This month, from Gen / Your Fitness-and-Wellness Coach:

Now, for Ride the Erongos (RTEs), the “whys” may be a bit different to just the usual fitness goals: it could be for the beautiful scenery with the opportunity to see wildlife while riding, the fun atmosphere, the awesome food and good wine (included 😉), or just to kickback under the stars on Saturday night and enjoy the tunes of The Ells....

Be that all as it may – if you would also like to enjoy the event and the trails...there may be a bit of work to be done.

About 2 weeks ago, I rode some of the RTE trails with Roger, and it was just beautiful... I loved the granite rocks, and the little twisty corners; the best was the gradual climb before we descended the switchbacks down Peter Pan... which for me was just pure bliss.

And this all leads me to my next point...

FITNESS...

As we all know, RTEs is geared towards the "fun social rider" ...but, but... if you would like to enjoy this event I would suggest a few tips to follow, so you don’t have to walk the granite rocks and you can enjoy the downhills and ride the climbs with ease.

Tip 1:

Challenge yourself to ride at least 3 times per week... Maybe 1 indoor session while we are still coming out of the winter... it is cold out there after all...and then 2 rides with some buddies that can keep you accountable... 

If you don’t have anyone to ride with, a neighbourhood ride will also suffice... and if you struggle to motivate yourself,  consider entering an event that will force you to get out of your comfort zone...

Tip 2:

If you are based in Windhoek/ Swakopmund/ somewhere with a gym, check out your local Spin Studio. These usually have a great vibe with great people and you will definitely build fitness for RTEs, while having fun at the same time..

Tip 3:

Try and do some strength training at least once a week. It’s brilliant for us peeps that are getting older, and will seriously improve your balance on the bike. Again, if you not much of a gym person, commit to a friend or to a group, to get yourself going...

NUTRITION... 

So I am no dietician, nor a nutritionist for that matter... but since the age of 13 years I have seen a dietician and/ or nutritionist as I raced professionally as a jockey. I had to watch my food from a young age... the good and the bad, the healthy and unhealthy...I learnt a lot of no's... and then after my accident, I learnt to let go a little and started to find some balance in my life.

I am a pure Foodie... I soooooo enjoy my food, and a good glass of red wine... but I have also come to learn about balance..... if I eat too much, I try counter balance it with some good exercise.….calories in, calories out...  If I train really hard, I reward myself, if I am not training too hard, I try and make a few cuts in my diet. A diet, by the way, is just another word for eating right and with some good balance.

Anyway, we have a few more blogs to chat about food and wine, but my tips for nutrition and health are:

Tip 1:

Live life, make the right choices when not training, try not to overindulge daily, but if you love food (like me)- keep that for a treat once a week. Give yourself permission to eat things that make you happy (guilt-free!) - with moderation and balance there is always room for food you love... (that is why we cycle and run)

Tip 2:

Eat the food that is medicine for your body; simple meals with wholesome ingredients – avoid overprocessed foods as much as possible

Tip 3:

Remember you don’t have to eat less, you just need to eat right... 

Tip 4:

Never underestimate the value of drinking water daily – it helps maintain the balance of body fluids and provides numerous other benefits too 

SKILLS...

We will get the pics and videos for the next blogs coming up, so everyone can get an idea of what to expect and then, in preparation, can practice some skills on your front door step... 

But here is tip 1 for skills... 

Where you look, there you go.... !

Cornering is such a basic skill, and at RTEs you will get lots and lots of corners and some loose sand...

So if you can, even in your driveway, practice figures of 8... and try and focus on when you’re hitting the corner, to try and look up and around at the exit of the corner. Also practice rotating legs while cornering... so left corner, left leg up, right corner, right leg up. Remember not to have a death grip on the handle bars... cornering needs to feel like a person gently playing the piano, there needs to be a beautiful rhythm... 

So for now.. let’s get out there and start practicing the above...

Above all, remember that consistency is absolute key....small changes add up and over time you will see the results. We’ve got this!

About Genevieve Weber: Among her many other achievements, Gen is a previous MTB Age Group World and African Champ, a busy Mom to two teenagers, and an accredited Coach with Training Peaks. She offers private skills and coaching lessons, and designs programs tailormade to her clients’ requirements. She can be contacted directly on:  g123_w@icloud.com