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Why does this matter?

Ferraris are some of the fastest cars in the work, but what happens if you forget to put fuel in it?

What happens if you are constantly “redlining” the RPMs of your Ferrari?

Our bodies work the same way. Doesn’t matter how fast you are and how much you work if you don’t get the right fuel in it you won’t go very far. If you are constantly redlining your hearts, you’ll also burn your motor out.

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Heart rate training

What is Heart Rate Training?

It's a way to measure how hard your heart is working while you ride, using a heart rate monitor.
It helps you train smarter, not harder, by knowing exactly how hard you're pushing yourself.

Why Use a Heart Rate Monitor?

Real Data: Instead of just guessing how hard you're working, a heart rate monitor shows you the exact number of beats per minute (BPM).
Train Right: It helps you know when to push harder or when to slow down.
Avoid Burnout: It also helps make sure you don’t overdo it and get too tired or injured.

Pushing your heart too much is like redlining your engine, you don’t want to blow yourself up.

Benefits of Heart Rate Training:

Better Endurance: Keeps you going strong for longer rides.
Better Performance: Helps you ride faster and stronger by training at the right intensity.
Better Recovery: Shows how well your body is recovering between rides, so you know when you’re ready for more.

How Does It Work?

A heart rate monitor measures your heartbeats per minute (BPM) and shows you how hard you're working.
You’ll train in different "zones" that help you improve endurance, speed, or recovery.

Types of Heart Rate Monitors:

Chest Straps: Worn around your chest and usually the most accurate.
Wrist Monitors: Built into fitness watches, more convenient but sometimes a little less accurate.

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Understanding Heart Rate Zones

How Do You Know Your Zones?

To figure out your heart rate zones, start by finding your max heart rate.
The simple formula is: 220 - your age = Max Heart Rate.

Example: If you’re 14 years old, your max heart rate is about 206 beats per minute (220 - 14 = 206).

The most accurate way is to do it in a controlled environment and gradually push yourself as hard as you can go and see what the highest rate you get is.
Once you know your max heart rate, you can calculate the zones by using percentages of that number.

Why Are Zones Important?

Training in these zones helps you improve different skills:

Zone 2 for building endurance to last longer in races.
Zone 4 for powering through climbs and tough sections.
Zone 5 for short sprints and strong finishes.

Using heart rate zones makes your training more effective and targeted.

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Understanding Heart Rate Zones

The 5 Heart Rate Zones:

Zone 1: Very Easy (Warm-Up/Recovery)

50-60% of Max Heart Rate
Light effort, perfect for warming up or cooling down.
You can easily hold a conversation

Zone 2: Easy (Endurance)

60-70% of Max Heart Rate
You can keep going for a long time at this pace, and you can still talk easily.
You feel like you could do this all day

Zone 3: Moderate (Tempo)

70-80% of Max Heart Rate
You’re working harder but can still talk. This is great for steady rides.
You start to break a sweat, find it harder to talk

Zone 4: Hard (Threshold)

80-90% of Max Heart Rate
Tough but sustainable effort, like when you're climbing or pushing hard in a race.
You start to feel the burn, you can talk a couple of works but then have to breathe

Zone 5: Very Hard (Max Effort)

90-100% of Max Heart Rate
All-out effort, like sprinting at the finish line. You can only keep this up for short bursts.
You are giving it all your got, you can’t speak because you are just breathing

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Using Heart Rate Training

Plan Different Workouts for Different Goals

Not every ride should be the same. Heart rate training helps you plan your rides for specific goals—whether you want to get faster, stronger, or just recover.
By focusing on different heart rate zones during your training, you’ll get the most out of every ride.

Examples of Training Workouts:

Endurance Rides (Zone 2)

These rides should feel easy, like you could keep going for hours.
Example: 1-2 hours riding in Zone 2, where you can still talk comfortably. This builds stamina for long races.

Tempo Rides (Zone 3)

A little more challenging, but you can still ride at this pace for 30-60 minutes.
Example: 30-45 minutes in Zone 3 to build strength and speed over time.

Interval Training (Zone 4 & Zone 5)

Short bursts of hard effort followed by recovery, great for improving speed and handling hills.
Example: 4 minutes in Zone 4 (tough effort) followed by 2 minutes of easy pedaling (Zone 1), repeat 5-6 times.

Importance of Recovery

Don’t train hard every day. Your body needs time to recover, and heart rate monitors can help you figure out when you're ready to go hard again.
Do an easy recovery ride in Zone 1 or 2 to help your muscles recover, or take a rest day if your heart rate stays high during a ride.

Adjusting Your Training Based on Heart Rate

Listen to Your Body: If your heart rate is higher than usual during an easy ride, you might be tired or not fully recovered—take it easy.
Track Your Progress: As you train, you’ll start noticing improvements, like being able to ride faster while keeping your heart rate lower.

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Applying it

Question 1: "I felt like I had a lot of energy the first lap of the race, but the second lap I didn't. What heart rate should I train in for this?"

Answer: This could mean you need more endurance. Training more in Zone 2 (Endurance) will help you maintain your energy over a longer race. Try doing longer, steady rides in Zone 2 to build up your stamina.

Question 2: "I got outsprinted at the end, what should I do?"

Answer: To improve your sprint, you need to train in Zone 5 (Max Effort). Interval training, where you go all out for short bursts followed by rest, will improve your sprinting power. Try sprint intervals for 30 seconds in Zone 5, then recover for a minute, and repeat.

