Training?

[hi565]

what do you guys do for training?


I am a roadie, but I think that cyclocross is a damn cool sport. BUt I mean I know you guys ride alot, but you must have to do running too?


A friend of mine has two cross bikes and said I should try them, that should be intersting. :D

Thanks guys.

[SamHouston]

The running is often only in 15/20 second spurts. Training on the road is good fitness regiment if that's all the running will be. Fitness aside, I'd say form is the most refinable area for starter cyclocross riders; especially dismount/mount and shouldering. If you've done any MTB you know what to expect for terrain; singletrack, fire roads etc and tackling all that with near road geometry will improve your strengths in all areas. Go for it, CX is a blast.

[hi565]

The running is often only in 15/20 second spurts. Training on the road is good fitness regiment if that's all the running will be. Fitness aside, I'd say form is the most refinable area for starter cyclocross riders; especially dismount/mount and shouldering. If you've done any MTB you know what to expect for terrain; singletrack, fire roads etc and tackling all that with near road geometry will improve your strengths in all areas. Go for it, CX is a blast.

Yah in the future, But I can under stand that like MTB ing you should really work on your pedal stroke and all of the dismounting. It sounds fun, looks pretty crazy too. Ive seen movies of the pros doing it and they are so damn quick with the dismounting and mouting its like second nature!

Wow I thought this thread was a gonner :)

[oldskoolboarder]

Practice mounts and dismounts and do intervals. Even though the races can be short, 30 min to 1 hour, your HR will be high for most of the race. So you need to do most things when your chest is about to explode.

[lunacycle]

I've noticed improvements by doing running intervals, where I'll jog easily for about 10 minutes to warm up, then sprint all-out uphill for about 20 seconds, then jog easily for about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes to recover, then repeat ad-nauseaum. I try to do this for about 30 to 45 minutes total, once a week. I basically accomplish this by running around a block several times with a steep uphill on one side of it. This seems to replicate the exhaustion I feel during a race. In addition to that, I may do an easy 30 to 45 minute run during the week just to keep the joints and muscles supple. Other than that, I just hit the rollers a couple times a week at varying intensities, and do the Wednesday night training races they have here in the Twin Cities.

For me, the purpose of training is to make the races fun, instead of grueling death marches. I only train enough to not embarass myself out there on the course. If I place well, that's an added bonus.

[jfmckenna]

I am fortunate to have a local university cycling team that sets up a mock course at least once or twice a week. To train for cross you need to do cross. I don't train in running as such but I will do long uphill running repeats with the bike. And definitely form is the most important thing to get down. I lost a race last year do to a poor mount even though I practiced the hell out of it.