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#21 ·
Crankout said:
It's your 1st race, 286, so you're in it to learn and have some fun while pushing yourself out of your typical comfort zone. You may not even know yet at what pace you can sustain without blowing up.

If it's a race that's been around awhile, you can look at Race Results of fellow Beginners to get an idea of a finishing time. That helps with pacing and effort.
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If you live near the race trail, do a full gun pre run to see how your time compares to last year’s beginner class winners. Also, pre riding the course let you know where to push and where the water break areas are.
 
#22 ·
The one thing that I always wish, is that I can ride the course at least once before. I've only been able to do that a few times and it helped greatly. Just nice and chill, try to remember a few of the weird or difficult sections, and then I'm much calmer. When you're in a group flying through the woods and you don't know what's ahead, it adds to my stress level. I love 3-4 lap races for that reason. The first lap I suck as I'm just learning the turns, and by the 3 and 4th, I actually go faster even though I'm more wore out.
 
#23 ·
GlazedHam said:
I'm going to respectfully disagree. Racing is generally only fun when it's over and you spent some amount of time in contention for the podium. I do one or two of the classics each year and won't have time to preride the course much, so I rely on watching videos from folks who raced in previous years. I find the same opinion --if you start at the back and slowly pick people off for a respectable mid-pack finish then you were never really "in" the race ...you paid good money to have a lonely ride and question your training and preparation when it's all over.

If you are a going to pay the entry fee then you should try to win! This usually means sprinting to the inevitable choke point leading into the single track. From there, stay with the leaders for as long as possible before settling into your maximum sustainable pace. Sprint to the finish line. I will repeat racing is not fun while it is happening and if you are not near the front then you will be questioning why you ever took up the sport.
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While I agree with you to charge hard, it takes an extraordinary set up to win on your first race. Usually they ride as a bike messenger for a living, is ultra thin and light so they climb very fast (my case back in the days), or they are a cross discipline champion athlete, perhaps a road racer for many years, and of course if the race leader had a mechanical that took them out of contention (also my case)

If you are a normal joe, a good normal Joe for that matter, you are at best aiming for top 10 in a big field. Aiming to win on your first race requires special winning sauce that you know you process well before you even register for the race. Otherwise is extra stress that you lose sleep on the night before.
 
#24 ·
kosmo said:
For your first race ever, I'd say you're on track right there. Add a bit of intensity as JB suggests above,

Then, if you like it, you can dive into the deeper end of training.



Respectfully disagree. Racing is an absolute blast. Sure, there is suffering, but that is also fun in a sick, twisted way. ;)
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Hell, life is suffering ...or so they say. If your going to suffer, you may as well try to win ...or, if you one of those sick barstards, make the other guy suffer more.
 
#25 ·
Educate yourself on racing etiquette. Calling out your passes, acknowledging someone wanting to pass, safely allowing them to pass, get out of the race line if you dismount, using hands to signal, asking if a rider down is ok, etc. Practice with another rider on how to do these things on the trail at race pace. 1st race should be about not winning but understanding how to have fun, challenge yourself and not impact someone elses race.
 
#27 ·
jimPacNW said:
Warmup is individual, figure out what works for you: be careful not to warm up so much that you go into fatigue too early
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jimPacNW said:
I seem to have been unique/lucky that I could warm up to the point of breathing a bit hard, in just a minute or two, and I'd be ready to race.
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Same. Never a big warmup guy (xcm only).
 
#28 ·
OttaCee said:
Educate yourself on racing etiquette. Calling out your passes, acknowledging someone wanting to pass, safely allowing them to pass, get out of the race line if you dismount, using hands to signal, asking if a rider down is ok, etc. Practice with another rider on how to do these things on the trail at race pace. 1st race should be about not winning but understanding how to have fun, challenge yourself and not impact someone elses race.
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I guess you kind of spelled this out but is there a place/website you’d recommend for learning this race etiquette?

