Cyclocross Racing - Training Status???

The road racing forum has one, so why not here?

Status: Built up cross bike last night. Going to take it out to play for a bit now so I can figure out the shifter position and put tape on it.

Super psyched!

thankfully cross really isnt serious enough to have a thread like this

Today, I took out the cross bike for it's maiden voyage.

The star nut was broken, I soon realized, so after a short detour at the LBS, I was tearing it up around campus.

I found a route that mixes lots of grass, a sharp hill, some roads, and mud when it's wet. Today it was wet and so everything is muddy.

Sweet!


thankfully cross really isnt serious enough to have a thread like this

I thought it would be a fun thread for people to say what they did...

you might be a little late then since the race season starts full force next weekend. training period should be over my friend.

you might be a little late then since the race season starts full force next weekend. training period should be over my friend.

I'm pretty sure road racing was training enough.

I'm probably only doing a few training races and a couple of events before going in for surgery again so...

no time left for training. season starts this weekend for me. however, i was lame in training this year so the racing season itself will be my training.
also, i figured i could get away with training less because i dropped 7lbs off my bike, haha.

thankfully cross really isnt serious enough to have a thread like this

Yup ;)

Training races start this week

I have been working on my FTP since taking a 2 week break

I dont understand this idea that once the season starts you are done training. Is this an attitude help by people who exclusively race cross? All of the people I know who are have been racing road have training plans for cross season.

I think Lith is just meaner here than he is on the road forum.

Meanie pant lith!

i believe lith is saying that the pre-season training window has closed... but maybe you realize that.

once the season starts I potentially race up to 4 times a weekend every weekend until december. Trying to train on top of that isnt really feasible.

cross isnt like road where you can race and potentially not use that much energy. cross is all out all the time so coming out of the weekend is pretty rough.

once the season starts I potentially race up to 4 times a weekend every weekend until december. Trying to train on top of that isnt really feasible.

cross isnt like road where you can race and potentially not use that much energy. cross is all out all the time so coming out of the weekend is pretty rough.

So you don't do any training during the week?

Weekend = racing
Monday is usually some sort of easy recovery ride.
Tuesday is more of the same.
Wednesday is motorpacing.
Thursday/Friday are either off or super easy spins.

Monday: recover
Tuesday: practice race with the locals
Wednesday: skills, quick run
Thursday: intervals
Friday: recover, quick run
Weekend: race

That's what I doing until yesterday when I picked up a Training Peaks plan to bring in a bit more structure into my training and give me specific things to work on. I'd just been going out and "riding hard" before so I was looking for training that targeted different areas of my fitness specifically.

Based on how long the plan is I'll peak just after provincials at a race put on by my team. I have to cut the first 3 weeks out of the plan do to purchasing it late. Luckily I wasn't just working on my ass groove in the couch all summer and have more fitness than last season at this point.

i may do one day during the week of either vo2 work or race simulation but otherwise its all recovery or skill practice.

IF you are Lars Boom, you training is winning a stage in a GT.

IF you are Lars Boom, you training is winning a stage in a GT.

Boom switched solely to road this year. In an interview he said he only plans on doing 3 'cross races this year.

Which ones? Worlds on the list?

I've been riding my cross bike on the road lately to get used to the fit. My knee was bothering me a week ago so I missed a whole week. I'm usually more fit this time of year. Tomorrow I start training in the fields on the practice course.

WHile I'm awaiting my cross frame to arrive I'm eating as much pizza as I can and I'm practicing drinking from a "beer bong" in prep for my races. Am I missing anything?

I was really tired today (3 hrs of sleep), but I went out to practice some technique on dismounting/mounting. It was okay. I def was better at it last time I went out.

The 'edge' wasn't there.

Racing tomorrow, so I'm going to get a ton of sleep tonight. Yay!

This is my first season of cross, and I was totally not ready for the lower cadence / higher resistance of riding on grass.

So I've been working on low cadence riding at or near threshold ( in addition to some high intensity intervals) to get used to this new environment.

The odd things is, tonight I did a 40 minute SST interval at 60-65rpm on my indoor trainer and it felt better than when I do the same intensity at 95 rpm.

Weekend with be skills, running and some hot laps.

First race (Ed Sander) will be painful, but I'm looking forward to it.

This is my first season of cross, and I was totally not ready for the lower cadence / higher resistance of riding on grass.

I'm only asking because of my own past newbiness, but what kind of tire pressure are you using? My first race I went out with the tires around max PSI, and I couldn't believe how hard it was to ride on grass. Then I got tipped off to lower the pressure. It makes a huge difference.

WHile I'm awaiting my cross frame to arrive I'm eating as much pizza as I can and I'm practicing drinking from a "beer bong" in prep for my races. Am I missing anything?

Just remember, cyclocross has a critical difference from the normal pattern -- you throw up first, then you drink beer. Train accordingly.

i'm gonna die at my first cx race. but, maybe i will survive if i get busy and start doing some intervals....

I'm only asking because of my own past newbiness, but what kind of tire pressure are you using? My first race I went out with the tires around max PSI, and I couldn't believe how hard it was to ride on grass. Then I got tipped off to lower the pressure. It makes a huge difference.

I started off at 70psi, but have had it at about 45psi for the last few outings based on advice of more experienced guys.