I’m pretty confident the first time I went to Dr. Steve Noble’s office his exact words were “You have room for improvement.” Which in the moment felt less-than-amazing, but in hindsight it was better for everyone involved. I first met Dr. Noble in the Fall of 2019, when I was fresh off a semi-disappointing mountain bike race season where nothing seemed to click; results were just not consistent, my headspace was all over the board, and I was struggling with the question of whether or not to continue dedicating my life to the sport. We planned to reconvene soon thereafter for an introductory power test and some work following.
Eventually
December rolled around, and it was time to start thinking about training for
the 2020 season. Re-motivated and ready to put in the work again, it was to the
room at Noble Chiropractic that I would become so familiar with in the coming
months. That first day we did a test of Functional Threshold Power (FTP), which
is a measurement of maximal sustained effort an athlete can produce. Paired
with weight you get a power to weight ratio, which is basically the be-all-end-all
number for cyclists. After a warmup and 20 minutes of full-on suffering the
numbers were in, and not exactly what I had hoped for. All said and done I came
out with an FTP of 275 and a power/weight of 4.36… A respectable amount,
but as Dr. Noble had mentioned earlier: room for improvement.
Maybe
the most abrupt improvement I ever saw with Dr. Noble was directly following
that initial power test. After sitting on the ground and recovering for a
minute, Dr. Noble went to work with his magic. Focusing largely on my exhausted
legs he slowly began correcting imbalances left and right, up and down, and
really all over the place. Immediately things began to feel… different. It’s
hard to describe, but there’s a sense of stability, control, and untapped power
that was hidden somewhere in my fatigued body. So naturally, it was time for a
test. A simple box was setup and we proceeded with some assessments of agility
and stability: running back and forth while stepping up and over the box, and single
leg dips. Probably the most incredible fact was that I could complete the tests
with tired legs, but even more so was that I could keep improving. After every round
Dr. Noble would correct something else, then my reaction time would once again improve,
and my knee would be far more stable throughout the dips. Set after set we kept
going, and even though I felt physically drained, there always seemed to be an
ability to go again, do better, and keep improving. It was exciting to see such
quick results, but also a bit frustrating that all this potential was locked
away somewhere in me this whole time. I left that session feeling excited,
motivated, and couldn’t wait to get back in the lab.
For the
next few weeks Dr. Noble and I worked together every week; slowly correcting
imbalances, removing energy blocks, and improving my headspace. Immediately I
noticed a shift throughout my everyday life, primarily during training
applications. During this time of the year, I was transitioning through the
offseason and into base miles in preparation for the coming race season.
Whether it was better control and precision while trail running, a feeling of
consistency throughout four plus-hour rides, or stability in the gym, there was
an overall sense of improvement in training. I could feel my baseline slowly
rising with each session, and therefore the upper limit of my abilities was
also growing. These newfound physical abilities also had the secondary impact
on my overall confidence… and this may have been the biggest change I noticed
throughout this whole experience.
One primary example of increased
confidence came through mountain biking: especially while descending. I have
always been a bit timid during fast descents, especially after crashing hard
and snapping all the tendons in my thumb a few years ago. As with a company
car, there seemed to be a limiter buried deep within my mind causing me to
reflexively slow down when the speeds became too high. This was incredibly
frustrating, and I had begun to go down the rabbit hole of subconsciously
believing I wasn’t a good descender, and therefore limiting myself throughout
training and racing. An old saying in XC racing is “Races are won on the
climbs and lost on the descents” and I was losing more races that I was
winning… obviously something needed to change. I found this change while
working with Dr. Noble.
Going downhill on a cross-country
mountain bike is an exhilarating (and often terrifying) experience… and I
wouldn’t be surprised if this raw feeling of speed and adrenaline is what
brought many of us to the sport in the first place. Making split-second
decisions about line choice, minute adjustments to body positioning, feeling
the traction of tires play along the ground surface, and supplementing the
bike’s suspension with your own body movement is an addicting feeling… the rush
of dopamine and endorphins is enough to power anyone back up the hill for
another lap. However, there’s a fine line between control and lack thereof
while going fast, and it’s necessary to tiptoe around that line to push your
own skills and abilities. Constantly pushing the envelope of your comfort zone
is the only way to improve… and that’s hard when a lack of confidence in oneself
limits this comfort zone and the willingness to explore its boundaries. I found
myself doubting my own abilities, doubting the capability of my equipment, and
overall doubting my development as an athlete. Slowly but surely that all
changed after weeks of working with Dr. Noble. It sounds cliché, but after
sessions working on agility, reaction speed, and muscle activation, time just
seemed to slow down during technical mountain bike descents. It felt as though
I had more time to prepare for whatever the track threw my way, and could
deftly maneuver around, over, and through the countless roots, rocks, and turns
throughout the trails. Initially it felt awkward, as if I was getting slower.
