Archive for August, 2009:
The motocross racer's diet
Okay, so you’re training hard. Maybe you didn’t get to Loretta Lynn’s this year, but you want to more than ready for the Mini Olympics. You are in the gym lifting and doing motos on a stationary bike and throwing down 30 minute motos at the track. However, if you don’t have a carbohydrate and protein rich diet, all that training won’t be as effective.
I know I tell you to stay away from some food, but this is stuff you really need. Carbohydrates are extremely important because they provide the energy needed to train, ride and race. When the carbohydrates you consume are broken down, the glycogen is converted to glucose and used for energy. Many endurance athletes such as marathon runners, swimmers and cyclists’ carb load a few days before the event. When a majority of their calories are from carbs, they have plenty of glycogen to use for energy. There are two kinds of carbohydrates: simple and complex. The simple carbs are good for after workout, to quickly replenish your glycogen levels. Good simple carbs are found in fruits, honey and sugar. Complex carbs are your pastas, rice, cereal and grain products.
As motocross athletes, we don’t need to carb load. However, we still need a good amount because of the cardio we do. As I stated before in my interval training basics, when you work in the aerobic range, you burn more fat than carbs. But, as your heart rate increases into the anaerobic range, you burn more carbs than fat. Motocross racers need both ranges, so carbs help us tremendously. The daily recommendation for carbohydrate intake is about 250g, so maybe eating around 300g would be good. Remember, although our motos can be long, we are still not considered “endurance athletes”.
Protein is essential. Even if you are not into strength training, you still need it. Protein rebuilds muscle and tissues. It is the building block of life….so it’s kind of important, to say the least. If you don’t want to bulk up, lean proteins like chicken, fish, beans and nuts provide an excellent source of protein for you. However, if you are thin, getting more muscle on your frame is a good idea. You can help prevent injury when crashing and your joints, tendons and ligaments will be stronger as well.
Just like carbohydrates, protein has a certain required amount for athletes. Normally, the amount of protein you need is your body weight in kilograms times 1.4 – 1.6.
For example, I am 175 lbs. To get my weight in kilos, I divide by 2.2. So its 175/2.2 = 79.5. Then, I take 1.5 (a nice middle number) and multiple it with 79.5, which gives me 119.3 grams. This is the amount of protein I would ideally need. Now, if you are lifting more to get some more mass, try 1.6. But, if you are not lifting as much, go with 1.4.
Getting a balance between carbs and protein is essential for a solid athlete. Of course, you still need your vitamins, fruits and vegetables. However, the carbs and protein provide you with the energy and building blocks to maintain your condition and help you succeed.
Racing Mentality
Professional racers ride a lot. That’s obvious. But, when they say they need to find some extra speed, how do they do it? How does anyone do that? The answer is simple. Get a riding buddy! Some one that is faster than you would help you so much with your raw speed, but someone just as fast as you would work as well. The idea is to get into that race mentality during practice.
The part you want to concentrate on here is to be mentally tough for the races. If you ride by yourself, that’s great for getting your form and skills down, but if you want to step your game up, ride with someone. You will find yourself getting bored and stale if you ride alone. Your mentality will change during practice if you ride at race pace, battling with a friend. You learn to hang it out more and ride on the edge. Don’t ride over your head; just to the point between comfort and fear. If you never push yourself, how are you going to get faster? With a friend riding with you, you can hear their engine, think about your line selection and try to concentrate on the track ahead of you. This sounds a lot like a race environment, doesn’t it?
I would always ride by myself and come race day, I would choke up because I wasn’t used to the race environment and pace. I was used to my own line and taking my time. When you are racing, you have to be able to hit either the inside and outside lines well, or you are going to get passed because you are taking your normal, comfortable line you are used to. Even if you don’t have someone to ride with, go to practice on Saturdays or Sundays, find someone on the track and ride with them. Don’t try and stuff them in a turn, but just be smart and try to pass them. If they swing out wide, try and cut to the inside. If they go to the inside, go outside. That way, you can at least get used to a decent race situation of different line selection and traffic.
Again, practicing by yourself is good for testing some new settings or practicing corners. However, riding with a friend or someone that is as fast as you or faster, will help you get into that racer mentality easier and more often. Once, you get into that race mode, you will get more out of practice and you can ride just as good at the races as you do in practice.
