Mountain Bike for Her Issue 4 - Dec/Jan 2015 | Page 32

Training

DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY...
BUT MAYBE YOU NEED TO
HARDEN THE F#*K UP
Words by Jaclyn Delacroix

H

ave you ever wondered why
some people seem to make huge
improvements when they start training
whereas others seem to hit a permanent
“plateau”?
If you are one of those people who
has already made huge leaps and bounds
forward and are constantly improving,
then you are probably familiar with what
I’m about to discuss. However, if you
always watch your friends get better,
stronger, faster, while you seem to be on
those same 15 lbs dumbbells in the gym
and still walk those same sections on your
favourite climbing trail, then this article is
for you. Keep an open mind and read on!
WHY YOU NEED TO HTFU AND PUSH YOURSELF
Yes, that’s what I said. Now let me
explain a little bit more before you get
offended. How did you get better at
riding downhill? You pushed yourself,
often outside of your comfort zone.
The people that usually advance the
quickest are those who take more risks
and push harder. Why would this be any
different when we are talking about other
improvements?

Mountain Bike for Her | P. 32

CARDIOVASCULAR IMPROVEMENTS
You pedal up to your favourite trail. It
takes you just as long now as it took you
last year and the year before that. Why?
Haven’t you wondered why you never get
faster? It’s simple: your body has adapted
to head up the hill at the specific pace you
have set for it. The first time you did it
all those years ago, it really hurt. In your
mind, it probably still hurts every time
you do it. But your body has adapted
to this pace; it won’t go faster as you’ve
never pushed it to go faster. The same
theory applies to your intervals: are you
really pushing hard enough when you do
them?
How many times when you are
pedalling up that hill or doing those
intervals do you feel like you may just
throw up? And I’m not talking about being
a little bit winded… I’m talking about
full-on where you can hear your heart
beating in your head, you are gasping for
air, and you have a moment wondering
if you may just expire from exertion. You
finally stop because if you keep going any
further you will throw up.
I know it sounds just awful, and I’m