Issue 7 - June/July 2015

No 7 | June/July 2015

Finding My Mountain Bike Groove | Flip the Switch to Beast Mode | Pump It Up! Micayla Gatto Talks Pump Tracks | The Attack Position | Getting the Most Out of Training | The Weird, the Wonderful and the Wacky: Sea Otter 2015

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A H D O I

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Cover: Julie Kozier at the BC Enduro Series in North Vancouver, BC Photo Credit: Gina Hopper Photography

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Contents

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FEATURED 7 14 18 34

Inspiration: Finding My Mountain Bike Groove Self-Awareness: Flip the Switch to Beast Mode Profile: Pump It Up! Micayla Gatto Talks Pump Tracks Reflection: Coping with Loss By Hitting the Trails

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Etiquette: We Could All Use More Friends Events: The Weird, The Wonderful and the Wacky: The 2015 Sea Otter Classic

COLUMNS 5 Publisher’s Note 5 Contributors 24 Tips: The Attack Position 30 Training: Making the Most Out of Training

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MOUNTAINBIKE

FORHER Publisher/editor Teresa Edgar teresa@mtb4her.com Contributing writers Jim Barron, Tracey Croke, Jaclyn Delacroix, Kat Glover, Michelle Lambert, Vanessa Marshak, Joh Rathbun Contributing Photographers Jim Barron, Tracey Croke, Kat Glover, Gina Hopper, Mark Jeffrey, Rick Lambert, Adrian Marcoux

Photography, Joh Rathbun, Suzie Thomas Account Manager Vanessa Marshak

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Mountain Bike for Her is published bi-monthly as a digital magazine. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author and may not represent the views of the publisher, advertisers, or sponsors.

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Contributors Jim Barron is a Level 2 Coach, Instructor and Guide and one of the most experienced coaches of female mountain bikers in the UK. He holds Mountain Bike Leader Association qualifications at the Trail Cycle Leader (TCL) level and at the highest level of guiding certification - Mountain Bike Leader (MBL). Jim volunteers his time to help youth development of mountain biking in conjunction with the Moray Council Active Schools Team, coaching skills to young riders of secondary school age. Jim is based in Elgin, Moray, Scotland and is the owner of Dirt Vixens.

Tracey Croke is a journalist and travel writer addicted to roughty-toughty adventures and exploring with her mountain bike.

Her quest for a good travel story has involved venturing into post-conflict Afghanistan to join a pioneering expedition across the Pamir Mountains, sleeping in a swag next to a croc-infested billabong and having her smalls rummaged through with the muzzle of a Kalashnikov. Find out more at traceycroke.com Facebook: TraceyCrokeWriter Twitter: @TraceyCroke Instagram: TraceyCroke Jaclyn Delacroix is a Professional Mountain Bike Coach, Internationally Certified Personal Trainer, and owner of Ozmosis Training where she is passionate about helping other people realise and achieve their goals. Jaclyn is actively involved in promoting women within the mountain biking community. She holds clinics for all level of riders, teaches bike maintenance, and has been energetically involved in trail building and maintenance within the Lower Mainland of British Columbia..

Kat Glover is a writer and photographer based out of Phoenix, Arizona. When she is not chasing after her two sons, Liam and Kellen, she can be found riding the trails on her mountain bike, affectionately dubbed Wonder Kitten. You can keep up with her adventures by following her blog, yourmamasallwrite.wordpress.com.

Michelle Lambert is a cycling obsessed resident of Southern California. She loves being outside, training, and exploring new trails. Michelle has been racing cross-country mountain bikes off and on, and five years ago she took up cyclocross as well.

Vanessa Marshak went on her first mountain bike ride four years ago, and has been enjoying all the ups and downs of riding ever since. When not on her bike, she’s probably making something delicious to eat on her ride, playing a guitar, or hanging out in her garden. But more than likely…she’s on a bike. She is STOKED to be a part of the Mountain Bike for Her team, and hopes to inspire and be inspired.

Joh Rathbun, owner of Ride On!, is a mountain bike coach and action sports writer currently based in Santa Cruz, California.

To stay uptodate on West Coast events, like her Facebook page.

Publisher’s Note

W

ith this issue, we embark on our second year of publication and we’re looking forward to the adventure!

Our writers are also getting more personal with us. Tracey Croke shares how mountain biking helps her maintain her mobility and Kat Glover reflects on how going for a ride helps her deal with imminent loss.

We also have another great article from Jim

Words by Teresa Edgar Barron on maintaining the attack/ready position to help us hone our skills!

Regular event coverage can be boring, so we decided to look for the weird, wonderful and wacky at the 2015 Sea Otter! And we found it...

Teresa Edgar Publisher P. 5 | Mountain Bike for Her

Inspiration

Racing in Thredbo Valley in Australia Mountain Bike for Her | P. 6

Finding My Mountain Bike Groove Words & Photos by Tracey Croke

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Taking on the 980km Mawson Trail self supported, which at that time was Australia’s longest marked off road bike track.

I

still pinch myself when I think about where two wheels have taken me. I never thought in a million years I would be mountain biking.

I’d only seen the extreme downhill stuff and the stunt-pulling superhuman launching from death-defying heights. I had no idea that there was a place in the sport for people like me.

My bike has taken me to some incredible places. Together we’ve travelled widely, climbed some of the worlds highest passes, ridden epic trails and ventured to remote corners of the planet. I often wonder if I would’ve had so much fun with my bike had I not been diagnosed with a degenerative disease at a young age that forced me to reassess my life and live for the day.

