Virginia Off Road Series - Sue Haywood 'Year of the Tigress'

Sue Haywood

Lives in Harrisonburg, Virginia and
loves riding big in the mountains.
Retired from interval training, but
still racing some choice races in
the area.

You can keep up with her at www.susanhaywood.blogspot.com

Career Highlights:
Three-Time U.S. National STXC Champion (2001, '03, '06)
2003 NORBA National STXC, Big Bear Lake, Calif - 1st Place
2001 World Cup Time Trial, Durango, Colo. - 1st Place
2003 NORBA National STXC, Mt. Snow, Vt. - 2nd Place
2003 NORBA National STXC, Snowshoe, W. Va. - 2nd Place
Two-Time Team Champion - 24 Hours of Moab (2001, '02)

2010 is the Year of the Tigress

" Drama, intensity, change and travel will be the keywords for 2010. Unfortunately, world conflicts and disasters tend to feature during Tiger years also, so it won’t be a dull 12 months for anyone. The Year of the Tiger will bring far reaching changes for everyone. New inventions and incredible technological advances have a good chance of occurring. For all of the Chinese horoscope signs, this year is one to be active – seizing opportunities and making the most of our personal and very individual talents. Everything happens quickly and dramatically in a Tiger year – blink and you could miss an important chance of a lifetime!" - www.wayangtimes.com

Ladies this is your year to be a tigress! Make some changes in your usual routine and do some thing different this year. These are my suggestions:

Get a professional bike fit

Since you are on your bike a lot, why not make sure that it fits you well and allows you to be in harmony with your body's efforts. There are several things to look for in a bike fitter. Experience counts for a lot, but you still want someone who has gone to one of the national fit schools and is up to date with the latest knowledge. There are probably about a dozen reputable schools of thought for bike fitting and many more that are quacky, trendy or unrealistic. You should find a fitter who takes into account your physical condition, your flexibility, your biomechanics, and your riding style. Someone who only takes measurements is one dimensional. You are not just a set of numbers and angles, all your parts make a whole bike rider. A bike fit is a process, not a magic pill. Your bike fitter will ease you into a fit change and encourage you to provide feed back from your rides. It might be a one time fee or there could be a charge every time you go back . You should check on that with your bike fitter. He or she might also make suggestions for strengthening weak parts of your body and stretches to make your riding more efficient.

Strength and flexibility training all season

Sometimes cycling can be one dimensional. You stay in the same position for hours and hours. This can lead to a great aerobic system, but poor strength and flexibility. To counter this, we should strength train all winter and continue a strength maintenance program all year. I recommend gym time in the winter, but I know that It can be hard to do that once the racing rolls around. But I believe it is essential for racing well all year to have some sort of routine that you can do anywhere whether it is at the gym, in a hotel room or even on your lawn while you wait for your friends to show up. Pushups for mountain bikers are one of the simplest, yet best things you can do for your trail riding. Core and back exercises will keep you climbing strongly. Standing up on one leg from a seated position, while your other leg is straight out will keep your glutes strong. One legged box jumps do double duty of keeping your balance sharp and then it also works the legs individually so you don't simply let the strong leg do all the work. It won't overload your legs if you do it consistently and of course you need to have good recovery after hard rides. Stretching a little everyday will keep some suppleness in the legs, back and neck and keep you fresher on the bike. Twists are a great counter to the mono plane of cycling. Of course, if you have a yoga routine or pilates class that you like then stick with it during the race season.

Mentor a female cyclist

Give the gift of your time and knowledge to a new rider no matter what their age, but especially towards a young rider. Mountain biking will be an even cooler sport if we get more females participating in it. Sometimes girls don't get exposed to the sport because they don't have parents or friends who bike. Also, they might have an interest in biking, but their friends don't so they give it up so they can hang out with them. A young rider might need you to give her a ride to a race, teach her how to hop a log, give her some of your old jerseys or just listen to their experiences and concerns. Consider starting a chapter of the www.littlebellas.com in your town. Volunteer to lead a kids ride at your local bike shop. Participate in 'Take a kid mountain biking' Day. And don't forget to set a good example when you are riding with a young rider. And of course keep it fun.

Positivity is Power

I've been a victim of my own negativity before and it is a downward spiral. It helps nothing to be negative and especially your racing. Negativity goes right to your legs and makes them tired. In their minds, Racers are only as good as their last race and if that was a bad one, well then their world is falling apart. The power you can get from positive thinking is the "secret" training that you are looking for. Negativity, doubt and fear are counterproductive to reaching your potential as a tigress. Focus your energy on the good things that the world of mountain biking and mountain bike racing have to offer. They allow you to show off your personal and individual talents. Sure only one person wins the race, but think about how you admire the good sport or the always smiling person at the races. Those people look at the bright side of life. You know that it take more muscles to frown than smile, so be efficient and start smiling.

2010 is the year for all tigresses to be active and seize opportunities. See you at the races!