Back to Braking Basics
Braking is one simple way to be faster. It’s somewhat of an oxymoron, but it makes sense. If you can’t use your brakes properly, you won’t be set up right for the corners and corners are where you make most of your time up. Now, I know everyone has their own techniques for braking, but it doesn’t hurt to step back and really get the fundamentals down. After all, the basics are what make you fast.
Not all situations are the same. I know this and anyone who has ridden a motocross track knows this. That is why you should be able to know when and how to use the brakes. Modern four strokes have made this a little easier on us because they have engine drag; down shift a few times and you can feel the engine slow itself down. However, engine breaking is not really an efficient way to stop. All pros do the same thing; they are either accelerating forward or braking. There is NO COASTING. I see it all the time; people will let off, coast, and then get on the brakes. During that period of coasting, you could be driving forward and going past the people that coast.
So, either be on the throttle or on the brakes. I just wanted to get that cleared up. Okay, so how do you use the brakes? The answer is simple. Chatter them. A lot of beginners use the back break and lock it up. They end up sideways and out of control. You are basically on ice and at mercy to the bike. However, instead of stomping the rear brake pedal, lightly apply the pressure to the rear tire so it slows down and slowly stops spinning. You want the rear wheel to almost lock up, to where it catches every so often. This way, the wheel is still spinning and you have traction for the friction to slow you down faster. It takes some getting used to, but it works and you can keep your momentum and speed this way as well.
Before I knew this little trick, I was a serious front brake user. That was all I used, but I soon found out that this was holding me back. The key to slowing down is finding a good combo between front and rear braking. For example, on inside ruts, I found it was better to chatter my rear wheel a little, but use more front brake so my front end would dive into the rut. However, on the outside of the same turn, I would hardly use the front brake and chatter my rear wheel more. You really just need to find a good combo that works for you. Practicing braking in a field with some cones set up helped me a lot. It showed me what worked and what didn’t.
As always, don’t forget to grip the bike with your knees when chattering. It will give you more control on where you want to go with your line selection. This does take some getting used to if you’re a beginner, but if you are already using it, find a balance between front and rear brakes. As I said before, set up some cones in a field to get a feel for how much pressure you need to get your brakes to chatter. Once you get this down, your cornering will improve and your lap times will drop.
Smaller meals, bigger benefits
I eat…a lot. My roommates said I need to pay for 2 people when we buy groceries because I eat so much. So, I slowed down; however, I was actually eating better. Maybe I wasn’t eating the right kind of foods, but I was still eating in the correct way. It is always better to eat small meals throughout the day, instead of gorging yourself at the traditional three meals.
I cannot stress this enough. Eat breakfast!!! When you go to sleep, your body’s metabolism slows down. If it were to stay the same, you would have to get up during the night and have to eat a whole meal. But, this isn’t the case and the first meal that your body needs when you wake up is breakfast. I said this once before, but breakfast “breaks the fast” your body is in. If you don’t, you will feel tired and fatigued until lunch. I recommend eating something with some carbohydrates. Maybe some cereal, pancakes or waffles. If you do eat cereal, be sure to get something that doesn’t have anything frosted, marshmallows or bright colors. I know, those are the best kind, but they are LOADED with sugars. Don’t forget to get some orange juice or some kind of fruit in you as well.
A few hours after breakfast it is a good idea to eat a snack. I really like the peach yogurt. So, when I start to hear my stomach growl, I’ll grab some yogurt. Now, if you don’t like yogurt, try something that will hold you over until lunch. It doesn’t have to be big and it could be another breakfast food.
Going through the drive-thru might sound good, and taste even better, but it’s not a good idea at all. Instead of getting the $5 foot long, why not make your own? You know that the meat hasn’t been sitting around and the vegetables are going to be fresh. If you like mayo, try not to soak the sandwich in it. If you are feeling really healthy, put some oil and vinegar on there, instead of mayo. Don’t ruin your good lunch with a bag of potato chips or a candy bar for an afternoon snack. Try some vegetables. Cut them up the night before and put them in a sandwich bag. Carrots and celery are a good choice and they are good with some ranch…with a moderate amount.
For dinner, make sure you have some more green on your plate and a lean meat like chicken; it is a good choice for lean protein. If you are thinking about getting seconds, wait about 15 or 20 minutes and let your food settle. You will be surprised that you will be fuller after waiting.