I’d just turned 17 when I first experienced a severe and debilitating pain in my spine and

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On top of the World: Holy Prayer flag batman - Did I just do that?

down my legs. This mysterious pain came and went for over a decade. Eventually, I was referred to a Rheumatologist who spotted the signs immediately. I’d just turned thirty and was living in the UK when I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis: commonly referred to as AS; sometimes shortened to Anky Spond; or (my particular favourite) Anky-what???

Anky-what is a progressive, inflammatory disease, that mainly affects the joints of the spine. The culprit is a malfunctioning immune system. There is no cure for Anky-what and it can eventually cause the spine to become rigid (known as bamboo spine) which has happened in my case.

This condition is particularly tricky as it often escapes tests in the early years, which means

One of the first two women to ride the single-tracks in the Simien mountains and summit Ras Dashen, Ethiopia’s highest peak.

Photo Credit: Tom Healey

there’s a delay in diagnosis. Subsequently, the correct treatment to slow the progression usually only starts when the joints show irreversible damage. Even today, the average onset to diagnosis period is still eight years. It’s the same story in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and the UK. The good news is that Anky-what is relieved by exercise and aggravated by rest. There’s always some level of pain to contend with whether I’m up a mountain or sitting on a sofa watching TV. Sitting actually exacerbates the condition and movement eases the pain, so getting hooked on reality TV shows is not in my best interest. I find there is always a bright side to these things.

Although it wasn’t fun having my twenties robbed by a debilitating, mystery illness, when

I found out what it was and how to deal with it, I thought, hmmmmm, I’d best crack on with all those “one day” dreams while I still can. With deterioration ahead of me, I drew up a wish list of a gizzilion things I wanted to do.

Some wishes on my list were small and would only take a few minutes, hours or days.

Other more ambitious dreams such as “I want to achieve a blackbelt” (tick), “take a sabbatical and travel the world” (tick), and ”space travel” (still to do), would take a tad longer.

Every now and then I pick up the list and take another look. I was about to enter my mumble, mumble decade on this planet when I though it was time to try something new. My specialist raised both his eyebrows at mountain biking.

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Having fun on the dicey Manali to Leh route in India.

Trying to avoid being swept off the edge.

Grinning descent in the Simiens, Ethiopia.

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recommend mountain biking,” he said. On top of that, my deteriorating spine had made my ribcage less flexible, which in turn reduced my lung capacity to around 70% of the norm - not conducive with an activity that requires sudden bursts of exertion.

Fortunately, over the years, I’d become an expert in justifying my dreams. I was determined to ride a mountain bike even if it was just on flat gravelly paths. In my mind it was a teeny-tiny toe dip into the mountain bike world. That’s when I discovered there was more to the spectrum of mountain biking than flying down rock faces in full-face helmets.

I met my friend Claire while studying martial arts. In that period I’d developed my fitness, discovered a new level of determination and the real meaning of perseverance. All that came in handy when Claire found out I’d bought a mountain bike. “Come out with me, we’ll start on the easy trails,” she said. There’s no harm in giving it a go, I thought, and we headed off to Wales.

I was really surprised where my knobby tires would go and how much the bike absorbed the knocks. Best of all, (once I was sensible) it didn’t aggravate the pain. Thanks to Claire’s encouragement and infectious enthusiasm, I was on the red trails by the end of the day. As for my lungs, I developed a knack of maintaining fast breathing for long periods.

The next thing I knew I was in a team with Claire signed up to the Snowdonia challenge in Wales which involved fifty miles of mountain biking, a hoof up and back down Mount Snowden and a paddle in a Canadian Canoe. We entered it for fun and camaraderie more than anything, but by the end of the race we were one of only two allgirl teams to cross the line. I’d spent eight hours on the go and realised a new level of endurance.

When I moved to Australia, the mountainbike-love continued with new mates who showed me the trails. Some would hang back so I could follow their wheel to learn the lines and others taught me the skills to get me up, down and over the technical stuff - as well as standing in the perfect spot to catch me when I got it wrong. Just like the UK, I found Australia’s mountain bike community full of encouragement and a pay-itforward mindset.

Rich experiences on remote routes. Helping to raise money for a new school roof in Northern Laos.

Line honours: With friends Claire (middle) and Karin, at the finish of my first bike event.

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In training for the Snowies Mountain Bike event.

Singletrack endurance training in New South Wales.

As much as I loved the local trails, it was when I put mountain-biking and travel together, the pinch-me moments really cranked up. The river of encouragement from a world-web of mountain bike friends (coupled at times with a little wine-fuelled courage) just kept flowing.

Do you fancy giving Australia’s longest off-road bike trail a crack? Why not! (Ching) Himalayan passes? Count me in! How about a pioneering expedition in Ethiopia? Pinch. Pinch. Pinch.

It’s not been easy by any means. I still have awful days. Those days can turn into a week or longer and I’ve questioned myself more times than I can remember - usually when I’m slogging up a trail in a remote corner of the world at high altitude feeling my reduced lung capacity and getting pinged off by ridiculously small rocks. In those chinstrap moments I allow the doubting demons to get in. They tell me I’ve been on borrowed time and it’s over. But there’s a support crew who say it’s not.

Anyone who has ridden the local trails or

those epic journeys with me, taught me a skill, tweaked my bike, or just shouted some words of encouragement as they passed me by - they have all played a part in keeping the demons away and helping me find my happy bike groove.

I still watch rad bike movies in awe of the superhumans who star in them. At the same time, I’m content to get my thrills in a different way.

