Open MTB coaching day recap here!

Coach Lynda hosts our monthly open MTB coaching day on the first Thursday of each month on our LW Coaching Facebook page “like” our FB page and join in the chat with Coach Lynda next month on Thursday Sept 1st.

Kathryn Salix: Hi Lynda ! These monthly open coach days are great! Question for this month: I am doing the 100 mile MTB PR plan. On Fridays you have hill sprints and weights. If I have a race on Saturday should I do the hill sprints or opt for an easier ride?

Coach Lynda: Kathryn, Thanks for the nice words about these open coaching days. I enjoy being able to connect with everybody! Thanks for posting. The questions are great feedback for me and help me improve my training plans.

If your Saturday race is short and low priority, stick to the plan. If the race is over 3 hours or performance is important to you, drop the weights and sprints and do the session found on week #12 day 6 in your plan in its place.

Michael Taglio: Coach. How would you train an older athlete, differently for Mountain bike racing?

Coach Lynda: Michael, define “older” please. I have many athletes 40 – 50 yrs following my Masters 40+ training plans. I also have a few athletes 70+ training for USA Cycling MTB Nationals coming up. 40 yrs and 75 yrs are different as is 21 yrs old.

Michael Taglio: 74 on my next birthday. Just raced Marathon Mountain Bike Nationals. Always tired.

Coach Lynda: First off you have my admiration for still racing at 70+ and are an inspiration too. I hope to still be hammering on my bike in my 70’s. So awesome. How did Marathon Nationals go for you?

Recovery is your biggest issue. Older athletes do not process protein with the efficiency of younger athletes so need a higher amount of protein in their diet. You also burn fewer calories per day than younger athletes thus need to have a very nutrient dense diet to fit the minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients needed into your calorie budget. Sleep can be tougher to come by for older athletes but is more important than ever.

As far as training goes, it is just like calories – the optimal amount your body responds to is lower so you have to be diligent about what training you pick to go into that energy budget. Doing too much and getting over-trained is really difficult to return from when you are over 70. You have to pick high priority training and drop the junk miles. You can’t afford junk miles.

Periodize your training. Focus on strength training in non-racing periods and then reduce or give it up completely in the racing blocks to focus on riding. Limit your longer rides to leave more in your energy budget for speed training and higher intensity. One longer ride every 3 weeks is plenty and only of you are training for a longer event such as Marathon Nationals.

One enormous advantage most 70+ athletes have is time and location freedom. Travelling and living in optimal training locations is often an option. A couple of my 70+ guys training for XC Nats at 8 – 9,000 feet in Mammoth, CA have been up there acclimatizing and riding the course for 3 weeks already! I know you have some good competition if you are going to that race!

Michael Taglio: Coach thanks. I finished Nationals (3rd), but know I am capable to do better. I am making all the mistakes you gave mentioned. Am good friends with Carey Lowery. Would like to discuss training with you.

Coach Lynda: Michael Taglio send me a note lynda@lwcoaching.com and we can set up a consulting session

Steven Pulito: Lynda – love your plans and it’s wonderful that you do these open sessions and are so responsive on your forum. Thanks in advance for all the great coaching advice! First question: I’m on the 50 Mile Mountain Bike Race – Personal Record Plan and with my main focus the Butte 50 on July 30th. However, on June 18th (Sat of week 6) is the Missoula XC and for the purposes of local glory if it’s possible I wouldn’t mind being fresh for the race as long as it’s not too disruptive to training. The race is about 9.3 miles and 4,101 ft and pretty technical by my standards. My default is that I’ll just stick to the plan and I estimate that for better or worse I’ll have TSB of -17 on race day. Any suggestions for altering the training plan pre or post event?

Coach Lynda: To put in a mini peak for this event, only do one set of intervals on day 2 and do a short recovery ride on day 4.

Steven Pulito: Lynda – and now the part where I pepper you with questions 🙂 Thank you for your time! In the final taper of the 50 Mile Mountain Bike Race – Personal Record Plan, what TSB would you be aiming for on race day?

Coach Lynda: 20-25

Steven Pulito: With regards to the 50 Mile Mountain Bike Race – Personal Record Plan. Here in Missoula we have a wed night race league that I incorporate for training purposes. I’m not particularly concerned about being overly rested for each race, I just want to make sure I’m fitting it into my training plan smartly. The races are 60-90 minutes. Should I just do the race instead of the planned ride, is racing a bad idea, is there a type of workout on another day in the week I should be swapping the wed ride for? For example in week 5 (my next opportunity to race) wed is MTB advanced skills – should I swap that with the VO2 Max intervals or something else or rijgger the week completely to try to match the workouts/rest structure?

