Training Babble: Off-Road Insights for Mountain Bike and Gravel Cycling

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Dave and Ryan discuss some commonly held cycling myths, then go off on tangents about other related training practice misconceptions

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I sat down with Dina Griffin, the Nutrition Mechanic, a registered dietician and sports nutritionist to discuss some of the common mistakes she sees when she works with new athletes. On this episode we dug into healthy weight loss and body composition change tips for athletes who are actively training.
The Nutrition Mechanic
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Summary

Join Coach Dave Schell on the Training Babble podcast as he welcomes Olympic mountain biker Lea Davison. In this engaging episode, Lea shares her transition from downhill skiing to becoming a top mountain biker, discussing the evolution of training techniques from heart rate monitoring to power meters. She highlights the crucial role of mental resilience, the impact of social media on athletes, and the pressures of maintaining a public image. Lea also addresses the challenges female athletes face, including coaching disparities and performance fluctuations due to the menstrual cycle. Reflecting on her retirement, she shares valuable lessons on resilience, the achievements of the US women's mountain biking team, and offers guidance for aspiring female racers.

Takeaways

• Focus on giving your best effort and taking ownership of your decisions.
• Embrace a growth mindset and constantly seek to learn and improve.
• Be aware of the impact of social media and the pressure to create a certain image.
• Prioritize mental resilience and develop a player mindset.
• Don't be afraid to adapt and learn from different coaching approaches. Focusing solely on numbers in training can be detrimental and fuel a toxic narrative around weight and performance in cycling.
• The lack of female coaches and the male-dominated structure of sports can negatively impact female athletes, particularly in terms of understanding and addressing issues like the menstrual cycle and red ass.
• Resilience and the ability to keep going are key qualities for success in sports, and finding joy and happiness in the process is crucial.
• The success of the US women's mountain biking team is inspiring and can have a positive ripple effect on the sport as a whole.
• Up-and-coming female racers should prioritize enjoyment, work hard, and believe in their potential for success.

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Summary

In this episode of the Training Babble podcast, host Dave Schell discusses the importance of the off-season for athletes. He emphasizes the need for physical and mental recovery, the significance of reflecting on the past season, and the necessity of setting realistic goals for the upcoming season. Dave also highlights the importance of flexibility in training schedules and the need for regular check-ins to ensure athletes remain aligned with their goals throughout the year.

Takeaways

• Taking time off after the season is crucial for recovery.
• Mental refreshment is as important as physical recovery.
• Willpower is a finite resource; manage it wisely.
• Use the off-season to explore different activities.
• Reflect on the past season to identify trends and areas for improvement.
• Set specific A races for the upcoming season.
• Avoid over-scheduling races to prevent burnout.
• Flexibility in training is essential, especially during holidays.
• Focus on strength training and mobility during the off-season.
• Regular check-ins with athletes help align goals and expectations.

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Alex Grant is a father to two young girls, a business owner, and closing in on 40 but he is not showing any signs of slowing down. In this episode, I talked to Alex to find out the secret to his success. Alex discusses the importance of strength training, quality over quantity, and prioritizing rest and recovery.
After the episode, I followed up with Alex because I still had some questions regarding what his typical training mix might look like. Alex mentioned that lunch rides were central to his plan as a busy athlete and that riding road probably accounts for 50-60% of his total cycling time each week. This is distributed among a gravel bike with fenders in the winter, riding his mountain bike to the trails, and pure road riding in the spring.
In regards to a typical training week, he says that he generally sticks to a structure consisting of a Monday rest day, two days of quality structured work and then on the other days a short recovery spin and a light, short endurance ride. The weekend would generally be a hard Saturday designed to simulate the next goal event with an endurance ride Sunday.
When asked about his favorite workout Alex replied, "...endurance/recovery spins are the most consistent and important workouts I do. As for the real work, well I guess hot laps might be one of my favorite for XC MTB and Cyclocross training. They can be structured in a variety of ways, but they are race-specific and fun."
To hear the rest of the interview listen to the full episode!
Resources

• @alexgrantmtb
• Alex Grant Facebook Page
• Gear Rush