Jason English: World Champ Up Close

Adz

February 2012 – Its not often you get the opportunity to get up close to a 2 X World Champion. Jason English is exactly that and after this interview we sense there are more in the tank yet.

Our local surfcoast single speeder (and JE buddy) Adam Kelsall caught up with worlds best 24hr Solo rider and uncovered some race preparation secrets and personal moments that I’m sure you will all enjoy. Over to you little buddy……

Interview By: Adam Kelsall

Adz: Jas…let’s start with some LoosenerupperersJ

Adz: Full name?

Jas: Jason Arthur English

Adz: Favourite bit of kit of all time? 

Jas: Anything with Green and Gold. It’s pretty special putting on the Australian Colours.

Adz: Favorite… 

Adz: Books? Jas: It would have to be something available as a podcast.

Adz: Music? Jas: Usually most of the stuff on the top of the ITunes charts. I try to save listening to my play list to the last hour of my rides if I’m struggling so I don’t get sick of the same music all the time.

Adz: Quote? Jas: If you’re not falling off, you’re not riding hard enough or if you can’t break it in six months it’s too heavy.

Adz: Recipe? Jas: I can’t recall the last time I followed a recipe, I see them more as a guide. I’m working on a killer muesli bar recipe but it changes every time I make them…

Adz: Junk Food? Jas: Pizza – hence it being the ideal race food.

Adz: Place in the world and why? Jas: I think it’s not always about the place but about the company. I love Port Macquarie, you can train all year round and there are a few crazies here who also like doing long rides. We also have some of the best single track in the world!

Adz: Moment? Jas: I am enjoying the first time Archie sees me in the morning as he greets me with a massive smile.

Adz: Things you like to cook? Jas: Anything I don’t need to peel. When I cook baked vegies all the skins are left on. I do like cooking snacks that I can eat on rides like muesli bars, muffins, banana bread etc.

Adz: Now about the sport…

Adz: We have two world 24hr championships this year. 24hours of Adrenalin in Canmore and WEMBO in Italy? What’s your view of this? Will you do both?

Jas: I was very disappointed that there was no 24hr World Championship in 2011 so I can see why WEMBO was formed. It looks like a bit of friendly competition between event organisers. We will see two massive events for athletes in 2012 and it’s great to have an excuse to enter two 24hr events in awesome locations.

Adz: Since worlds in Canberra(2010) there has been a perception that 24hr racing has lost momentum amongst competitors in Australia. What’s your view of this? Is this temporary in the absence of worlds last year or does the sport need a shake up to renew interest in Australia?

Jas: I guess it will be interesting to see how many people ride solo at the 24hr race in Port Macquarie and how many people turn up to the Australian National Champs. At this stage it still hasn’t been announced where and when they are on. I think the Scott is doing the right thing by offering prizes down to top 10 in solo. It means that there are lots of people racing for positions not just the top few.

Adz: 100 year old Tinker Juarez  is still racing, what are your thoughts on him as a competitor?

Jas: I think Tinker is amazing. I think he has really got to live the dream. I am impressed that he can still ride competitively in shorter distances against top eilte riders. I was following his results at Tour de Temor and he beat most of the top Aussie XC guys!

Adz: I know you watch and analyse the other guys pretty closely. Who do you see as the biggest threat to your world title and what’s your analysis of their riding?

Jas: In Italy I have just heard rumours of a guy who will be on his 64^th 24hr at the WEMBO World Champs (I’m around 20). In Canmore it looks like there will be heaps of guys to watch. At the end of the day, if I have raced hard, felt that I couldn’t have done better and get beaten by several riders I will go away satisfied. I’m only disappointed in a race if I feel I didn’t get the chance to ride to my ability due to situations out of my control, mechanicals, poor race decisions or nutritional issues etc 

Adz: For the Punters…

Adz: If peeps are thinking about taking up 24hour racing what tips would you give them about…..

Adz: Equipment?

Jas: 2 bikes that are exactly the same, ideally a donor bike just in case, lights on helmet and bars. I’m now starting to double glove for a bit more comfort. Chamois cream is your friend, don’t be shy. Run suspension softer than normal and prepare to lower it during the race.

Adz: Nutrition?

Jas: Gel flasks, Shotz caffeine gels during the night to stay awake and for energy. I rotate water with Shotz electrolyte for fluid and this keeps all my stomach issues at bay. I then try and eat a normal piece of food each hour as I get hungry and some gel each hour.

Adz: Training?

Jas: Just comes down to how much time you have, a 24hr is something you need to have a good base for but you need to do a few first to be competitive, there are always new things or strategies to experiment with.

Adz: Race planning?

Jas: I don’t think plans work, I think you need to ride to your own pace. It’s all about average lap times, not about your fastest lap times.

Adz: What you know about…

Adz: Being 2 x World Champion?

Jas: It doesn’t mean you’re pro, you still have to work to race!

Adz: Riding 6 x 1000km weeks in a row?

