I think I might have finally found the intensity I need for the starts. Tonight I went out to Stahl's Lake (only local trail in Hutchinson) to practice some starts. In the races so far this year the starts have been my biggest weakness. I just can't seem to get off the line quick enough and keep pace with the front runners (or even mid pack expert riders).
There is a nice section of double track XC ski trail at Stahl's Lake that forms a loop exactly 1 mile in length. The section is almost ideal for starts because it contains a combination of sweeping and tight turns, a few short relatively steep ups and downs, and is a typical length for the prologues.
There is a nice section of double track XC ski trail at Stahl's Lake that forms a loop exactly 1 mile in length. The section is almost ideal for starts because it contains a combination of sweeping and tight turns, a few short relatively steep ups and downs, and is a typical length for the prologues.
I make an imaginary line next to a tree and perform a countdown from 10. When I hit GO, I drill it hard for the first 100 m before taking a hard left turn to a downhill section continuing to push it through the climb on the east side of the park. As I crest the top of the hill and head down I crank hard to get enough momentum to clear the next rise and push of the saddle to clear the left hand climb towards the field. This all takes about 45 seconds to a minute before I settle into race pace for the remainder of the loop which lasts a little over 4 minutes. Near the end of the loop the trail raises slightly before exiting out into the gravel parking lot where I push hard to the finish.
Tonight I performed 4 separate starts with a 5 minutes spin on the inner XC trail. The first start was very uncomfortable, with both the legs and lungs screaming after the initial jump. The second felt a little better than the first, but I managed to lower my time slightly by smoothing out a few sections and maintaining momentum up and over the climbs. The third run was much like the second, but will a little less discomfort. I could tell that by the end of the third start I was getting a little tire, but I met up with Andrea in the parking lot and we decided to go out together for one last start. We lined up together and I counted down to GO! Andrea had a little trouble getting started but quickly got back on pace. I pushed as hard as I could through the first section and out into the field but my pace started to slow. I stood up a couple of time to get the legs to turn over and maintain my speed. I finally had that strange feeling in my lungs, it is hard to explain, but the last time I had that feeling was at the start of the Spirit Mountain race last year, which I went on to finish 4th overall. I managed to finish the lap in 4:10 slightly slower than the previous 2 but not bad. Andrea came charging through in 5 minutes, Great Job!
Times
1 4:11
2 4:06
3 4:06
4 4:10
Tonight I performed 4 separate starts with a 5 minutes spin on the inner XC trail. The first start was very uncomfortable, with both the legs and lungs screaming after the initial jump. The second felt a little better than the first, but I managed to lower my time slightly by smoothing out a few sections and maintaining momentum up and over the climbs. The third run was much like the second, but will a little less discomfort. I could tell that by the end of the third start I was getting a little tire, but I met up with Andrea in the parking lot and we decided to go out together for one last start. We lined up together and I counted down to GO! Andrea had a little trouble getting started but quickly got back on pace. I pushed as hard as I could through the first section and out into the field but my pace started to slow. I stood up a couple of time to get the legs to turn over and maintain my speed. I finally had that strange feeling in my lungs, it is hard to explain, but the last time I had that feeling was at the start of the Spirit Mountain race last year, which I went on to finish 4th overall. I managed to finish the lap in 4:10 slightly slower than the previous 2 but not bad. Andrea came charging through in 5 minutes, Great Job!
Times
1 4:11
2 4:06
3 4:06
4 4:10
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