Question 3: "I feel like I can push on the flats fine, but when I come to a quick hill, I can't keep up with the others."

Answer: Quick hills require bursts of power, so you need to work on your ability to quickly shift into Zone 4 (Threshold) or Zone 5 (Max Effort). Hill repeats are a great way to train for this—ride up a short hill as hard as you can, then rest on the way down and repeat.

Question 4: "I can't seem to push hard enough to pass the guy in front of me, what should I train?"

Answer: If you struggle to make a pass, you may need more strength for short efforts. Training in Zone 4 (Threshold) can help you with the ability to surge when needed. Try doing intervals that mimic race situations, like pushing hard for 2-4 minutes in Zone 4, then recovering.

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Heart Rate during a Race

Look at your Heart Rate Monitor, when you can but don’t crash because you were staring at it!!

Pacing Yourself with Heart Rate

Start Steady, Not Too Fast: In a one-hour race, it's tempting to go all out at the beginning, but this can leave you exhausted halfway through.

Aim to ride the first 10-15 minutes in Zone 3 (Tempo). This effort should feel like you're working hard but can still sustain it without burning out.
If you push too hard early and hit Zone 5 (Max Effort) too soon, you'll likely run out of energy by the second lap.

Mid-Race Strategy

Settle into Your Race Pace: After the first 10-15 minutes, aim to ride most of the race in Zone 3 (Tempo) or Zone 4 (Threshold).

Zone 3 is great for maintaining speed while saving energy for later.
When you hit tougher sections, like climbs or technical sections, shift into Zone 4 (Threshold)—this is hard but sustainable effort.

Monitor Fatigue: If your heart rate starts climbing higher than expected during an easier section, it could be a sign of early fatigue. Consider pacing back slightly or taking advantage of recovery zones on downhills.

Final Lap: Preparing for the Sprint

Increase Effort Gradually: As you enter the last 10-15 minutes, start to pick up the pace.

Move from Zone 3 into Zone 4 and prepare to push into Zone 5 (Max Effort) for the final few minutes or the sprint to the finish.
Keep Enough in the Tank for the Finish: If you save a little energy by staying smart in the earlier part of the race, you’ll be able to go all-out at the end without crashing.

Look at your Heart Rate Monitor when you can but don’t crash because you were staring at it!! During a race a lot is by feel!

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Heart Rate during a Race

Using Heart Rate to Respond to Race Situations

Going Up Hills: Hills will naturally push you into Zone 4 or even Zone 5, but remember: short hills should be attacked in Zone 4-5 for quick bursts, while longer climbs should be ridden in Zone 3-4 to avoid burning out.
Making a Pass: When trying to pass another rider, you'll likely need to surge into Zone 4-5 for a few minutes to get ahead, but then settle back into Zone 3-4 to recover and maintain your speed.
Recovering on Downhills: Use descents or flatter sections to recover in Zone 2 (Endurance) or Zone 3 without losing too much speed. This will help your body reset before pushing hard again.

Tailoring Your Race Strategy to Your Strengths

Know Your Strengths: If you’re better at endurance, try to keep a steady pace in Zone 3-4 for most of the race and make your move in the final 10 minutes.
If You’re a Sprinter: You might want to conserve energy by staying in Zone 3-4 for most of the race, then go all out in the final 10 minutes, pushing into Zone 5 for a strong finish.

Remember, only quick glances at your HR monitor during the race.

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Nutrition

Check out our website www.pleasantgrovemtb.org and go to the nutrition page under training to learn about nutrition before the race.

Pre-Race Nutrition (What to Eat Before the Race)

Fuel Up the Night Before:

Eat a meal rich in carbohydrates (pasta, rice, potatoes) the night before the race to store energy (glycogen) in your muscles.

Race Morning Meal (2-3 Hours Before):

Eat a light meal with carbs and some protein, like oatmeal with fruit, a bagel with peanut butter, or scrambled eggs with toast.
Avoid heavy, greasy, or super sugary foods, as these can make you feel sluggish.

Pre-Race Snack (30-60 Minutes Before):

Have a small snack like a banana, an energy bar, or a handful of nuts for quick energy.

Hydration Tip: Start hydrating early—sip water throughout the morning, but don’t chug a lot right before the race.

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Nutrition during the Race

Gels or Chews are the best bet during the race. You will only need one serving.

The chews are easy to do during a race, lick them and stick them to your top tube.

Gels are easy to digest but a little harder to open up during the race.

If you eat properly before the race and are only racing for 1 hour, you don’t need to eat during the race but you do need to drink.

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Hydration

Hydration is very important during a race.

Being low on your hydration can affect your performance by more than 10%
It can also cause cramps or worse land you in the hospital.
Good rule of thumb 1 water bottle (25 oz) per hour.
The most your body can absorb is one water bottle per hour. DON’T take more than that on your race.
Your body can sweat up to 3 liters an hour on a hot day
Water doesn’t cut it, you need electrolytes as well. No Electrolytes = Cramps

Hydration Tip: Start hydrating early—sip water throughout the morning, but don’t chug a lot right before the race.

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Race Day Nutrition Checklist

Nutrition and hydration are key for optimal performance.
Proper nutrition provides the energy needed for training and racing.
Hydration is essential to replace fluids lost through sweat and prevent cramping.
Aim to consume a balanced diet rich in carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats.
Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of electrolyte fluids before, during, and after activity.

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