Uphill sprint race prep...help!

trail jacker

Hi all,

I have entered an uphill sprint road race against road cyclists, which is in 2 weeks, which I will be doing on my mountain bike. My fitness level is quite good, but uphill sprinting isn't a speciality of mine...

Its a 1 mile sprint and a total ascent of 200 meters (so fairly steep!), I'm currently cycling most days and will be spinning a lot over the next couple of weeks.

My question is, what kind of supplements should I buy to help me train over the next fortnight? I was thinking of maybe some kind of protein powder after spins / rides and a carb supplement before each training session.

Any help / suggestions appreciated!

Jack

james-m-h

from my GCSE pe lessons i know that improvment wont be noticable in 2 weeks, however protien shakes would be a good idea after every race. as it is only a "short" race carboloading will not be needed as youll be working in your anerobic threshold where body doesnt use oxygen so baisically if your going to try and train in last 2 weeks fint the bigest god damn hill possible and blast up it until you taste something in your mouth and your legs are screamin at you. in the week before your race just spin the legs dont do anything too strenuoce as youll just be wasting valuable energy and good luck

trail jacker

Ha, yeah, 2 weeks isnt long I know. I was wondering if creatine would be worth a shot? Just to give me a bit of an edge over the lycra clad people!

trail jacker

...or this? http://on-one.co.uk/i/q/HNCNPPRET/cnp-pro-energy-tub

turnerjohn

suppliments....a road bike perhaps :shock:

hope you've at least fitted nice light thin slicks on the mtb ?

as for suppliments extra protein after the ride could help. Try to get an "all in one"...look at discountsuppliments.co.uk ...their pretty much the cheapest around...I use their own brand which is very good value.
Wouldn;t take additional carb (unless your doing over an hour full bore...TT speed) as your just add weight. Go easy on what you eat...count the calories...hill climbing is all about power to weight so ditch the fats and sweets and take good low GI carbs (where you can) should help you get properly re-charged. Dont forget the "magic" 30mins after exersise is the most important refuel time

trail jacker

Ha nope, Schwalbe rocket rons pumped up to popping point! I know im not going to win, but if i can come ahead of a fair few roadies I'll be chuffed!

Im going to head to holland and barratts tomorrow and see what they have got. Should I be avoiding creating etc then?

turnerjohn

trail jacker wrote:

Ha nope, Schwalbe rocket rons pumped up to popping point! I know im not going to win, but if i can come ahead of a fair few roadies I'll be chuffed!

Im going to head to holland and barratts tomorrow and see what they have got. Should I be avoiding creating etc then?

NO ! I tried Holland and Barretts and the stuff is rubbish....protein stuff is terrible (gave me massive stomache problems) the the energy drink did the same thing....you really do get what you pay for ! High 5 or SIS are well worth the little extra. !

Your going to have to be epically fit to beet anyone on a road bike...sorry !

trail jacker

something like this? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=17057

turnerjohn

I use http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=4208

and http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=17059

but like I said you dont really need additional carbs as the event is so short

try this after a workout and you should be sorted [/url]http://www.discount-supplements.co.uk/sports-supplements-protein-whey-protein-blends-optimum-health-ultimate-one-2-2kg[url][/url][/quote]

trail jacker

If I dont need additional carbs though, shouldnt I just focus on protein shakes etc?

ollie51

james-m-h wrote:

from my GCSE pe lessons i know that improvment wont be noticable in 2 weeks, however protien shakes would be a good idea after every race. as it is only a "short" race carboloading will not be needed as youll be working in your anerobic threshold where body doesnt use oxygen

So you can hold your breath for 5 mimutes?

It's a myth that you don't use oxygen when working anaerobically, you're merely demanding more oxygen than your body can provide.

Carb loading in my opinion is only really beneficial if you're doing events in excess of an 2-3 hours. However what you eat is very relevant, especially if you're working anaerobically as you can't run off of fat whilst using this particular 'engine'. About an hour prior to the race drink 500ml of the energy drink linked above (nb not the caffeine one), and then about a 10 mins before take an energy gel. It's also worth getting High 5 recovery drink but I'd use it for after training and after events but if this is a one off don't bother.

turnerjohn

The 'all in one' is perfect straight after...carbs with protein glutimane and key nutiants for refuel and recovery.
Like I said OD on carbs and your put on weight.
The event is very short so your muscles and glycogen stores will have plenty in reserve for at least an hours worth !

trail jacker

Yeah, I just quite want to improve my uphill sprinting as a whole, the race is just uber motivation to do it. I am the quickest up hills in my club, just the sprinting aspect is going to be tough, especially a mile of it. Im sure the adrenaline of raceday will help though.

Just ordered the 'all in one' stuff, and a few energy gels to have just before the sprint! Will let you know how it all goes!

