Hopefully you didn’t gorge yourselves too much during the Thanksgiving festivities yesterday… some of the folks on my Facebook feed were posting their weight gains yesterday, and jeeezus… seriously? What the hell are people eating… shudder…
…so, hey… today? Today you’re going to ride a little of that food off, while still making sure you’ve got something left in the tank for the weekend.
Today you’re going for a…
2 Hour Moderate Ride –
Get on your bike.
Go ride for 2 hours.
No hard efforts, but do throw in a couple of moderate ones. By moderate, I mean just that. You can sprint for the town line, but you should be laughing while you do it.
You’re not doing a recovery spin, so you need to put a little bit of gas into the pedals… just don’t go out and kill yourself.
Check out the view, smell the flowers, just do it while you’re putting a little bit of effort into the pedals.
Well, it’s Wednesday, and for some of you this is the last Wednesday Cyclocross Skills Workout of the season.
Congratulations! You made it. I hope you had fun, and got something useful out of all my rambling lo these many Wednesdays.
If you recall, last week we worked on fine-tuning one or two things that you were really good at.
The idea was to hone some of your best skills into a weapon, so that you could use them when most needed, to make the race or at least make a difference in the race.
This week, we’re kinda/sorta doing the opposite.
I want you to pick one or two things that are your very weakest links and drill thecrap out of them tonight.
Whatever it is that gives you the most trouble, work on it.
Don’t make this an onerous task, have fun with it.
Laugh at yourself a bit.
Push your comfort envelope, especially if you are working on your handling skills (and lets face it – this is a weak spot for almost everyone.)
So, if you’re lacking a bit in the handling skills department? Go out and shred some turns.
Push it.
Go harder and faster, to the point where you’re hitting the deck.
Get back up, do it again.
Have a weak start?
Yup.
Do a bunch of ‘em. Get yourself a bit fasteroff the line.
Not the greatest endurance rider in your field?
Do extended efforts on semi-technical terrain. Try to hang on just a little bit longer to the meat grinder pushing the pace at the front of the field.
Making sense?
Whatever you’re not so good at, tonight you’re going to work on it.
You can make it better.
Stronger.
Faster.
Not quite at the stage in the Cyclocross game where you’re really concerned about all this honing and buffing business? More interested in simply going out and getting better at the basics? Looking for a little bit more structure tonight?
Well, the season is almost over for many of us, which seems pretty odd, given how far off Nationals still is.
It seems like the local promoters in much of the country haven’t gotten the message yet; this is a winter sport, and it’s supposed to go well into January.
Sigh.
Give it a few years, I guess.
I’m going to keep posting these workouts even as the season tapers down in my neck of the woods… at least as long as the traffic or demand keeps up. I may post a survey up to see how many folks are interested in continuing, keep your eyes peeled.
Anyways…
It’s 2×20 Tuesday!
Today we’re doing them Get-up style –
– Warm up.
– Go as hard as you can for 20 minutes.
– Recover for 2 minutes.
– Go again for another 20 minutes.
That’s the basic version. This is the get-up version, though, so…
Start the first interval out of the saddle, and stand for the first 30 seconds.
After those 30 seconds are up, sit down. Keep the effort going, and consistent. Don’t surge, don’t go harder when you get out of the saddle.
Stay seated for the next 1:30, then stand for 30 seconds.
Repeat to the end of the interval, and follow this format for the successive interval.
The idea here is to go as hard as you can for the duration of both intervals without being forced to go easier at the end of the second interval. If you run out of gas before you finish the second interval, you went too hard. If your vision isn’t blurry at the end of the second interval, you went too easy.
If you’re doing this with a powermeter, you want your wattage output to be as close to constant as possible. We’re talking 10 watt variance at the most. Keep it steady.
These take practice to do well, and the better you get, the harder they get. This is another workout that works great on the trainer, and that’s how I do ‘em, which is a good thing… because I always wind up flat on my back on the floor trying not to puke after the 2nd interval.
I’m really not kidding about the seeing spots thing. If you can learn to push through your limits when you do these, you will get better and well… you will get better.