You don’t have to eat everything I said; you just have to be smart about what you eat. Make sure you get a good amount of dark, green vegetables and lots of fruit. When you eat little meals between the normal ones, you won’t have that ravenous feeling when food is in front of you. You won’t over eat and your body’s metabolism is kicked up to digest the food to make room for the next meal. When you skip meals and only eat 1 or 2 large meals, your body tricks itself into thinking there is a shortage of food. When this happens, it stores fat, so it has reserves when the food becomes scarce. So, don’t skip breakfast or other meals and snack often.
Stretching for More
Okay, this may sound kind of weird, but it makes sense. If you have ever watched an animal wake up from a nap or sleep, they always do two things. The first is yawn. The second is stretch! All animals have a primal instinct that tells them to stretch when they wake up, so they are ready for the day. A lot of people, myself included, need to stretch every day; not only when you get up, but before and after workouts. I’m not saying to do yoga every day. There is a difference between yoga and stretching. Yoga has different “categories” and can promote strength and help cleanse your mind. I’ll do an article on yoga later, but right now, stretching is the topic on hand.
Like yoga, there are different kinds of stretching. There are about 7 types, but the main ones are static, dynamic and ballistic stretching. Static is the standard stuff you do in PE. These stretches should last around 30 seconds or so. For instance, doing toe touches and holding you arm across your chest would be considered static. Dynamic stretching usually involves a circular motion, like swinging your arms forward and back to loosen up your shoulders. Finally, ballistic stretching utilizes bouncing. Normally, you want to do static and dynamic stretching before this. For example, ballistic stretching would be if you touch your toes and bounced a bit to get a little more of stretch.
The main reason you stretch before an activity, including motocross, is to prevent injury. If you have ever been to a football game, the teams always stretch before the game and at half time. When I was riding and racing every weekend, I made it a habit to stretch before EACH moto. In the morning, before my first moto, I would stretch because my muscles and joints were cold. I would usually get my pants and jersey on, then do some jumping jacks and stretch. If you try to stretch with your boots on, you won’t get the full effect and you look pretty clumsy. Whenever I would get in from my moto, I would chill under the awning and relax. However, when they called 5 minutes until my class was up, I would stretch again because your body has cooled down and your muscles and joints have tensed up. Although you may be hot still, you need to get your internals ready for the moto.
If you have lower back trouble, like my father, toe touches and anything that stretches your hamstrings will help significantly. Finding tense or sore spots on the body and stretching those helps them loosen them up and heal faster. That is why you need to stretch after exercise as well; you will be less likely to be sore if you stretch, especially after weight lifting. As long as you hit the main muscle groups and major joints like the shoulders, hips, elbows and knees, you’ll be fine. Just don’t forget the neck and ankles, as well. Once you find your routine, try to do it a few times a day and I guarantee your riding and training will improve.
Sand Whoops
Sand is a crazy thing; it can make you or break you. I know I did a piece on riding through sand turns earlier, but it is vital to be a solid sand rider. If you can ride well in soft stuff, you can ride anything. This brings me to the next point, whoops. They are tough, no matter how you look at them. Add some sand to the mix and you have a section that can put you on the ground, quick. You almost have to look at them like dancing; you have to have rhythm!
The first thing to remember is to look ahead and get your line. You need to commit to this line before you are even in the whoops. Another obvious point is to make sure your straight. For example, the local track I ride at has a sand whoop section right out of a corner. This makes things a little more complicated because I have to stay smooth on the throttle out of the turn, resulting in a straight exit.
Okay, so you are straight and committed to a line. Even if the sand is deep, you still have to shift up; maybe even twice to you carry your momentum through the next section. The higher the gear, the better your suspension is going to work and you’re less likely to swap out. You almost want to chug through the section. You want to be centered over the bike in attack position. Although the bike works better in a higher gear, you still have to remember that you need to grip the bike with your knees.
Something to keep in mind is to put the balls of your feet on the foot pegs and in a pigeon toe position. This allows your whole lower body to compress inward and press the bike harder when you hit a whoop or bump. If the whoops are peaked, you really should try to skim across the tops, like in supercross. However, if they are spaced out and not as peaked, you can try to shift your weight back and wheelie through. I’m not telling you to have the bike vertical, but the front wheel should be slightly off the ground. You want the rear wheel on the ground consistently through the section.
Once you hit the first whoop, you will immediately figure out how to hit them. Once you get it down, just keep a consistent rhythm throughout the set. Just like I said before, it’s just like dancing! Even if you have no rhythm, like me, you have to remember to be committed, straight and grip the bike with your lower body. Just keep a steady throttle and look ahead, not right in front of your fender and you’ll be through them before you know it!
