Enticement

Hallo PieterG, the Barberton climb requires you to operate very close to your maximum level of effort for quite a while - it is not so much about the climbing, its about enduring ... climbing "is in jou been, jou kopbeen"! There is much more to it than leg strength, it is more about 1) increasing your lactate threshold to define you race pace, and then about 2) pacing strategy. The trail is jeep track mostly, usually with limited mud. Your normal dry/hardpack tires will suffice at the rear. The descend after the climb requires relatively high speed cornering (I recorded 74km/h on one descend) so make sure you have an aggressive front tire. There are some very acute rocky climbs as well, so always be prepared to shift down rapidly, oh yes, also river crossings over wet rock. For the front I suggest Specialized Captain Control (for 29er) or Sauser Wind (for 26er). For the rear, try Specialized Fast Track.

1st things 1st: older athletes perform less because they train less - age is no excuse for lesser performance (given you are from a "proper" genes pool, ie you can train a jersey cow as much as you like but she'll never win the July). Getting accustomed to that idea, the next: your brain is an anticipatory regulator controlling your body. The moment you embark on an activity which it feels unfamiliar with, it starts putting hurdles in place to "protect" you from demolishing yourself. It applies the principle of cognitive dissonance, making your body perform worse than you expect. Convert this cognitive dissonance into cognitive association through conditioning, implying following the correct sequence of exposure to your brain to ensure performance optimisation through optimising your training time - its about utilising the correct energy systems ... I coach quite a number of older athletes that will be kicking but in 2012! Youngsters beware ... Check this out My link

JacqueZA, at various levels of effort your body uses different energy systems for movement. The switch between aerobic (with freely available O2) and anaerobic (O2 not freely available) is your lactate threshold, telling your body to switch between energy system. Intervals are different types of activities that expose your body to the condition where it 1)produces lactate and 2)processes lactate as an energy source. However you have to adapt the level and the time of intensity, as well as the rest period to achieve 1 and 2 respectively. Their are other types of intervals as well ...

Hi PieterG, remember their is a vast difference between "riding" and "training". Time in the saddle plays an important role but considering the energy systems that fuel performance it will only take you to a certain point. That is why you have to understand the sequence at which you optimize your brain's ability to anticipate and regulate the manner in which it allows your muscles to perform during an event.

Hi krl747, you get many different types of intervals, each type aimed at a specific goal - which type improves VO2 Max? Also, the sprints are good, but are you sure they work for endurance?

That is sound advice - have a look at www.xcosa.co.za, select the Club Hub tab

Hi JacquesZA, contrary to all the expert responses, the secret lies in defining exactly what you want to achieve, plan you journey (inclusive of milestones) and manage your progress. An imperative prerequisite is that you should not fall for someone else's or an off-the-shelve training programme - that is like using someone else's old toothbrush (it works but you tend to miss some spots...). Conditioning is like building a puzzle, you have to start with the corners and work your way to completion. The puzzle you will be building is your personal conditioning, taking you to your definition of sports performance. For that you cannot start in the middle of the puzzle as no 2 people are the same. That's what we call a personalized approach and it should continually be adapted according to progress and life style. If you're interested, look at my ad on a "personalized sports performance programme" under Classifieds/miscellaneous/services/coaching!

Hi CSSharkie, see my "personalized sport performance program" ad under Classifieds/Miscellaneous/Coaching ...

Entries are open, visit www.xcosa.co.za, just select the Race Entry tab - you can enter for all races or be selective. Race admin is dealt with on-line through iTickets (what a professional bunch of guys)! While on our website have a look at our Club by selecting the Club Hub tab. Different types of membership available, from free to VIP. You can join now and be a member until 31 Dec 2012! You anyway need to be part of a club if you want to do any CSA sanctioned races ...

Event Name: 2012 XCOSA.CO.ZA RACE SERIES When: 28 January 2012 - 24 November 2012 Where: Fountains (Pretoria), Gauteng Category: MTB Starting on 28 January 2012, XCOSA.CO.ZA offers a XCO race series consisting of 5 races at Fountains (Pretoria). One XCO race every 3 months and a Grand Finale in November 2012. Participants will accrue seeding log points on each race for participation in the last race. Race tracks start with an easy track on the 1st race and getting technically more challenging towards the 5th race, the Grand Finale. Entries for the XCOSA.CO.ZA Race Series is open and is done by visiting our website www.xcosa.co.za. Select the Race Entry tab and the steps for on-line entries are clearly explained. The moment you select the race in which you want to take part you will be routed to the iTickets website through which the entry administration is handled. Make sure you select the correct age category and that you have all the information at hand for entry. Payment for entry is also done on-line. All races are capped at 500 entries per day so please don’t hesitate – if you snooze you loose! Top performance at all of these races will be handsomely rewarded ... Go to Event Page

A good coach never tells his athlete to bend his knees in an activity when he has to bend his knees - he tells him to lower his bum! If he does that his knees will bend automatically. Set yourself a goal to work towards, with milestones that will guide your effort. Reaching your milestone will facilitate your goal achievement ... That is what I do for a living - if you need assistance, contact me.