The beauty of adventuring on a bike is that there are no medals for the fastest rider. The prize is the journey, the exploration, the unknown as much as the renowned, the education, the new friends and conversations, the immersion in culture and just getting out into the world - all doable for an average rider with a decent level of fitness if you can get on the bike day after day.

It’s surprising where a teeny-tiny toe dip on a gravelly path will lead. As a writer, it’s fuelled me with endless stories. As a person, it’s filled my soul. And after living with Anky-what for more years than I care to admit, I’ve created a whole new list - just for my bike groove.

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Happy finisher at the Snowies Mountain Bike Festival.

Four stages over two days including a 75km singletrack marathon.

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Self-Awareness

Flip the Switch to

BEAST MODE Words by Joh Rathbun

I

struggle up the vertical ramp, pushing my bike with my left hand while simultaneously pulling myself up on the railing with my right hand. The ramp is so steep that a kid reaches down to take my bike from me so that I can climb up to the platform with both hands. I’m reunited with my bike quickly. I then gulp and quiver in my Tevas, in front of me unfurls another vertical ramp towards the Camp of Champions airbag.

Over 6 feet tall, the ramp looms imposingly in front of the bag, and doubts assail me endlessly.

Taking a deep breath, I try to control my rapid heart rate, the near-palpitations of my 40year old heart beating against my ribcage.

“Come on, Old Lady, you’re holding up the line!” I look around, and realize that the ragamuffin is talking to me. I step aside, still negotiating the hyperventilation brought on by my daring. Choosing against jumping I stand to the side, and another comment is directed at me, “What are you afraid of?”

“What am I afraid of? Um, death, taxes, getting cheated on, so much…!” I gasp out the words, but talking calms me down.

My young buddy advises me, “Don’t think.

Just do it!” On that note, I’m back on the bike, committed, and I’m flowing down the

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ramp directly below me, hurtling towards that imposing vertical ramp.

Overriding my instinct to brake, I ride up the ramp, and I’m launched into the air. My body and bike are leaning forward, and I lawn-dart into the bag. I survive, albeit with a sore neck.

The great thing about an out-of-body experience (OBE) is seeing how one operates under duress.

And while I was having that OBE, this one asked herself, “what the heck is going on between the mind and body when confronted with a new, yet dangerous task? And why did my young buddy’s advice work?”

The advice is gold because thinking is done by our mammalian brain, but doing is the domain of the reptilian brain. Flipping the switch from mammalian to reptilian brain, one is relying on the brain stem to dictate physical behaviour, like the flight or fight mode. Therefore, one can consciously toggle between thinking and doing. Over-thinking in an adventure may have horrible consequences, and by learning to flip the switch from thinking to doing -- aka from mammalian to reptilian brain -- one will survive the adventure, and acquire a new skill in the process.

So what is the reptilian brain? The basal

Photo Credit: Suzie Thomas

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ganglia, the upper spinal cord, corpus striatum, globus pallidus and peripallida make up the reptilian brain. Regardless of what structures comprise the reptilian brain, it’s what these structures are responsible for that is so interesting. It’s responsible for controlling the autonomus nervous system. The autonomus nervous system is comprised of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.

The former is responsible for the flight-orfight response, while the latter is an inhibitory system, like lowering one’s heart rate.

The Center for Nonverbal Studies states that the reptilian brain is “the forebrain which evolved to enable reptilian body movements, mating rituals, and signature displays...Size displays as encoded, e.g., in boots, business suits, and hands-on-hips postures, have deep, neural roots in the reptilian forebrain, specifically, in” the basal ganglia.1 This means that it controls involuntary and instinctual movements, like both reflex arcs--think of your doctor knocking on your knee and your involuntary kick at her-and visceral functions which maintain function of organs. This part of the brain also controls Mountain Bike for Her | P. 16

aggression, which can be encoded in cultural cues like the aforementioned business suites, or the hands-on-hips pose. The function of this portion of the brain is survival.

Through evolution, the mammalian brain grew from the forebrain and includes the rest of the brain. The neocortex and subcortical neuronal groups--basically everything around the reptilian brain--comprise this portion of the brain. This portion of the brain is responsible for consciousness, and what we consider the civilized, or thinking portion of the human mind. Part of the function of this portion of the brain is rational thought and communication.

I consciously rely on my reptilian brain any time I am active. While I was horrified of jumping, I’ve learned how to do it safely, and correctly so well now that I can just “do it.” Consciously flipping the switch to beast mode may seem counterintuitive, but by silencing those voices in your head, aka the civilized mind, one is free to allow the body to learn a new movement. And this is how flipping the switch to beast mode may just make you a better mountain biker.

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Profile

Pump It Up! Micayla Gatto Talks Pump Tracks Words by Vanessa Marshak Photos supplied by Micayla Gatto

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T

he grass is trying to take over. Dandelions have populated the rollers and berms, but you can see still see tire tracks. One person rides this pump track year-round: Simon Toole is a farmer in Black Creek just outside of Courtenay, British Columbia. When he’s not picking his delicious strawberries, he’s probably moving some dirt or riding on it.

I had ridden the pump track and was amazed at how my skills improved immediately. I learned to look through corners, move my bike and use my legs and arms for momentum. I had a few crashes into the strawberry fields before I figured out the big bermy corners, but they were the most delicious crashes ever! Last year Simon’s lovely wife Heather gifted him with a Bobcat rental. That’s when things got serious.

He finished the rest of the pump track—although it’s always a work in progress—and we all came out to ride.

