training

So this racing thing has taken hold, and I'm annoyingly close to the front of the field. Problem is I don't know what to focus on first to improve my position in the pack. Is it pure strength? Aerobic capacity? Muscle endurance? The only MTB focussed info I can find here, or anywhere, is either...

Burners, I hear most of the top XC riders and some of the endubro/DH riders are using Heart Rate Variability (HRV) to guide training load. HRV indicates the balance between relaxation/recovery and fight/flight. Low HRV indicating overtraining. Gradually raise training load until HRV falls...