are you a beast for one hour and then nearly die soon after? Can you pedal all day at moderate intensity but explode merrily if you're forced to hammer for more than ten minutes? And so on and so on.

A fairly seasoned rider should be able to arrive at some answers given a bit of thought. Writing this stuff out can help as well, depending on your approach.

If the list seems long and daunting, the next step is to prioritize, and then start knocking elements off one by one.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
I just identified my Number 1 limiter.
Finding enough time to ride as much as I want to!
 

walter

Fourth Party
Chris, I think I am going to take a page from you and norm and start doing a ride log. Noting all the important info, as well as using the gps data can be a great way to see what you have done, how you felt, what parts were good and bad as well as factoring weather and trail conditions. Should be a good way to actually have a visual record to refer back to.
 
N

Neen

Guest
So this ride log - include distance, time, conditions and how I felt? Is that basically the gist of it? :confused: I'm really new with all this training stuff!
 

rocknrollgirl

Well-Known Member
I have always kept a training log. It is a very useful tool. I log, distance, terrain, average speed, how I felt etc. I do not have a gps, I just use my bike computer.

I find it especially helpful in looking back at overall trends. How long was I in base etc.
 

walter

Fourth Party
So this ride log - include distance, time, conditions and how I felt? Is that basically the gist of it? :confused: I'm really new with all this training stuff!

I cant seem to find the thread, but ChirsG noted awhile ago that he has got a written log of every ride for the past bunch of years. Including every detail as you can gives you a great point of reference to check back on to see your progression. Hopefully he can chime in and give another description.
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
my main limiters are riding non-stop and not getting overwhelmed by a group of riders that are as fast and faster than i am. being one of the first guys to every intersection(rest stop) on a group ride really bumped up my confidence and made me feel pretty secure. getting dropped off the starting line by EVERYONE in my class really kind of smashed that.

although, i guess i really should say that my biggest limiter is laziness/the internet. both of which rob me of mucho riding time.
 

Wobbegong

Well-Known Member
Can you pedal all day at moderate intensity but explode merrily if you're forced to hammer for more than ten minutes?

Any advice on training to improve this area?

This is one of my weeknesses, along with lack of riding time since my son was born in August.......
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
I went through this process a number of years ago. Each year I would identify a limiter and train to improve it. Keep an open mind when identifying your limiters. They may be so basic that you overlook them.

Here are some of those basic ones:
-Time for training. Are you willing to get creative to allow for more training time? Can you handle an indoor trainer in the winter? Willing to train early? I mean "Norm" early? I get up stupid early. I ride my bike to work often.
-Mental attitude! Are you committed to improving you fitness and riding? Don't waste your time reading books and getting into it if you are going to throw in the towel during the first workout.
-Endurance. Do you have enough miles in you to move on to the next level? Some riders go too hard too soon and risk injury. The old quote "Ride Lots" is basic but important. Get some miles on the bike. Work out any fit issues and become more knowledgeable about riding in general.
-Body Weight. I hate to mention it but many riders could improve more than they think by simply dropping some pounds. You simply have to expend more than you take in. Eat less or ride more. I dropped 50 lbs about 8 years ago. The difference was like night and day.
-Nutrition. How well do you eat? We are all very active and can get away with sloppy eating just by riding it off. There is another quote, "A hot fire will burn anything". I say, "providing better fuel will make the fire hotter"

If you want to improve, start basic and move forward. Ask questions here. There are people here that would enjoy the opportunity to help.
 

monkey boy

Self-Imposed Exile
Check this out....www.bikejournal.com You can upload a ton of ride info plus link to gps websites to create a folder of your rides best of all the basic level is FREE:D :D . I use it to log my rides and training. it is nice to go back and see where your strengths were, also it will help you track when you are peaking.

Go Ride
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I went through this process a number of years ago. Each year I would identify a limiter and train to improve it. Keep an open mind when identifying your limiters. They may be so basic that you overlook them.

Here are some of those basic ones:
-Time for training. Are you willing to get creative to allow for more training time? Can you handle an indoor trainer in the winter? Willing to train early? I mean "Norm" early? I get up stupid early. I ride my bike to work often.
-Mental attitude! Are you committed to improving you fitness and riding? Don't waste your time reading books and getting into it if you are going to throw in the towel during the first workout.
-Endurance. Do you have enough miles in you to move on to the next level? Some riders go too hard too soon and risk injury. The old quote "Ride Lots" is basic but important. Get some miles on the bike. Work out any fit issues and become more knowledgeable about riding in general.
-Body Weight. I hate to mention it but many riders could improve more than they think by simply dropping some pounds. You simply have to expend more than you take in. Eat less or ride more. I dropped 50 lbs about 8 years ago. The difference was like night and day.
-Nutrition. How well do you eat? We are all very active and can get away with sloppy eating just by riding it off. There is another quote, "A hot fire will burn anything". I say, "providing better fuel will make the fire hotter"

If you want to improve, start basic and move forward. Ask questions here. There are people here that would enjoy the opportunity to help.

This is a good post Ben. A lot of this also depends on how seriously people want to take it. There's no right or wrong answer, just personal choice. On your last 2 points, you simply are not going to progress much if you get loaded every weekend. Personally I found that my progress seems to stagnate even if I drink "responsibly" which translates to an occasional after work beer and maybe 2-3 on a Sunday. I need to turn off entirely. Not everyone is in this boat. I guess that also goes with "mental attitude" - are you willing to cut the beer to get faster? If you're not racing, you probably don't need to. Though, if you're watching the waist line, it's a good idea.