Coach Lynda: In weeks 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 do the Wed race and drop the day 4 workout.

Steven Pulito: Lynda – I do most of my training with a power meter and track in TrainingPeaks. However, especially during a recovery week I was considering on a Sunday taking my big bike to Silver Mtn Resort and practicing my descending skills and just having an all-around good time 🙂 Any suggestions on how to estimate my TSS score for the day. My legs and body definitely get worked a bit – but I won’t be doing any climbing – not sure if just relying on the TrainingPeaks est TSS based on HR data is valid or not…. think that’s my last question for the day – thanks again so much for being such a valuable resource!

Coach Lynda: Taking your big bike to Silver Mtn Resort and practicing your descending skills and just having an all-around good time sounds awesome! Your PMC choices are to rely on the hrTSS in TrainingPeaks or put in an estimated TSS based on your time and intensity. Eye-ball them both then enter your best guesstimate.

Thanks for joining in open coaching day! Sounds like you are having a great time training and racing.

Jon Livengood: Hi Lynda, I have a question about multi-day bikepacking race training….do you feel its important to add in high intensity intervals (above threshold) into training for multi-day events? Or stick to threshold and below efforts (since that is more similar to how one would race these types of events)?

Coach Lynda: Jon, Great question. Yes, it is important to add high intensity training to prepare for bikepacking events. The top 2 reasons for this are: (1) It increases your fitness and the pace you can maintain at endurance intensity. (2) It increases fatigue resilience so you can absorb the many small power spikes found in bikepacking courses without blowing up or cramping.

LaJuan Kelley: Lynda- I’m on the SS XC plan… during week 5 I hit a bit of a snag in training due to work. Instead of going straight into week 6, I started on week 5, where I had left off. Week 5 Day 7, a low priority race is scheduled (which actually works, there is a race this weekend June 4). Having done this, I am now a week off for my “A” race July 14th. What week should I bump out or combine in order to be back on track? Thank you so much for your time and help

Coach Lynda: LaJuan, miss out week #6 moving forward to pull your peak back onto the target date.

Mark Roknich: Lynda, perhaps I, and your other customers, would benefit if you would weigh in on the philosophy behind your training plans? It might be logical for some to assume….that increasing ride length with longer and tougher rides, each and every week, building to 10 hours, to 11, to 12, to still longer rides…building endurance….”logically” one might assume that a rider accustomed to 12 hours in the saddle could then excel at a 9-hour race. But WHY instead is it better to train with intervals of only a few minutes at a time, on shorter 1-3 hour rides, and 4-5 hour weekly “endurance” rides…HOW do the legs develop the ability to hammer for 10 hours in a race after training for 12 weeks at only 10-15 hours per WEEK? How does it all work, based upon your knowledge and experience?

Coach Lynda: Training specifically and accurately for a race is crucial for optimal performance which is exactly why I have over 30 different training plans available. If your goal is to finish an event, then your “just ride longer” training philosophy will work ok. You will find more of this focus in my “Finisher” training plans than “PR” plans. For athletes training to increase their performance beyond previous levels, simply riding more does not do it. My “Personal Record” training plans add variety and also target specific physiological systems like VO2max and threshold to increase performance with the least amount of training load. Every athlete has a ceiling on the training load (or TSS in power metrics) they can adapt to on a weekly basis. Spending that TSS budget to produce the maximum performance gains is why you find short intervals and race pace 4-5 hour rides in a training plan. The performance benefits are greatly enhanced compared to spending all of your weekly TSS budget on one long slow ride. Also, rides under 6 hours build fitness and rides over 6 hour spend fitness. By the time you have recovered adequately from a single ride over 6 hours in duration you have actually lost fitness (or CTL in power metrics). Training is for building fitness and racing is for spending fitness. Too many long rides in training spend fitness and reduce performance.

Brittany Mixon: Any tips or recommendations for getting back to cycling after child-birth?

Coach Lynda: Brittany, my first tip is to take your time and heal properly from child-birth before getting back on a bike. It took me 6 weeks to feel healed enough to sit on a saddle! It is likely you will need a new wider saddle too. Giving birth tends to make our hips wider. Once you are ready to ride, focus on short rides at first and build up the ride frequency first with 1-2 rides per week building up to 4-5 rider per week. Once you are comfy at 4-5 rides of 30-60 minutes per week, add duration to one ride building it up to 2 hours long. From there add some higher intensity into 1-2 of your shorter rides. Also gradually add in stretching, strength training and core work.

