Crosssports's Weblog

Howdy folks,

Well, it’s another Wednesday here at the CXWOTD, and as per usual, that means we’re doing some kind of skill oriented thing today.

It’s still really, really damn early in the pre-season calendar, so we’re going to continue taking baby steps with the skills work.

This is refresher course type stuff, but I don’t care how good you are – or how good you think you are – starting with the basics is the way to go.

Especially in freaking July.

So bear with us, and try – really try – to dial this stuff in. Force yourself to go slow enough to nail the minute details that make good form happen.

Slow in July, and you’ll be fast in season.

I promise.

On with the workout!

1 – warm up for 10 minutes.

2 – Stretch out after you’re warm.

Pay special attention to all the muscles used in those movements you make hopping on and off the bike that are different from what you usually do (We’ve talked about stretching on here in the past, check out the search function if you want/need some more info.)

3 – Dismount/remount  skills for 5-10-15 minutes (depends how rusty/crappy you are. Do more of these, less of everything else if you need to.)

– Start at literally a walking pace, and slowly increase speed until you can mount and dismount the bike smoothly and perfectly at full speed. Do not jump on and off the bike, you are looking to smoothly slide yourself on and off.

Need a refresher on the basics? Check this out.

Do just the most  basic dismount/remount as per above until you have it down cold, smooth as silk.

When you’re perfect (hah!) throw some barriers into the mix.

– Again, start at a super, super slow speed.

– Approach the barrier, dismount smooth as silk.

– Step over the barrier, paying attention to how you lift the bike, and how you place your feet.

– Remount.

Smoooooth….

– Start with a single barrier, move to a double, and keep going slow until you have things wired. Then, speed things up until you aren’t smooth, back it down 1 notch, and make keep it there.

Smooooooth.

(If you don’t have barriers, anything will do. Use a log, put a stick on the ground – whatever.)

4 – Figure eight drill.

Set up 2 cones or 2 rocks or two – somethings, whatever – on the side of a slightly sloping hill. One up hill, one down, about 5-8 meters apart.

Ride in a figure eight pattern around the cones…

– first pedaling the entire time.

No coasting.

Pedal the corners & the downhill.

Practice using the brakes while still pedaling. This is one of those secret techniques that – once you figure it out – makes a huge difference. When you stop pedaling you lose traction, so don’t stop. You can break and pedal at the same time, sometimes.

Experiment with this, it can be a game-changer.

Try different speeds, different lines, different angles.

See when/how/why/what works, and what doesn’t.

Take it slow and have fun.

We’ll build on this basic drill a lot in the next couple of weeks/months.

5 – Warm down, go home.

Enjoy!

M

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Coaching, FTW.

~ by crosssports on August 2, 2017.

Posted in Cyclocross, skills, The Workout Of The Day