Operation Ötztaler Cycle Marathon - Part 4, Mountain Riding
"When the going gets tough uphill, I mentally enter a tunnel and use my experience with Yiquan," says Joe Ramming, explaining his mental technique for long climbs. Yiquan is a Chinese meditation and martial arts technique that Joe learnt to deal with professional stress.
He should therefore be better equipped than average for the mental demands of the Ötztaler. Having a technique at hand to deal with the inevitable crises on epic climbs is a great advantage. Because in the end, it is the head that defines the limits of what can be climbed. "When riders start to descend because it gets too steep and the gears run out, it motivates me to stay on the bike," Joe reveals his mental attitude. "I think it's much harder to get back on after that than to just keep going." Of course, you also need to have trained. The will alone is not enough to conquer a few thousand metres of altitude. What is possible and what is not depends very much on the pace. Cyclists with a lot of kilometres under their belt can also tackle quite big chunks from a standing start, such as the 2,200 metres of altitude difference to the Teide on Tenerife as part of a spring training camp. However, you can also overdo it with an overdose of climbing out of nowhere and cause painful irritation to ligaments or muscles. This can significantly slow down the build-up of form.
Downhill riding must also be trained for the Ötztal Cycle Marathon
Climbing mountains in good time and slowly building up is a better strategy than spontaneous acts of violence. This is also how Joe practices it, initially tackling climbs of 200 to 300 metres in altitude in his home territory and also training the mental toughness to stay on the ball on Zwift, even if the incline is only virtual. "I much prefer cycling outside to on the roller, though," says Joe. However, indoor training gives him the opportunity to complete a three-hour session before work at five in the morning.
Joe believes he is generally well equipped for the uphill ride. "When I started cycling, I had back problems on longer climbs, but since I've been working with physiotherapists and doing my exercises, that's no longer an issue," he says, describing his starting position. He sees potential for improvement, especially on the descents of the Ötztaler. "I can certainly improve there," Joe believes. Downhill riding technique will therefore be part of his mountain camp at Lake Garda in May, where he will also practise developing a good flow downhill on really long climbs. Getting down to the valley quickly, safely and in an energy-saving manner is not a huge item in the total riding time of the Ötztal Cycle Marathon, the times are made uphill. But all in all, it adds up to around two hours.
With the right riding technique, it's more fun and safer. The fact that this also saves some travelling time is a welcome side effect for a hobby driver like Joe. Here we explain the tricks and training that will help you shrink the mountains to a manageable size.