Laina Ziecker Hamilton:  Hello! My question is about races leading up to an A race. Is it better to pace the efforts and use them more in lieu of a training ride or better to actually “race”?

Coach Lynda:  Laina, it really depends on race distances, timing relative to your peak race and your recovery/fatigue status.

Laina Ziecker Hamilton: A race is a hundie coming up 4 weeks from this Sat. I did a 65 mile race last Sat but I did not push myself as much as I could have if I didn’t have a big race coming up. There are a couple of 6 hour races coming up on 14 May & 21 May. I’d like to do one of them. Maybe both. The hundie is 4 June.

Coach Lynda:  Laina, I recommend choosing the May 14th 6-hour race only and racing it pushing yourself as much as you can. Then follow it up with a rest week, not another race.

Laina Ziecker Hamilton: Got it thx!

Kristin Moyer: Is it possible to combine the Masters XC with the Masters 50 mile PR plan? I’m currently at the beginning of week 6 of the Masters 50 mile PR plan. The XC races I did last year using the 50 mile PR (which I raced on July 4th) plan were kind of flat and slow. Once I got past the 50 mile race and went to the XC plan, I got a lot faster and felt so much better during the XC races. The 50 mile race is the most important to me, so I don’t want to overdo it or blow up in the middle of the training plan. But just curious if there is a way to combine XC and 50 mile PR plans.

Coach Lynda: Kristin, combining plans gets messy and usually results in lower performances. I recommend choosing one and sticking to it.

Sandy Margulies: If I am training for DH and super D races, how often should I take a rest day generally? I lifted all winter, but should I continue to lift now that I am riding much more? Thanks.

Coach Lynda: Sandy, take at least 1 rest day per week. Definitely continue to lift but drop the frequency to 1-2 times per week and focus on maintenance rather that building in the gym.

Sandy Margulies: Great. Thanks. : )

Kathryn Salix: Hi Lynda, I am going to be doing Leadville 100.I was thinking of doing the Breckenridge race July 16th to get some miles in at race pace. Would you recommend doing a full 100 before Leadville or a little bit shorter to save the legs?

Coach Lynda:  Kathryn, Breck 68 is a great distance. I do not recommend the full 100 at Breck.

Kathryn Salix:  Thanks! ?

Kristin Moyer: Is it possible to do a 50 mile race in HRZ 4? I’m racing either the Firecracker 50/July 4 or the Silver Rush/July 9 (depending on business travel). Both have relatively slow average speeds, so probably at least 5 ½ hours for me. My goal is to podium. I ask because I just finished day 6 and day 7/week 5 (Masters 50 Mile PR). I was careful not to go into HRZ 4 very much for the 3 hour ride on day 6. But, I unfortunately had to go from that training ride directly into the car for 2 hours – my legs seized up and felt terrible. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to maintain HRZ 2-3 for the 5 hour ride for day 7. But for the 5 hour/HRZ 2-3 ride, my legs kept giving anyway (despite feeling terrible) and I was able to ride HRZ 3 the entire time (other than downhills and a few concentration lapses). I’m sure looking forward to the week 6 rest, but this got me to thinking… I know you don’t want to go out to hard for the 50 milers or you blow up. But is it possible to train in a way to stay in HRZ 4 for a 50-miler? Anything different to do from a training perspective? My next question may be related to this.

Coach Lynda:  Kristin, if you have the type of stomach that can process and digest fuel when your HR is in zone 4 you can. If you can’t eat or drink in zone 4 you have to keep your HR down.

JoAnna Gracie Woodruff:  Do you have any advice for climbing steep hills?

Coach Lynda:  JoAnna, pedal hard and keep your weight forward to maintain traction on your rear tire. Stand up if there is good traction.

Coach Lynda: JoAnna, look on the ground and put your tires on the line with best traction. If you are losing traction stay seated and pedal gently in smooth circles. If you are losing traction all the time look at putting new tires on your bike with more tread and dropping your tire pressure.

Paul von Boeck: Is your recommended race day warm up for XC any different from the race day warm up in the 50 miler PR plan? What do you like for an opener workout the day before a race and do you have a different workout for XC vs a 50 miler.

