Crosssports's Weblog

Howdy folks!

Wow, the Cross season is sneaking up on us quickly!

There just aren’t going to be all that many more opportunities to get out and just ride, with no racing on the schedule! (If  you’re racing on the road or the mtb this weekend? Well… have fun. You know the drill, eh?)

So… if there’s a casual weekend ride that you like to do, get on it this weekend. Have some fun, and get some miles in with your road-riding buddies or MTB brethren, because you probably won’t be seeing them for a while.

This is also one of the last good opportunities for the folks with day jobs to get some real miles in the legs, and blow a whole day out on the road or the trails.

Look… I’m not one of those folks who thinks that distance, time, and hundreds of hours of junk miles in the legs is the key to cycling success, but there’s something immensely satisfying about going long, and many of us love the full-day ride.

If that’s you, get it out of your system now!

Your workout today is –

Ride All Freakin’ Day If You Feel Like It!

Pretty simple, right?

Get on your bike. Ride.

Ride some more.

Stop when you feel like it.

If you’re the type looking for a bit more structure, or something that’s just a wee bit ambitious, give a try to the –

You Know Jack(y)-

This is a good general climbing and endurance workout that will stretch you a little bit longer than anything you’re likely to see out on the cross courses.

Select a route that will enable you to hit at least 3 climbs of 10 minutes or so each, with flat to rolling terrain in between.

Warm up well, at least 20-30 minutes before you hit the first climb.

Climbs should be hard but steady.

Start medium hard (not full gas!) and try and hold it the whole climb.

Drive it over the top, and roll down the descent. Visualize a prime at the bottom of each descent, and a chase pack nipping at your heels. Don’t sit up at the top of the climbs,stay on the gas all the way down and through.

In between climbs, keep it steady.

You want to stay on top of a pretty big gear, at a level that is below threshold, but not that far below.

If you’re a power meter type, with an ftp of 285, you would want to try and average about 200 watts between the climbs and 300 on the climbs.

Not a PM type? Try and go about 90% on the climbs, and just over 50% between the climbs.

Remember, 3 climbs of 10 minutes, or as close as you can get. With a warm up of 30 minutes, and a cool down of about the same, this would be just about perfect for a 2.5 hour ride.

Got more time? Rest after the 3rd climbing effort, repeat the cycle.

It’s better to keep the intensity up than to go longer. Remember, we aren’t resting between climbs, we’re dieseling along in a big gear.

Visualize yourself driving an all-day breakaway, and you get the idea…

Have fun, and think to yourself, as you’re rolling along…

“What would Jacky do?”

Have fun!

M

~ by crosssports on August 10, 2012.

Posted in The Workout Of The Day
Tags: Cross, Cycling, Sport