Adrienne Schneider

There are days when even the top athletes in the world wake up feeling sluggish. But their “pre-race/pre-game” routines help pull them into the right mental state regardless of how they feel.

The most important part of any task is starting. If you can’t get motivated in the beginning, then you’ll find that motivation often comes after starting. That’s why your pre-workout routine needs to be incredibly easy to start. Before I ride my bike, my routine starts by filling up my camelback or water bottle. So easy I can’t say “no”. So next time you don’t feel like working out, you can simply tell yourself, “fill up the water bottle”. Your only goal is to start the routine and then continue from there. Having the courage to start is more important than succeeding because the people who routinely get started, are the only ones who can end up finishing anything. Are you willing to start?

It may officially be ski season here (7 or so Tahoe resorts are open as of Thanksgiving Day), but mountain biking conditions are currently AMAZING.   As a result, I’ve spent more time on dirt than snow this holiday weekend.  I’ve spent a majority of the time in Reno at the local dirt jumps.  After multiple sessions I heading out to the DH trails of Tahoe (12-inch or less wide single tracks on very steep wet slopes, with unavoidable obstacles; obstacles consisting of log jams, snowy roots, steep drops, jumps, and berms … a mixed bag of expert downhill features) when I realized that the Pumptrack and Dual Slalom Course reinforced a ton of skills.

Riding a Dual Slalom course or a pump track will teach you a number of critical skills that can benefit you in tangible ways out on the singletrack:

1.     It teaches you how to pump the terrain to gain speed.

2.     It teaches you how to ride berms and improve cornering.

3.     It teaches you how to maintain momentum in order to ride as fast as possible.

4.     It helps you learn how to look several steps ahead of where you’re riding.

5.     It creates a playful bike-handling demeanor, allowing you to see interesting lines on the trail that might not be so obvious.

6.     It provides an intense full-body workout in a very short amount of time.

7.     It’s tons of fun!

The Sea Otter downhill course is very different from most. It requires a lot of pedaling and it doesn’t have any real technical sections. Racers who have a stronger pedaling background have a real chance to beat more technically skilled (Tahoe) riders in Monterey. Bike and tire choice is also a factor, with a lot of riders choosing cross-country tires and trail bikes and over more traditional long-travel downhill bikes. There are a lot of big jumps at the top so jumping skills definitely help. But overall, fitness is what wins the Sea Otter downhill.  While I admit that the Sea Otter course doesn’t suit my strengths, I had fun, and have already booked my ticket/lodging to the next World Cup DH in Fort William, Scotland (to do the next 3 races in the circuit this season). The weather was hot and sunny, much better than Sea Otters of the past, so the expo was slammed with cyclists of all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities. As a cyclist, it’s hard to feel more at home than when you’re surrounded by bikes, gadgets, and thousands of other people who all share the same interest. Until next time, stay safe and keep on riding and thanks for all your support.

The first World Cup of the 2012 season has already taken place at Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, where local hero (and 5 times Fort William winner) Greg Minnaar sent the home crowd wild, with a blistering “last down the mountain” run that squeezed out 2012 World Cup overall Champion Aaron Gwinn (USA). Gee Atherton was first male Brit in 4th place with Steve Peat 15th. Reigning World Champion Danny Hart had a fall and came in 41st.

The women’s race was won by Tracey Hannah (AUS), whose brother Mick was 3rd in the men’s competition, with Junior World Champion Manon Carpenter top GBR rider in 2nd place and 4X World Champion silver medallist Fionn Griffiths in 12th.

There’s one more downhill World Cup in Val di Sole (2-3 June) before the teams head north for the Fort William showdown (I am so excited to be racing that course, whoop whoop, Fort William here I come).