Setting realistic goals in your mountain bike riding program will help you to stay motivated and focused on progress. Your goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Action-orientated, and Realistic.
Some explain that the best goal-setting strategy is to identify what you want to achieve and break it down into smaller steps. For example, if your goal is to ride rocky downhill terrain safely, you could set sub-goals like:
Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Whether you’re new to mountain biking programs like Train to Ride or have been riding for 20+ years, it’s vital to acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses and set realistic goals that will allow you to progress. It’s also essential to remember that real progress takes time and effort, so be patient and don’t give up!
A common mistake many riders make is focusing on their weakness rather than training their strengths. This can lead to an overtraining effect and a lack of motivation. For example, if you’re struggling with climbing, you might think that you need to work on your VO2 max power when you may need to improve your body position and pacing.
Identifying your weaknesses and setting realistic, measurable goals can help you achieve your mtb goals. We recommend using the S.M.A.R.T approach when creating your goals – making sure they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely (SMART). You can track your progress by recording each effort in a journal or spreadsheet with dates and times to see how you improve over time.
Identify Your Goals
Identifying your goals is the first step in making your mountain bike program effective. This can be anything from improving balance to finishing a specific race. Your plans should be relevant to the riding you want and have a timeline attached.
Your goals should also be SMART, meaning they should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. For example, you may want to ride three times a week, but it’s essential that this is attainable for you and that your current lifestyle can accommodate it.
Also, your goals should be challenging but not so much that they are impossible to reach. Finally, be sure to find a group of riders or join training like Enduro monthly strenght training and willing to push you to improve and help support your growth as a rider. This will help to keep you motivated and focused on your goal.
Identify Your Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
There are many things to consider as you set your mountain biking goals. First, you must decide how much time and energy you want to devote to the sport. Once settled on that, identify the short-term and long-term goals you want to achieve.
Whether your goal is to climb a specific mountain bike trail or finish a race, you must create a training plan to help you accomplish it. A coach will be able to provide you with an appropriate strategy for your level of riding experience.
The coach will consider the intensity and volume of your ride and any other factors that may interfere with your performance. For example, if your goal is to ride at high intensities, the tarmac is often the best place to train. However, if you’re racing, you should ride more technical trails or even practice fixing a slow leaking tire while trailside.
Identify Your Measurable Goals
Identifying your goals is only half the battle. The key to success is breaking them down into measurable, achievable, and relevant pieces that can help motivate you every day. These are known as SMART goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.
You can control process goals, such as riding four times a week or fueling your workouts correctly. Performance goals are more elusive accomplishments that you may not be able to achieve immediately but can work toward over the long term, like improving your lactate threshold power by 15% in three months.
Setting measurable goals for yourself is essential in being motivated and achieving your mountain biking ambitions. It’s easy to get discouraged when you see others doing better than you at races or on social media, but remember that you are doing this for yourself and not for them! Keep up the excellent work, and enjoy the ride!
