The Cyclocross Workout Of The Day for Monday, 9.6.15. “Lots of Labor on this Day
Howdy folks,
Labor Day!
I hope you’re enjoying your long weekend! Me? Not so much. Damn summer colds, blech. Trust me folks, avoid the one that’s going around right now, it’s a serious bummer.
If you didn’t spend the last 24 hours curled up in a ball on the sofa shivering like a baby colt, you might be racing today.
Nice.
Have fun out there. Just remember, it’s (probably…) just the first race of a long damn season. No pressure. Race like you mean it, but not like it’s the end of the world if things don’t go spectacularly well.
Today you should just be looking to blow the pipes out, work the kinks out of the system, go for a dry run… you pick the metaphor.
The idea is that you’re racing – and racing for real, with every intention of doing as well as you can – but the real goal posts are further on down the road in the meat of the season.
So, use today as a learning experience.
Pay attention to your pre-race routine. How did it work out? What do you need to change in the future?
What was the race field like? Are there any new faces at the races that you’re going to need to pay attention to?
How did the bike(s) work? Any pressing mechanical issues that you should take care of? Don’t sleep on this stuff…
How did the body work? Make note of where you felt good and where you felt bad, what sections of the race you were strong in and what ones you were weak in. We’re going to work to address these as the season goes on, and that work starts now with identifying strengths and weaknesses.
Above all, enjoy the hell out of the race.
That’s what this is all about!
Not racing today?
How about going for a…
Hard Group Ride –
Get out there and kick some A** on the local roadie ride, or on the trails with your buddies.
Push the pace if and when you can, try and go hard – harder than usual – and see how you recover from some stiff efforts on a course or in a group you know pretty well.
Duration? 3 hours or so. OK to go long(er. Ish.) today, but better to go kinda long and really damn hard.
Try to ride a bit over your head.
Either ride with a group of riders that are just slightly better than you – and ride defensively – or push the tempo at the front with a group that you’re comfortable in.
…or maybe a nice, relaxing (hah!)
Jacky Day.
This is a good general climbing and endurance workout that will stretch you a fair bit longer than anything you’re ever going to see out on the cross courses.
Heck, this is about as hard and sustained as you’ll ever see in a road race.
In fact, what we’re trying to do is, essentially, simulate a day off the front of a road race.
Ouch.
Select a route that will enable you to hit at least 3 climbs of 5-10 minutes or so each, with flat to rolling terrain in between. If your local climbs aren’t that long, try and do more shorter ones. If hills are longer… well, cool. Just don’t turn this into an all-out climbing day, ok?
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 265, 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 the equivalent. With a warm up of 15-20 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?”
M
PS… this is a hard workout. Depending on your schedule, and what you did yesterday, it might be a bit much. Might also toast you for tomorrow, so be warned, ok?
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