Hi Kathy,

I saw that there was a ton of mud at the USGPCX race in New Jersey this weekend. How do you go about riding that stuff? Or do you? What do you do to get through it?

Yes, there was a ton of mud this weekend at the race!! Strategy for getting through the mud played a big part in the race so having and developing one before the race was imperative.

There are two options for getting through the mud: Ride it or run it. Based on the course lay out and what your strengths and weaknesses were you need to decide what you are going to do remembering that the course would likely change lap after lap. So what you decide to do on one lap may change on the next!

Once you decide whether you are going to ride it or run it, you then need to figure out how you are going to execute that.

If running is your choice method, you need to figure out if it is faster to suitcase the bike or to shoulder it. You also need to figure out where to get off your bike with out loosing too much momentum so you can make clean and quick transition from riding to running. You donʼt want to get off the bike after youʼve come to a stop!! If you can get off the bike before you come to a complete stop you will keep your momentum which is ideal.

If you decide you are going to try and ride the mud there are few things you can do to get through it depending on the length of the mud pit and how much power you have left in those legs of yours. As you are approaching the mud pit section here are some helpful tips for getting through it on your bike:

1. Get up to maximum speed before you hit the mud

2. Pick a good line thatʼs already exists in the mud

3. Go into it hard

4. Keep your head up

5. Look ahead to where you want to go

6. Lean back

7. Maintain and hold your momentum as long as you can!!!

Good luck out there!

Kathy Sherwin
Velo Bella - Kona Elite Cyclocross Team

Hi Kathy-

I just bought a heart rate monitor and have never used one before. Do you have one and do you use it at all during your races or other times?


Answer: I do have a heart rate monitor. I started using one when I first got into training and racing; and I continue to use one on a daily basis.

I use it in my races as well, but I do not use it to gauge my effort. I use it to track time so that I can determine when I need to feed on the bike. I have both the time and the heart rate displayed on my monitor during a race because it doesnʼt bother me to see my pulse. That said, you do have to be careful when using a monitor during your race because there can be disadvantages to seeing your heart rate! For instance if you look down in the middle of your race and see your pulse, and you feel like it should be lower than it is, it can really mess with your head. When I see my heart rate during my races I am not affected at all by the number, so I donʼt mind when itʼs displayed in addition to the time during my race, which is why I do that now. But it wasnʼt always like that for me! Things only changed when I got comfortable with myself as an athlete along with my abilities.

Something to keep in mind if you donʼt want to see the heart rate is to simply cover that part up with a heavy tape so that you can ONLY see the time (if that is what you are after).

See you out there!

Kathy Sherwin
Velo Bella - Kona Elite Cyclocross Team

“Silly Season” is upon the mtb world in a big way right now. What am I talking about? I am talking about the time of the year that all the teams and all the athletes start hunting for, negotiating, and securing contracts for next year’s MTB season. Switching teams, looking for better contracts, and/or trying to find the proper fit for athlete’s goals is the name of the game right now.

No doubt about it; it is tough out there, meaning that in the world of mountain bike racing there are not a lot of doors opening. Given the state of our country’s financial crisis, this is to be expected as marketing dollars are usually the first to be slashed. Most of the MTB world saw it coming but that it doesn’t make it any easier. That means you won’t find too many teams expanding their current sponsorship programs to support an athlete’s endeavors to crawl up on the podium in 09, but there are still opportunities out there!

It has always been equally tough for both men and women to get sponsorship, but this year is exceptionally challenging. The good news is that, surprisingly, sponsorship is still out there on many levels from grassroots to pro. In order to find sponsorship you always need to be actively looking, listening and reacting, so that nothing slips through the cracks. Here are some tips for finding the best sponsor for your next MTB season:


1.Determine your objectives, goals and needs:

· Will you be competing at a few single events or full time?

· Are you looking for a team sponsorship or individual sponsorship?

· Do you need product; and if so what exactly?

· Do you need money? If so set a budget.


2.Have a race resume including:

· Introduction

· Race results (past 2 years)

· Achievements and awards

· Tentative race schedule

· Media (photos, magazine and newspaper articles, video, etc.)


3.Make a contact list for all products and/or teams you are interested in endorsing to include:

· Web address

· Contact name (this may take some sleuthing)

· Physical address

· Phone number

· Email address


4.Make that first initial contact (via phone, email, website, snail mail)

· You will want to contact the marketing managers for your favorite companies.

· Team managers will be your best bet for teams.

· And don’t forget your local bike shops!


5. Follow up! Follow up! Follow up!


Good luck next year. See you out there!

Kathy Sherwin
Velo Bella – Kona Elite Cyclocross Team

Hi Kathy,

Do you keep a training diary? I heard that it might be a good idea but I don’t know. Can it really help?

I do keep a daily training diary. Having a training log is a great way to have all your training data at your fingertips so that you can follow your progress, see trends, and document how your body is responding to your daily training. It can even help you redefine your goals through the season.

I keep mine on an excel spreadsheet so that I can find things easily when I need information at a moments notice. It is also easier and faster to get that information to my coach or other interested parties.

You can get really in depth with a training diary, recording everything from your resting heart rate all the way to what you ate that day. What you document will depend on how much time you have and/or how much time you want to give to recording. Obviously, the more you want to record on a daily basis the more time consuming it will be; but it is worth it!

