Getting RACE fit.

[scrivy]

So what should be stretched to prevent injury?

Your credit card - so it stops you from racing, hence getting hurt!!

Sidecar Bob might say something else prior to use........

[glice]

Sounds logical. I am young in mind but reguarded as old by some of the people i ride with/against. I do stretch my back and neck before a race but should we actually go through a full set of stretching exercises before a race so we don't tear things when we bin. Other athletes and sportsmen stretch before exertion. From what I see the average number of bins in motard class around here exceeds 1.5 bins per person per year. Some crash much more than others(you know who you are!). So what should be stretched to prevent injury?

Frosty a real good question to ask now I thought - lots of racing on here now.

Alot of the time flexibiltiy will not reduce the chance of injury. and never stretch before exercise its a common misconception and infact inhibits performance. being in shape will help prevent injury. having strong muscles will help hold things tight (joints, etc) when your having a crash.

[wharfy]

Besides rooting Joni, 'cos I am sure that is fucking GREAT exercise (except that I don't know Joni) there will probably be someone who logs on to read this in the vain hope that there will be some useful information.

So let me provide a smidgin.

The first thing is that nothing prepares the same as doing the thing for which you are training. IE for road racing, you need to be roadracing! There is no substitute.

The next best thing is to be doing trackdays and training days. While at this you should be doing bike set up as well as riding training, not just riding around aimlessly or indeed just riding around and around at all. Always have something to work on, even if you make it up or have done it before.

Third thing is aerobic fitness. Working on this with jogging, mountain running, mountainbiking, road cycling, spin classes, step classes etc etc.
There is also no substitute for being aerobically fit. For roadracing cross training is best, where you do a bit of a whole bunch of things as roadracing uses the whole body holistically.

Fourth thing is strength training. In the gym for those that do, work on muscle strength and endurance, not size. That is smaller weights for more reps, faster. Keeping the weight under control at ALL times. Work to exhaustion and then push a few more.

Fifth and by NO means least is flexibility. After all that training you need to maintain a decent level of flexibility. This means stretching and massage. Massage is the main activity that amateur sports people lack over more professional sportspeople. It aids the muscles in repairing and remaining supple and also aids in the sports person remaining relaxed. It is a major advantage if you can get it.

I would recommend Yoga, absolutely. It provides some flexibility training and also provides some mind space for the next part. Not to mention some strength training.

And lastly is mind training. Sports psychology some people call it. Training your mind to know what you want to achieve and how you will achieve it. Training yourself to make that pass instead of backing off etc etc.

Now, if Joni is keen to help me with my pressups.......

Cheers

Steve B
Moto Academy NZ

This sounds pretty good to me.
I plan on doing all of this, I will start next week....

[steveyb]

Alot of the time flexibiltiy will not reduce the chance of injury. and never stretch before exercise its a common misconception and infact inhibits performance. being in shape will help prevent injury. having strong muscles will help hold things tight (joints, etc) when your having a crash.

Will have to disagree with young Glen here.
Agree about the stretching prior to exercise part.
NEVER stretch 'cold' muscles, always warm up first. Stretching should be done after the exercise period after you have 'warmed down' (such a funny term).
But, stretching and par infra, flexibility is important.

Being flexible is not the same as having weak muscles. Just ask a gymnast.

It is simply part of the holistic view of building a portfolio of athletic ability. It means that the muscles are the length that they are supposed to be so that the body can move through the complete range of motion.

Not everyone is the same, but most people should be able to touch their toes with their legs straight, clasp hands behind their back with one over the shoulder, things like that.

From a physiological view point stretching allows the body a stable platform from which to begin reconstruction of the muscles that you have just been stressing. During exercise muscles are stressed and micro-damaged, the reconstruction of which makes them stronger and bigger. Stretching helps to prevent these muscles reconstructing shorter than is optimum. The time spent stretching (and in massage) also aids in toxin (ie waste products from the use of energy) removal from the muscle tissue.

It also allows the athlete (and we are all one of those ay??) to discover and acknowledge if and when overwork or injury has occurred.

For road racing (and mountainbiking) flexibility in the event of a crash is very important for when the body starts to get flung about. If warm and flexible the body can withstand more extreme positioning than if unflexible.

But little things like, if you are flexible you can have a look behind you without having to actually turn around on the bike, you can hop on and off the bike without having to jump up onto it, you can sit in a racing crouch for half and hour of racing rather than have to sit up (very important on a 125 for example), your legs don't get cramped up, you can sit in a crouch and still work your ankles to change gear etc etc.

Clearly it is not the panacea to all ocurrences, even gymnasts (oh lovely gymnasts, girls that is!!) get injured, but for our purposes the body of a gymnast is perferrable to the body of a bodybuilder.

This is where Yoga really comes into its own.

Give it a go, you might enjoy it.

Cheers

Steve

[glice]

Hi steve.

I guess I did'nt explain myself very well. What I was trying to say (and not very well) is that people should not just rely on stretching to improve the chances of coming out of a crash better off, but use a total approach and cover a bit of everything. having said that, If I was going to rely on one type of exercise to get race fit it would probly be using weight training, because Improving your strength will also increase muscular endurance and depending on the type of training can help with flexibility.
Also people need to learn that the gym is not only for body builders. If you use pure strength training, and do it correctly you will gain no size, but considerable strength.

I think that if your going to get hurt in a crash, your going to get hurt. Being in shape may help reduce the injury, but where it will help the most is in the recovery.

I've probly missed something again, but that can be the next post aye.

[k14]

For me the best improvement I have found (apart from saddle time) is mountain biking. Improves leg strength along with aerobic fitness. Along with that yoga is quite a good way to get good flexibility and build up some muscle tone at the same time

[steveyb]

Hi steve.

I guess I did'nt explain myself very well. What I was trying to say (and not very well) is that people should not just rely on stretching to improve the chances of coming out of a crash better off, but use a total approach and cover a bit of everything. having said that, If I was going to rely on one type of exercise to get race fit it would probly be using weight training, because Improving your strength will also increase muscular endurance and depending on the type of training can help with flexibility.
Also people need to learn that the gym is not only for body builders. If you use pure strength training, and do it correctly you will gain no size, but considerable strength.

I think that if your going to get hurt in a crash, your going to get hurt. Being in shape may help reduce the injury, but where it will help the most is in the recovery.

I've probly missed something again, but that can be the next post aye.

Yep to all of the above.
Place your statement on mine and they will look almost exakary the same.

Except for the last part.

Actually, being in good shape, flexible and strong can stop you getting hurt infact. Hence MotoGP riders walking away from being flung all about the place at 250 km/h and Vic Club weekend hackers spending 6 weeks in traction when they pull a groin muscle just getting on the bike!

Enjoy your training!!!

Maybe I will get some in also, been REALLY slack on that front myself.

Steve

[vtec]

I lowsided my bicycle this morning on the way to work. Slightly damp road. Both wheels start sliding, and bam, I'm sliding along the ground ontop of my cellphone in my back pocket, big hole by my arse now and need a new cell. Hehe. Softest crash ever, but now I've got a sore neck and upper back. My left buttcheek is mildly sore, but I didn't even get one graze. My skin has really toughened up as I've got older. I'm going to be a gnarled old man in twenty years.

I think I need to do more swimming for my back. and neck. But everywhere else I'm fit as an ox from cycling, pullups and pushups and playing on the monkey bars at the local park. hahaha. I'm nearly 26 years old.