It's always good to have a great big lofty goal to aim for, even if your resolution ends up being abandoned by mid-January. If you could accomplish anything in 2020, what would it be? We put that question to each member of Pinkbike's editorial crew:
Daniel Sapp
Commit to Off the Bike Strength Training
It's easy for me to get out and go on a ride day in and day out. While riding consistently no doubt adds a lot to fitness, it's clear that work done off the bike helps a lot too. Last month, I challenged a number of friends to join me in 100 pushups a day, in whatever sequence works for them, for the entire month of December... I needed some accountability.
Everyone in the challenge has been amazed with how much this simple thing, that takes no more than ten minutes, has improved not only our riding but posture and overall strength. Going into the new year, I want to keep this up by adding more workouts to it and focusing on getting even stronger which makes riding bikes, way more fun.
Dan Roberts
Self-Belief
I used to ride like a sack of shit, in between crashes. I was the guy at the back of our group wishing I could keep up with Beech and Dave at the front. Since moving to Switzerland in 2011 my riding got pushed from all aspects. The terrain demanded it, friends were lightning fast and rarely asked questions before taking risks and I felt as an engineer you need to ride, and ride well to validate the work you’re doing.
Improvement ensued, and although it will never stop, I am a much better rider for making that move over to the land of cheese and chocolate.
But doubt can cloud confidence. And a few times I’ve had to have some words with myself for not doing something, or not riding as well as I somehow know I can. While it shouldn’t be something that perpetually plays on your mind, it’s something that I want to work on for 2020. Believing in myself and allowing myself to get better, to get faster and extract even more fun out of this sport. Not the most tangible of New Year’s resolutions, but the mental aspect of this sport is huge, and unclouding that self-doubt is a key to unlocking a big door for my own improvement. That and steezy dangling one hand and one footers.
Mike Kazimer
Do More Stretching
I don't like New Year's resolutions. Maybe it's because so many of them seem destined to fail (a fact that's backed up by statistics), or maybe it's that I just don't want another task added to my seemingly endless to-do list. Either way, I'm not really a fan.
Still, there is something I could try to do more of in 2020: stretching. My body works well as long as I'm on a bike, but once I stop turning those pedals I'm about as flexible as a 2x4. I've tried to add a stretching routine into my repertoire before without much success; maybe 2020 will be the year that it sticks, although I might have to actually go to a yoga class for that to happen. We'll see.
RC
Climb the Waterfall at South Mountain
There's a boulder problem on the National Trail above Phoenix, Arizona that is a bit of a commitment to descend, but the real trick is riding it the other way. I've ridden South Mountain many times and while I've been very close, I've never mastered the waterfall. This Spring, I'm going to visit my friends at Pivot Cycles, (the factory is a short ride from the trailhead) and armed with better legs and a positive, winning attitude, session that 25 yards of disappointment until I can no-dab it to the top. Wish me luck.
Ed Spratt
Learn Some New Skills
I definitely feel like my riding has stagnated in the past year due to a combination of not riding enough and not pushing myself when I do get out. For 2020, I want to try and improve my riding whether it is getting a little fitter or trying that trail I have always looked at but never thought I had the skills to ride. The top of my list is improving my technique on jump trails so some coaching wouldn't go amiss.
James Smurthwaite
Ride a Century
I'm writing this on the winter solstice and feeling the winter weight starting to pile on so I'm setting myself up for a challenge in 2020. 100 miles on the road is a pretty lofty goal even for committed road cyclists, but I want to be able to say I can do it off road by the end of next year, in fact, I want to be able to say it halfway through next year. Resolutions work best when you have a goal in mind so I'm already preparing for the summer solstice, Sunday 21 June, when I will ride a 100 mile off-road route. Targeting the longest day of the year should give me plenty of time to slog through the miles (and factor in some coffee stops along the way too) plus there's even the slim chance it might be sunny in England then!
Sarah Moore
Take a Wilderness First Aid Course
I have done first aid courses in the past, but without practicing those skills every day as a First Responder, the details get hazy about what you're supposed to do in various scenarios. I mean, I'm very happy I haven't had to respond to more accidents than I have, but like anything, it's hard to keep your skills sharp when you don't use them. This year, I'd like to commit to taking a Wilderness First Aid course to improve my knowledge and make sure that I'm in an ideal position to respond in an emergency. Hopefully, these are skills and knowledge I don't ever need to use, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't have them in the first place.
Mike Levy
Do More Stupid Rides
Next year marks something like two and a half decades of me pedaling bicycles around in the forest while either laughing, crying, hyperventilating, or doing an embarrassing combination of all three. Actually, when I think about it, some of my fondest memories have come from exactly those kind of days, the ones that saw me rolling out of the bush looking like an extra from The Walking Dead, completely empty, and close to biting someone if I can't get to the nearest 7-Eleven soon enough.
