Cyclocross Racing - How do YOU train for CX?

Especially if you don't have a local practice group near you. I've been riding/racing road for a while and did my first cross race this weekend, and came in 4th out of 46 riders. I figure I'll cat up, and start focusing my training around CX racing. I'm looking for some things I can do on my cross bike as well as on the road, since I can ride road year round. I especially need to do something to increase my endurance at high-intensity.

Spinerval DVD's do really good at that.. Becareful though, focus on the interval ones, not the big power ones or else you'll kill your legs..

check out some back issues of cx magazine. there are some good training plans and advice in them.

1st-try and get a vo2 test
2nd-pick up the cyclists training bible
3rd-maybe look into a coach, or develop your own plan from the bible

sounds like you need to focus on LT and AT training

2x20 minute intervals for FTP work

One pint at a time.

http://www.sxc.hu/pic/m/s/sa/sasicd/317035_pint_of_beer.jpg

show up 'n throw up.

^ The last two are a lot more fun than anything else. I guess I'll work on some longer FTP intervals while going out for beer runs.

Pick a beer store about 20mins away with few to no stoplights in between and just rip it there, and especially on the way back, dont want the beer to get warm.

Rode a 39 minute max effort on the rollers today to simulate the balls out race effort. 174 average HR and 28mph average speed on Sportcrafter 3.25" rollers. I have no clue what kind of power output that is, but it was pretty damn hard to maintain the last ten minutes.

My goal is to be greater than DFL.

jwible, are you doing the Augusta race? I'm debating whether or not I want to go. I hear it's kind of hood, and if I go alone I'd probably be stealth camping somewhere.

jwible, are you doing the Augusta race? I'm debating whether or not I want to go. I hear it's kind of hood, and if I go alone I'd probably be stealth camping somewhere.

There's one in Atlanta at the Dick Lane Velodrome. Since that's only 30 minutes from my house it'll be where I cut my teeth.

http://www.dicklanevelodrome.com/pages/psychocross.html

It's not a part of the cyclocross series but if all goes well I'm going to do the races in Dallas and Barnsley Gardens.

39 minutes is still 6 mins shy fyi...

No idea what your avg heart rate means as everyone is different, however a race will be nothing like a full out effort. The first lap or two will be hard efforts as you won't know the course. While you're riding the course take note of where you're just fast at, and can therefore save energy at those parts. Also look where everyone is slow at and just ride your own pace.

Example: we had a huge climb every lap. The first couple of laps people were blowing themselves up on. I on the other hand kept my heart rate managed and just sat and tried to spin the hill out, only rising out of the saddle if absolutely nessecary. As as result, guess who could attack after the hill on the main straight, and guess who was way past their red zones?

Also guess who won....by few minutes.....and lapped half the field

Rode a 39 minute max effort on the rollers today to simulate the balls out race effort.

I hope you hopped off every five minutes or so, tossed the bike on your shoulder and jumped over some boxes in the garage too. :thumb:

I do two hard workouts a week then race sat and sun (usually). Monday off, Hard Tues and Wed, Easy Thursday (drills), openers Friday, race weekend.

Tues and wed are usually FTP type workouts one day and sprint/normalized Power type workouts the other (15sec on, 15 off for 10min, or just 1 or 2 min intervals). For the FTP workouts, I throw in sections where I stand up and sprint.

Hunter Allen's Cyclocross training plan is also very good if you wanted a cheap plan ($100 for 12 weeks)

I hope you hopped off every five minutes or so, tossed the bike on your shoulder and jumped over some boxes in the garage too. :thumb:

And rolled around in the garden.

39 minutes is still 6 mins shy fyi...


I'm a new guy. 30 minute race for me!


I hope you hopped off every five minutes or so, tossed the bike on your shoulder and jumped over some boxes in the garage too. :thumb:

It's a basement. Jumping over ugly furniture will have to do.


And rolled around in the garden.

That sounds too much like fun and not like real work!


:D

There's one in Atlanta at the Dick Lane Velodrome. Since that's only 30 minutes from my house it'll be where I cut my teeth.

http://www.dicklanevelodrome.com/pages/psychocross.html

It's not a part of the cyclocross series but if all goes well I'm going to do the races in Dallas and Barnsley Gardens.

I heard about this race but didn't see any flyers. Thanks for the link. I should be out there.

I found a little traveled place in the park and ride in the grass as hard as I can for 45 min doing turns around trees. Then I set up barriers and practice. I find that it is better to practice skills when you are tired and not thinking clearly.

During the week I've started tabata intervals on a fixed trainer. 20min and my a$$ is cooked.

I heard about this race but didn't see any flyers. Thanks for the link. I should be out there.

Look for a guy on a Salsa Con Crosso who looks confused as hell and is trying to figure out if the bike is put together correctly. Final parts come in on 10/28.

:D

Look for a guy on a Salsa Con Crosso who looks confused as hell and is trying to figure out if the bike is put together correctly. Final parts come in on 10/28.

:D

Nothing better than putting a bike together right before a CX race! That's what I did. Rode it once to practice dismounts/remounts, and then drove up to Dahlonega. I'll most likely be in a Florida State kit. Probably the only FSU jersey there, so I'm usually easy to spot.


I found a little traveled place in the park and ride in the grass as hard as I can for 45 min doing turns around trees. Then I set up barriers and practice. I find that it is better to practice skills when you are tired and not thinking clearly.


Good call on doing barriers afterward. I built some out of PVC pipe yesterday and will probably do the same thing as you.