Jas: I don’t think it makes your fitter, just wastes a lot of time and earns you lots of Strava Stalkers. I did get sick a few days after backing off the training??

Adz: Shifting refrigerators with single speeders?

Jas: I think they like steel as it doesn’t dent as easy as aluminium

Adz: Teaching/Mentoring?

Jas: It’s great fun, having industry experience also earns you a bit of cred when teaching PDHPE and associated courses.

Adz: Faith?

Jas: Like Jess I too am a Christian, I work at a Christian School and try to attend our local church when not travelling around the place to various races. It was actually you Adam that showed me that mountain bikers can prioritise, see that life isn’t all about mountain biking and still race and train like crazy!

Adz: Breaking Vertebrae?

Jas: This is not a cool thing to do just before heading overseas to compete in a World Championship Event.

Adz: Becoming a Dad for the first time?

Jas: I guess now I’m getting up a little earlier, especially on holidays to ensure I can spend more of my awake time hanging out with family. It means I am doing more of my races unsupported or relying on help from family and friends who are handy. I have achieved more than I have ever hoped of in mountain biking so any further results I get are purely a bonus. With one child Jen is still allowing me to take off for stage races but if a second comes along I think I will be helping out a little more around the place.

Adz: My number one 24hr support crew member also being my wife…

Jas: It’s been great having Jen as my support. I have enjoyed travelling with her all over the place to attend races. I have been missing the company as I often now travel to races alone. Jen has really mastered the 24hr support role. I know there are lots of people who check out how she does all the little jobs she does and there are many who can’t understand how she can be keeping track of lap times of me and the top few, working out how much food and fluid I should be drinking, when lights go on, when batteries need changing, when to change glasses, warm clothes, lube chains, wash bikes etc!

Adz: Determination?

Jas: I guess determination is an important part of 24hr racing, you need to have a pretty good reason to ride for 24hrs. For me that sometimes comes down to really enjoying the track and company but sometimes it comes down to a free airfare to Canada or Italy and a holiday overseas! It’s amazing how many races come down to the last few hours and the extra bit of mongrel you need to find to keep pedalling.

Adz: 2012 and the future?

Jas: I’m thinking 2012 is going to be a quieter year for me, now with one income in the family I can’t afford to race as much. I’ll try to get all my training done before work so I can just hang out with the family in the afternoon.

Adz: Crazy Scenario’s

Jas: That Cadel guy wins this year tour and announces his retirement. In his retirement speech he proclaims “I’m done with road, I’m going to 2013 24hr worlds in Canberra, and I’m gunning for English’s title.

Adz: Can you beat him? What’s your race plan?

Jas: I know it’s quite debatable if an elite World Cup XC or a high profile international roadie has a go at 24hr racing how will they perform. I think an XC guy will struggle with the nutrition and pacing, the roadie wouldn’t ride efficiently enough but when you have a guy like Cadel who has done both, who knows! Maybe if I got to ride pro and have similar coaching I could stay with him for half a lap!

Adz: So Chiara rings Jen for some advice on how to support her guy with nutrition for 24hrs, what happens next?

Jas: Jen will help out anyone but she would firstly recommend Chiara sees a sports dietician closer to where she lives. If she is nagged enough she may give into a phone consult!

Adz: Fast forward to the end of the race. Coming down the finish straight you are dead equal with Cadel. You are thinking about whether or not to do your trade mark race winning wheelie…what happens next?

Jas: I imagine if I’m still with Cadel at the end of the race there may not be enough left in the tank to pedal let alone bust out a wheelie. I don’t know if I should practice my wheelies before the Worlds this year as it seems like both races will have some serious competition.

Adz: Thanks Jas…anyone you need to thank?

Jas: I have got lots of people to thank for my results over the last few years. Most have been able to continue supporting me which has made racing far more affordable for me.

It’s not just the product sponsors that make racing achievable but also school allowing me to take time off to race and my family who make sacrifices to ensure I can still train.

My local bike shop offers hours of service, checking over my bikes very carefully before races and swapping out parts and bits and pieces when new products are available.

Jet Black Products support has been awesome, if they are not supplying me complete bikes to races they are putting everything else onto my bikes, from Stans Wheels, Cranks Bros everything, NiteRider Lights, Weldtite Lubes, gloves, trainers, grips etc these guys do everything!

I’m stoked to be riding Merida bikes again this year. I’m waiting on my 99 bikes to get built and I’m hoping the 29er hardtails become available soon! I’m really interested to see what weight these bikes will come in with all the Jet Black Products pars on board.

I also have many other product sponsors that I have chosen that have gone above and beyond what I would hope for such as Shotz Nutrition, Continental Tyres, Adidas Eyewear and Lazer Helmets.

CORC have also played a big part in my success with their support in getting Australian athletes to world championship events.

I just need to get sponsored by an airline or oil company to cover my expenses getting to all the races I want to do!

I also need to thank you Adam for the inspiration to try out mountain bike racing when I was 15. I thought you were one of the coolest mountain bike riders with your fancy GT, the same brand of bike that sponsored my hero Hans Rey!