Yeah, I need to do way more of those next year. I don't know why, but my favorite rides have always begun with a faint voice in the back of my head saying things like, ''Dude, you probably can't climb this mountain five times in a single day.'' Or maybe, ''It's not an all-day epic if the ride doesn't last literally all day.'' So for 2020, I'm gonna listen to that voice more often.
Matt Wragg
Run
I know, I know, heresy. Surely my only exercise should be bicycles, right? But running is wonderful in how simple it is, just you, the ground and the rhythm of your strides. It feels even better in the pouring rain. The thing about running is that you can do it anywhere with nothing more than a pair of shoes. For a traveling photographer like myself, that means you only need to pack your trainers and you can keep working on your fitness, wherever in the world you are. My problem this year has been the pain of getting started again - it hurts like hell for a few days after, which means time off the bike, so I have been putting it off and putting it off... To the point where a quick 3km run this week meant a bloody taste in my throat and several days of hobbling around the house. So next year, it's time to commit to pounding the dirt more often.
Also, once the robots take over, I don't need to be able to outrun them, just you...
Brian Park
Be a fan
It's super easy for us in the media world to get caught up with the day-to-day. Being on the pulse of the MTB world is a responsibility we take seriously, but it can definitely get in the way of our fandom. Hell, I'm embarrassed to say I didn't watch every WCDH race before jumping into the results post to make sure everything went well. So for 2020, with a great team in place, my goal is to take the time to be a fan. To watch edits from a fan standpoint instead of a "should we post this? okay what should the headline be?" standpoint. To nerd out on race tech. To be a fan.
A few other things:
• Dial my tool kit. Instagram has me envious of nicely organized kits, so I'll dork out on that for a bit.
• Do a custom build for the first time in years. Spreadsheet and everything.
• Get my arm working, again. It's been 4 months since I broke my humerus, and if all goes well I'll get the nod for MTB in January. Still some work to do though.
What is your resolution for 2020?
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182 Comments
I was there too, man. When I sat at a desk all day I was in the worst shape of my adult life. Here's to getting in better shape and having some kick ass rides in 2020!
Here NBCI has a thing about it: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5766985
But exercise is not just about burning calories. I think what he’s talking about is getting your body into an aerobic zone long enough where it’s burning fat for energy and not just glycogen.
You’re right, though, running is not a horrible form of exercise. You have to get your heart rate up high enough to reach that aerobic zone in the first place, and running does the trick. I also think many people run too hard. I know I’m guilty.
You’re also right about calorie debt leading to weight loss, ultimately. Otherwise, people wouldn’t die of starvation. That’s not exactly healthy, though.
I tried a fluid-type trainer years ago and hated it. But the fact that "smart" trainers can vary resistance, give you a structured workout customized to your ability, and allow you to track your progress is a huge improvement. I have no interest in Zwift, my goal is maximum benefit for minimum time on the thing, which I think Trainer Road provides. Worth a look.
@dbarnes6891 will put you on the right direction, as will @TheR with their responses. But heck, just a simple look into the Krebs Cycle would suggest that in order to utilize fat as a fuel source you need oxygen in the equation i.e. an aerobic (meaning 'with oxygen') versus anaerobic ('without oxygen') efforts in the exercise department. If you want a reasonably short article with some nutritional chemistry thrown in to understand how the human body utilizes different macros for fuel sources, I found this one that does a decent job:
www.climbingnutrition.com/diet/why-you-need-oxygen-to-burn-fat but feel free to actually crack a textbook on the topic as I, and apparently other informed commenters here, have done.
Gtfo if you're going to call someone out and then fall flat on your face with your reasoning. That's just the nutritional side of the argument--it still stands that running, in and of itself, is a horrible exercise for anything other than getting better at running. Sprints have their place, but running (the type I clarify when I reference marathon training) is a terrible exercise for the body. As many here have mentioned, swimming is a fantastic low-impact whole-body activity. WALKING is a great activity because you can do it right from the end of your driveway. Both are good at utilizing fat as a fuel source.
So much more can be said on the topic but I just don't have the time at the moment to continue writing out base-level understanding of the topic right now. I'll gladly elaborate more with better sources layer today if you'd like.
The problem with running is not running itself. The problem is a cyclist starting to run. And the stronger cyclist you are the bigger the problem. Regular bloke who starts running gasses out after 2 miles. He/she then slowly progresses to run longer and longer distance. An avid cyclist with good cardio base is capable of easily doing 5-8miles from the get go as long as he/she manages to shut up the inner bitch. That exposes their knees and other joints to extended stress right away. Then the technique matters a lot. Cyclists are notorious for atomping hard on heels. You can read all you want on Triathlon. Aside of good swimmers being at an obvious advantage, it is the marathon runners that start cycling that are at lower chance of overuse injuries than cyclists who start running. Illiotobial Band syndrome is extremely common among cyclists who start running.
