Vanlandingham, 38, is the most successful rider in the history of the National Off-Road Bicycle Association. The part-time Durango resident has won the NORBA National Cross Country Series championship for the past three years. She plans to race with the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Beijing and is moving into off-road triathlon racing as the next step in her career. She won the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge last week.
The Breck Firecracker is a bit longer than what you typically race. Any specific tweaking in your mental preparation or training to get ready for the longer course?
I typically race 20 to 30 miles in about two hours, so a 50-mile race with more than 10,000 feet of climbing will be more than twice as long, time-wise. The past women’s winners have finished (in) around 4 1/2 hours. To prepare for such a long race, I have been doing longer high-country mountain bike rides around Durango, my summer home.
What lured you to the Firecracker this year?
The Firecracker 50 has been around for several years, and I’ve always felt that it would be a great way to celebrate the Fourth of July. My race schedule has not allowed me to participate in the past, but this year I got together with the Luna team management and figured out a way that I could be there. The marathon discipline has gained popularity over the years, and I have always admired the athletes for their toughness. A four- to five-hour race can be as much a mental challenge as a physical challenge.
Are you testing the water for more endurance racing?
This is my eighth year as a pro cross country racer, and I have reached some goals on the national level. Being focused on the national series races doesn’t always allow one to do some of the other great events that we have across the country. I’ve been seeking out some new challenges with a few Xterra races and now the Firecracker 50, which is also the marathon national championships. I also hope to be a part of an adventure race team before it’s all over.
Your athletic career started with hoops in Texas. Did your time playing ball provide you with any special mental or physical edge when it comes to riding mountain bikes?
Yes, I played basketball in high school and received a scholarship to play in college at East Texas State University. Growing up playing soccer, volleyball, basketball and running track taught me discipline and focus. Probably the most direct benefit to mountain biking came from riding motorcycles as a kid with my family. We were one of those families you would see on the weekends in a motor home pulling a trailer with five motos for my dad, mom, brother, sister and me.
Any specific training techniques, or is it about time in the saddle?
As I’ve matured as a racer, I’ve learned that the time out of the saddle is just as important as the time in the saddle. Rest, recovery and nutrition are essential parts of training.
How do you push through mental fatigue?
After years of racing as a career, you do face mental fatigue. For me, it is important to have other things to focus on in my life besides cycling. I have developed an interest in real estate and am now managing a few properties I have acquired. Being a landlord will definitely keep your mind off bike racing at times.
What’s your worst injury?
I’ve broken my collarbone, leg, wrist, had hip surgery, hand surgery, and surgery on my collarbone. I guess the most painful was the collarbone because it was broken in a couple places and the doctor did surgery to remove a couple bone shards that were trying to come through the skin.
Most memorable moment on a bike?
I often think of the time in Hawaii when I raced a homeless guy who was riding a Huffy. He was fast even in his flip-flops.
Who do you admire most?
People who have the courage to find a way to live their dreams.
Best advice you ever received?
Be brave!
What do you know now that you didn’t know then?
Ibuprofen is one of the essential vitamins.
