NEWS

Big training weekend coming up on July 23 to 25.  Who wants to join me?

I am partnering with Shenandoah Mountain Touring to lead a training camp on the Shenandoah 100 course in Virginia.  This is one of my all time favorite race courses, and I'm very excited to ride it with a group, and pass on my knowledge and experience.  For more information, and to sign up, click here.

 

 

I have been hearing some great stories from Cohutta 100. 

The course, the distance, the competition, and of course, the weather!

Quite a few people prepared for the race using my 12 Week Training Plans, and I wanted to share a great email I received from "John":

"Hi Chris,
Wanted to let you know that I finished my first 100 mtb event yesterday!!  The weather made it a challenge with the rain and thunderstorms, but the training plan paid off and worked extremely well in preparing me for the Cohutta 100!!

Anyone interested in a 100 mile MTB event really needs to order your plan!

Very best regards,
John"

Great job, John.  I'm proud of you for finishing your first 100 mile mtb race, and coming out of the rain with a smile on your face!

The first big 100 miler of the season, the Cohutta 100, is in the books.  It's the first time in 4 years that I did not race this one, and I certainly missed out on some excitement - and appartently some torrential rain!

Even though I missed the event this year, I was very excited to be a part of it via the athletes that I have helped prepare for the race via coaching and training plans.  These athletes enjoyed great success, which makes me even more proud than when I won the Cohutta 100 myself!

One of the athletes I helped prepare emailed me after the race to say;

"Hi Chris, wanted to let you know that I finished my first 100 mtb event yesterday!  The weather made it a challenge with the rain and thunderstorms, but the training plan paid off and worked extremely well in preparing me for the Cohutta 100!!  Anyone interested in a 100 mile MTB event really needs to order your plan!"

Team CF, which is coached by Chris Eatough Coaching, also had an amazing race, with Harlan Price winning the men's single speed, Christian Tanguy finishing fourth in the men's overall, and Cheryl Sornson placing second in the women's overall.

It turned out to be my best Cohutta ever, and I wasn't even there!

 

 

My favorite 100 miler of all time is the Shenandoah 100, just outside of Harrisonburg, VA.  This area is a mountain bike mecca, and the race has everything; mountains to climb, long swooping downhills, rocks, roots, fast areas, technical sections and a genuine gong to proudly thump as you come across the finish line!

The race is always on Labor Day weekend, and it books up fast, so check it out now at http://www.mtntouring.com/mountain/htm/home/page_home.htm

I know the race very well (I lost count of how many times I raced it, with most of them being wins) and am excited to share my knowledge and help you optimize your training and be 100% ready on race day for the ride of your life.  The plan will include a day by day training schedule starting June 14th, which is 12 weeks out from the Shenandoah 100, and also a detailed plan of attack for the race course, guiding you through each section and the best way to conquer it.

I'm working hard now to make the plan available in mid April, so be sure to check back on my coaching page!

I am proud to announce that Chris Eatough Coaching is partnering with Team CF to provide a new powerhouse in endurance mountain bike racing.  The best thing about this new team is the mission: To increase awareness of Cystic Fibrosis (CF), raise money for CF research and promote fitness for those with CF.
Team CF is full of fast, experienced racers, such as:

Christian Tanguy

Harlan Price

Cheryl Sornson

Nikki Thiemann

Kristin Gavin

Jim Wilson

Selene Yeager

The combination of the team's support and my coaching will also nurture Kaitlyn Broadhurst through her first full mountain bike season.  Kaitlyn is an athlete who lives and competes with Cystic Fibrosis. 

Team CF is also supported by Trek and Gary Fisher, so look out for us on trails and racecourses all over the country.

 

Thinking about racing the TransSylvania stage race? This is an important weekend. We are 12 weeks out, which means it's the perfect time to get serious about your training. Monday March 8th is day 1 for the training plan. You can get the plan immediately, and start the training the very next day.  Find it here: http://chriseatough.com/?page=plans

The lastest 12 week training plan available is for the Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race.

This race is going to be truly epic. 

7 days of riding on some of the best trails you will ever ride, and a different course every day.

I will be there at the race as the official coach of the Trans-Sylvania Epic.  I will be available at the race to advise all riders on training, riding technique, bike setup, recovery, and anything else you want to pick my brain on.  All for free to registered racers!  I will also be riding, but not racing at the front this time.  I will be mingling with the masses and attempting to ride with as many of the partipants as possible to help them out and make some new friends.

My plan is available here: http://chriseatough.com/?page=plans

Read more about the race at www.TranssylvaniaEpic.com.

You can also get a $50 discount for the race registration at BikeReg.com by using the coupon code "eatough1", valid up till March 15th. 

I hope to see you there!

Chris.

 

I've been working on this one for a while and wanted to make it as helpful as possible to people racing a 24 Hour Solo this year.  Full 12 week training schedule is there, plus tips on bike set up, clothing, pit crew, pacing, nutrition, mental toughness, etc. 

Available now on the Training Plans page.