A medical issue had kept me off my bike for a couple of months. I missed it greatly: the exercise, the decompression of my brain—and

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my fork—and the social gathering of friends on bikes. On a sunny Sunday in July, I found myself being served a fresh glass of rhubarb lemonade and a home-cooked meal. Riders zipped by me, down the drop-in ramp, and over the first little tabletop. Behind me, organic strawberry fields warmed by the sun sent me the sweet smells of dessert. Aside from not being able to ride a bike, this was heaven. I chatted with everyone as they walked back up to the ramp—giving kudos and the like—and I was intermittently kept company by those who had to take a break…ask anyone, pump tracks are hard work!

I wasn’t on my bike, but I was happily submersed in a day of biking. The pump track is a playground for adults and kids, the social hub of many neighbourhoods, and a great place for skills improvement. In a conversation with Micayla Gatto, she agreed. “It has everything you need on a trail in one condensed circular space.” As a coach, she can see kids ride a corner over and over and with all the kids in one space she can work different skill sets at the same time.

Photo Credit: Patricio Soto “There’s a little bit of something for everyone… you can individualize it a little more.

It creates such a good sense of community and it’s an amazing way to see peoples skill sets and improve your own skill sets. It’s an awesome training tool for anyone from a complete beginner to a world class pro. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t ridden a pump track and said, ‘oh my gosh, that was so hard and so awesome at the same time’. It’s just such a useful tool to have and I think every single community should have one because it brings people together too; that’s what makes it fun.”

Agreed. If every neighbourhood had one, people would use them and benefit from them.

As Micayla said, it still seems that people will drive 5-hours to ride epic singletrack, but they won’t drive an hour to ride a pump track.

Simon’s pump track in Black Creek is only 15 minutes away, but I will often drive to ride some XC trails instead. If there was one down the street, I’d be there in the summer evenings for sure.

Micayla won the Les 2 Alpes Pump Track Challenge in 2014, that was the first year there was a separate women’s category and there was a surprisingly small group of women racing. I asked her why. “Women were lined up to ride”, she said, but “they just didn’t want a crowd watching them do it.”

Micayla—who just got out there and did it on a bike that was not even hers—said she could understand where the girls are coming from, referring to how difficult the pump track can be, especially for your first time. And although they are growing in popularity, not everyone has joined the party.

When asked where her favourite pump track is, I wasn’t surprised to hear her say, “ The Whistler Crankworx Pump Track is probably the best one…(it) is always immaculate and the berms are...vertical…and just the smoothest nicest ground ever.”

Sadly, it is only for the pros, and only during Crankworx, but there are other options in Whistler. There is the pump track in the bike P. 21 | Mountain Bike for Her

park, and rumour has it there is a gem near Alta Lake—I know where I’m going warm up on my next road trip to Whistler!

We may not see Micayla on the race circuit as much this year as she is not currently sponsored, but she is confident that this time off will allow her to really dive into her other passions. One passion is obvious when you speak with her.

“I just wanna let girls know that, ‘hey, it’s okay…you don’t have to be crazy…super manly… or really intense to like, ride a bike. I love getting dressed up and wearing makeup and

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I’m completely normal and I get scared shitless too…it’s okay.”

While trying to be more of a mentor for everyone to ride and feel good about themselves, Micayla will also be focusing on some of her own training as she starts going in the direction of Enduro. So although you may not see her on your local pump track this summer, she just may show up in a neighbourhood near you someday looking to inspire, ride the rollers, and get vertical on the berms.

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Tips

Photo Credit: Jim Vixens Mountain Bike for HerBarron/Dirt | P. 24

The Attack Position

Words & Photos by Jim Barron

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Basic Instinct The attack position is probably the most important riding technique you can have in your skills set and luckily it is a fairly easy one to develop. It is clichéd I know, but in this case the attack position really is your best means of defence.

Nearly every time I go out riding I see people out on the trails who spend almost the entire ride sitting down on their saddle, even over technical features and when approaching features that they are unsure of. I recently asked one of these riders why they stayed seated and the reply was that they felt safer seated when the trail was rough. I asked them to try riding in the attack position and showed them how. I bumped into them again later and they were grinning from ear to ear and couldn’t wait to tell me how much easier it had made the rest of their ride after they started using the attack position. What you want to develop is to instinctively adopt the attack position at the appropriate points.

What’s in a name?

The attack position is known by at least three additional titles! If you have had any coaching from a British/Scottish cycling trained coach, or ride with people who have, you may well hear it referred to as the “ready” position. In a later article you will also see me refer to it as position “2” and position “B”. What it is called is unimportant, however, it is how it will improve your riding that really counts.

Being able to be stationary without putting a foot down while out on your local trails, or even on the roads going to your local trails, lets you ride with more flow, confidence and control. There are loads of examples of when track standing can or should be used on the mountain bike, way more than when road biking or even cycling on a track, where the technique originated.

Attack, Attack, Attack When should you use this technique? Simple answer is almost every time that you are not pedalling. If you are approaching a rough part of the trail where you don’t need to pedal – attack position. Before any non-seated manoeuvre – attack position. Unsure where the trail is about Mountain Bike for Her | P. 26

to go – attack position. Although I much prefer the term “attack position” over “ready position” -- I think it is cooler and sums up how most of us want to ride -- the term “ready” is a good one as it gives and clue as to when to use the technique.

Basically, it is the position that allows you to be “ready” to employ any of the other skills you will need on the trail and for anything else that you are about to encounter on the trail.