Cheers for all the advice everyone!

njee20

There's chuff all you can do.

Taking on masses of protein shakes is likely to make you gain weight unless you're doing loads of training. Your pride in trying to do it on a mountain bike is an epic disadvantage, assuming you never ride on the road you will not be nearly as fit as you think you are and you will likely get an absolute kicking!

Enjoy it :-)

StorckSpeed

I wouldn't bother with creatine this close to an event.
There's a 5 day loading period before you notice the benefits of creatine.
Creatine CAN have some side effects too:
These include increased weight due to the increased water retention in your muscles. (Increased weight won't help your climbing).
Another side effect is muscle cramps which won't help your climbing either.

With only 2 weeks before your event, you'll have a 5 day loading period before you'll know if you have any side effects, by which time it will be too late as the creatine will remain in your muscles for some time afterwards.

Just PLF up the hill as fast as you can, Good Luck.

james-m-h

ollie51 wrote:

james-m-h wrote:

from my GCSE pe lessons i know that improvment wont be noticable in 2 weeks, however protien shakes would be a good idea after every race. as it is only a "short" race carboloading will not be needed as youll be working in your anerobic threshold where body doesnt use oxygen

So you can hold your breath for 5 mimutes?

It's a myth that you don't use oxygen when working anaerobically, you're merely demanding more oxygen than your body can provide.

Carb loading in my opinion is only really beneficial if you're doing events in excess of an 2-3 hours. However what you eat is very relevant, especially if you're working anaerobically as you can't run off of fat whilst using this particular 'engine'. About an hour prior to the race drink 500ml of the energy drink linked above (nb not the caffeine one), and then about a 10 mins before take an energy gel. It's also worth getting High 5 recovery drink but I'd use it for after training and after events but if this is a one off don't bother.

darn my pe 100% was wrong then

njee20

However what you eat is very relevant, especially if you're working anaerobically as you can't run off of fat whilst using this particular 'engine'. About an hour prior to the race drink 500ml of the energy drink linked above (nb not the caffeine one), and then about a 10 mins before take an energy gel. It's also worth getting High 5 recovery drink but I'd use it for after training and after events but if this is a one off don't bother

Going back to this... I would use the caffeinated energy drink, caffeine being a stimulant and ideal for such events.

As it's only going to be 10 minutes or so you really don't need to worry too much about 'carb loading' you're best off eating something fairly light so you're not feeling too stuffed. The energy drink/gel combo in the hour before is good advice though.

Take anything off your bike you don't need too. I mean anything. Proper hill-climb bikes will be singlespeed fixies with bullhorns and one brake (as you have to have one). The additional amount of weight you'll be carrying on an MTB is significant already, so ditch saddle bags, pumps etc if you want to make the most of your kit.[/quote]

trail jacker

Yeah I don't have any of that kind of stuff on my bike anyway.
A mate is lending me a couple of semil slicks so that will help.

Would a lucozade sports drink with caffeine be the best energy drink to have beforehand then? Or just a redbull (since its only going to be a quick burst of a race)?

ollie51

njee20 wrote:

However what you eat is very relevant, especially if you're working anaerobically as you can't run off of fat whilst using this particular 'engine'. About an hour prior to the race drink 500ml of the energy drink linked above (nb not the caffeine one), and then about a 10 mins before take an energy gel. It's also worth getting High 5 recovery drink but I'd use it for after training and after events but if this is a one off don't bother

Going back to this... I would use the caffeinated energy drink, caffeine being a stimulant and ideal for such events.

[/quote]

The only reason I said not to use the caffeinated one is that I know of a lot of people who haven't been able to stomach it. But yeah it could be advantageous.

ollie51

james-m-h wrote:

ollie51 wrote:

james-m-h wrote:

from my GCSE pe lessons i know that improvment wont be noticable in 2 weeks, however protien shakes would be a good idea after every race. as it is only a "short" race carboloading will not be needed as youll be working in your anerobic threshold where body doesnt use oxygen

So you can hold your breath for 5 mimutes?

It's a myth that you don't use oxygen when working anaerobically, you're merely demanding more oxygen than your body can provide.

Carb loading in my opinion is only really beneficial if you're doing events in excess of an 2-3 hours. However what you eat is very relevant, especially if you're working anaerobically as you can't run off of fat whilst using this particular 'engine'. About an hour prior to the race drink 500ml of the energy drink linked above (nb not the caffeine one), and then about a 10 mins before take an energy gel. It's also worth getting High 5 recovery drink but I'd use it for after training and after events but if this is a one off don't bother.

darn my pe 100% was wrong then

I did GCSE Pe and decided not to bother carrying it at A level and found GCSE to be very, very basic and very general, the stuff they teach you isn't wrong, but it's not right if you catch my drift.

james-m-h

ollie51 wrote:

james-m-h wrote:

ollie51 wrote:

james-m-h wrote:

from my GCSE pe lessons i know that improvment wont be noticable in 2 weeks, however protien shakes would be a good idea after every race. as it is only a "short" race carboloading will not be needed as youll be working in your anerobic threshold where body doesnt use oxygen

So you can hold your breath for 5 mimutes?