Looking back at the data though it was clear I was going faster, in fact much
faster than before. Soon I was able to understand my newfound abilities of
slowing down time and began to use it to push the limits of my own technical
skill. Descending changed from a tense, semi-frightening experience to
something almost meditative… experiencing everything around and inside me with
crystal-clear detail. I could see the trail and choose the best line, hear my
heartbeat and synchronize it with my breathing; I could simply feel my body
work in harmony with the motion of the bike. People talk about the feeling of flow,
and if it’s anything… it’s this: a feeling of effortlessness and pinpoint
accuracy. Bliss, really.
I came
back in for a follow up FTP test seven weeks later. Instantly I could tell
things were different. I had set a goal to maintain 300 watts throughout the
test, but soon realized I was far more capable than I initially imagined.
Throwing a bit of caution to the wind, I dialed up the intensity to 320 and sat
at what would’ve been a completely unattainable power number only a few days
prior. Coming to the end of the 20-minute test I realized there was still some
matches left to burn, and with one minute left to go I ratcheted things up once
more. After the numbers were done, it was a 19% increase from my original number…
an incredible improvement. Normal month-long FTP increases at my age are
typically in the 1% to maybe the 5% range, anything in the double digits
is relatively unheard of. I was amazed, and since I took the first part of the
test relatively easy and finished with gas left in the tank… well that number
could only go up. And that was all the motivation I needed.
Just when the 2020 racing season
was about to begin, the world ground to an abrupt halt. Events were cancelled,
plans modified, and athletes around the globe struggled with what the
uncertainty of the coming summer. As with everyone else, covid tore up my
racing calendar and tossed the scraps into an unintelligible heap. With no
racing to plan for, it was time to pivot towards a new trajectory. Rather than becoming
depressed about the lack of racing, the year at home provided an opportunity to
focus 110% on quality training and using the extended period of uninterrupted
time to hone my skills and become as fast as possible… basically the perfect
time to be working with Dr. Noble. Although there was a quick break in our
sessions due to covid safety, we stayed regular in my visits to the lab, and
the improvements to my training continued. Then I broke my shoulder.
A simple mistake, a split second
loss of focus, and I was on the ground; landing on top of my outstretched arm. After
a trip to the MRI it was revealed that I had fractured my humorous bone right
at the shoulder socket… luckily no surgery was required though. I was initially
told that recovery times would be anywhere from 10 to 16 weeks, which would’ve
effectively meant the end of the summer season. Luckily I had an ace up my
sleeve: consistent work with Dr. Noble meant I was back on the road bike in two
days and I was mountain biking within one month; an absolutely incredible
recovery time confirming just how vital my work with Dr. Noble has been. With
the short setback put behind us, it was back to work.
The 2020
season wrapped up with a final power test, where I scored a whopping 25%
improvement from my initial assessment. Within one year of working with Dr.
Noble, I had improved my FTP 87 points and my power to weight ratio had gone
from 4.36 to 5.75 watts/kilogram: an increase all but unheard of for a relatively
trained athlete. All this with no racing motivation and a broken shoulder… I couldn’t
make this stuff up.
Needless
to say, when the 2021 season began to take form I was incredibly excited to
test out the new body, skills, and mindset I had acquired throughout the last
year. Winter training had gone well, and I had been able to get a solid few
months of base miles under my belt, and was feeling strong going into the first
couple races of the year. My season started out with some local xc races
leading up to two major pro xc events. The local events were a first test of
the legs, which showed up with incredible form: I was able to walk away with a
couple confidence-boosting wins. Going into the first few major races the
nerves were expectedly present, and I had no idea what to expect tossing my hat
in with the biggest names in US mountain bike racing. True to form, I started
out tentatively and tried to test the waters. No doubt this was the wrong
approach. A conservative start means fighting through the main bulk of the pack
while those who made the lead group power on unencumbered by traffic. Even with
my approach, I was able to walk away from the events sitting in the top third,
a result that was undoubtedly impossible in years prior. The season ticked on
and races came and went with a surprising regularity in results: top of the
podium at the regional events and just behind the big dogs at the national
races. A solid third-place result at High Cascades 100 capped off the main
season, and proved to myself that the training I’d completed was paying off.
Then I got the call to participate in BC Bike Race.
BC
Bike Race is a seven-day mountain bike stage race set in Penticton, Canada, and
draws the who’s who of endurance athletes from around the country, and even the
world. This event had been on my bucket list for years now, and I knew it was
my opportunity to make a splash… so the rest of the summer was dedicated to
being completely prepared for BCBR in October. Preparedness meant straight back
to work with Dr. Noble, this time focusing on the mental aspect of my racing. Confidence
would be key for the event, where throwing punches at the front of the pack was
necessary for any kind of overall placement. Dr. Noble continued to work his
magic, and we tuned my mental sharpness with a specific focus on prime
performance at BCBR. With all the preparations completed, it was time to once
and for all prove I belonged at the sharp end of the race. I had seven days to
do so, seven chances to make my mark, and one overall result to show my worth.
All or nothing, all in.