Tips:
– I do these on the trainer, with a stopwatch on the bars and an Ipod blaring in my ears. Start the stopwatch at the beginning of the interval, and the format is really easy to follow; you stand up for :30 at the 2:oo, 4:00, 6:00, etc. mark(s). Get it? It’s easy!
– A power meter will help you to keep the level of intensity constant. You want the power output to be as steady as possible with these. If you don’t have a PM, do these on the trainer, choose a gear ratio and a cadence, and stick to that for the duration of the excercise – instant home made ergometer.
Monday again! Man, I can’t believe the weekend is over already… holy cow…
Well, I went out to the Seattle area races yesterday, and I saw some great riding (note:saw. I can’t ride well enough to get out of my own way right now! 🙂 )
You know what else I saw?
Some pretty darn bad rider positioning.
Seriously.
There are a bunch of folks out there at the races with bike setups that are holding ’em back pretty significantly.
I haven’t spent any time on here talking about bike positioning, so I probably can’t hold it against folks too much, but sheesh…
If you’re in doubt about your positioning, spend a few bucks and go visit a reputable bike fitter… it’s worth it!
Interested in a few posts on the topic of bike fit for ‘Cross? Let me know in the “comments” section.
Anywho, onwards!
It is Monday. You should be ready for a…
1 Hour Recovery Spin –
– Get on your bike. Roll out into the street, and just spin around for an hour.
– Really small gear, no hard efforts – heck, no medium effort.
– Spin. You’re looking to move your legs around in circles, almost like there is no chain on the bike.
– The idea is to get your body moving, flush the systems out, and speed your recovery.
– Just get out on the road and spin aimlessly. At a certain point, your legs suddenly feel better.
– As soon as that happens, turn around, go home, eat, stretch, and put your legs up.
You’re racing today, so the workout is pretty self explanatory, right?
Go Race.
If you haven’t read it yet, you may want to check out the post on warming up I wrote a while back… people seem to like the suggested routines. Give ‘em a try, and let me know if they work for you…
If you aren’t racing tomorrow… well, heck… why not?
Kidding.
No race, you should get some hard riding in today. Do something as much like a race as you can.
Maybe try out…
The Doppelganger –
– Warm up well. If you have time, warm up as you would for a race. It’s good practice, if nothing else.
– After you have warmed up, do five full-gas starts. As always, focus on the second effort in your start, working on getting back on the gas right after you max-out on your initial effort and begin to sit down.
– 20 minutes at your 2×20 pace.
– 2 minute rest.
– 10 minutes of Over/Under intervals
The baseline for this interval is the level of effort/output you just did in the 20 minute effort.
However hard you went in that interval, you are going to try and hold that for the 10 minutes.
Easy, right?
Here’s the rub.
You’re going to sprint for 10 seconds every minute of the interval.
How hard are you going to sprint?
Hard, but not so hard that after you sprint, you can’t sit back down and keep churning away at your 2×20 level.
This takes some practice to figure out.
Don’t get all freaked out if you blow it and can’t hold the effort until the end. You tried, right?
Having said that, don’t wuss out and quit. This is some difficult s***, man. You want to get faster, right?
Start the interval with a sprint, out of the saddle pretty hard, but not full gas.
Sprint for 10 seconds.
Back in saddle, drop into your 2×20 zone. Hold this until the minute mark, then –
Sprint again. 10 seconds.
Back in saddle, 2×20 level until 2 minute mark…
Repeat.
Repeat…
Repeat, until you have hit the 10 minute mark.
– 5 minute recovery
– 10 minutes at 2×20 level
– 2 minute recovery
– 10 minute Over/Under Intervals
– SPRINT at the very end of the last interval. 30 seconds, all out.
Really all out, like “I’m sprinting for the Maillot Arc en ciel” all out. You should be at least half-blind at the end of the sprint.
Heck, you should be so gassed when you start the sprint that just upping the tempo a little bit puts you in a box.
You asked for a race simulation, right?
Ouch…
Notes –
Yes, this is f-ing hard. You asked for it…
DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU ARE SKIPPING A RACE TO RECOVER! DUH!
You can always just sub in a 2×20 (or better yet a 3×20…) when you can’t race. That’s a hard damn workout if you do it right, but certainly nothing like the nightmare I just handed to you…
As usual, that means that many of you are racing today, and we probably don’t need to say much about that.
