Training & Nutrition - This mountain biker wants to be faster..

Hello all. I'm a healthy 27 year old female. I've been mountain biking for a few years. My stamina and endurance has increased quite a bit this riding season. Plus with a new, better fitting bike I'm doing rides that I never would have even attempted on my old bike. But I still have a problem....

But I'm usually the slowest. I mean, I can crank out those steep hills with a constant pace, but my overall pace is slower than the other people I ride with. Ha! I could always ride with slower peole then I'd feel good!

I've always thought I was in fairly decent shape, actually I get more in shape as I get older. I ride about 3-4 times a week, about 40-50 off road miles. My husband says that I'll just get faster and better over time, just by riding alot like 4-5 times a week. I'm thinking that maybe need to encorporate some weight training at home a couple times a week. I usually strength train during off season months. I've also got a bit of bursitis in both of my knees. I've been to a physical therapist about this, and I was given some at home exercises for this (basically stretches, and strengthening exercises for the muscles around the knees). I need to get back on these too, because sometimes my knees hurt after a hard ride.

I eat a fairly balanced diet, so I think I have good energy. My husband thinks a performance supplement vitamin and maybe some glucosamine will help in general, but I'm not bought into "popping a pill" idea yet, when I could get this all from a good diet.

Do you think I should I do some strength training a few days a week? Any specific exercises (lunges, squats, pushups)? Or just riding more each week is enough to get me to be faster? I could just pedal harder, but then I won't last very long if I do that. Our rides are usually 1.5-2.5 hours long.

Are certain people just not made to go a certain speed? Do you think I could have reached my plateau pace? So the main question is do I just ride more often, or strength train at home, or even both to ride faster?

Sorry that was long....

if you want to ride faster, you need to train faster... try mixing some interval training in... some high cadence/low gear work... you may want to do this on a flat road, instead of offroad, as it may be easy to do... I'm mostly a roadie, and haev found that mixing in some interval training at least once a week has helped a lot.. my avg speed used to be around 16 or so, and now I can get it upwards of around 19-20... just takes a lot of practice at going faster Let us know how it goes

jeff

Go roadie. I was on the road bike for the first time this year yesterday and it felt like a rocket.

Originally posted by MisterJ
Go roadie. I was on the road bike for the first time this year yesterday and it felt like a rocket.

Felt like a rocket and actually being a rocket are two totally different things.

Sipper has it right though. Intervals where you are really pushing the power aspect. Don't just pedal for the sake of pedaling make every stroke be one where you are pushing the bike forward.

Also look into some weight training



Do you think I should I do some strength training a few days a week? Any specific exercises (lunges, squats, pushups)? Or just riding more each week is enough to get me to be faster? I could just pedal harder, but then I won't last very long if I do that. Our rides are usually 1.5-2.5 hours long.


Lunges and squats are good. Keep the reps low and push the power side of thing. Get those fibres pumping. Don't ride more try cross training to really add the power you are after. You can dish out a leg workout in 30 minutes that is exhausting. Do it once or twice a week tops and you strenght should steadily increase. also maybe try plyometrics with box jumps as well.

Cheers

Originally posted by Shannon-UT
Are certain people just not made to go a certain speed? Do you think I could have reached my plateau pace? So the main question is do I just ride more often, or strength train at home, or even both to ride faster?


Sometimes it really is genetics. Just a fact of human body. Personally I am a big ball of power. Make me ride steadily for hours on end. Good luck I hate endurance sports. But reading your post you haven't been training for power so you really cant say whether it is genetics or lack of power training yet. :) After 6 months of really pushing your strenght training and intervals if you still aren't much faster you are probably an endurance person :)

Originally posted by Shannon-UT
Are certain people just not made to go a certain speed? Do you think I could have reached my plateau pace? So the main question is do I just ride more often, or strength train at home, or even both to ride faster?



Hi,

I am a few years younger than you but had the same question a few months ago. I just bought a brand new MTB 3 months ago and now ride everyday but I still wasn't able to maintain a fast pace consistently - so, I started going to the gym again and do strength training a minimum of 2 days a week in addition to using the elliptical trainer for 20-30 minutes at high intensity each time. I am not sure how much the latter helps but it gives me a nice change from cycling.

Anyway, after doing the strength training consistently since then and by changing my routes and adding intervals of sprinting throughout each ride, I have noticed that I am now able to go much faster and maintain that pace for the entire 1.5. to 2 hour ride. I can also cycle the entire distance without a break now which was challenging at first as my asthma would kick in. Now it doesn't so I guess my level of fitness is also having some positive effects on my Asthma too!!

I would strongly suggest that you try the interval training and do some strength training each week. Also, get some good hills in each ride and change your routes regularly. Try other types of exercise as well if you can....even if they are not as high in intensity.

Good luck,

Justen (female)