When I first started mountain biking all I wanted to do was keep up with my mates (well, that and not puking into the bushes from trying to keep up, but that's another story...) but very soon that progressed into trying some races, broadening my competitive horisons and starting work with a coach (because we didn't use the internet back then and info on training was sparse) 

Given that 12 hour solo is my favourite distance in mountain biking I was kinda surprised to realise I’d not done one since Torchbearer back in 2017! So far my season has been a bit up and down. I’ve still been showing up to a few races, but in-between I’ve been very thin on actually training in order to get to level I might be competitive. In 12 hour though I still have a distinct advantage against a lot of much fitter racers = I know how to pace myself better than most when it comes to a mountain bike race that lasts longer than the average working day. In addition this race course offers a very weight-friendly elevation gain per lap and is technical enough that it takes a good degree skill to ride fast, so I felt relatively optimistic of my chances. 

Races... yay!!!

We all love races but how do you adjust your plan if it didn't include the bunch of cool ones you want to add to your season in the first place? 

Step 1: Read this blog on How Peaking Works and give the new races a priority designation. Next follow the guidelines below. 

How to adjust your plan when the unexpected (or life) happens!

Occasionally we will all miss a session or two: illness strikes, work takes over, or your long lost aunt Betty arrives to visit completely out of the blue. That's life and happens to all of us from time to time so the first thing to remember is that it's not the end of the world to miss a few sessions now and then (just try not to do it too often!) 

The important question is how do we get back on track? Here are a few helpful guidelines for getting back to training after various derailments have happened.