Coach Lynda: Paul, the warm up for a 50 miler is the same as XC unless it is a hot day, then miss out the L5 and L4 intervals. The opener workout the day before is similar and ideally on the race course. The difference is you only preview a section of the race course with a 50 miler rather than being able to practice an entire lap as with most XC events.

Nathan Berg: I’m getting ready for my second Vapor Trail 125, what sort of key workouts should I be making sure are part of my weekly training? Also what is your perspective on ketogenic adaptation (beta hydroxybutyrate) for fueling endurance racing?

Coach Lynda: Nathan, to train effectively for Vapor Trail 125 a variety of workouts should be in your schedule including core work, night riding, hike-a-bike, VO2max, threshold and of course endurance with fueling practice.

Coach Lynda: Nathan, Ketogenic is really hard to do during endurance training. It is hard to be strict enough to get it right. Done right it can work for some individuals. Done wrong it will make you gain weight and be tired all of the time. Do your research, learn how to accurately implement the food plan and give yourself at least 4 months before race day to adapt. Adapt in time to do your highest volume training block Keto. I am not a fan of endurance training in ketogenisis.

Wendi Shearer: Hey Lynda! This is a great idea – thanks for offering it to the masses. 🙂 I realize saddle time is what training is all about, but if you have the desire to train for endurance but don’t have the flexibility to ride every day due to work travel, full work days, kiddos, etc., are there alternatives that can get you ready for long rides/bikepacking?

Coach Lynda: Wendi – that is a great question and one I get asked often. The best thing you can do is make sure you have a professional bike fit so you don’t create any injuries when you do bust out a big bikepacking weekend. Core work, yoga and stretching are also of great value to stay strong and aligned on very long rides. So, getting your bike fit and body balanced and healthy are 2 big factors you can take care of that don’t require saddle time. For saddle time you want a good variety in your schedule from 30 sec intervals to long endurance rides. One long ride every 3 weeks is enough to support the occasional bikepacking trip if bike fit and body health are on point. Short weekly sessions should be varied but the biggest bang for your buck is the steady tempo ride in power L3. 30 mins non-stop in power L3 is a big fitness builder for time-crunched athletes.

Arnold Haffner: I have a coach whom is very knowledgeable, has taken my performance to a level I know I couldn’t reach on my own and most importantly listens to my opinions in regards to thoughts on what I should be working on in consideration to the grand scheme. He’s a dedicated road cyclist and is still learning the finer points to mountain bike specific training in consideration to its demand. What training tips/workouts would you give towards balancing both on the road and on the mountain bike training in regards to power demands/recovery etc etc?

Coach Lynda: The biggest differences in road vs MTB training are the skills and bike set-up components. There is more to setting up a MTB from bike fit to suspension tuning that will affect your ride than a road bike. Skills need to be added into a MTB training plan and many of the workouts should be done on trails. Developing skills at race pace for example. While the power files don’t look as pretty from a trail ride the training is more specific to your event demands.

JC Massey: Hi Lynda! What are your favorite recovery methods. Especially for time crunched athletes!

Coach Lynda: JC, These: Tools to Speed Recovery #1 is nutrition and #2 is sleep.

Kate Gates: I’m unsure how to prep for the always glorious “lady days” on bikepacking trips 3-4 weeks in length. When weight, space and lack of a change of clothes are big factors – do you have any tips as to how to handle this issue?

Coach Lynda: That is a real question I do get asked often. Part of the reason for this is high volume training for a bikepacking event can prevent or delay menstruation. Then, as the body rests during a taper, menstruation is likely to start. In a nutshell, training properly for a bikepacking race can change your cycle schedule and bring on your period at the start of the race. This is SO annoying!! For a 3-4 week trip it is pretty inevitable. Tampons, wet wipes, ibuprofen and plastic zip lock bags are the most common option so sorry I don’t have any magic. All other options are messy. Lack of washing water and hygiene are usually significant factors. These things do take space but at least they are light weight. If it is really an issue you can see your Dr for a prescription to prevent menstruation all-together but these drugs have other side-effects to manage that can be problematic for some ladies.

Kate Gates: Thank you! Those were the answers I had come up with but thought there might be some tidbits of magic floating out there somewhere. Hygiene is my biggest fear. Something like a UTI or yeast infection could bring a quick halt to plans so I’ll just be extra careful and religious about cleaning.