Entries open 31 Oct 2011 on www.xcosa.co.za - also check out our club, more information to follow on our website

You get a static and dynamic set-up, with the latter the preferred as it considers flexibility, riding style and many more aspects. It is impossible to do an accurate set-up with only the measurements you have. It is worth it to make an appointment with a properly trained technician as 1st thing that you should make sure is whether the bike is properly sized regarding stem length, seat width and others. Contact David at 0761634567.

Its a matter of "self management" and not "time management"! You actually have 3 types of time/spaces at hand: 1) Time with your family; 2) Time at your job; and 3) Time you spend on yourself. Id time that it labeled as grey time - not belonging to any of these 3 spaces and use more of that for training. Example, if you can use time to work and back for training sessions instead of sitting in your car. Furthermore, you cannot start with having 30 hours available but "grow" into that by adding 30 minutes to a training session - that equates to 3 hours a week extra.

Its still ok with mtb XCM races as often the start is a neutral zone. With XCO it becomes something to get use to. Training for it is starts at 110% effort for 30sec. That is also why seeding becomes an imperative - our XCOSA.CO.ZA Series at Fountains starting 28/1/12 has 4 races for seeding for the Grand Finale in Nov 2012.

The discomfort as a result of oxygen debt is from the brain taking the oxygen molecule from H20 and the H2 remains - it leads to decrease in pH and increase in your level of acidity. The body interprets that as "pain", but it is only "virtual". How do you get use to it? Well expose your brain to the condition through mind coaching and physical experience ...

Remember the warm-up gets nullified when you stand in the starting shoot and wait for the race to begin - the quickest way in a race is that "balls-to-the-wall" start!

Its imperative to distinguish between irritation as a result of dry air or dust and exercise induced asthma. View scientific document published in the British Medical Journal attached ... FIGHTING FOR AIR HQ_4.pdf

Remember the moment you start your activity the demand for oxygen and nutrients, transported through your logistical support system (blood) increases. At first your brain redistributes blood from non-active areas to active areas and then your brain has to decide which energy system to use - aerobic/anaerobic, for which it uses your lactate threshold as switch between the two. This all forms part of your brain's anticipatory regulation function. Reducing the time for reaching your optimum level of exertion requires specific lactate threshold training, focusing on generating lactate and then on processing lactate. So, yes, you can condition your body ...

True: no active ingredient. Untrue: purely elastic tape that offers support. The tape is designed to promote osmosis and it is therefore imperative that it be applied by a knowledgeable person, preferably a kinesiologist.

MTB@cgcycling, read my post on "Off-the-shelve vs personalized programs" posted earlier today. I suggest you should reconsider using the same program as too many things have changed, like your fitness level, your age, your way of riding, etc.

Lots have been said and written on Watt vs HR as measurement for exertion! Bear in mind that level of physical conditioning is determined by: 1) Muscle condition; 2) Cardio-vascular condition; and 3) Mind condition. 1 & 2, even if used together does not give you the full picture, however, unfortunately 3 can currently not be "measured" while participating. Always view your conditioning "tracking" aids as a means-to-an-end, no matter which one u use ... Get to know your body as to ensure you get your "perceived level of effort" as close as possible to your "real level of effort"!

Well done Grootbaas, good advice! Only difference I would suggest is to first calculate your HR index like what KARVONEN has done with his empirical research on HR & exertion - Google Karvonen and you will find the formula. Stick to that as it is scientifically proven.

I use the expertise of a panel of nutritional and pharmacological scientists - you send me your detail and I'll send you my advice. What I need is: Medical condition Prescribed medicine you use Physical state - how long have you been training at what level Allergies Goals Time for achieving that Send it to active@thebestyoucanbe.co.za

As a matter of interest: most of the research "proving" that compression works is from the land of OZ where it was developed. A recent empirical UK study proved it to be insignificant - God has created your skin to exert optimal pressure and your cellular and logistical transport systems of your body to be the best you can get on mother earth, that is if you keep it at an optimal level of conditioning through movement ...