Assume the Position Here it is in a nutshell: 1) Get your bum off the saddle 2) Look forward and well ahead 3) Long legs but with knees slightly bent 4) Drop your heels 5) Bend your elbows (it’s sooooo enduro) 6) Try to line your belly button up on the bottom bracket (the bit your cranks pass through) 7) Try to have a more or less level back (don’t worry if it’s not totally flat) 8) Drop your shoulders Bum, Bum Bum, Bum Bum It is important to get your bum off the saddle as it gives you better control of the bike. This is mainly because it allows the bike to move around underneath you largely without it transmitting this movement into your body. Why is this good?

Simple, you don’t get shaken up or spat off when it gets rough. You control the bike, not the other way round. We’ll cover more on this in a future article on “Cone of Movement”, but for now just picture a drawing pin stuck point up to your saddle whenever the trail gets rough, or you need to be ready for anything and keep that bum up.

Heads Up If my clients were to be polled on the advice I give them the most, it would undoubtedly be to keep their heads up and look forward. The attack position is no exception to this. It is the usual story that it allows you to read the trail better, etc. but even more than this is effects your centre of gravity on the bike and the way the bike reacts to obstacles on the trail; and more importantly, what happens to your body when your bike encounters these obstacles.

Note the position of the rider’s elbows and head.

Photo Credit: Jim Barron/Dirt Vixens P. 27 | Mountain Bike for Her

The rider’s belly button is over the bottom bracket, her heals are low, her back flat and she’s looking forward - perfect.

Photo Credit: Jim Barron/Dirt Vixens

Mommy Long Legs The most effective suspension on any mountain bike is your legs! You can have a hardtail or a 170mm enduro rig, but it holds true for both.

With your saddle dropped, it will provide most riders on correctly sized bikes with at least 300mm of travel – awesome isn’t it? Like all suspension you want to set it up with a little bit of sag, in this case with your knees being a little bit bent. You also want to get the most from this natural suspension, hence the long legs. This will give you your optimal range of movement.

No Stilettos on the Trail That’s right, I don’t want to see any high heels.

Drop those heels to improve your position.

Dropping the heels has loads of benefits, but please remember that if you are riding flats then use a shoe with sticky rubber or a good waffle sole as you don’t want shins as scarred as mine. By dropping your heel, you will improve your grip on the pedal, but more importantly, you reduce the risk of your foot being bounced off the pedal and forwards if you bike encounters a root, rock, Mountain Bike for Her | P. 28

or stray badger. In addition, dropping your heel lowers your centre of gravity, which in turn gives you greater control and stability.

It’s Sooooo Enduro Look at almost any photo of a top rider shredding the gnar -- online and in magazines -- and you will notice that they all have their elbows bent and out. The reasons are similar to those mentioned above for your legs with bent knees, but also again it allows the bike to move independently from your torso. But why elbows out and not back? You are stronger, and therefore, have more control with your elbows in this position. If you don’t believe me, try a simple experiment. See how many proper push-ups you can manage with your elbows bending out to the side, now give yourself a minute or two’s rest, then try to do the same number of push-ups “marine style” e.g. with your elbows tucked in and bending parallel with your torso. For most of you, the former way will be easier and you will achieve considerably more reps.

Belly Button Dancer We are beginning to get into the fine tuning of the technique now. If you are even only able to employ the tips I’ve given you above, it will greatly help your riding and confidence on the trail. However, if you really want to rip those trails then read on.

Getting your hips a bit further back than you may feel is normal will help you with your balance in this position and keep that all important centre of gravity over the correct part of the bike. You’ll tire less easily in this position, too, as you will be engaging your gluteus maximus muscles (yes, recurring theme here, it’s your bum again). Your glutes are a massively powerful set of muscles so rather than just carry them around for show, let’s make them work for you. The way to check if you are more or less in the correct position is your belly button should be more or less over the top of your bottom bracket.

The Finishing Touch So you’ve nailed the position and are ready to take it out on the trail and ride your bike like you stole it, but let me give you one final saying that I want you to repeat to yourself until a little voice in your head shouts back “I am!” That saying is “heavy feet, light hands”. This is one of the best pieces of advice I was given and I make no apology for passing it on. Having the best attack position in the world will count for nothing if you have a death grip on your handlebars, with most of your weight on your arms and your feet are floating.

To be honest, that should be almost impossible, anyway, if you have all the above points in place, but rather than try to remember if you’ve done everything I’ve suggested as you are doing warp speed down that piece of track you’ve always wanted to dominate. Just remember, “heavy feet, light hands” and you should more or less revert to the correct position.

Flat Back Attack The fine tuning continues with this point and it leads on from the immediately preceding point.

By keeping your back flat and more or less level -- within the realms of what is comfortable for you -- will ensure that your hips remain back and that your belly button over the bottom bracket. Don’t get your back straight by only lowering your shoulders try to bend forwards from your pelvis, but engage those abs to create a straightish line from the base of your neck right to the end of your coccyx (tail bone).

Shoulder to Boulder Try to drop your shoulders if you can. You should find this happens when you get your hips and back position right anyway, but many riders exhibit their nervousness on the bike through ridged and tense shoulders. Try to relax them and let them drop. This allows you to absorb more movement more quickly; it also gives a great range of movement. If your shoulders are relaxed and down, it should also allow your head to be in the correct position.

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Training

Getting the Most Out of Training Words by Jaclyn Delacroix

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P. 31 Credit: | Mountain Bike for Her Photo Mark Jeffrey

Photo Credit: Jaclyn Delacroix

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ace season is upon us! For those of us who like to race, regardless of if we do it for fun or if we do it competitively, one thing we all generally want to do is be a little bit better and get a little bit faster. Mountain bike racing can be a lot of fun so let’s explore a few ways to help you get faster now and in the future.

