1. versatility in endurance training
Training has to be fun, that's the most important thing. Especially in winter or in bad weather, training on the bike is not always the best choice. The risk of getting sick is high. Personally, I really enjoy cross-country skiing or ski touring in winter. Running is just as perfect. If you enjoy it, you can go swimming, spinning, inline skating or take a fitness class. This makes much more sense than getting on your bike in disastrous weather. What's more, it really helps you to challenge your body in a different way. Running, for example, makes you much less cold and the training is much more efficient. An hour of running is much more effective than an hour on the bike. However, the intensive units should primarily take place on the bike. But when it comes to basic endurance, variety is key.
2. step on the gas!
Twenty per cent of your training should be intensive. For me personally, that's at least two sessions a week, but of course it depends a lot on your personal training load. Intervals are a very efficient way of increasing performance. You also have to push yourself to your limits. The more intensive the sessions, the more specifically they should be tailored to the bike. I do intervals on my mountain bike, not on my road bike. My tip: For training sessions with high loads, it's best to get on exactly the same bike that you ride in competition.
The new book by ex-racer Tim Böhme and Jochen Haar provides further information on Nino Schurter's tips.
3. use tools
Use technical possibilities to quantify your training. A heart rate monitor makes sense for every ambitious cyclist. If you want to be even more precise, you can use a power meter. The background: If you record your training, be it with a Garmin watch, heart rate monitor or even a power meter, you get a better overview of your training workload and recognise your progress. This shows which units and training phases are paying off and where there may be room for improvement. Take a look at the intensity and volume of the last few weeks and compare the data with your personal condition. This will give you a better feel for your body and teach you how to better organise future training sessions. A power meter is also extremely helpful during the race. If you run by watts in a marathon, you get the maximum out of it and avoid the risk of overdoing it. This way you can also master extreme distances. To do this, you can determine your threshold power in advance in a field test, which is very easy to do with a power meter. This is not only helpful for professionals, but for every hobby cyclist. If you decide to train for a marathon, I also recommend a performance test with a professional sports scientist. They will then give you high-quality advice. Only those who know exactly where they stand can train efficiently and make rapid progress.
4. stability makes the difference
If you want to perform effectively on the pedals, you need a strong body. Otherwise you risk injury, back problems or other aches and pains. Stability in the torso comes from the deep muscles, and I train these by combining strength and coordination. This allows me to reach many more muscle fibres than with conventional strength exercises. My trainer has worked out a workout in the form of circuit training, which I have already presented in BIKE magazine (www.bike-magazin.de, webcode #35121). This workout is so intense and specifically designed for biking that it helps me get straight off-road. By the way: with a strengthened core, my body has to do less supporting and holding work, which makes me a more effective mountain biker.
5. power for the mountains
Whether cross-country, marathon or Alpine cross: every biker needs a certain amount of power in their legs. The crux: the more endurance training you do on the bike, the more strength your legs lose. You have to actively counteract this. That's why I keep up my strength training in the gym during the season. It's better than only doing strength training in winter. If you stop strength training over the summer, your endurance performance will improve, but your strength will decrease. The squat with additional weight works precisely those muscles that are also important on the bike. This is super effective. It also stabilises the torso. The aim is not to build muscle. The muscles that are already there must be strengthened as much as possible. As a guide: I do eight to twelve repetitions to build up strength and three to six for maximum strength. I also do stair jumps or box jumps.
6. file on the driving technique
First things first: A good riding technician is not only faster downhill, he also rides more safely and saves energy in the process. If you are struggling with your riding technique, you should definitely also work on this. There are so many riders who really have potential - but then they lose a lot of time downhill or make mistakes and crash. So: always complete mountain bike sessions on trails if possible. Personally, I don't do any special riding technique training, but almost all of my cycling sessions take place on the bike. And they always include challenging trails and descents. When I ride intervals, I set the intensive impulses uphill. In the recovery phase, I ride downhill on a technical trail. That's ideal, because I have to go into the descent pre-loaded. I can pack technical challenges into every training session. Find a tricky section that you've perhaps never done before and give it a go. Or go freeriding for a day, use a mountain railway to gain more metres in depth and therefore more stimuli for your coordination. Or get on a bike with more suspension travel to get to know other perspectives. Basically, it makes just as much sense to invest in your own riding technique as it does in endurance, strength or interval training. It is also important to keep trying out new things and to push yourself to the limit from time to time.
7. preparation gives courage
As a hobby biker, you won't spend a lot of time on mental training. That's why good preparation is the be-all and end-all. When I'm at the start, I have to feel that I've done everything I need to do. That's the only way to be properly prepared for the challenge. I wouldn't advise anyone to start a marathon unprepared. If you don't have enough time beforehand, you can quickly get into a negative mental tailspin. If you set yourself a high goal, you should really take the time to achieve it. Then you can tackle the race with joy, which helps a lot mentally.
8. take it easy!
You get the most out of yourself with regularity and consistency. That's why good race organisation is crucial. Over long distances, you should only very rarely go into the red zone - preferably never. Don't be tempted to go with a group. It's better to let the others go and maintain your own pace. You are always faster when you ride at your maximum average performance. Technical devices help with this. Be it a heart rate monitor or, even better, a power meter. You can also do this by feel, but in the morning, when you are still fresh, you tend to ride too fast. At some point it catches up with you and you slow down. That's how you really lose time.
9. active regeneration
After competitions or hard efforts, you should actively promote regeneration. The ice tonneau, which we like to use after a tough Cape Epic stage, is of course very special. A proper cool-down directly after the race is crucial for everyone. To do this, I sit on the roller or take it easy on the road. Low intensity, high cadence, about 20 minutes. But regeneration must continue. I make sure that I don't just take a rest day the day after the race, but that I actively recover. For example, a relaxed and slow one-hour roll on the road. Even if it's only for a short time, loosely rotating your legs pays off with a much better feeling in the following days. If you don't have much time, you can also use the journey to work on the Monday after a marathon to actively recover on your bike. Caution: If you are not optimally rested and get back into hard training too quickly, you can easily drive yourself into the infamous cellar.
10. food makes you strong
It goes without saying that you need to top up your stores at breakfast before a long workout. That's when carbohydrates are needed. I like to eat porridge, rice is also a good option. At the Cape Epic, I also like to add an egg, because protein is important for multi-day events to keep the muscles sufficiently fuelled. Of course, this also applies to hobby bikers on tough transalpine routes. Ideally, breakfast should be three hours before the race, but at least two hours. The Cape Epic starts at seven o'clock, so we got up at five, any earlier would have been too hard. As the Cape Epic is an intense race right from the start, we had an energy gummy bear just before the start. Right before the start, I would advise you to pay attention to your feeling of fullness. If you already have a bit of an appetite again, you can have another snack straight away. If you feel full, it's better not to. Very important: During the race, have a snack every 20 or 30 minutes, right from the start! Spread a bar over about an hour. Plus a drink containing carbohydrates. For a marathon, I would opt for one that also contains around five to ten per cent protein. Also important: use every situation in which relaxed eating is possible. It's easy to forget to eat during a race. Bananas, dates or figs are good, natural alternatives to gels and bars. Fruit is not an option for me at the Cape Epic because it is too complicated to handle.
You can find this article in BIKE 7/2019. You can read the entire digital edition in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the print edition in the DK shop reorder - while stocks last:
Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