Lynne Slivovsky: Hi coach! I’m training for the Smoke n Fire 400 in September and am hoping to knock some time off from last year by getting to altitude earlier. But, I have a scuba course for work that runs 1.5-4 weeks before the race. I’m planning my last big mileage weekend 4.5 weeks before the race which is right before the class starts. I can’t ride much at all during the week while diving. What type of rides would you recommend on the weekends to keep my fitness up? And would you recommend something bigger for the weekend after the class finishes, 1.5 weeks out from race start? Thanks!

Coach Lynda: Lynne, that is challenging timing. On the weekends I recommend doing one shorter higher intensity ride and one longer endurance ride loaded with your bikepacking race weight. Arriving at the start rested is more advantageous than getting in more miles only 1.5 weeks out so keep the volume down that weekend.

Lynne Slivovsky: Yes, rough timing for sure. It’s only offered once a year and hard to get into. So this year it is. Thanks for the advice!! You’re the best! 🙂

James Hartrich: I’m supplementing with glutamine and citrulline. I know supplements aren’t a replacement for rest. What impact on recovery could be reasonably expected with these supplements? I’m riding mtb 4 weekdays, Mon-Thurs, climbing 2500 feet over 15 miles per ride. Sat-Sun mtb rides are approximately 4000 feet of climbing over 35 miles per ride. My objective is to improve speed and strength without burning out.

Coach Lynda: Glutamine and citrulline will have a positive effect on your recovery but are minor factors compared to maintaining excellent daily nutrition and getting enough sleep. Review this doc to see if you can add more recovery techniques to your schedule //lwcoaching.com/tools-to-speed-recovery/

Dave Byers: Hi Coach! I am continually trying to perfect my fueling while training. Do you have any links to current articles that speak to specific carbohydrate requirements based on body weight, duration and intensity?

Coach Lynda: Carbohydrate – The Facts

Stefanie Wilmert: What advice would you have for a menopausal woman for training for endurance racing. I think I’m out for XC now since it seems I just can’t compete at that level anymore but want to continue racing.

Coach Lynda: Stefanie, add some strength training, don’t do too many long rides and keep up the high intensity. Sleep lots and take care of your recovery. Eat clean and keep your body weight in-check.

Wendy Engelberg: Hi Lynda! I’m riding 4 times a week and race cross-country and a few enduro’s here and there. I work full-time and run GGR as well, so I am stretched to the max when it comes to time. To cross train a wee bit, what would be the most beneficial to my riding that does not require much time? Do I go the yoga route for flexibility or do I weight train for more strength? Thank you!

Coach Lynda: Hi Wendy! You are a dynamo! GGR is such a great organization. Unless you have extremely poor flexibility I recommend adding weight training to your schedule. Twice per week of a short duration, efficient weight session will go a long way towards boosting your muscle mass, metabolism and injury resistance. Add this in during a non-racing period as your legs will be trashed during the adaption phase and it will affect your riding negatively for a while. Other things I would recommend adding to your routine that will benefit your riding are 8 hours of sleep per night, lots of vegetables and fruit and quality protein in your diet and 10 mins of meditation per day. Everything unravels without the support of sleep and quality nutrition.

Wendy Engelberg: Thank you so much for being specific, this is what I needed 2 know and when 2 add it in. Thank you!

Carey Lowery: I am in Week 5 of 40+ Masters 100-mile personal record training plan. On August 20, I am racing a 6 hour. There is a 12-hour option at this race. Would that suit me better, considering I have a 100-mile race coming up on September 24? Or should I stick with just racing the 6 hour?

Coach Lynda: Carey, stick with the 6 hour to focus on building fitness and endurance. The 12 hour would spend it and set you back.

John Twitchell: Thanks Lynda, I am having some issues on training. I trained really hard for Crusher in the Tushar and now I find myself fatigued from over training. What would you recommend for someone to do to back to having full energy and training 5 days a week again. I backed off to just 2 days a week for the last 3 and when I ride I don’t have a lot of energy that I had working up to Crusher. Thanks

Coach Lynda: John, not recovering from a race is a tough issue to solve and needs lots of research to pin point your cause and solution. First look at blood work to see if you have a hormonal issue (thyroid, testosterone, adrenal) or infection (mono) or deficiency (Vit D and Iron). Then look at key recovery factors. The top 2 are sleep and stress. With only 2 days/week for 3 weeks you should have recovered from Crusher in the Tushar unless those 2 days were very intense or long. Diet is another key area to examine to ensure you are fulfilling required protein, calorie, vitamin and mineral requirements. A daily calorie deficit is the fastest way to over-training I know.

