We’ve all heard of them, and we know it’s not a simple feat to get onto one – discipline specific RSRs expect you to earn your place, so you would have had to have worked really hard to meet very specific performance criteria, and demonstrate you “have what it takes” before you are even considered for nomination by our Head Coach. Recently we read about Zoe and Jamie’s RSR experiences, and this time we share a first for the club – Seth Kanaris was put forward to BC for the MTB Cross Country (XC) RSR, and subsequently invited and selected to attend a session on Saturday 7th March.
Enjoy reading about Seth’s account of his very first RSR experience:
“So on Saturday, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend my first RSR at Hadleigh Farm in Essex (the Olympic MTB venue)! If you’re wondering how I, of all people, managed to get onto an RSR, I just want to make it clear now that this was for cross-country, not road! If you want a quick fact, by the way, I have officially made Slipstreamers history by being the first to attend a mountain bike XC RSR (thank you Dave and Coaches for nominating me)!
When I got the initial email from BC that said I was invited, I was quite ecstatic; however there was a part of me that was fairly nervous as well because I knew from this point on it meant business and was pretty serious stuff – I don’t think you’d believe the amount of extra precaution I took just when I replied to confirm that I was attending! I then received a very detailed and specific list of things I needed to bring with, 90% of which we didn’t use, but was worth taking just in case to avoid getting told off! No teabags or pegs were requested! It was also quite specific about what not to bring – I was very surprised to note that baggies and hydration packs weren’t allowed, but in retrospect I can see that it’s all about the mindset and getting into the zone of a proper XC racer. I actually raced in lycra the following day to feel more “professional”!
When I finally got to the venue, it was quite nerve-racking to be surrounded by all the people that I only really see for a few seconds at the start line at big races (and literally nobody I knew at all)! While we were waiting, I just sat down and watched the race that was being shown, after which the ice broke and the atmosphere kind of warmed up a little. After a very precise briefing and introduction by all the coaches, we all got our stuff ready and headed out!
For the majority of the day, it was literally focussed on doing skills such as wheelies and manuals in an oval – unfortunately no trails – but I actually think I learnt a lot about how bad my technique was on some very basic skills, and managed to substantially change that! The coaches were also great, helping with minor details I don’t normally pay attention to, and that all added up to nailing the technique. We also did a short workshop about what makes a XC racer, which covered aspects such as skill, nutrition, and training to name just 3 of many. We split into groups, and it turned out to be quite interactive and engaging as we got to know each other and share ideas.
All in all, I would say it was a very productive day, and I learnt a very large amount that I will now apply to my XC racing and MTB in general. It was a unique experience, and I really hope I get invited to the next one, the one after, and get very far in my mountain biking career!”
Well done Seth, and thank you for sharing your experience with us.
If you want to know more about RSRs and the development pathway, visit this page here.