I’m doing my first lap style endurance xc race in a few weeks so I expect there to be plenty of passing and that’s sort of the only part I’m worried about. I won’t be trying to win or anything, just have fun and see how well I can do, so I’m hoping that not only do I not end up getting in anyone’s way but also wondering how passing usually goes when you’re the passer. I’m reasonably fit and will be on a singlespeed so I assume I’ll be doing a little passing myself along with getting passed throughout the day.
 
#30 ·
Ask politely "I'd love to pass when there's a good spot", and don't expect anyone to pull off for you in your group within the last half mile, you'll have to figure that one out, and make it happen (safely). It can be helpful to say what group you're in like "50+ leader!, can I get a pass?", -then they get sad that an old guy is passing them and usually always let you by.
I used to race with a bell, it was REALLY handy: you aren't always able to yell out, and it's great for warning spectators or other trail users so that you don't scare them, without having to yell all the time.

When allowing someone to pass in a corner, always let them by on the inside, you'll only have to pause for a very short moment, just sit up and wave them by on the inside. When someone waves you by on the outside, and they slow down, and you aren't really able to pass, you'll see why.
 
#32 ·
ShortTravelMag said:
The one thing that I always wish, is that I can ride the course at least once before. I've only been able to do that a few times and it helped greatly. Just nice and chill, try to remember a few of the weird or difficult sections, and then I'm much calmer. When you're in a group flying through the woods and you don't know what's ahead, it adds to my stress level. I love 3-4 lap races for that reason. The first lap I suck as I'm just learning the turns, and by the 3 and 4th, I actually go faster even though I'm more wore out.
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I completely agree with this and I'd like to add if you're using bottles to look for places to drink and pass. Also look at the start/finish line. Where will the race start and where will you need to make your move to get into the woods in a decent position. Lastly, look for places where the trail system could cause a crash or any notable obstacles. Find where the trail doesn't flow, awful turns into steep climbs, slick turns, where water stands, bridges that may be slick from dew or rain, etc.
 
Discussion starter · #33 ·
Quick update. I just pre-rode the course and it's an a** kicker. The beginner course is just 5 miles of pretty mellow single track, but I signed up for the intermediate race because I didn't want to sandbag. I'd rather finish mid to bottom of the pack than enter a beginner race, especially since I pretty much always hang with lead pack in large group rides.


So the course starts out with a short gradual climb on the road. I can see it being pretty chaotic and people jockeying for position because after that it's fast, tight downhill for a bit where you can fly but it will be tough to pass.

Then it's tight, twisty rocky, uphill for a bit. I cleared it today but can see some people struggling with the rock gardens and some bottle necks.

After that (everyone will be gassed), there's a steep fire road climb (luckily not too long) but super tiring.

Then a bunch of rocky tech, a couple uphill sections where I could clean if I wasn't spent, but will plan on having to put a foot down and hike a bike in one section.

Then a boring fire road climb, then a super fun downhill section, another rock tech climb, then downhill section that's basically one big rock garden -- having a good line on this is key so I may session it with some friends to get a better feel.

After that it picks up on the beginner course and there's nothing challenging, but I'll be pretty spent for the last few miles.

It'll be painful but hopefully everything goes well and just lasts an hour
 
#34 ·
Good job on the pre-ride. If nothing else, it will alleviate some fear of the unknown. Things will bottleneck after the climbs, and I always just chill, and give myself a breather. After about 20-30 minutes I bet things get spaced out enough to where you will be riding on your own with an occasional person or three coming by you, or you by them. That's the sweet spot for me at races. I hate the starts, people go a bit nuts sometimes.
 
#35 ·
mtb286 said:
Then it's tight, twisty rocky, uphill for a bit. I cleared it today but can see some people struggling with the rock gardens and some bottle necks.

Then a bunch of rocky tech, a couple uphill sections where I could clean if I wasn't spent, but will plan on having to put a foot down and hike a bike in one section.

another rock tech climb, then downhill section that's basically one big rock garden -- having a good line on this is key so I may session it with some friends to get a better feel.
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With all of those rocks, I think it's worth it to have a Stan's Dart or Dynaplug and a CO2 with the inflator already attached ready to go. It may save your race.
 
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