Wyll Oz: Coach Lynda Wallenfels! I did Andalusia Bike Race this last Feb with my team-mate, like U know this is multi-day day race (6 day) we finished 13 overall (master 40) not bad for me! considering it is a very high competitive level plus it was my first competition of this kind. My question is: with how much time In advance I have to train for that kind of races? What is too much or less train for that? THX in advance My respects for U.

Coach Lynda: Wyll, Congrats on such a great finish! Start training today for any goal! The more time you have to train for an event the better prepared you can be. If the event is over a year away focus should be on rehabbing any injuries, eliminating any weaknesses and getting to an ideal body composition. With 29 weeks to 2017 Andalucía Bike Race you should be strength training and base training right now.

Heidi Volpe: If you are sleeping on the floor of a bike shop prior to a race ( shuttle cars are leaving about 3:30 am ) What time does one need to get to bed and what are the small things to do for a good night sleep? I brought a blow up pillow, have some herbal tea and will try to bank sleep prior to go time. I know sleep early, but I don’t want to use sleep aids. All ears! Thank you!

Coach Lynda: Heidi, first thing I would do is look hard for a different option as this is a sub-optimal situation… I’d rather sleep alone in my car. Next, know that banking sleep up to race day works and it has been shown that poor sleep for one night, the night before an event is really common and will not have significant impact on your race if you got good rest the 5 prior nights. Other than that, take a mask for your eyes and ear plugs and anything else you can to be comfy like a pillow, blanket and sleeping pad. Falling asleep at 8 pm would be ideal. Good luck!!

Jon Livengood: What are your thoughts on training at threshold? I’m seeing more and more that polarized training is the way to go and training at threshold is less effective. I race 100+ mile and bike packing races and probably only have 12 hrs a week to train. I’m thinking mentally, it would be good to experience long intervals, but what physically is the best for training?

Coach Lynda: John, Threshold training is a key element in performance development for ALL distances of racing. How important it is for you depends on your race goals and abilities but definitely have “some” threshold training in your plan or you are missing out on incredible benefits.

Daniel Pineda: Hi coach Lynda, I have a chronic power loss and fading problem on my XC racing, it’s not about bonking and nutrition (I guess and hope so) but rather physical and muscular. I always start well on my first lap but then I gradually start loosing time on the next laps to end up loosing about 10 minutes… For example my last race on Sunday:
Lap 1: 34:50 172bpm
Lap 2: 39.16 173bpm +4:06
Lap 3: 41.38. 170bpm +6:28

As you can see, i ended loosing 10:34 taking as reference Lap 1. My LTHR is set at 173bpm for now, and my long rides are no more than 3:30 hours long.

What can I do in my training to overcome this issue? Thank you

Coach Lynda: Daniel, you specifically need to work on endurance at race pace. A good training session for this is 3 x 30 mins at race pace with 10-15 min recovery after each interval. Another strategy for you to implement immediately is more conservative pacing on lap 1. In this example ride, lap 1 in 36-37 mins to save gas in the tank for lap 3.

Anna Guthrie: I get to be a ride leader this year. I personally am entirely motivated by competition. Tips for how to motivate people who aren’t motivated by competition? And then how to motivate people who hit a slump from training too hard?

Coach Lynda: Anna, who are you leading? Are you asking about motivating yourself or you motivating others?

Anna Guthrie: I get to help with the high school team and jr hs team, so motivating others. I only know how to motivate with competition. Some people that doesn’t work on, apparently, so that’s the question.

Coach Lynda: Anna, motivate these riders by teaching them how to be more skilled riders rather than telling them just to pedal harder. Learning simple things like cornering faster is exciting and motivating. Feeling themselves improve is motivating. Pushing some kids before they are ready will have the opposite reaction in them. You are exactly right about competition being motivating and some kids need to get the first NICA race under their belt to light their internal motivator. Self-lit internal motivators always work better than ones a coach has to keep a fire under. Teach everyone to love riding, teach them to ride better. Be patient with them and let them find their fire in their own ways and own time. Some never will and if they are learning skills and enjoying riding that is still a big win. Tell them about your love for racing and infect them with your excitement. To motivate kids you have to come at it from an entirely different angle other than just making them work harder uphill until they feel pukey. Build their stoke while being patient with their fitness development and ensure they are enjoying their time on the bike and at practice.