Nothing better than putting a bike together right before a CX race! That's what I did. Rode it once to practice dismounts/remounts, and then drove up to Dahlonega. I'll most likely be in a Florida State kit. Probably the only FSU jersey there, so I'm usually easy to spot.




You sir are a brave soul. Not as brave as if you were wearing a Florida jersey, but still brave. :thumb:

During the week I've started tabata intervals on a fixed trainer. 20min and my a$$ is cooked.

Are you doing the typical 10sec on/20sec rest? Full intensity? I've heard of these but haven't tried them yet. Have you found it more effective vs. intervals (5x1, 2x20, 5x5, etc...)?

I'm doing 20 sec on and 10 sec rest for 8 intervals. I've been doing it for a little over a week so nothing too noticeable yet. It hurts so it has to be dong something good. :)

This is the first time I've done interval training so I don't have much to compare to.

shouldn't you do intervals with an HRM for maximum effectiveness, rather than using a prescribed set of time?

I haven't trained hardly at all, and I got smoked last weekend. I need to do something for the next 3-4 weeks before my next race, so I'm open to anything.

For tabata intervals a heart rate monitor is useless. You simply go as hard as you can for 20s, rest for 10s and repeat 8 times.
For longer intervals a power meter is ideal and a heart rate monitor is a distant second.

for training cx, mostly I just show up at races. I do some shorter intervals during the week. Big run ups are starting to reveal themselves as the most significant limiter, followed by long hills. I'll do some specific work on that after this weekend's race (DCCX) when I have a few weekends off from racing.

shouldn't you do intervals with an HRM for maximum effectiveness, rather than using a prescribed set of time?

I haven't trained hardly at all, and I got smoked last weekend. I need to do something for the next 3-4 weeks before my next race, so I'm open to anything.

These are fine to do with out any monitoring as the time duration of rest v on is too short to get a response that will tell you much.

Also, you are just full on for 10 seconds, and it is pretty easy to tell what what full on v full off is.

shouldn't you do intervals with an HRM for maximum effectiveness, rather than using a prescribed set of time?


Tabatas are max possible effort intervals. Go as hard as you can for 10-15 seconds, rest for 20 and do it again. No need for an HRM if you're putting every effort into the interval.

is it 10 on/20 off or 20 on/10 off? I did 20 on/10 off last night. That was painful, but I guess they are supposed to be, right?

Everything I found on the web said 20 on and 10 off.

Yes, it's 20 on, 10 off.

This is my first CX season (first time bike racing too) but I thought I'd share my routine. To prep for the season, I was doing 6-8 reps of 2 minute Max intensity intervals after building up a base. But to be frank, they were not helping me in the races in the early season - I was getting worn out by the 3rd or 4th lap. I realized that I was focusing too much on the red-line intervals and not enough on the Zone 4 / 5a work, which is the 'glue' of the cyclocross race. So, I started incorporating 4 sets of 10 minute maxium steady state intervals (high zone 4 and touching zone 5) and then for the last minute I would do an all out sprint. I'm 42 so my theoretical max HR is 178 and I usually try to hit low-mid 170's on that last all-out sprint. This seemed to have helped me more than just doing V02 Max intervals as I feel I get enough intensity during races. Granted, I'm still finishing bottom 3rd :-) ,but at least I feel stronger and less winded through the laps.

For me, while interval work is important, I find that I need to do at least one 2-3 hour zone 2/3 ride each week to keep up the endurance.

Sunday will be my first race. I never really thought I would race, but when I found that I've already done most of the things in a race, just about daily, might as well do it. My training thus far has been riding pretty much daily, climbing a lot, and commuting on singletrack trail. When I am riding to/from work, I tend to ride faster and harder than I would normally. This racing thing just adds another element to it all for me.

Got all but one part in for my Con Crosso build. Missing the dang front brake cable hanger. Just ordered a $10 part with $20 worth of overnight shipping. DAMMIT!

Got the headset in place and the fork / stem assembled. looks like a bike now.

you don't have an LBS?

I realized that I was focusing too much on the red-line intervals and not enough on the Zone 4 / 5a work, which is the 'glue' of the cyclocross race. So, I started incorporating 4 sets of 10 minute maxium steady state intervals (high zone 4 and touching zone 5) and then for the last minute I would do an all out sprint.

Why don't I understand what any of that means?

Where can I read something that will explain things that will allow me to understand the above?

you don't have an LBS?

Work from home and the closest shop is 45 minutes away. I called them and they said they'd already sent out today's mail and packages.

Why don't I understand what any of that means?

Where can I read something that will explain things that will allow me to understand the above?

Training and Racing with a Power Meter or the Cyclist's Training Bible --- search the forums or google for those books. Good reads and they're just about a must have.

I tried out tabata intervals on my trainer tonight for the first time. Holy hell that was a hard workout. I'm amazed so much pain can be packed into 10 minutes. I pretty much collapsed on the living room floor after the last interval.

I tried out tabata intervals on my trainer tonight for the first time. Holy hell that was a hard workout. I'm amazed so much pain can be packed into 10 minutes. I pretty much collapsed on the living room floor after the last interval.

I'm with you on that one. I've been doing them for a couple of weeks now and I still feel like I want to quit after the 2nd interval. I tell myself it's not only physical training, but psychological as well.

I do a 24 roundtrip commute 2-3 days a week, and maybe 4-5 hours of mostly offroad riding on the weekend. It is not very structured. Mostly zone 3/4 riding with occasional work on jumps and sprints. A lot of easy rides just focusing on skills.

I did spin-yoga with the wife last night. 30 minutes pedaling as hard as you can while standing, then sitting every few minutes. Then 30 minutes of power yoga. I was soaked by the end. This will probably be my off season training.