MTB vs Road Averages

[carback]

. I'm so darn nervous before a race and it takes me so long to get into my groove that as I'm getting settled in, I'm done with my lap.

Do you warm up before you race? Either on a trainer or on the road? GO for about 20 minutes of spin effort with 3-5 quick bursts in there to get your heart ready to race and by the time you hit the start line, your muscles are warm, your heart's been elevated and is ready and you're off.

[SalsaMTB]

I think you need to evaluate what is slowing you down...

Is it the climbs that are killing you? Is it the distance? If so, maybe more road training or spinervals would be good.

What exactly is slowing you down? When you ride with people who are similar or a little better, people you will compete with, where do they gain in distance?

I think a BIG part of mountain biking is handling. Can you take the turns as fast, the downhills as fast, do you pick the best line, etc.? I know I hit my brakes more than DH in the tight switchbacks. He'll also plow between two trees that are about as wide as my handlebars, whereas I'll slow down a little, he will take more speed on the downhills. If you are slowing down for these reasons, not cardio, I would say hit the trails more and work on your handling.

[mtbdarby]

Salsa - I think you hit the nail on the head. It's hills and fear. I don't like soft, steep climbs, and rocky technical singletrack - I need to work on those. As for race day itself, it's nerves I need to work on.

Carback, good ideas. I don't bring my trainer but I do ride around spinning a bit before I start. I actually had much less nerves when I did my solo race. When it's a team I put more pressure on myself so I "don't let the team down", thinking. Maybe it's just experience I'm lacking. I've only been biking for a little over a year.

Thanks for the great ideas!