Off-Season Training Ok, so off-season training… This one seems obvious, yet it is amazing how many people choose to ignore it. I know that for many of you, winter means snow-sports, but winter should also mean gym training. Get on a program, lift weights, and generally make your body stronger to deal with next summer’s adventures.

Being that we’ve missed the boat on the offseason training, we’ll leave this topic where it is and talk about it in a few months’ time. I’m marking October 1st in my calendar to start my winter training program and you should, too, to remember this key part to being a faster racer next year.

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On-the-Bike Training I know what you’re thinking when I say on-thebike training. You’ll dust off your road bike and start riding hundreds of kilometres, giving up days that you’d prefer to be out mountain biking.

But let’s evaluate the type of race you plan on entering. Is it a road race? Then yes, you do need to ride lots on your road bike. Is it a mountain bike race? Since you’re reading this article, I’m assuming it probably is. How would you feel if I said that for the general population (i.e., the weekend warrior) who has to maximize their training efforts, spending hours on a road bike might not be the best of your time!

Sweet! So what should you do instead?

Intervals! Yeah, I know, I’ve talked about those before, but seriously, if you are strapped for time, throw in a couple of interval workouts either on a trainer or on your bike outside. Great, right? Now, what else? Look at the distance and elevation profile of your race. Here in the Pacific Northwest, most courses have a fair elevation gain: everything here tends to go straight up,

then straight back down. This is why I tend to move away from a lot of road bike training.

Switch it out and pedal your mountain bike up some fire roads! Or trails, if you are racing singletrack XC, then go climb singletrack as often as you can.

In a nutshell, train on your bike for the specific sort of racing you plan on doing. If you are doing long distance-low elevation races, then gear your general riding towards that. If you are doing hellish climbs to steep descents, then go out and ride like that!

Pre–Riding I was reminded of how important pre-riding a course was this past weekend. Even if you know the trails fairly well (and may have even ridden them recently), nothing is as effective for cutting precious race time as knowing your lines. If you have the ability and the time, then do the pre-ride! There are always a couple of moves that you may have forgotten, or lines that may have changed since you last rode the course. It will also cement the lines in your brain so on race day; you already know where you are going.

Post-Race Evaluation A step often forgotten when wanting to get better is taking the time after the race to review how you did. Ask yourself if there was anything you could have done to have a better run. If you really are just out there for fun, you may not feel the need to do this step. But for everyone else, whether racing for yourself or to snatch the top podium spot, run through the race in your head. Think about where you lost time and what you need to do to make it up at the next race. Adjust your plan accordingly.

Enjoy Yourself Your racing performance can be greatly improved by off-season training, on-the-bike training, pre-riding the course, and reviewing your efforts post-race. But don’t forget the most important part of racing: have fun out there and be safe!

Photo Credit: Jaclyn Delacroix P. 33 | Mountain Bike for Her

Reflection

Coping with Loss by Hitting the Trails (Dedicated to Patty)

Words & Photos by Kat Glover

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t least once a week, I assess the incline and wonder if today is the day I will pedal all the way up. Located about a minute from my home, the trail offers the ease of a quick ride while still promising a challenge in the form of varying terrains, fast curves, and lots of bumpy hills.

After the rides, I return home to my husband who asks me how it went. When I conquer a hill that was previously out of my expertise, I relay the experience with joy.

“I got the one with all the baby head rocks.”

“Finally made it up the one right before the fork.”

But there has been one hill that remained beyond my skill level- the one by the water tank.

When I first started riding, I was too scared to even attempt the hill. Preceded by a steep downhill sloping up to an incline, I would ride the brakes the entire way, never allowing myself to get up to my maximum speed for fear of losing control. As I got more comfortable on the bike, Mountain Bike for Her | P. 36

I stopped gripping my brakes, but I still couldn’t manage the hill. I talked with other riders, learning the finer points of shifting gears, hoping knowledge would be the key component. Still, I continued to lose steam, never quite being able to make it all the way to the top.

At one point, I thought perhaps I should just quit attempting it. Having ridden it countless times, it seemed like an act in futility. Don’t they always say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? But I couldn’t bring myself to at least not try. What if this ride was THE ride?

Yesterday, I started pedalling, thinking not of the hill, but of my grandmother. At 88-yearsold, she is succumbing to cancer. Upon hearing of the diagnosis initially, I responded with the arrogance of youth. She was old. She had lived a good life. She had to go sometime.

As I hear reports of her slipping away, I can’t believe how callous my response had been. She

is a human being. Pain does not recognize age or quality of life. She is suffering. I hate it, and can do nothing to stop it. All we can do it wait.

The cancer has entered her mind, causing her to become confused with day to day living. Some days, she doesn’t recognize her daughters. She forgets she is in a nursing home, and imagines herself in far off places- visiting me in Arizona, playing bingo with her sisters in Indiana. The days she is not in a fog are not necessarily more pleasant. The woman who took pride in living by herself is sad to realize she is no longer residing in her own home.

I talked with her on the phone, and a wave of relief washed over me when she recognized my greeting. Her voice sounded drained of life. Her normal exuberance was completely missing. But she knew who I was and I was happy with that. I asked if she got the card and photos I sent, and she said she did. She remarked on the pictures of my sons and how big they are getting. I hung up the phone content, thinking perhaps her condition was not as bad as I thought.

Two days later, the card I sent was returned to me in the mail. She had never received it. She had no idea what I was talking about.

I set out on the trail, with all of this information rolling around in my mind, combating my feelings of being helpless with momentum and movement. Her name circled through my mind, seeking a way to connect with her.

Patty, Patty.

