The Faster Master Part 5 - Educate

So now that i'm a much older racer.... there are a few things that i have learned about my body and what makes my body work better. I noticed a few years ago that my body doesn't recover like it used to... imagine that.... so proper nutrition and hitting the "20 minute window" becomes even more important for replenishing depleted glycogens. I have also been paying attention to eating less processed foods - focusing on "whole foods" - because they have less impurities that interfere with sleep, recovery, and performance. Chris Carmichael's book "Eat Right to Train Right" was a good help for me... although at times it is too technical.... but there is some interesting things in there about hydration, carb / protein ratios, and some great recipes. I know that my team-mates also make a habit of keeping a Nutrition Log to track what foods help them feel good for long rides, races or recovery... not a bad idea....

I have also spent enough years of racing with a certified coach, and benefited in many ways. There is nothing like having someone tell you what to do and when to do it... kind of like marriage.... but with a larger picture in mind. Sometimes we get caught up in the next race or group ride, and forget that there are times when we want to be peaking, focusing and being at our best. I have spent a few years racing master where i trained based on how i feel, and what i feel i need, but that ability comes after 16 years of racing, and there are also times where i have a program laid out on a calendar to help me peak for the important races. This sometimes means going into a smaller race a bit tired or using it for training, but the Big Goal is the important thing, and other training / racing needs to be planned around it. If you are serious about improving your performance, then look into a coach - they are less expensive than you may think, and have a huge impact on your performance. There are also lots of resources out there by a lot of people, and you have to decided who's program you are going to follow. I have enjoyed a lot of the information from Joe Friel .... and Chris Carmichael may have a great book "The Ultimate Ride"... some great workouts in here....but remember it's focused on road racing....

As always, there needs to be a balance between life and training, between spending time with your family and on your bike, eating for performance and enjoying a glass of wine and chips on the back deck.... mental focus and tranquility is also a huge factor.... another great resource that was recommended to me by Steve Neal (former coach and great guy - google him) and reminded to me by Peter Glassford (team-mate, great guy and coach - check his blog for info) is "Mental Training for Peak Performance".... worth the read... probably once a year... to help keep the brain in the game. Winning a sprint in training, feeling great in the single track or having your tempo sessions feel "easy" can sometimes be more attributed to your head-space than your legs...

We spend a lot of time picking out a bike and shoes, making sure things shift properly and tires pressure is right, but all that is useless unless your BODY and MIND are as ready as your bike.

Smarten Up....

ok... so i'm just getting into the "5 weeks 'til Nationals" training mode after a nice rest week... spending some good hours at endurance and having some fun on the bike again.... i did a nice ride in Durham Forest with Steve Heck and felt really good.... and we part ways by no more than 30sec and i clip my hand on a tree, sending me flying over the bars at a pretty good speed.... as i'm in the air, i'm thinking "Ok Barnes... there is a pile of roots, followed by a patch of dirt and then a large rock... which one am going to hit?".... So it turns out that i hit the patch of dirt... thankfully... because i could have been sharing hiking trips with Peter Glassford (Team-mate who broke his clavical less than a week ago)...

as you can tell from the picture... the only thing that saved me was my Excessive Accumulation of Pectoral and Deltoid muscles....

just goes to show you what can happen when your brain turns off for a second....

Hardwood Canada Cup

i have always loved racing at Hardwood... and this year was no different. For the 2nd year, the Trek Canada / Global team held a Pre-ride and poster signing session.... with huge success!! we had LOTS of kids out to ride with us (i was lucky enough to ride with the Minime Girls ... who are FAST!!!) and a great group of adults come out for some riding. It was a lot of fun and a great way to get together with some fans / fellow racers for a fun ride....

as for the race... it was a ton of fun also.... a great course and some pretty dry and dusty conditions. I knew that i wanted to be near the front off the start (thanks to Fred Seaman for the call up) and i found a nice draft on the long double track climb. Rob Parniak beat me to the first piece of single track, and i knew right away that it was going to be a good day. Legs felt great on the climbs, heart rate was under control, XR1 tires were biting hard and i was enjoying myself.... so i hit the 2nd piece of single track in the lead and let it go.... got my gap and felt good enough to keep the pressure for the entire race.... i loved being the first group for our start time and having an open trail to let things roll....

hit the finish line with a good sized lead and still had plenty left in the tank if i needed it.... it was nice to have the Team place well... Emily also won, Mical was 2nd, and Peter, Adam and Eric drove the Chase Train for a lot of laps before finishing 4, 6 and 7th.... fun to watch the battle...