The
ever-present nervous excitement surrounded stage one of BCBR. The field was
stacked with some heavy hitters and as always, I was feeling slightly out of
place. I’m pretty sure my heart rate was skyrocketing just lining up next to
some of the best in North America. Throughout the neutral roll out I was doing
everything withing my power to maintain an outward sense of calm, as the group
moved ever closer to the timing start mat. Once we hit the true start to the
stage the fireworks went off; all the big names put down the power and made it
clear who was in contention for the overall… and I found myself on their
wheels. Digging deep to follow the leaders up the first climb my confidence and
sense of belonging rose with each pedal rotation. Eventually the sharp attacks
started and I backed off, knowing it would be a suicidal idea to burn too many
matches this early in the week. I settled into my own rhythm and rode a solid
remainder of the day solo. Due to some mechanicals with the riders ahead, I
crossed the line in 5th overall, a result I never could’ve imagined
only two hours earlier… and this result was exactly what I needed: a confirmation
that I belonged throwing punches at the front of the race. It was as if an
entire season of yo-yoing off the leaders in big races, while simultaneously riding
away from the group at local events was finally coming together. I felt strong,
confident, and at long last the fleeting feeling of self-efficacy was growing…
all due in no small part to the help from Dr. Noble.
Throughout
the remainder of the week, results were predictable, which suited me just fine.
A lead group of about eight would establish itself early, and then the world
cup riders would go off the front, leaving us five remaining to have our own
separate race. I moved around slightly in the overall, dropping back to
seventh, then up to sixth, and coming into the last day was 45 seconds behind
the rider in fifth. We had become friends throughout the week, but at the end
of the day we were both there for the same reason: performance. The fifth place
spot at BCBR is a coveted result, a sign that you were gunning for the top
positions, and have undoubted potential. (In all honesty, sixth place has the
same meaning but going ‘top five’ just has a special ring to it.) With
exhausted legs, we all rolled up to the final day knowing there was one more
chance to empty the tank. Personally, I knew I had a few matches left to burn,
but I knew they were in short supply and hoped I’d have enough to get me across
the finish line. Once the gun went off, I turned the dial to eleven. Matt (the
rider in fifth overall) stuck to my wheel like glue, and we traded attacks
throughout the first hour of the stage. I was hurting, but could tell he was
hurting just the same. My mind flashed back to sessions with Dr. Noble where we
worked on mental fortitude, fostering the idea that this pain was only a
figment of my imagination, and I could push through and surprise even myself.
So that’s just what I did. I knew I was slightly stronger on the steep
sections, so every time the trail pitched up I attacked, doing everything possible
to break the elastic between myself and Matt. Again and again he matched my
accelerations, sticking to my rear wheel as if there was a static rope holding
us together. Finally I surged, and noticed he was all of a sudden a bike length
behind me, an uncharacteristic sign of struggle. Immediately he was back, but
at that point I had the taste of blood… it was go time. Throwing off the pain
in my legs I doubled down and put every available watt I had into the pedals, surging
up the hill as if the finish line was only a few meters away. Three minutes
later I eased up slightly, knowing that was the hardest interval I had done in
recent times… and Matt was nowhere to be seen. Even with the small burst of
confidence, the race was far from over; Matt is an incredible descender and had
made up almost 30 seconds on me during a previous stage. Additionally, the
unforgiving terrain had already claimed many tires and punctures were a
constant threat. I settled into a hard tempo and pushed my exhausted legs to
the summit of the final climb; all I had to do now was ride the best descent of
my life, avoid crashing, make up a minute, and I’d have landed myself in fifth
place at BCBR… easier said than done while riding exhausted and on brand new
trails. But I knew I had two things going for me: I trusted my training, and I
wanted it… bad. So I turned the suspension fully open, took a deep breath, and
charged towards the finish line.
When the
dust settled, I had done enough to push myself into fifth overall. Needless to
say, I was elated; it was a perfect way to finish off a season filled with ups
and downs, but BCBR provided the boost of confidence needed to charge headfirst
into next season. Success breeds success and I know the sky’s the limit from
here on, and I can’t thank Dr. Noble enough for his continued support. Dr.
Noble has been an invaluable help with the overall physical work, making sure my
speed, agility, and power were all optimized, as well as tuning my mental game,
enhancing the muscle between my ears to perform at the highest level, no matter
the circumstances. I guess the moral of the story is that we all have the
hidden potential buried deep within us… and it just takes the careful and
knowledgeable hand of a mentor to help unlock our inner best. For me, I always loved
training, racing, and the life that comes with, but was never able to break
through the ‘mid-pack’ barrier… always doubting my own abilities, second guessing
my choices, and not realizing my full potential. With Dr. Noble’s help and
unique practice, I was able to realize my physical capabilities of speed,
power, and agility; as well as optimize my mental game. The mind-body
connection is a beautiful thing, and aligning the two unlocks the untapped
human performance that’s possible… and that’s exactly what Dr. Noble has helped
me do. I can’t wait to continue working with him and am so excited for what the
future has in store.
