Almost Marathon Time

The Miles of DisComfort Marathon at Flat Rock Ranch in Comfort, TX is this weekend. I got in my last big rides before the race this past weekend while we were in Ruston. Saturday I rode 4 hours at Lincoln Parish Park there in Ruston, and Sunday I got another 4 hours at Bodcau Recreation Area near Haughton.  I had 2 great rides with some friends and figured out a few things I need to work on.

A couple of things I learned:
1. I need to ride trail more. After both rides I felt pretty beat up, even though my legs weren't completely dead. Both trails are fairly rough, and 4 hours of that when I don't get much trail time will really take it out of you. Energy that could be used pedaling is taken away.
2. I need to go downhill faster. I am a pretty good, confident descender. I don't use the brakes much and carry my speed fairly well through rough stuff and corners. What I learned though is that I don't make a lot of speed to begin with. I'm not using the brakes so I think I'm going fast, but I was proven wrong. A couple of times this weekend, I would coast into a downhill at the same speed as someone else, and they would roll away from me on a section that was fairly straightforward with no cornering/braking needed. One guy termed the phenomenon as his "twinkie power," implying his weight was pulling him downhill faster than mine. I would buy that. Another factor could be that the others were riding full suspension bikes while I'm on a hardtail. As smooth as I can be, my rear tire is still going to bash into rocks and roots harder than theirs are going to roll over them as the suspension absorbs the impacts. I need to focus on being even smoother: absorbing roughness with my legs, hopping my wheels over anything I can, pumping whenever possible to gain speed, and even pedaling to keep my speed as high as I can control instead of just coasting down the hill. I already do these things, but when my competitors are riding full-suspension 29ers they're going to have the equipment advantage in these situations undoubtedly so I have to maximize what I'm working with.

I rode a lap at Bodcau with a friend who was wearing his GoPro, he got some pretty good footage so I can't wait to see it. I've never been filmed while riding, so I'm interested to see if it reveals any other lessons I can learn. I'll put it up when I get it.

These came in the mail last week, but I already have Ergons on all my bikes. What could they be for?

Why do I need another pair of Ergons?