Here are some of the things I document on a daily basis:

Workout – specifically what I did
Duration – in time
Weather – temperature, windy, sunny
What the ride was like - climbing, flats, dirt roads, trails
How I felt – good, bad
General Comments – got a flat tire, severe winds

You can also record things such as your nutrition, power, sleep, fatigue levels, stress, soreness, resting heart rate, weight, race results, workout rating, average heart rate, average power, zones you were in, distance, route, % body fat, weight before and after workouts, any cross training, etc.

As you can see there are tons of things to document if you want to spend time doing it. You will find that as you do, there is a core amount that you need to be recording but the other stuff may help you find trends in your training too. Some things will be more helpful to you than others, and you need to just decide as you go along what factors are really important to you.

Good luck!

Kathy Sherwin
Velo Bella – Kona Elite Cyclocross Team

Hi Kathy,

Do you pre-ride the Cyclocross courses that you will be racing? If you do, when do you do that so that it doesn’t mess up your training.

Good question. Yes I always pre-ride the cyclocross course that I am going to race on. Ideally, I pre-ride the day before the race if the course is set up. But unfortunately the courses aren’t always set up and ready on Friday which means pre-riding will need to take place the day of the race.

Riding the day before the race is ideal because it allows you to really think about tire selection, pressure selection, and practicing all the run ups, barriers and technical sections at speed. It is a good time to get to know the various course corners and practice them along with figuring out other tricky sections. Getting in at least a few laps in on course is imperative so that you can really dial things in - where you want to get off your bike, figuring out when it's faster to run your bike, how you are going to carry your bike, etc.

Most of the time the cross courses will be set up and available to ride on race day sometime before your race. But the challenge comes when you are trying to accomplish pre-riding in between all the other races that are going on before yours. It makes it tough to get that pre-ride in when there are only 15 minutes in between races so you must plan well.

What can make things even more interesting is if you throw some mud and muck into the equation (what are the chance of that in cross!). Now you really need to plan out your race day wisely because you don’t want to be on course preriding during the 15 min prior to YOUR race start. If you do that, then you will have a muddy bike to start your race with!! Obviously pre-riding on race day is doable if the conditions are dry or if you have a lending hand at the line to swap bikes with you right before race start if it’s muddy. But even then, that dirty bike will need to be washed and ready to go, heaven forbid you need it on that first lap!

Bottom line is to try to get your pre-ride in the day before and if you can’t, then know the race schedule for the next day and plan wisely!!

Good luck!

Kathy Sherwin
Velo Bella – Kona Elite Cyclocross Team

Hi Kathy -



Do you have a favorite chain lube that you use for Cyclocross and muddy conditions?





Bicycle chain lube can improve shifting, reduce noise and increase the life of the chain by preventing corrosion. I do have a favorite chain lube for cyclocross (among mtb and road racing) but everyone will have different ideas on which is the best. For really wet conditions I love the Dumonde Tech Original Formula because it repels mud like a dream and for dry and dusty conditions I love the Dumonde Tech Lite Formula because the dust doesn’t stick to the chain. But if you just go in to any reputable bike shop and get whatever lube they have for the conditions you will be riding in, that will be ample.



It is amazing how important using the right chain lube can be in certain conditions and you want to make sure you are using the right lube for the right conditions otherwise things can get interesting. Lube can be a lot of money per ounce but the bottle will last you forever if you do things right and don’t over lube. Here are the steps for lubing your chain:



1. Clean and dry your chain.



2. Place bike in an area that can get dirty or simply lay down some rags under the chain.



3. Either place the bike up against something where the pedals can turn freely OR pinch the bikes rear tire in between your legs to hold it up.



4. Use your bike lube and apply it to the part of the chain that touches the gears as you simultaneously spin the pedal backwards with your other hand.



5. Apply sparingly. Once you have applied a thin coating to the entire chain (one rotation through), stop lubing.



6. In order to wipe of the excess off get a rag and grab the OUTER parts of the chain gently with the rag while spinning the pedal backwards with your other hand until the outer surface of the chain appears dry.



There is no need to reapply until you begin to hear your chain. Sound, is the best indicator if you need to relube your chain.





Kathy Sherwin

Velo Bella – Kona Elite Cyclocross Team

Now that Cyclocross season is coming up do you start incorporating running into your daily routine? What do you do for it?

Thanks,

Kary

Hi Kary,

Yes, I do start running during this time of the year, but not daily. We all know that cyclocross incorporates running at full speed after dismounting your bike for a run up and/or barriers. And although you may not win a race with superior running skills, it is possible to lose the race without them. That is why it is best to get some running miles in before your first cyclocross race of the season.

For most cyclists who donʼt have too much running under their belt, I recommend starting very easily and slowly. That can be a hard concept to grab for most of us but you need to go easy on yourself while your body adapts to the new routine and new stresses of a completely different sport.

To get started I would recommend a very easy 15-20 minute run on the flats twice a week. Start with walking for 10 minutes as a warm up first and then doing your run following that. Do this until you are no longer getting sore a day or two later which may take some time. As you get stronger you can start finding hills to run up for 15-20 minutes (after warming up). Once you are comfortable with doing that, you can increase your intensity by doing 15-30 second running intervals with 3-4 minutes of recovery in between. You can decrease recovery time as your running fitness increases as well to make things even harder. And as always, remember to stretch after you are all done with your running workouts too!

See you out there!

Kathy Sherwin
SoBe/ Cannondale Mountain Bike Team