Of course, she has no idea I am thinking of her. But perhaps, some bit of my energy passes her way. Using my body in ways she can no longer fathom, I honour the woman she is and was. She is the lady I remember tap dancing in her kitchen just over a year ago. She is the one who pulled me on a zip line repeatedly when I was a little girl because she knew it would illicit squeals of laughter.

She is a Christian. I suppose I am an agnosticI am not inclined towards labels. But regardless of faith, engaging in life is the best way to honour the gift that it is. As my legs pump, and I push myself further on the trail, I do it not just for myself but also for her. I’m racking up the experiences.

When I look back and reflect, I will take comfort in knowing I never gave up. I never turned my

back on an opportunity. I hope somewhere in her mind, even among the confusion, she is doing the same. Hopefully she is reliving past tales, not giving up on having new ones.

I got the hill yesterday. Perhaps all of the rides have accumulated into new strength in my legs, or a better comprehension of technical expertise. But it felt more like a gift; a token from the universe promising that she was with me. I whispered her name, wiped a tear, and continued on my ride. I had living to do, and no way to know for just how long.

I stepped onto my pedals and went to meet the next hill, taking Patty with me for the ride.

Market Place

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Etiquette

We Could All Use More Friends Words by Michelle Lambert Photos by Rick Lambert

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ountain bikers and other trail users have been known to have conflicts with each other, and I have had my own share of trail incidents. It seems like it may not occur to some trail users that from time-to-time we may need to rely on each other to get out of a sticky situation; and we may be surprised at how genuinely nice and helpful other trail users can be when a situation may arise.

A few days ago, I was planning my weekday mountain bike ride and I noted that it was going to be one of the hottest days of the year, so far.

Temperatures were expected to be in the 90’s, fairly high humidity, and very little wind. Yes, this was Los Angeles. I left my house around 10:00 am and cruised up the road that lead to the trails, a 20-minute trek. It starts quite flat and I was making good time, my legs felt fresh, and it was fairly warm already but not uncomfortable.

The last 1o minutes of the road section is an uphill and since I felt speedy I decided to push it up the climb. I picked up the pace, crested the top of the road climb, and hopped onto the singletrack trail to where the real fun begins. I pedalled half way down the trail when I suddenly noticed it was much warmer, but I thought it must be the white dirt reflecting the sun back at me. I kept up my pace; steadfastly climbing up the first rocky section of the trail I was on. I cranked it to the top, but it’s hard not to because it is quite rocky and steep. I steadily made my way across the park, noting the rise in temperature as I neared the access gate that leads to the next trailhead.

Sweat was dripping down into my eyes, stinging them, as I took a swig of warm water from my bottle.

I made my way to the main trail, which is a long, fire road climb with very little shade, and proceeded to spin up the first part of the climb.

I have done this trail numerous times, but today it felt more tedious than usual, and my legs felt heavy right from the start. I slowed down my pace but continued up the trail, still feeling not quite right. At this point I was thinking I should turn around, but I was on a ride and YES, it was blistering hot, but DAMMIT I was going to have an

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awesome time. I was not going to let the baking, hot conditions ruin my ride. I slowly made my way through the most arduous part of the climb, which consists of bumpy, hardened clay, a super steep grade in full sun. An exceedingly tiring part of the trail, it can quickly sap your strength and under these conditions, it was even more of a bitch. I finally made it to the downhill section, which was partly shaded, and found a welcoming cool breeze hitting me in the face, refreshing me momentarily. I zigzagged my way down to a right-hand corner at the bottom of the hill and shifted into an easier gear to navigate around the narrowest part of the trail, but when I started pedalling I got a really painful cramp in my left calf muscle. I shook it off and pedalled up the second part of the climb with the pain of the cramp still lingering. I took another swig of tepid water.

It was around 15 miles into my ride when I felt like I was starting to become affected by the heat. It felt stifling hot and with no breeze it was really stuffy. I should have turned around, but I told myself that I was almost to the next trail junction, just keep going. I slowed my pace down significantly and managed to teeter my way to the end of a climb, feeling even worse than I had a few minutes earlier. When I finally reached the junction, I decided to turn around and head for home rather than continue any further. Making my way back down the trail I started to feel lightheaded and dizzy so I tried to pick up the pace some, being careful not to crash. I knew I was going to have difficulties with the next couple of sections of the trail; there were two steep climbs I would have to do before I would reach the final flat section that lead to a long downhill. The two hill sections were more than I could handle. The first hill was at the bottom of a ravine, the lack of moving air caused a hot, stagnant feeling. It was here that I began to feel nauseous, and my leg muscles were burning. I shifted into my lowest gear and tried powering up the climb, but I just couldn’t make it so I got off my bike and started walking up the trail.

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A couple of minutes after I got off my bike I heard the sound of horse hooves clip-clopping up the trail, and the chatter of two women coming up behind me. My first thought was that I needed to pick up the pace so that I could beat them to the top of the climb. I walked a little quicker, but I felt weak and hot. I did manage to make it up the second hill before the horses reached me and that is where I stopped again to catch my breath. Boy, did I feel crappy. I leaned my head down to try and get rid of the dizzy feeling I was experiencing, but I then felt nauseous and thought about puking right there on the trail.

The horseback riders cruised toward me and I waved them to go ahead because I wanted to rest and cool down before continuing my trek back home. One of the women started asking me questions about the trails, but they could tell by my responses that something was wrong. I explained to them that I felt lightheaded and dizzy, so they told me I should go lay down in the shade and they would wait with me until I felt better. Turns out one of them was a nurse and she also had some very cold water in a bottle that she poured over my head and neck and, needless to say, the cold water felt so good running down my head and the back of my neck.

