Archive for the ‘Training’ Category:
In Season Training
During a race season, if one is not in shape, it will become apparent about midway through the season. With the heat and humidity burning up the country, the weaker riders will break down and the results will show. Keeping a training schedule during the week is important because you ensure that you are getting enough rest for the upcoming race and that you still maintain your endurance. The whole part of this is to be able to ride, strength train, get your cardio in and still rest. With the right timing, you can cram this into the week and still feel 100% for your next week.
Mondays are usually a day of active recovery. There is no weight training on this day because your body is still recovering from the conditions of the race. You may not feel sore, but hitting the weight room or busting out hardcore cardio this soon may put you behind for the rest of the week. So take it easy and just do a light jog or any kind of cardio. Keep it under an hour.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the heavy days. Get your motos in for these days to work on some things you struggled with from the weekend. Maybe you didn’t do too well with starts or corners. This is the time to go over any mistakes made over the weekend. If you can’t ride during the week, hit the treadmill, row machine or stationary (road) bike. Unlike Mondays, cardio needs to be a higher intensity (around 80% of your max HR) for over an hour. Then you can take a breather for a while and later hit up some strength training. Here’s a sample workout I did a while ago that’s perfect for in season training. Don’t do this exact workout two days in a row. You can do this on Tuesday and then for Wednesday, you can substitute different exercises.
Thursday and Friday are like Monday. However, Thursday’s cardio requires a higher heart rate (around 80% of your max HR) and you can keep it about an hour. And Friday is short and very light cardio.
For the weekend, just travel and keep hydrated! This system keeps the bulk of the training in the beginning of the week so you can still rest and feel ready come race time. The active recovery on Monday and Friday keep the heart up and the blood flowing. Good luck!
5 tips to train right
When I first starting training for motocross, I really didn’t know much about anything related to fitness at all. I would run 2 miles a few times a week, do some push ups, crunches and call it a day. However, when I dived into the topic of athletic performance, I realized I was not training in the correct way. I thought my hard work out pay off on the track, but it just wasn’t working. That is why I created site; to help people avoid the mistakes I made. So here are a few tips to help keep you on the right path.
Periodization
This means cycling your training. Do not do the same thing over and over again. If you have a period where you cannot ride the bike, work on your strength and do longer, easier cardio sessions. However, if you are in season and the races are coming up soon, interval training is the better choice. This cyclical training method helps keep your body from getting burnt out, you won’t get bored with your training and you specifically train for the conditions at hand.
Compound Movements
If you are moving up classes this year or you are just trying to get stronger for moto, your typical “juice-head” routine is not going to work for you. A racer and gym rat are opposite sides of the spectrum. For moto, we need functional and multi joint movements. For example, some really solid exercises would be dead lifts, bench press, pull ups, front squats and some abdominal exercises with medicine balls. Your legs, core and back play a huge role in endurance and form on the bike.
Stretch
One of the most overlooked aspects of a training regiment is incorporating some sort stretching. Stretching before and after any kind of physical activity helps warm up the muscle and gets the joints ready for movement. Obviously, your flexibility is improved, but it also helps prevent injuries in crashes and can even help improve strength.
Easy Cardio
Don’t be afraid to do some longer, easier cardio when you aren’t racing much. This lays down a solid foundation for your aerobic capacity and you can build up from there. Keeping your heart rate around 70%-80% of you maximum heart rate for about 30 minutes will be a good way to keep you in shape, but not over do it. Don’t limit yourself to just running; jump ropes, stationary bikes and swimming are excellent alternatives to running on a treadmill.
Have Confidence
If you have been putting in the hard work during the week, you should roll up the gate knowing you can run with anybody lined up. Training hard makes the race the easiest part of your week. You prepare your body, so why not prepare yourself mentally? Confidence in this sport will take you a long way, so keep a positive mindset and everything will fall into place.
Heat Exhaustion Prevention pt. 2
As a follow up to yesterday’s article, I thought it would be good to dive into heat acclimation a little deeper. For those of you who live in the southern States, you know how the heat and humidity can play into your motos. The rest of you, who don’t have the pleasure of riding in these conditions, getting used to the heat is crucial…especially if you plan on racing Loretta’s. There is more than just riding in a hoodie during the hottest part of the day.
If you are in race ready condition, getting accustomed to the heat will be easier. Even if you are used to running on a treadmill inside for an hour, you are going to get acclimated much faster than a couch potato. When you begin to train in the heat, you will notice that you will sweat more (common sense) and more electrolytes are lost in sweat. However, as time goes on, you will eventually sweat earlier and lose fewer electrolytes. I am not a huge fan of sports drinks, but this is an exception. Going half water and half Gatorade is a pretty good mixture. Replacing the lost fluids/electrolytes are numero uno!
The best (and safest) way to get used to the heat is to do some light aerobic training. If you are just acclimated, you may want to start out at 15 minutes of activity. This could be as long as 3 or 4 days. On average, total acclimation takes about 2 weeks. For example, if you can normally run 60 minutes, by the end of the first week, you should be able to run close to 30 minutes in the heat.