Snow is still on the ground here in Maryland, but mountain bike race season is just around the corner.  My traditional season kickoff is the Cohutta 100 in Tennessee.  It's a beautiful 100 mile race with lots of climbing through the Cohutta mountains.  The start/finish location is at a family friendly whitewater center, which is much appreciated for a post race dip in the river!  Read more about the race here: http://www.newleafadventures.com/cohuttahome.html

This year the Cohutta 100 is April 24th, so now is the time to start preparations for this race.  I have written a 12 week training plan to help people prepare for this specific race.  It even includes a detailed course description and my tips on how to tackle each section of the course.  Check out the Cohutta plan on my Training Plans page. 

My first 12 Week Training Plans are now available for purchase right here on my website!

Purchase a plan instantly with the "add to cart" button.  Plan is instantly emailed to you, ready for training tomorrow or for the new year. 

The plans currently available are for 100 mile mountain bike races, and for mountain bike stage races.  Two of my favorite race formats!   I am working on more now, for 24 Hour races and for XC races.  They will be available in early January. 

I have incorporated all my knowledge and experience into the plans so that they provide optimal preparation.  They are designed to be easy to follow and understand, and useful for a wide variety of riders, from intermediate to expert.  Whether you are looking to beat your personal record, or just finish a challenging a race, the plan will help you make the best use of your training time, bring structure to your training, and inspire you to ride like a champion. 

Chris Eatough's 12 week training plans are almost ready, and will be available for purchase before Christmas.

They make a great Christmas present, and fit nicely into many mountain bikers new year resolutions, such as ride more, train smart, and kick butt in the 2010 mountain bike season.

The first two training plans available will be:

1. 100 mile mountain bike race

2. Multi day mountain bike stage race

Payment is through paypal, $100 per plan.

Receive the plan right away, and get a jump start on the 2010 race season!

Keep an eye on this space in the next week for final details...

Chris.

 

The 24 Hours of Moab is coming up on Oct 10th and 11th.

I'll be racing solo for one last time.

After 10 years of professional mountian bike racing, I am transitioning, but I plan on staying in the cycling world more then ever as a:

• bike transportation advocate (BikeArlington)
• product tester (Trek Bikes)
• mountian bike coach (Chris Eatough Coaching)

You can read more about my "retirement race" here:

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/trek_life/news/article/1700/2009/09/21/chris_eatough_announces_retirement/

More options to be a part of Chris Eatough Coaching will be available in 2010.

I am currently working on 12 week training programs for each of the endurance mountain biking formats, including XC, 100 milers, 24 hour races, and mountain bike stage races.  These are a lower cost alternative for riders who want to train optimally for events such as BC Bike Race, the Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic, and Shenandoah 100.  They will include detailed daily training guidelines, written by me.  There will also be a supplement package available, including all my tips on race nutrition, core training, and daily recovery.

I am very excited about this opportunity to help people excel in their their favorite mountain bike events!

The plans will be available in January 2010.  Check back to find out more!

 

BC Bike Race is a 7 day mountain bike stage race throughout British Columbia, Canada, also known as mountain biking paradise.  Amazing singletrack of every variety.  Rocks, roots, berms, narrow bridges, and plenty of deep dark woods with rich green moss covering every bark and rock surface. 

2009 was the 3rd time I have completed this race, each with my Trek teammate, Jeff Schalk.  The race is run in a 2 person format, which means teammates ride together through good times and bad, and the daily finish time is taken at the time that the 2nd teammate crosses the finish line.  Jeff and I won the race in 2007, and we were 2nd in 2008, so we were hungry for more success this year, despite the fact that the competition has heated up considerably, particularly from the local BC contingent. 

The race course this year was without a doubt the best ever.  It treated our group of 400 racers to a singletrack smorgasbord, taking in all the BC hotspots, including North Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, Squarmish, and Whistler.  The front runners would hit the trails full speed every day, and the pace never let up.   My legs were feeling great, and the terrain was suited to me perfectly.  Unfortunately, Jeff was not feeling as good.  He had a few nasty crashes the first day, which left him with scrapes all over his face, stitches in his upper lip, and a tweaked lower back that did not allow him to put out his usually impressive power.  Jeff would really have to fight and struggle through the middle of the race, which kept us off the pace of the top teams.  He fought through bravely, however, and came back strong for the last 2 days, where we took 2nd and 3rd on the day, which landed us 4th overall for the race.  The 2 person team format can tough when things are not gelling, but we dealt with it the best we could, using mutual respect and understanding.  I've been in the situation before where I was the struggling teammate, so I can certainly empathize with Jeff. 

When all was said and done, it was a fantastic week.  The organizing crew does a great job of catering to the riders, and the racers get to blast through some of the world's best trails day after day.  It also didn't hurt that the weather was perfect everyday.  Nice timing, since apparently it rained all day in BC the day after we left!

 

I'm pleased to announce that I have a new drink sponsor, Infinit Nutrition.  I was introduced to their product last fall, and it has totally changed my race nutrition.  Their drink is fully customizable.  You choose the levels of carbohydrates, protein, electrolytes, caffeine and more!  Infinit will make up a batch of your chosen mix and send it to your door!  Or you can choose on of  the same mixes that I have developed for 100 mile mountain bike races and 24 Hour Solo races. 

I will also be part of a Webinar about race nutrition on March 29th.  Anyone can sign up.  Here is the press release from Infinit.

Be sure to use coupon code "Eatough" when you order any Infinit product and receive a discount.  Check it out here: