The Cyclocross Workout Of The Day for Sunday, 8.28.16. “Wout do you think?”
Howdy folks,
Remember yesterday, when I said I thought it was still a wee bit too early to be out racing cyclocross?
Look what reigning cyclocross World Champion Wout Van Aert was doing this weekend…
(Photo c/o cyclingnews. Click on it for the full report)
Yup.
He was out winning an almost five hour road race.
Sometimes, the best can get away with doing all kinds of silly stuff in their training because they’re just that damn good, and they can get away with it.
Other times, though? Other times they’re doing what they’re doing because it’s smart.
Road racing is damn good for your cross racing.
If you’ve got some available over the next week or two, you might should be taking advantage of it.
If you don’t?
Maybe have a go at something like…
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
Crosssports's Weblog 