Training with one hand tied behind my back

In December I departed Omaha with the intention of training all winter for the spring mountain bike season. I was going to run, swim, bike, and lift weights for 3 months in hopes of improving my physical abilities on a bike, particularly a bike that goes up and down hills and rocks. I even upgraded my USA Cycling license to a Cat 2 mtb rider and a Cat 3 CX rider; definitely high expectations. Well, I am in Qatar and while my access to gym equipment is by no means very limited I am without a bike to ride. This does present a few obvious problems but by no means is a sever setback. I should be able to work around it.

The gym here is very nice. Here is what it has.

25 yd lap pool
Free weight room
Machine room
Ellipticals
Treadmills
Fitness room w/ various types of equipment
Spin bike room
Row machine

I definitely have many options and I have been using most of this equipment during my time here. I have been lifting weights since college so I do have a decent grasp on most of the basic movements. However, when it comes to cycling training I really don't have a clue. So, I did what I do best. I scoured the internet reading articles about cyclocross and mountain bike training attempting to get a grasp on what lay ahead of me. Eventually I came across something called the Mountain Bike Strength Training System


This system was developed by a guy named James who owns a gym in Grand Junction, CO. On his website he has a lot of great information for training, all of it directed at mountain biking. He has a few different systems and I decided to go with the Ultimate MTB Workout. It includes strength workouts, cardio, warmups, stretching and even nutrition. It covers everything you will need to ride faster and stronger. James has developed a Vimeo.com page with video demos of every movement in the system so it is very easy to learn. James even has podcasts where he covers gear reviews, nutrition tips, does interviews and bike skills training. Overall it is a very informative site and James even makes a point to contact you directly to follow up with your progress. I have been doing this program for about 6 weeks now and I am more flexible, have less pain, and I feel stronger. The strength workouts focus on the core; all of your power and stability on the bike come from your core. This is an area that I have not put a lot of effort into in the past so it is a welcome change.

Obviously I haven't been able to practice any skills training or get any time on a mountain bike but I am confident that this system will prepare me physically to jump right back on the bike in late March and hit the trails hard. The first race is the Jewell Park Time Trial on April 2nd. I will post an update on my training before the first race.