I know it sucks to train when it’s hot, but consistency pays off. If you train for 60 minutes in the heat, but miss another 60 minute session, doing 120 minutes the next day is not going to be as effective. Plus it maybe potentially dangerous. If you really can’t take the heat, train in the early morning or late afternoon. Then you can work your way into the hotter temperatures.
Heat exhaustion prevention
This last weekend was pretty gnarly. The heat in Texas was brutal…not quite as brutal as the Florida heat, but I digress. Riders were tested physically and mentally racing where everything is bigger. When the temperatures start to climb, the need to stay hydrated becomes even more important. Many riders could not stand the heat and were exhausted, but not just from the heat, but from a lack of liquids in their bodies. The effects of extreme heat on the body can take a toll on you and the rest of your day racing is done.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are no joke. Before heat stroke, you get heat exhaustion. This is when you are losing too many fluids and therefore, your body overheats. The body’s temperature is raised but not too crazy, maybe a mild fever. Many symptoms include pale, moist skin, sweating a lot more than normal, muscle cramps, dizziness, feeling weak, and sick with elevated heart rate. Heat stroke on the other hand is much more dangerous. Your core temperature is above your average fever. At this point, the skin is dry and one begins to become confused and hyperventilate. Sure, this sounds pretty intense, but knowledge is power.
A typical American does not drink as much water as they need. The “average” person needs about 64oz of water. However, since serious racers are training, they will need more than this. And when the mercury rises, you need even more water. Depending on your size and perspiration rate, you lose about 4 cups of fluid per hour of exercise and this is in air conditioned climate. If you are training and riding, you need to be drinking a gallon of water a day, minimum. Summer is in full effect and you can’t be too careful.
My best advice is to get a water bottle and sip on that all day. The more times you refill the bottle, the better. I don’t really think measuring out a certain amount of water is realistic or convenient, so make sure that your urine is clear and keep on sipping. Eventually your body will become accustom to the water intake and you won’t have to pee every 5 minutes!
Maintaining a Lead
Let’s be honest now. If RV2 wouldn’t have crashed himself out of the series, the 2010 Supercross Championship would look very different. Ryan Dungey did a great job of staying consistent and maintaining a drive to keep him on the podium. Winning championships at that level takes ridiculous talent and skill. With all of that winning, both of these guys know how to maintain a lead and keep it; each and every week.
One thing that I notice between champions and contenders are that the champs never look back. They are not concerned about what is behind them. They are focused on what is ahead of them and keep their vision on the next obstacle. Even when practicing, looking back throws me off rhythm. You cannot expect to race forward if you’re always thinking about the people behind you. Like I said last week, you want to race the track and block out the competitors. Not to say that Mike Alessi is a bad rider, but when I watch him race, I can tell he looks behind him more than most riders. I’m not saying this is the reason why he hasn’t won a championship, but RV2 and RD5 don’t really look back….
When you have a nice lead on 2nd place, guarding the inside is not the best idea. Sure, you are closing the door, but it is pointless when you have the option of taking your normal line. However, once things get tighter, a lot of times, the inside line is usually a good passing option. Keeping the other rider on the outside of you allows you to choose between the inside or outside. This gives you the option to sweep out and block them from passing you.
Obviously, practicing this can be somewhat tough. Each race situation is different and anything can happen. However, just be aware of where the rider is behind you and keep your line. Riding defensively can sometimes slow you down, so just keep concentrating and racing ahead.
Racing the Track
It has been a while since I have written an article, but between exams and moving out of my apartment, I have been going like crazy. But, I have something to look forward to….nationals. This goes for professional and amateur. By now, most of the Area Qualifiers are finished up and the Regional Qualifiers are shaping up. The Area races are more like your local races with a few new people. But for the most part, you will be racing some familiar faces. However, once you get to the Regional race, there are going to some big names.
No matter what region you are from or what class you race, there is always going to be one person that everyone is worried about. I can remember when I was at an Area Qualifier a few years back and there was one guy I was always worried about. He was consistently up front and I could never catch him. So, the whole time I was on the line, I was thinking about how fast he was. I doubted myself and my abilities before my bike was even started. This negative thinking played a big part and screwed up my race.
One of my biggest problems was that I would always put the “faster” person on a pedestal. I would compare myself to them and always seem to trick myself into thinking they were so much better than me. These kids who you see on videos and in magazines are just like you. They are human and they can be beaten. However, instead of trying to race them, race the track.
That is how every great rider trains and keeps their speed up. When you stop worrying about who is on the gate with you and you ride the track, it is easier for you to get in the “zone” and settle into a fast race pace. You almost need to look at the other riders as moving obstacles. They are just in the way and you just need to get around them. That’s it. Attacking the track will help you keep your lap times down and you will always be charging when others are cruising.
If you qualified for a Regional race, congrats. Just remember that everyone on the gate has two arms and two legs like you do. Race the track and don’t worry about the other riders.
