How to get faster

As the Toonies have wrapped up, I now have a good idea of where I stand. I've been doing mid to upper-mid pack and would like to take it to the next level. I'm hoping to do some more racing.

How can I get faster?

Some ideas:

- Mileage (I only started riding again in June 2012 after a 9 year hiatus)
- Physical conditioning
- Targeted training
- Instruction
- Riding with faster people
- Bigger balls

I'm interested to hear from those who have put work into increasing performance and hearing about your experience. Some tongue and cheek replies are always good too.

Some advice, for what it's worth

- Mileage (I only started riding again in June 2012 after a 9 year hiatus): if MTB isn't meeting you targets, get a road bike and just go.
- Physical conditioning: Check out somebody like Marx Conditioning
- Targeted training: make a plan of what you want and consult the internet forums, the trainer at your physical conditioning place can often recommend/suggest a plan.
- Instruction: Check out Endless Biking, if you're too advanced for their courses, I believe that Darren can work a plan out with you. Alternatively, you could get private training with Wade through shore play.
- Riding with faster people: go for group rides with Morgan, he did come in 5th yesterday after all
- Bigger balls: can't help you here. surgery maybe :dizzy:

-Learn to find faster lines
-Learn to corner
-Race more, experience is good
-Ride with faster people
-Mileage

- Mileage - long slow ride keeping the heart rate low
- Physical conditioning - focus on the core
- Intervals - tempo work and learning what each HR zone feels like
- The next three items all fit together, lesson + practice = balls
- If time is short don't crosstrain - focus on riding your mountain bike, not road cycling or running etc etc.
- If you commute by bike consider getting a fixie you are either spinning (speed) or pushing a big gear uphill (strength)
- More racing - how about some cyclocross maybe on that single speed you brought a a fixie
- It will be winter soon - XC skiing the choice of champions.

I've focussed on trail running this year and this worked (PB by 1.09 in the Knee Knacker last weekend)

How can I get faster?

Pedal faster.

Intervals.

More intervals, then when you are sick of intervals…do some more intervals.

Lots of time to be made up in being able to sprint out of corners, sprint the little climbs.

Once you feel your fitness isn't holding you back then work on the skills via coaching. For Enduro racing I'd get DH specific training. Cory and his C4 comes to mind, or a custom/private via Endless.

Pedal faster.

There we go, that's more the type of reply I was expecting :D

The areas that tend to give me the most trouble are flow interruptions - punchy climbs, techy flatter sections, etc. My best runs were on Expresso, Floppy Bunny and Baden, fairly flowy, DHey sections. My worst results were anything involving Leppard, Griffen/KOS, the rooty uphills on Dreamweaver and St. Mary's. I tend to be too gassed to be able to giver and often end up screwing up or running with my bike. Technically, I think I need to become more efficient at using the fitness I have.

Intervals.

More intervals, then when you are sick of intervals…do some more intervals.

Lots of time to be made up in being able to sprint out of corners, sprint the little climbs.

Once you feel your fitness isn't holding you back then work on the skills via coaching. For Enduro racing I'd get DH specific training. Cory and his C4 comes to mind, or a custom/private via Endless.

This makes sense. I find that I do fine on climbs when riding for fun, but I tend to settle in a bit more whereas the races have really required short bursts of explosive energy. I have felt I haven't been able to lay down the hammer as I would have liked to.

This is all really good advice. Much appreciated.

Fabien Barel did an interview a while back about speed and flow. He said something along the lines of inexperienced riders pedal to be fast and experienced riders pedal less and flow. Makes perfect sense. If you flow the trail all relaxed and smooth you'll have lots of energy for the punchy climbs. When I was training in BJJ I made the classic 'white belt' mistake of starting all amped up and tried to muscle my opponent around. This lead to me gassing out and being beaten. Translate that to bikes and its the same thing. Try and relax and be methodical about how you ride.

Brake less.

That and blood doping

Intervals.

More intervals, then when you are sick of intervals…do some more intervals.

Lots of time to be made up in being able to sprint out of corners, sprint the little climbs.

Once you feel your fitness isn't holding you back then work on the skills via coaching. For Enduro racing I'd get DH specific training. Cory and his C4 comes to mind, or a custom/private via Endless.

Good advice, mileage and intervals of varying degrees (either road or mtb) don't just help jamming up climbs and sprinting, but also help you hold it together when it gets gnarly.

Brake less.

That and blood doping

Man we already have the UCI breathing down our necks at the Toonie for skin suit violations, now we'll need to implement a blood doping check.

Tabata intervals on the spin bike and row machine, and high rep minimal rest exercises targeting muscles you use riding.

Now how to get faster when you have kids and a demanding job, aka no time…

Also try out some bc cups, following those guys in practice is a real eye opener