For a recreational cyclist who wants to get faster, I think the 2 important things are 1) Time in the saddle and 2) Losing weight. For a racer the list can be endless, but even at this stage I find that losing weight is still my offseason priority.

OK for Ben or Chris your thoughts on this. My biggest limiter is hitting the ST after a fire road. Take the Ringwood race. After the 1.5 mile fire road start, the lead pack was still in my sight. After we entered the ST they pulled away. I simply didn't have the juice to pass the 19-29s we were catching. I'm leaning towards threshold power as my limiter there, because it basically takes more effort for me to keep up with the pack for the first 1.5 miles. So when I'm hitting that ST the higher-end efforts are more of a drain. If I'm closer to tempo in the first 1.5 miles the ST wouldn't be so tough. On the other side of the coin it could be argued that my high-end still needs work. Or I haven't raced enough or put it all together enough.

Thoughts?
 

hardtale70

She's Gone From Suck to Blow
Shop Keep
So nobody wants to try their hand at this question?

Maybe vision,hand/eye co-ordination or mental? It's been a bit since we rode together but i've found you to be a presence on the climb and past what i'm willing to do downhill(on an xc),but yet i can just toy w/ you on flat,tight or tech.In a racing capacity these areas aren't really your bikes strongpoints either...................
 

pixychick

JORBA: Ringwood
JORBA.ORG
So nobody wants to try their hand at this question?

Not Ben or Chris here, and I am no expert on this, but at first glance ...

1. it looks like it may just be that you pushed your limit on the road, and the others pacd themselves for the ST or climb. From 8 years experience of being passed by sport racers, they tend to put 100% into ST and 75% into the road. My guess is that they love to mountain bike and hate road riding, which is probably why they are at a atb race. Or .....

2. perhaps you use too much energy in technical terrain. Training makes you faster for sure, but I have learned that finding ways to save energy can take that one step further. Have you ever watched how smooth the pros ride stuff. It is amazing. It looks like no energy at all. so some skills training could help too.

Example: I tend to ride my breaks too much. Racing a ss past exhaustion has tought me what I can save by staying off the breaks. Think of the Jungle Habitat race. The 2nd lap was probably smoother in that tight st because you backed off that one notch and instead of breaking into the turns, you could power. The same can apply for climbing. Everyone has the pace that is most efficient for them, and on technical terrain it may not always be spinning.

Just some thoughts. Hope it sparks some debate or conversation on this dreary day.;)
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Good stuff, thanks for the replies.

Maybe vision,hand/eye co-ordination or mental? It's been a bit since we rode together but i've found you to be a presence on the climb and past what i'm willing to do downhill(on an xc),but yet i can just toy w/ you on flat,tight or tech.In a racing capacity these areas aren't really your bikes strongpoints either...................

Could be mental. I think last time we rode I just took it easy on the flats. It's odd because you should be able to drop me on the climbs because you weigh less. I've also changed bike setup a bit so climbs should be faster, downhills a bit slower, and tech a bit better. But I'm still too upright for it to be a good bike in tight/twisty stuff. Way too upright and the front tire doesn't grip all that well.

Not Ben or Chris here, and I am no expert on this, but at first glance ...

1. it looks like it may just be that you pushed your limit on the road, and the others pacd themselves for the ST or climb. From 8 years experience of being passed by sport racers, they tend to put 100% into ST and 75% into the road. My guess is that they love to mountain bike and hate road riding, which is probably why they are at a atb race. Or .....

2. perhaps you use too much energy in technical terrain. Training makes you faster for sure, but I have learned that finding ways to save energy can take that one step further. Have you ever watched how smooth the pros ride stuff. It is amazing. It looks like no energy at all. so some skills training could help too.

Example: I tend to ride my breaks too much. Racing a ss past exhaustion has tought me what I can save by staying off the breaks. Think of the Jungle Habitat race. The 2nd lap was probably smoother in that tight st because you backed off that one notch and instead of breaking into the turns, you could power. The same can apply for climbing. Everyone has the pace that is most efficient for them, and on technical terrain it may not always be spinning.

Just some thoughts. Hope it sparks some debate or conversation on this dreary day.;)

Great points, and I've thought some about this. I don't ride the ST at 100% because I know I need to save some for the road and the climbs. I still keep a fair pace but when I come out of the ST I am able to fly down the road now - this used to not be the case. But at the start, maybe I am riding above a maintainable pace especially when I can still the the pink strips on Eddie's jersey.

There certainly may be something to the technical terrain riding. I'm a pretty good technical rider, not at the level of JimG or Brett but I'm also never passed in technical terrain in a race. But that may be at a cost, because a lot of times I just blast through it and maybe that's eating up my energy too fast.

Good point about brakes. I spent a lot of time in the spring learning how to ride my brakes less. Then I started using Kenda tires as I got them at cost. I didn't realize it but boy they killed my confidence in tires. When I put these Hutchinsons on I was surprised at how grippy they were, and I found myself riding my brakes less. But still I know I've reverted from where I was in the spring.

Good stuff, thanks.
 
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