It was so nice having the whole team together again.... staying together, eating together and cleaning bikes together.... i usually just sit back and listen to the talk about techniques, bike set up, foam roller active release and learn a whole bunch from the young, high end members of the team....

i also had the Family show up.... my parents as well and Sue and the kids... so it was nice for them to ride around and enjoy the course... although Sue no longer like Peter for encouraging my kids to run up and down the Boneshaker :)

Mechanical Doping?

Okay... so it's all over the news and YouTube... so i found this video on Peter's blog and wanted to add it to mine... crazy stuff.... it's amazing what some people will think of and do so they get the upper hand... makes me wonder what that world is really like.... so here's my idea.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nd13ARuvVE&NR=1 everyone gets some type of mechanical assistance... -if you are a "Pro" (meaning you have no current career other than cycling) then you get a regular bike - if you are over the age of 30, then you get a bike with 10% assistance - if you are over the age of 30 and have a full time job, then you get a bike with 20% assistance - if you are over the age of 30 and have a full time job and kids, then you get a bike with 30% assistance - if you are over the age of 40 with a career and kids and Advil is your most common recovery food, then you get a bike with 40% assistance That way we can all race in 1 bike category and call it "even".... :)

Midland still ROCKS!!!

Another O'Cup in Midland Ontario... and still a great course... tons of fun, some great single track, some great downhills... but of course that starting climb from the bottom to the top of the ski hill SUCKS.... can't like everything!!! We had a lot of rain the day before the race, but it dried up nicely as the race went on, and by the 2nd half we were leaning into all the corners just fine. I didn't feel great today, Eric Jobin got a great start and was working a lead while Rob Parkiak and i chased... and thankfully Eric dropped his chain and we caught him.... Phew. Eric and i rode together most of the day, back and forth when one of us would mess up a section or crash (which i did a few times) and i spent a lot of the day chasing Eric... and hoping he would tire. Eric was doing a great job of keeping me behind him in the sinlgetrack and pounding the double-track so i couldn't take that lead. With about 2km to go, i got around him on the double-track and went hard.... knowing that this was my chance to get in front and stretch it out in the upcoming single track.... or face another sprint finish against someone who has a better sprint than me.... so i got my gap, cleaned the single track rooty climb and laid off the brakes as much as i dared for the last few minutes.... a good finish for a race where i didn't feel snappy and great, but it's been a long few weeks of racing and i was tired....

Great to have Emily Batty out again at the O'Cups... although from the dirt on her jersey ... i'd have to say i'm not the only one who crashed today....

Now it's time for some much needed rest before i build for Nationals in Canmore on the 16th of July.... it's always a great ride out there... and if i feel as good as i did at Hardwood's Canada Cup, i'll do my best to defend my title!!!

Lots of sleep, train smart, stay healthy.... lots of sleep, train smart, stay healthy... Emily and I with Eric Jobin and Amanda Sin... glad to be done...

And the winner is....

TREMBLANT!!!! yes... that's right... this was another year when Tremblant beat me rather than me beating Tremblant.... we seem to have this strange Power Relationship that we need to resolve... i win one year... i flat and have to run in for 42nd spot the next year.... i win again... i run again.... and since i won last year.... Yup, i had to run this year..... Felt great on the course, had it pretty dialed and had a good start considering i start slow and the Frenchy's start fast... got myself into 2nd by half way through the first... BANG... big rock burps my rear tire... soft and squishy but i ride it to the feed zone and top it ... "OK Barnes... we can still catch them... there's another guy.... i think i see 2nd".... oops... small crash and a totally flat rear tire at the top of the downhill.... "Crap... here we go again...." So i run for about 3km on the rocks and bike path, change wheels and decide that i just can't be last... catching people, catching people, crash, catching more people, get taken down by a younger rider who doesn't know what "On your left" mean (i also said it in french) and i end up catching 5 guys and not finishing last .... YAY for ME!!!

so i console myself with some some chocolate pizza from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Shop... chocolate "crust", caramel for sauce and cashews for toppings.... mmmm... i feel better now....

so even though it was a Bad Luck Racing Weekend, it was still a good weekend hanging out with the team, doing the photo shoot and feeling good on the bike (when not running).....

Now i have some Fire Under My Tire for Hardwood..... Grrrrr.....