I felt bad about keeping them from their own ride, but they insisted that they weren’t going to leave until I was cooled off and safely back down the mountain. I rode one of their horses--which I hadn’t done since I was 8-years-old--while one of the horseback riders rode my bike back down to the trailhead. She said she had a blast being on a mountain bike! In addition, they gave me a lift back to my house because I wasn’t able to cool down enough to ride my bike home. With the temperature now peaking into the mid 90’s, and 10 more miles to go, the nurse was very adamant about me not continuing my ride. I was completely blown away by their kindness and generosity in helping out a mountain biker in a weakened state. Two very nice women on horses were there when I needed help, and they didn’t hesitate about cutting their ride short. I was very appreciative!

This ride taught me several lessons: First off, always respect the heat. If it feels too hot to ride, it probably is. Also, I did not leave early enough,

I was not properly hydrated, and I went way too hard at the start which caused me overheat even faster. I was not prepared for how hot it was going to actually be once I found myself way out on the trails, and I did not realize how quickly the heat can overtake you with little warning.

From now on I will try to be better prepared to deal with hot days and will not be so jaded about over-doing it in these conditions. I truly would have had a hard time making my way back, and thanks to the horseback riders, I was able to cool-off and recover without turning this day turn into an even more serious situation. I can tell you right now, when you are way out on the trails, becoming overwhelmed by heat, it is not a good feeling; and when you know that you are miles from your house, you start to panic.

This incident also opened my eyes to how important it is for all trail users to be courteous, friendly, and to respect each other because you never know when you may need to rely on another trail user to help you out of a bad situation. Because of this day, two horseback riders and a mountain biker are now friends.

Next time you are out on a ride and see a hiker or horseback rider coming, wave and say “hi” because we could all use more friends.

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Events

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The Weird, the Wonderful and the Wacky The 2015 Sea Otter Classic

Words by Joh Rathbun

A group of riders take part in the SRAM Gold Rusch Tour, one of the wonderful things about the Sea Otter Classic.

Photo Credit: Adrian Marcoux Photography

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Lindsey Voreis is incredibly inspiring and leads the life she preaches— ”Ride bikes. Be happy.”

Photo Credit: Adrian Marcoux Photography

Petal Power’s stickers: weird, yet, eye-catching at the same time.

Photo Credit: Joh Rathbun

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rawing over 10,000 athletes and 65,000 spectators, the Sea Otter Classic (SOC) was on the weekend of April 16-19th at the Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway in Salinas, California.

Now in its 14th year, the SOC has become the opening event for the mountain bike season.

Located inland from scenic Monterey, the SOC is an event that has withstood the test of time, and has mushroomed into the biggest cycling event on the West Coast.

Consisting of almost any type of bike event imaginable, they offer dual slalom, downhill, cross-country, group fun rides, kid’s rides, ladies’ lounge and, this year, the SOC topped it itself with a new event— the Gran Fondo—92 miles around the “scenic Carmel Valley and Monterey Peninsula.”

New products are rolled out, brews are ingested and folks are flamboyant in their dress and behaviour.

Pro downhiller Amanda Batty’s course walk for her Proving Possible campaign--only because the four women chosen to race the SOC DH at the first DH didn’t show up for the course walk with Amanda. If you had a chance to learn from one of the best, wouldn’t you? Weird!

The Wonderful Catching up with Ride SFO--a traveling bike shop based out of Potrero Hill—Ride SFO is over 10 years old and has given the Best Coast events like AT’s Showdown, The SF Bike Expo and the Red Bull Ride & Style. Check out their website http://www.ridesfo.net to stay up-to-date on their events!

The Weird The Gold Rusch Tour—with an all-star cast So much weird here, and that’s why we love the of MTB Mama’s that include Lindsey Voreis, Kat SOC. It’s like the Burning Man of the bike world. Sweet and many others, Rebecca Rusch hosted Mountain Bike for Her | P. 46

Even Sumo Wrestlers enjoy checking out Sea Otter!

Photo Credit: Joh Rathbun

both round table events and leisurely rides.

Lindsey is incredibly inspiring and leads the life she preaches—”Ride bikes. Be happy.”

Girls Rock out of Santa Cruz teamed up with Specialized Bicycles Components, and Olympic athlete Lea Davison was gracious enough to coach the beginners while the intermediate gals trooped around the fire roads.

and exchanging bawdy lines with Aaron was certainly wacky, but worth it.

Lastly, the wackiest thing I saw was a young friend of mine—16-years-old dressed as a Fox Girl. It breaks my heart to see her being valued for her beauty when she has so much more to offer. It undervalues her, and women on the whole. While she was happy to represent, I cried silently behind my sunglasses. Way to go Fox, The Wacky on minimizing women, and their contributions Consisting of almost any type of bike event the sport. There’s nothing wackier than imaginable, this year’s SOC topped it itself with undervaluing a person in this sport, regardless the Gran Fondo—92 miles around the “scenic of their sex.

Carmel Valley and Monterey Peninsula.” While there’s a 52-mile road ride and 24-mile mountain From the SOC website: bike ride, those 92 miles are placed firmly in the Future Sea Otter Classics are scheduled for the wackiness crown front and center. following dates: Meeting—and flirting shamelessly with— April 14-17, 2016 Aaron Chase. While waiting for Amanda Batty, April 20-23, 2017 Aaron Chase showed up with a small production April 19-22, 2018 crew to film for The World of Adventure. Meeting April 11-14, 2019 P. 47 | Mountain Bike for Her

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