Enticement

Event Name: 2017 GNC XCO Cup Race #1 When: 21 January 2017 Where: XCOSA Bike Park, Gauteng Category: MTB The CSA sanctioned 2017 Gauteng North Cycling (GNC) XCO Cup Series consists of 5 races of which the last race is the Series Grand Finale/2017 GNC Championship. Race tracks of these races start off with an easier track for the 1st race and become more demanding throughout the Series. Anyone can participate in any of these Series events, and the results of each race are used for determining starting positions for the other races. Results of all Series races will be used for a provincial XCO seeding system as well as for presenting regional colors according to the 2017 GNC Colors Criteria. School learners are encouraged to indicate their respective school details as race results will also reflect the rider's standing within his/her school as well as the school's standing within Gauteng. Benefits of the GNC XCO Cup Series: CSA sanctioned events, hosted according to international regulations No mass starts, start and race in age category Safe, controlled, custom designed and built race tracks with 99% flowing singeltrack Spectator friendly lap racing allowing continual support, no out-of-sight-and-wait-for-return Fun for the whole family we cater for Olympic champions and fun riders, from below 10 to over 60 Learn skills grow confidence while having exhilarating fun A, B and C lines allow riders to pick their own technical demand, however, easier lines equate to more time Go to Event Page

Event Name: 2016 Gauteng XCO Champs - Presented By XCOSA When: 30 July 2016 Where: XCOSA Bike Park, Voortrekker Monument, Gauteng Category: MTB The CSA sanctioned 2016 Gauteng XCO Championship serves as the season grand finale for the 2016 Gauteng XCO season. Seeding for the 2016 Gauteng XCO Championship will be done according to the 2016 Gauteng XCO Performance Log that was created during 2016 Gauteng XCO Cup Series . However, anyone can participate in the 2016 Gauteng XCO Championship. ​We're adding a Sports Class category, offering newbies to XCO an opportunity to experience the excitement of XCO ... Go to Event Page

Event Name: 2016 Gauteng XCO Cup Race #4 - Presented By XCOSA When: 2 July 2016 Where: XCOSA Bike Park, Voortrekker Monument, Gauteng Category: MTB The CSA sanctioned 2016 XCOSA Gauteng Cup Series consists of 5 races of which the last race is the Series Grand Finale/2016 XCOSA Gauteng Championship. Race tracks of these races start off with an easier track for the 1st race and become more demanding throughout the Series. Anyone can participate in any of these Series events, and the results of each race are used for determining starting positions for the other races. Results of all XCOSA races will be used for a provincial XCO seeding system. Benefits of XCO: ANYONE CAN ENTER!!!! No mass starts, start and race in age category Safe, controlled, custom designed and built race tracks with 99% flowing singeltrack Spectator friendly lap racing allowing continual support, no out-of-sight-and-wait-for-return Fun for the whole family we cater for Olympic champions and fun riders, from below 10 to over 60 Learn skills grow confidence while having exhilarating fun A, B and C lines allow riders to pick their own technical demand, however, easier lines equate to more time Go to Event Page

Event Name: 2016 Gauteng XCO Cup - Presented By XCOSA Race #2 When: 9 April 2016 Where: Voortrekker Monument, Gauteng Category: MTB 2016 Gauteng XCO Cup series for mountain bike riders that are serious about performance - come earn points for regional colours ... Go to Event Page

Event Name: Gauteng XCO Cup Race #1 When: 12 March 2016 Where: Voortrekker Monument, Gauteng Category: MTB The CSA sanctioned 2016 XCOSA Gauteng Cup Series consists of 5 races of which the last race is the Series Grand Finale/2016 XCOSA Gauteng Championship. Race tracks of these races start off with an easier track for the 1st race and become more demanding throughout the Series. Anyone can participate in any of these Series events, and the results of each race are used for determining starting positions for the other races. Results of all XCOSA races will be used for a provincial XCO seeding system. New to XCO - enter our Sports Class Team Relay! See detail on slide below ... Go to Event Page

Wendell is adding awesome new bits to the track. The moment it is finished we'll video record the track and post the video and gps detail. We're hosting a Track Skills Workshop at 10h00 on 8 Sep 13 at Thaba Trails on the physical track! Entries on itickets.co.za

Brilliant idea, count me in ...

To quote - read carefully: According to clinical research and from practical experience I found you can save a lot of time if you introduce HIT training in your prep - but like I said : HIT requires a sequential process starting with 1) LIT to ensure a well sorted logistical transport system, then 2) you do the one part of HIT whereby you ensure the in-cell chemical processes (energy systems) are sorted, and then 3) you sync your muscle cell contractions. Bottom line, you should not stick to HIT or LIT type only - the picture explains more:

Entries on-line at itickets.co.za going well! More detail on http://www.facebook.com/XCOSA.CO.ZA?ref=tn_tnmn. A "worthy" course for a Series Grand Finale with chicken runs around all technical challenges. Especially the 4-hour Endurance Relay from 14h00 will require vasbyt. Seems there will be some pro riders as well!

Entries on itickets.co.za going well - check http://www.facebook.com/XCOSA.CO.ZA?ref=tn_tnmn for detail. The route it awesome but quite a challenge, chicken runs around all technical challenges

You are right - if you have followed my earlier posts you should read that. If you haven't done TIS to date and starts preparing for the Epic only now, your TIS/HIT mix should be carefully managed. But best results are clinically proven to be attained through HIT.

Referring to effort - HR measurement is just a means to an end and for that matter you can use perceived level of effort and/or watts

You CLEARLY have very limited knowledge of the physiology of the body during physical stress - and there was no reference of HR in my post. Other than criticize you add no value to the topic - how about sharing your knowledge ...

High intensity interval training (HIIT) must become part of your preparation for the Epic for the simple reason that you will spend lots of time riding above 60-70% of max! When coasting at 60-70% of max, a 20% intensity increase will immediately put at 80-90% of max - if that intensity spike is as result of a hill, and the hill lasts for 3 minutes, doing that 30 times a day means you will be spending at least 90 minutes a day riding at 80-90%. If you have not prepared for that, the last 4 days will be an awful challenge! Best preparation for that is HIIT! Start off by replacing 2 of your normal training sessions a week with 3 intervals at 80-90% of max, each lasting 3 minutes, with a 2 minute easy riding in-between. Gradually increase the 3 to 5 minutes, and remember to warm-up and cool-down. Preparing your body to ride at 80-90% of max with relative comfort will take at least 12 weeks, so start now! Just be cautious - listen to your body and ensure you recover well after these training sessions. You will be surprised at the training impact of these sessions!

The Epic, from all angles is an expensive exercise. Ensuring your Epic training is on track leaves you with 4 options (very briefly): Just get on your bike and ride ProDoesn't cost you a thing No/little stress in preparation - do what you feel is right (gut-feel based) ConsProbable lack of focus Outcome not guaranteed - hoping you will do enough of the right things right Take advice from the wealth of experience you read on discussion forums ProDoesn't cost you a thing It probably worked for someone else ConsFiltering of truth (unqualified/unverified advice) NO personal accountability from the guy giving the advice - if it doesn't work so what! Get an off-the-shelve training program ProOften very affordable Offers at least a "basic" planned approach ConsPerformance progress is determined by the starting point and development path to get you at a specific spot on a specific day, which cannot be the same for everyone No 2 athletes (even if riding as a team) have the same circumstances, conditions and requirements to train Get an individualized custom-designed training program from a qualified coach with a proven track record ProPeace of mind for the athlete - goal focused, individualized and tailored plan, in educated & experienced hands Time-optimized conditioning plan continually adapted should circumstances necessitate deviation from the plan - outcome assured ConsOften costly Requires constant feedback to the coach for verification of plan execution Which option will work best for you, and will your approach work equally well for someone else who has a completely different angle?

My qualifications are briefly mentioned in my profile and should you wish to have more detail you can also use Google. However, experience substantiates qualifications. You are right that if your program does not cater for sufficient recovery, you are at risk for overtraining. That is why it is imperative to continually monitor EPOC and training impact of HIT training session and carefully blend that into a training program. As for the role of "threshold" training in endurance events, one author wrote: "As Laursen & Jenkins [published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport in 2010] state, "an additional increase in sub-maximal exercise training (i.e. volume) does not appear to further enhance either endurance performance or associated variables such as maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), anaerobic threshold, economy of motion and oxidative muscle enzymes". In citing Ben Londeree's research, the authors note that "it appears that once an individual has reached a VO2max >60ml/kg/min, endurance performance is not improved by a further increase in submaximal training volume." This is not meant to downplay the importance of high-volume training, but to highlight that there is a fixed limit for improving fitness by this method alone."

According to clinical research and from practical experience I found you can save a lot of time if you introduce HIT training in your prep - but like I said : HIT requires a sequential process starting with 1) LIT to ensure a well sorted logistical transport system, then 2) you do the one part of HIT whereby you ensure the in-cell chemical processes (energy systems) are sorted, and then 3) you sync your muscle cell contractions. Bottom line, you should not stick to HIT or LIT type only - the picture explains more:

There is no 1-size-fits-all solution! If that works for you, bloody marvelous!! As long as you have a plan that you know will work and that you believe in!

I really appreciate your questions and find it challenging to answer without writing essays - and I don't have all the answers but where I get stuck I'll look for answers!

Very valid question/argument! By literature I mean clinical academical research published in scientific journals. A simplified and very concise explanation follows: Ability. There are 2 components that constitute your performance and the time you use to prepare for a given performance goal: 1) Ability (the tools you have available); and 2) Conditioning (how much of those tools you actually use). Ability is relatively fixed whereas conditioning can be changed - you can actually get an athlete with lesser ability outperform one with more ability due to his conditioning. In endurance terminology the later is shortly referred to as lactate threshold. The higher I can "shift" my lactate threshold, the closer I can perform to my genetic max ability. This, in turn is determined by how my body can utilize the available energy systems in my body. In-cell energy systems. Your lactate threshold actually serves as "switch" telling your body which energy system can best be applied at any given time - keep in mind that all 3 energy systems are constantly used. Of these 3 systems, during the first few seconds of an activity, the ATP-PCr provides an estimated 36 units (whatever that may be) per time unit, the system where oxygen is more readily available 10 units and the system where oxygen is less available, 16 units. So, if I can condition my brain to be more tolerant for operating more in the zone where oxygen is less "available", I can actually go faster for longer - that partly determines your pacing strategy. Availability of cells, nutrients and oxygen. Another factor that plays a vital role in your pacing strategy is the state of the transport system that must carry everything needed to the cells, the better they will operate. Lastly, the number of muscle cells your brain reserves for emergency purposes impacts vastly - the more it reserves, the fewer cells are available and the harder they must work. This also boils down to how well synchronized the nerves feeding each muscle cell are. Conditioning. The process of conditioning is therefore the manner in which the above is integrated and that is why different training periods, consisting of different areas of focus, is utilized. The difference lies in the time availability for preparation. Low intensity training (LIT) can bring you where you want to be but just takes so much longer. You can literally half the time to achieve your goals through High Intensity Training (HIT), and even perform better. However, HIT requires a sequential process starting with 1) LIT to ensure a well sorted logistical transport system, then 2) you do the one part of HIT whereby you ensure the in-cell chemical processes (energy systems) are sorted, and then 3) you sync your muscle cell contractions. Athletes with time constraints get best results through a careful blend of intensity and time. Many athletes, when starting with prep, struggle with getting their HR up near to their max, and the more they do HIT, the easier it becomes as the brain becomes more tolerant, allowing the pacing cells in the heart to up its tempo. That implies being able to comfortably operate closer to max effort. Now, if you operate between 60&70% of max and you hit a 20% intensity spike (due to the nature of mountain biking) it immediately puts you between 80&90%. Believe you me, during the Epic you will constantly be bombarded with 20-30% intensity spikes, and collectively they will take their toll! That is why you take a lot of strain from you when you can charge your revs and operate at higher intensity with ease ...

You read the scenario I used to stress a specific point wrong - these were actually 5x (2min @ max; 1min rest) intervals. As for the intensity, if you're not able to ride at max effort for short periods now, boy oh boy, Epic is going to be hell as there you will be doing long periods at max! I can cover you with research on the effect of HIT vs LIT.

You're in good hands - stick to your coach! Please continue sharing your progress with us ...

This is good going! Is 300W max output or average, and over what type of terrain? Mtb requires bursts of energy apposed to road cycling that has much less spikes in the output graph, and that is what you should focus on in your prep, counting those peaks! Also, try to measure/view it as % of max - Philip Buys will view 300W as a good "warmup" (purely as an example). It is then easier to calculate how much time you spend per period in what zone, as that should change between pre-peak and peak periods. The duration you do is also great!

Hi ricochet_rabbit, the scenarios merely served as example to stress a point - it was actually 5 x (2min @ max, 1min rest), and "rest" should be to 65-75% of max. But you are right about the 10min stretch, however, if you can do 10min intervals its great as it serves as a better mountain bike simulation, forcing you to maintain intensity when negotiating more technical terrain and descents. The amount of variables in mountain biking is the reason why there are such a small number of academic publications on the sport (with lots on road cycling) requiring creative application of coaching principles.

Good advice, you are 100% right - for the Epic its desperately essential to do the back-to-back high intensity (HIT) stuff but you can only do that when your are "seasoned" for that. So it is a matter of customizing you program to "grow" into it, starting with shorter sessions and extending the duration over a 4-6 week period. If your body is not prepared for it, the risk of overtraining is high, especially for riders that have left the HIT sessions for too late in their preparation periods. But remember, a 800m athlete never runs 800m for training - he does 600m/1000m and uses races for racing 800m. The same applies, you need not do 8 days of back-to-back, rather do 2-days HIT, active rest 1 day, 3-days HIT, active rest 1 day in a 7-day training week, with the next week easier for recovery.