Go race. Leave it all out on the course ’cause there (probably) isn’t much left to your season.
Have fun.
Racing on Sunday?
Yup. You’re doing…
Can Openers –
– Warm up for 1/2 hour or so.
– Follow with several short attacking efforts, IE 30 seconds at 80% of your max, or pretty damn hard.
– Back off and spin for 5 minutes.
– Follow with 10-15 minute effort at AT level, or CP30, or “I could talk to you if I had to, but I don’t want to” level.
– Spin for several minutes.
– Follow with 5-6 full gas start efforts on a straight section of paved road, level or slightly uphill.
You want to begin these from a dead stop, with one foot unclipped.
Do not stop until you get at least 3 perfect starts in a row, and I mean perfect; this is the cross equivalent of practicing free throws. make ‘em count.
… spin out the legs, go home, and get ready for the race.
If you’re in Seattle (like I am…) you might just be looking at the wrath-of-god type stuff on the weather forecast and be thinking to yourself “I’m not going outside this weekend unless I absolutely have to…”
Got ‘ya covered…
You can do…
The R.S.W.O. –
– Get on trainer. Spin for about 5 minutes.
– Shift into big ring/largest cog combination.
– Ride 30 seconds in this gear, then shift up one cog.
– Ride 30 seconds in this gear, then shift up one cog.
– Repeat until you hit the hardest gear you’ve got, or can handle.
– Ride 30 seconds in that gear, and then shift all the way back down to the Big/big combo.
– Ride 30 seconds in that gear, then immediately shift to hardest gear you can handle.
– Full gas sprint, out of the saddle, for 30 seconds.
Back to big/big combo.
– Spin for two minutes.
– 5-10 minute effort at your 2×20 output level.
Repeat The entire sequence (Usually minus the 2nd 5-10 minute effort.)
Well, it’s Friday again, and as usual, what you’re doing for a workout today depends on what you’re doing this weekend…
If you’re racing on Saturday,
You’re doing…
Can Openers –
Warm up for 1/2 hour or so.
Follow with several short attacking efforts, IE 30 seconds at 80% of your max, or pretty damn hard.
Back off and spin for 5 minutes.
Follow with 10-15 minute effort at AT level, or CP30, or “I could talk to you if I had to, but I don’t want to” level.
Spin for several minutes.
Follow with 5-6 full gas start efforts on a straight section of paved road, level or slightly uphill. You want to begin these from a dead stop, with one foot unclipped. Do not stop until you get at least 3 perfect starts in a row, and I mean perfect; this is the cross equivalent of practicing free throws. make ‘em count.
… spin out legs, go home and rest. Get ready to race tomorrow.
Not racing tomorrow, but racing on Sunday?
You’re doing a…
2 Hour Moderate Ride –
Get on your bike.
Go ride for 2 hours.
No hard efforts, but do throw in a couple of moderate ones. By moderate, I mean just that. You can sprint for the town line, but you should be laughing while you do it.
You’re not doing a recovery spin, so you need to put a little bit of gas into the pedals… just don’t go out and kill yourself.
Check out the view, smell the flowers, just do it while you’re putting a little bit of effort into the pedals.
I’m going to jump right into the workout today, starting with this…
Before we figure out what you’re doing today, we need to talk about where you are in your season.
Things are winding down, right?
How quickly are they winding down for you?
Are you playing out the string all the way to Nationals?
Are you finishing up your season this weekend or the next?
Something in the middle?
The answer is important.
If you’re done in the next week or so, let’s face it; what you’ve got is what you’ve got, fitness-wise. You aren’t going to get any better.
All you should be doing now is working to make sure you don’t leave any of your potential out on the practice field, and – maybe – be working a little bit on your leg speed and your snap.
Going all the way to the end?
Sweet. You’ve still got some time, you need to keep on keepin’ on.
So, here’s what we’re going to do: split workouts for most of the days for the next week or so, based on a schedule that finishes up a week from Sunday, and a schedule that sees you going through until ‘Nats.
Going to ‘Nats?
Today you’re doing –
The Hills Have (small) “I”s
(“I” is for “intensity.”)
