Is this too much for a first proper season's racing?

Ronstanson

I've put together my race calendar for this year-

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n163 ... lendar.jpg

I've raced in the past, but usually no more than about 5 or 6 races a year. This year I've decided to step up my game a bit. I've been training since September.

It looks a lot to me- it's not nearly as much as my mate Oli, but he's been racing for a couple of years and does VERY well. I, on the other hand, have always done average.

My training's pretty good- running, lots of road miles, gym sessions etc.- but I'm still worried that I'll over do it. I'm not out to win- I won't. I am out to do my best, though, and while I'm not good enough to do anything other than ride for my LBS, I don't want to disapoint myself by going off to hard and blowing up at the end of the season.

Just wondering if it's too much, and what I should cut down on? The challenges look an obvious choice, but I won't miss them. I know the NPS isn't on there- I decided to not make it a priority and go for it and the SXC in 2009 instead of all these Enduros.

dhxcme

probably, depends on what time you have round it

rock_hopper

Ron,

Thats quite a busy race schedule, especially as you have a lot of long endurance races in there. I would say the key to not blowing up mid-season is keeping the intensity easy in the winter and slowly building to a peak. Do you train for 2-3 weeks then have a rest week? This is important as it allows your body to compensate for the training you have been doing. It also gives you a mental break from your training. During this week try and get a sports massage and do lots of stretching. You can also spin the bike for 20 minutes 2-3 times in that week for active recovery. You really need to listen to your body when training and racing as it will tell you if the schedule is too much. Make sure you get sufficient rest before and after races and dont overdo the training, all that racing will bring you into good form. I notice that you have 3 weeks in August without weekend races, use these weeks to go back to some easy riding, keep training but without as much intensity, your body will thank you.

I have only raced XC for 2 years and have learnt that the demands placed on the body are massive and if I could only offer one piece of advice to someone it would be look after your body. I hope this is of some use to you.

Dilker

I would suggest the answer is yes. The only way that might be usable as a schedule is if you enter some purely for training purposes.