Offroad Development Day in Roundwood

The Offroad Commission ran the first Offroad Development day of 2011 last Sunday. The purpose of the day was to begin an assessment of the riders who applied to become members of the XC Development Squad. Members of the DH Development Squad also attended to take part in the day as many of the training sessions and presentations would be equally applicable to downhill.

The day began with a training ride in Ballinastoe with mtb coach Niall Davis. The focus on this stage was largely on enjoying the trails and providing an opportunity for the riders to meet each other, however there were also race specific tips on offer from Niall including what kind of training the riders should integrate into their riding such as hill intervals, and race start practices – for both cross country and downhill – and how these should be performed.

After lunch the action shifted to Roundwood where Ciara McManus gave a presentation looking at compiling an annual training plan as a means of informing the rider’s training for the year and helping work it around racing and life commitments.  She also touched on a few topics as setting goals/aims/objectives, keeping a training diary, training aids, and the all important rest and recovery. Peter Popham gave a talk on the mental aspects of race performance.  Finally Ciara rounded off the day with a goal-setting workshop to help the riders begin to think about what they are looking to achieve for the coming season.

Thanks to Ciara McManus, Damien Duggen, Peter Popham and Niall Davis for their help and support.