It's a myth that you don't use oxygen when working anaerobically, you're merely demanding more oxygen than your body can provide.

Carb loading in my opinion is only really beneficial if you're doing events in excess of an 2-3 hours. However what you eat is very relevant, especially if you're working anaerobically as you can't run off of fat whilst using this particular 'engine'. About an hour prior to the race drink 500ml of the energy drink linked above (nb not the caffeine one), and then about a 10 mins before take an energy gel. It's also worth getting High 5 recovery drink but I'd use it for after training and after events but if this is a one off don't bother.

darn my pe 100% was wrong then

I did GCSE Pe and decided not to bother carrying it at A level and found GCSE to be very, very basic and very general, the stuff they teach you isn't wrong, but it's not right if you catch my drift.

yeah i understand and what you saod does make sense

njee20

Would a lucozade sports drink with caffeine be the best energy drink to have beforehand then? Or just a redbull (since its only going to be a quick burst of a race)?

Oh dear! Neither, get a proper sports drink, like Torq, High 5, SiS etc. Saying that... If you're not making a habit of this and you won't use it again a Lucozade will probably be almost as effective.

If its 600ft of climbing don't underestimate how long that'll take. It's not going to be 2 minutes.

trail jacker

Yeah, I'm aiming for around the 5.30 - 6 minute mark. Been spinning hard everyday for the last week and I'm pretty happy with my fitness level, I'll pick up some Torq stuff in town later.

Cheers for all the advice!

njee20

Have you been riding up any hills? That really is about the best practice... the hill in question ideally!

rock_hopper

Forget the supplements. If I was you I would be doing balls out hill intervals lasting 3-5 minutes. When I say balls out I mean as hard as you can go, hyperventilating, hanging over your bars at the end almost vomiting hard, X as many as you can handle, wait a day or two until your recovered then do it again. Take it easy 2-3 days before the event.

trail jacker

Well the hill in question is somewhere in Derbyshire, and I'm at uni in Newcastle, which is flatter than a pancake. I have been using an exercise bike in my gym on max resistance and sprinting in mile bursts, then spinning until I get my breath back, then repeating.

Will be going to the biggest hill I know of in the area (about 4 miles away) on thursday to sprint it a few times.

A mate of mine did the hill climb race last year and said the hill is very steep to start with, but then less so towards the third / half mile mark, and he said people were going too fast up the first bit and were knackered by the less steep bit, so I'm gonna try and take it easy on the first bit then sprint the flatter bit as its probably the best way to do it, especially on an mtb!

rock_hopper

Hill climb races are hideous!! Ive done a few and they are one of the most intense races you can do. Go hard to start with but hold back slightly so that you can really push on to the top. Good luck.

njee20

Is this the BUCS hill climb then? Or are you doing the national championships... If its the former you get all sorts of people on all sorts of bikes. If its the latter (surely not?) you're about to look very silly!

blablablacksheep

rock_hopper wrote:

Forget the supplements. If I was you I would be doing balls out hill intervals lasting 3-5 minutes. When I say balls out I mean as hard as you can go, hyperventilating, hanging over your bars at the end almost vomiting hard, X as many as you can handle, wait a day or two until your recovered then do it again. Take it easy 2-3 days before the event.

i wouldnt recommend this to be honest, going balls out isnt a training aid and more likely you going to pick up a injury by not training properly.

Before the race have a proper warm-up as with short sharp shocks to the body are the worse kind .

A good warm-up will help "lube" those joints and muscles before the race, so at least 10mins pluss dynamic stretching so should take around 20-30mins pre-race.

Do you need to drink, no not really, but during the day before and hours before make sure your piss ant yellow

Recovery drinks are meh, cold choc with milk is just as good without costing a ton.

gl with it

trail jacker

Thanks for all the replies and advice everyone.

As promised I thought I'd let you know how I got on...

Turned out I was one of 3 mountain bikers on mtb's doing it, the other 157 were roadies. I placed 128th, ahead of the other mtb'ers and 29 roadies. Pretty happy, I was never going to win! Definitely one of the hardest races I have ever done, but I would do it again (and maybe use a road bike!!).

Managed not to vomit when I reached the top, although I couldn't move for about 10 minutes!

njee20

Only 143 starters, so you only beat 15 ;-)

Well done though. It's reasonable that a road bike would gain you a minute, which would have put you just outside the top 100.