Using The UK's Longest Blue Trail To Improve My Fitness

Time to get a bit more serious about my fitness. After having the shock to the system from the EWS 100, I decided to get my finger out.

I identified my biggest weakness to be stand up and/or sprint pedalling during descents. The clear choice to train for this was the new Blue Moon trail at Nevis Range in Fort William.

This may very well be a boring video, but I am happy with the day as a whole and could already see and feel some of the benefits from my "training".

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[Zzyyxx]

Easiest way to get fitter is to ride up the hills!

[jamesthompson]

That was awesome. Was up there a few days ago and think I’ll get much better on this next time after watching this. Good stuff 😁

[A_AAA]

nice video Andrew, be interesting to see the progress, im guessing it'll be quick given the improvements you found just in this video and sessioning the trail a few times! nice riding, good luck training and powering up to the next levels - but dont forget to go out into the mountains and hit trails just for fun too!

[rossridesmtb]

Great video, looking forward to watching your progress!

[iaindmacpherson]

Love this - tuned in! Great idea for a series of vids

[dronechoons]

good to see someone looking to go in the insides of that track, seems alot better when you do that. Obviously still building it though. good vid btw looking forward to seeing more

[blueford]

Great edit, I'm up there on Thursday so looking forward to it, hope the weather is kind to us lol 🤙🤟👌👍

[rhettetherington]

Great video as always. Be interesting to see how your training goes.👍

[camperp]

I cannot wait for next year, going to be doing most of the trails you’ve done over the course of the year, the trails are like nothing else, so jealous!

[cb]

Thanks Andrew...It's a lesson we've all learned, usually the hard way ! You need to be fitter than the course demands...you'll figure it out. But..maybe a specific plan ? Or a coach even ? My thing was a marathon, the Boston, which you have to qualify for . After 8 tries without a coach, I knew i needed help in order to make the cutoff, I was 44 at the time and did it twice ! . Good luck man ! Peace

[DizRidesMtb]

Great vid dude. Nice ridin does look a gd long trail tho n hopefully it will b finished soon lol 🤣👊

[rustymac]

Good luck with getting fitter/faster. I bumped into you briefly at the EWS and you seemed a little frustrated with how it went at the time. Didn't get time to chat as my daughter was pretty cold and hacked off with me and wanted to get back. Well done with doing something about it.

[lukas]

When you get the oppurtunity to get out to Canada. You need to hit up the run 5620 at Revelstoke Mountain Resort in BC. You want some endurance training. That run thing will test yah!

[paghal]

How about a combination of endurance riding up hills, sprint intervals on the bike with a power meter, core and total body gym workouts. Tried this the last year (minus the power meter) and noticed huge gains on this kind of trail, and about a 1 1/2 stone weight loss. You don't look like you need to lose the weight but training the other aspects can only help. Anyway, great content and inspiring me to maybe try an enduro race next season.

[Mugtree]

It’s always amazing how fitness differs depending on how you ride. I’m like you can do super long distance but absolutely shit at pace. Good luck with your training👍

[seanbannon]

Hi Andrew nice video, mate try abit of yoga for your fitness and recovery it does work I'm a forty year old smoked most of my life unfortunately and stupidly still do but I do ride enduro well do my best but I did yoga for around six months and I was fit to keep up with guys that have been biking along time and never ever smoked, it is great would need to get back into it again and obviously stop smoking🤦‍♂️🤯, I missed ews 100 myself was there got there late on the Friday night didn't have my own as I was in for mot, so I hired a van slept in it and woke up on race day and couldn't race as I injured my back in the back of the van as I was rushing around , absolutely gutted that I couldn't race hopefully I can next year 🤞🙏

[neustift]

I thought I was bike fit and moved to the valley and pedalled alot. Thought nothing of it. Then went to a MTB specific gym session and it kicked my ass.. kept with it though and stopped drinking alcohol and it's made a massive improvement to my riding. The gym work means can keep form and I can therefore ride better on long descent (power is nothing without control adage). Stopping boozing has meant lost a bit of weight but importantly sleep is better so is recovery. Didn't do ews 100 but done tweedlove events and at end of those I'm spent but not dead. Chuck in a few skills courses and days like ews 100 are quite achievable if you put in consistent effort. Im definitely in my later years also.. age isn't a barrier

[johndrennan]

Another great vid, I fractured my collar bone up there 2 weeks ago, , it’s still a bit sketchy

[georgekirkaldie]

This one is on my list. Hopefully for next year

[archiesgmarshall]

Although it’s shorter, Top Chief would surely be the better option to work on conserving fitness/ skill because it’s actually a trail that could be used for a full enduro stage? You have to take into factor arm pump and technicality. But the length of the blue definitely is a plus factor