Enticement

You get a "suvivalist" and a "minimalist", I guess you're the latter. And you have really spent very little on bike maintenance - you're perhaps one of the fortunate riders that do it yourself. Interesting you used VO2Max for determining fitness, you could have saved some money there. Also, if I was you I would have retrenched my nutritionist . However it may be, your Epic is not only entry fees but a host of other monies as well - you confirmed that, thanks! Make sure you spend wisely ...

Its an investment in yourself, but if you're a coach potato you'll probably view it as an expense ...

What did you spend? Tell us with regards to apparel, maintenance pre-Epic, supplements pre-Epic, maintenance at the Epic, supplements at the Epic, travel & accommodation, training excursions, etc. Bottom line, all-in-all its a major expense! How do you lower the risk of that investment you made?

A week before the next race - on 6 Oct 12

Use a calculator when you do the maths - a team of 2 doing 1 tub per person per month (used VARY sparingly) & some recovery stuff @ MINIMUM R500/month for 1 rider equals R1,000/month x 7 = R14,000 for 2 riders. During the Epic you will consume another R1,000 supplements due to the amount of riding. That's a BARE MINIMUM of R15,000!!!

Christine Jansen van Rensburg - her testimonial reads: "Pierre’s coaching advice and guidance was instrumental in guiding my performance during the 2011 ABSA Cape Epic mountain bike race. His approach on training time optimisation through quality training sessions worked well and helped me gaining maximum from relatively little time spent on my mountain bike in preparation for this arduous event." Dr Christine Jansen van Rensburg 2nd Mixed Sub Vet Overall 1st Mixed Sub Vet South African Teams

Given everything goes well and you don't break your bones or your bike, for the 2-man team your maintenance on your bike will be around R30,000 (pre-Epic), you need a service plan at the Epic - about R5,000, your supplements will be around R15,000, you need very focused advice on skills and preparation as TIS (time in saddle) does not suffice anymore - around R10,000, apparel, CSA licence etc around R8,000 and whala, you end up with around R70,000. Now that is a hefty investment if you do not make cut-off! Be sensible, lower the risk and get proper advice ...

We have guided Epic riders to achieve their best over the past 4 years - from podiums to guaranteed finishing. Our goal is 1) securing your substantial investment as entry fees are the smallest part of the investment you make; and 2) optimize the time you spend training. For insight into what it all entails, contact us ...

R50 DISCOUNT for on-line entries - follow https://www.itickets...coupon=xcosaR50 & retype XXXX in "Referral Code" box with THEHUB. SCHOLAR 50% DISCOUNT for on-line entries - follow https://www.itickets...&coupon=xcosa50 & retype XXXX in "Referral Code" box with school name.

Sorry you missed it - have you seen the detail below with all the info. My invitation still stands for a 1-on-1 session tomorrow morning as discussed should you be interested ...

Ready for today - looking forward!

FREE skills clinic Saturday on race route at Fountains for those doing the XCOSA.CO.ZA Race #3 on 28 Jul 12 (see detail below). R50 DISCOUNT for on-line entries - follow https://www.itickets...coupon=xcosaR50 & retype XXXX in "Referral Code" box with THEHUB. SCHOLAR 50% DISCOUNT for on-line entries - follow https://www.itickets...&coupon=xcosa50 & retype XXXX in "Referral Code" box with school name.

My approach to bike skills development is that skills are a function of your level of conditioning and that it entails much more than just doing a manual/bunny-hop or doing a drop. If I teach you to "ride on water" and you do not use the skill, you will lose it again. It is therefore a program consisting of a series of workshops, starting with determining and defining your ultimate goal you want to achieve, and assessing your current level of conditioning with respect to that goal, and using that to build your personalized program. The normal cost is R300 per week per person. As for the skills workshop we plan for Sat morning we will focus on the obstacles on the route itself.

Hi Anine No stupid questions - that is the mere reason why we have started with the XCOSA series: to introduce mountain bikers to real mountain biking ... The race is age category based, implying each category race a specific number of laps around a predetermined and very clearly marked route, also indicating what type of obstacle and the risk involved is lying immediately ahead. A lap is around 5,5km long and the number of laps are determined by how many laps the average rider will complete within more-or-less 90 minutes. Elites do around 8 laps whereas Masters do 4, Nippers and Sprogs only 2 (see below). Due to the nature of the discipline, the majority of mountain bike riders perceive that XCO (cross country Olympic as it is the only Olympic mountain bike discipline) is too technical, which it is not - to the contrary it really teaches you how to handle your bike! That is why we do the skills workshop, and you are welcome to join even if you decide to sit out for the next race. Just be warned, it is addictive ... During race day the MC for the day will throughout explain the smaller detail of XCO, like when a slower rider gets lapped s/he should clear the track, etc.

Training means nothing if it is not focused - the "riding vs training" argument. My Epic athletes do around 12-15(at the most) hours per week and achieve top performance. The question is always how many hours should one spend, well that is determined by the level of performance you expect, and then it is about optimizing the time you have to your disposal. If you follow the right sequence and do the right things right, you can improve strength with 60% within 3 weeks!

Detail for Saturday's skills workshop - its free and we will focus on the obstacle of the race route ...

It is a CSA sanctioned race so all riders should pay their "taxes", however, this time round it will probably not be checked! Ideally you should join a club in order to be able to buy a licence - that's only R75 per year. If you buy a day licence its R35 for the day. Visit http://www.xcosa.co.za/clubhub, select the Join Now button and fill-out your details. Membership is free, however there are other options as well! Then you visit http://csams.cyclingsa.com/home.aspx, register and buy your CSA licence on-line

A 100mm travel bike is ideal for a typical XCO track. The tracks we use are aimed at getting people to enjoy XCO, and that means FLOW. The Grand Finale on 24 Nov will perhaps have some challenges ... For this race there is one mild drop with a chicken run, but NOTHING that will break your bike or your bones!

Detail on the skills workshop on 21 Jul 12 below. For those not able to make the skills workshop, come ride the route on Friday, 27 Jul 12, that is official route training as well as race registration at the race track from 9-16h00. Its imperative that you get to know the route a bit as some parts may come as a surprise ... Remember to bring your SAS number board along if you have one. If not, a permanent race number for the series is available for R10.

More detail on the starting times and basic race rules ...

You're right - singletrack does not imply no overtaking opportunity! Furthermore, you ride in your own age category, meaning no "mass starts", and the guy lapped by the leader must clear the track. That's the nature of XCO. Come try it, you'll be amazed at how much fun it is. Join the skills workshop on 21 Jul to "test" the trail - that's why we started the series: to make people experience that XCO is not "too difficult" ...

Just had a very fruitful discussion with Fritz - SAS Number Boards will again be available on-line from SAS website from Monday.

SAS supplies the SAS Number Boards - visit their website http://www.saseeding.co.za/default.aspx. I believe its about R30 for the board. With the XCOSA races we use the back of the board and provide you with a sticker for that, indicating race cat, age and number. Alternatively you can use our permanent XCOSA Race Series board, available for R10 a board.

Is that pure pressure or peer pressure?

Remember to follow this link - it gives a R50 discount for on-line entries https://www.itickets.com/order/new/275748?referrer=XXXX&coupon=xcosaR50In the “Referral” box retype the XXXX with your cycling club name. Scholars get a whole 50% discount on entries (sponsored by SportsMax nutrition), however they should follow the link that will be forwarded to their schools. Contact me for more information.