Warm up, ideally in the course of a ride out to some pretty darn hilly terrain.
Find a hill – or a series of hills – that will take you 5 minutes to climb at pretty darn close to race pace.
Hit the base of the climb hard, out of the saddle, and accelerate into it.
Sit down when you feel you’re starting to lag, and drop a couple of gears. Spin (but still fast, IE about the same as your 2×20 minute level.)
Stay seated until you are breathing a little easier, then…
Out of the saddle, Attack! Hard like you did at the base of the climb.
Same as before, when you start to lag, sit down, spin.
Repeat to top of climb.
At the top of the climb, get out of the saddle, and accelerate as the grade eases. Power over the top and well into the descent, until your speed is great enough that coasting is faster than pedaling.
Coast/spin to bottom of climb.
Pedal at moderate intensity (IE – 2/3 of your 2×20 minute level,) for roughly equal to the amount of time it took to complete the entire climb.
Repeat 3-5 times, or until you are spent.
If you do more than 3 repeats, spin easy for 5-10 minutes after 3rd repeat.
Total duration should be about 2 hours
Better to go shorter and harder than to extend the ride and slow things down.
Finishing things up soon?
You’re doing –
Spin Ups –
– Get on your bike and warm up with a leisurely spin, 10-20 minutes.
– After you’re warm, find a nice, long, flat or slightly downhill section of road with little or no traffic.
– Begin interval by rolling into it at a moderate speed, in a gear that’s smaller than you would typically use to sprint.
– Get out of the saddle and sprint.
– Spin the gear up out of the saddle. When your leg speed gets to the point where it’s hard to maintain, sit down and keep going until you are totally spun-out. We’re talking fast, can’t turn ‘em over any faster…
Today we’re going to start the process of reducing, replacing, and refining our skills in the waning days of the season.
Huh?
OK. Here’s what I’m talking about…
Refine.
– We’re at the point in the season where we really need to be putting our “whole package” together. For many (most?) of us, the end of the season is right around the corner, and while we can always work to expand our skill set, the best use of time for many of us is buffing the rough edges off the skills that we have now.
Reduce.
– Every Wednesday, we’ve been working on different, discrete skills. Now we start to put some of them together… and take some of them away. We’ve talked about different ways to approach turning, barriers, dismounts, re-mounts… you name it. Now it’s time to identify the approaches, variations, and individual skills that suit you the best. Don’t throw out the things that you haven’t quite figured out yet, but put them in the closet. You’ll come back to them next season…
Replace.
– Do you have a rockin’ Cowboy dismount, but a lackin’ “step-through?” Cool. Next season you’re working on the step-through. Now, though?
Focus on the Cowboy. Nail it. Perfect every time.
Are you railing the corners when you pedal ‘em? Not so much when you’re foot-out, sliding? Focus on what’s working. Nail it. Perfect every time.
Here’s the drill for tonight:
– warm up, 10-15 minutes.
– Brief run. 5 minutes.
– Stretch.
– Barrier skills, 10 minutes.
– Try a couple of different approaches/skills. Figure out what’s working best for you. Ditch what isn’t.
– Technical skills, 15-20 minutes.
– Here again, try different approaches to the various obstacles on your course – off cambers, tight turns, wide/fast turns, mud, sand… figure out what’s working for you. Ditch what isn’t. Reduce, replace… Refine.
– Starts, until you get 5 perfect starts in a row.
– Yeah, I’m a broken record. Try starting a couple of different ways; Ass on saddle, ass off saddle. Pedal at 3:00, Pedal at 1:00. 3 cogs down, 2 cogs down. Figure out how you start best. Drop what isn’t working, and forget about it until next season.
– Race simulation. 3 x 10 minutes, 2 minute rest between efforts.
– Take everything you just practiced, and use only the select approaches and skills that worked for you. Really nail ‘em. Go F-ing fast, and use whatever skills get you there.
You betcha. I do the personal coaching/trainer thing. Clients have included multiple National and even World Champions, and 2/3 of My Cyclocross athletes made the podium at Nationals in 2009, with one taking home the Stars and Stripes. Interested? Drop me a line at: crosssports@gmail.com
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