Not trying to tell you what you need to do for success, only offering suggestions that worked well for me and has sparked a lifestyle change that my wife and I have carried over into the new year.
Good luck and I truly wish you the best!
Also time is a factor. I don't know what this 8 hour work day is you speak of, but I certainly don't have one.
MTBing and road biking are different animals. MTB heavier bikes, dirt is way more resistance, rotating mass is higher loads, wind resistance, etc. MTB miles and road bike miles are totally different.
I pace about in the high 6min for 5K, around 7min for 10K, and around 8min for half marathon. I ran a half in 1:45.
I do find your comment interesting about marathon runners cycling and cyclist running and Illiotobial Band syndrome. I'm a MTBer that started running late and have issues with Illiotobial Band syndrome.
Now you have me thinking of my 54-year-old goal. Hum??
Sarah's idea of the course (either first time, or as a refresher) is a superb idea.
In episode 1, Tinky Winky receives an arms shipment from Syria, Dipsy makes an IED, Laa Laa is in the kitchen cooking up meth to finance operations and special guest Dora the Explorer teaches us the value of friendship......and armour piercing ammunition.
Here's to 2020!
end then there are two us
+ training of course :o
Whether it offsets the negatives for racers, I do not know (I'm not familiar with that literature).
Stretching pre ride, mobilizing all joints , particularly pre ride in the park makes more than perfect sense.
Yoga improves balance among unbalanced people because it makes you... balance. It inevitably trains deep muscles responsible for balance. That involves balance when standing on one foot or walking. Yoga will not teach you good balance on bike and when lifting. If someone wants to get rid of too much leaning forward or backward when doing snatches, and does Yoga for that, he/ she will be greatly disappointed since balance comes mainly from technique...
Balance is pretty task-specific, especially when we are talking about young healthy populations who are not gaining strength by doing yoga or stretching.
- keep riding - more and bigger.
- clear my debts and move forward
- keep pushing my career in the mtb industry. so far so good.
Can't wait for 2020
But I also need to add, based on some pretty janky work that gets done 'round my parts...DON'T do trail work unless you know what you're doing (and others agree you know what you're doing). Janky trailwork just takes time away from good trail workers' efforts to fix your jank.
Solution to the walkers: do it at night! Back a few years when the Maxx Exposure race used to run, this was my favourite race of the year. Normally around the autumn equinox, start gun at sunset! The place feels so much more wild than in the daytime, not much light pollution and a lot of wildlife (just try not to hit any sleeping cows/sheep!)
Most of my riding is weekday night rides anyway, so would suit me well
www.pinkbike.com/video/397127
New Year’s resolutions are silly, but if I could add a little wisdom to this group of young uns:
Try being more open minded and saying “yes” when you feel like saying no.
Yes opens doors. No closes em.
Happy New Year! Now go ride!!
Undeniably, cross-training is valuable for total body fitness. To avoid the drudgery or runs and gyms, I hike and ski. I used to play basketball and tennis, but these seem to aggravate my many injuries. Since I am now 60, I have taken up Pickelball!! Feel free to down-vote me for this, I fdeserve it (but it is fun)...
- Need to organize my tools better and some of these pit tech's cases are giving me serious envy
- Started building a totally custom rig this year, spreadsheet and all.
- Broke both hands over the course of last year. Still mending some soreness and ROM this winter.
Best of luck!
The quality of a Yoga workout highly depends on the instructor. Women are inherently more pliable then men, hence why they tend to find Yoga easier and more attractive then men. Much of Yoga, espsecially introductory Yoga, is mostly about developing quick twitch muscles for balance (which is surprising exhausting), dreaded static stretching, and core engagement (which is good but a balanced strong body needs more than that). Advanced Yoga builds on that basic foundation and brings body weight strength training into the mix. The problem with Yoga is that position and posture and really make or break the quality of exercise and it's really easy to screw it up, especially if you have an instructor that isn't very familiar with body mechanics (which is a lot of them). The other component is that many instructors focus too much on static stretching and less on strength building. It's hard to find a good instructor that structures a routine based around the latter, the former sets the participant up for injury especially in Bikram yoga classes. All said do not do static stretching...do comprehensive strength training the helps facilitate flexibility. The body likes balance and lots of movement with resistance.
Pushup/plank shoulder-benefits are dependent on good form/alignment/recruitment.
As always, good posture & stability require balancing the strength and tone of antagonistizing muscle groups... or really all of them :-D
* bouldering indoors 2x a week, outdoors whenever possible
* trail building 2x a month
* base miles on the road bike
* MTB advocacy work
You’ve got this
Snow, snow go away....
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