Rider Highlight: Shadd Smith takes age group wins at God's Country Fat Tire Festival and OMBA CARAMBA Mountain Bike Race
A challenging part of coaching is keeping riders mentally fresh as they prepare for their upcoming season. Shadd Smith, a cyclocross-focused athlete, is working with his coach Adam Mills to use some mountain bike races to prepare for the ‘cross season. Shadd took things one step further and won his age division at God’s Country Fat Tire Festival and won the overall and his age division at OMBA CARAMBA MTB RACE.
How’d the race go down for you? 
I’m doing the mountain bike races this year to fill in some training gaps leading into hopefully another successful year on the Road and Cyclocross scenes.
God’s country Mtb race was on the rolling fast Lawrence River trails on a blustery cold day. I ended up 1st in my age division and 3rd overall category 1 open. The OMBA CARAMBA Mtb race was held on super rainy day which turned into a mud fest. Super fun to get to race in the mud on the mountain bike. The race started on a .25 mile paved uphill the dumped into the woods. I punched it before we entered and woods and never looked back. It was a fun time sloshing and sliding around for the duration of the race. I won my age division and won the overall cat 1 division as well. About as much fun as you can have on a mountain bike.
Which coach do you work with and how did your training help you prepare for the event?
My coach is Adam Mills. Adam has been a master mind in determining a highly structured and specific training plan for the entire year incorporating peaks for super important events.
What advice do you have for someone up and coming in your cycling discipline?
You will get better race results by hiring a coach versus buying expensive bikes and parts to make you go a little faster.
What is your next event?
Wilson Lake Switchgrass Mtb race, Regional Road and Crits, and ultimately a full on US cyclocross schedule