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Howdy,

Wednesday, as always, means Skills Practice day, so that’s the workout for today; go out and work on your skills on your bike.

Pretty vague, right?

OK.

More explicitly, today what you are going to work on is what I call sectioning the course.

Back to that in a minute.

Here’s the outline for the workout as a whole:

– warm up, 10-15 minutes.

– Brief run. 5 minutes.

– Stretch.

– Barrier skills, 10 minutes.

– Technical skills, 15-20 minutes.

– Starts, until you get 5 perfect starts in a row.

– Race simulation. 3 x 10 minutes, 2 minute rest between efforts.

– Warm down.

– Go Home. Eat. Recover.

OK. That’s the outline. Back to the sectioning.

If you’ve been following these posts, we’ve been working on a different set of skills each Wednesday.  This is where we start to pull some of these things together.

Unlike previous weeks, we’re not working on riding a particular off-camber tonight. We’re not working on entering or exiting a part of the course. What we’re working on tonight is riding an entire section of a course.

Here’s how this works:

During the skills section of your workout tonight, ride a portion of the course you will ride during the race simulation later on.

This should be a part of the course that takes a minute or two to ride, and includes more than one technical obstacle, utilizing multiple skills. We’re talking something along the lines of “around the turn, set up for the barriers, over the double, back on the bike, through the second turn, up and over the off camber, and…” end of section.

Ride this piece of the course over and over. Work on nailing this “section” as a whole. Develop the fastest line through the entire section. Really, really nail it.

When you ride the course later on, this will be the section of the course you focus on.

I don’t particularly care how you ride the rest of the course, but every time you hit this section, you’re going to drill it.  Go fast as hell.

Rest and recover a bit after you ride this part of the course. Soft pedal a bit just before you enter it. You’re riding the whole course, but you’re focusing on just a part of it, a section.

Make sense?

No?

Here’s what we’re trying to do…

Ultimately, you want to be able to break a race course down into several sections – manageable chunks, if you will – and race it that way, as a whole composed of various elements or sections.

An outline of the typical race course would look something like:

Section 1 – Starting straight, through first turn, into…

Section 2  – 2nd turn, into off camber, up and down hill, into…

Section 3 – double barrier, up hill, down far side, into…

You get the picture.

So – again – what’s the point?

The point is this:

If you break the course up into manageable chunks – sectionalize it – you will be faster.

Learn to visualize the various sections of a course, and the fastest lines through them.

Maximize your efficiency on the course as a whole by identifying the parts of the course where you are fast, the parts of the course where you are slow, and the best parts of the course to rest.

Nail these sections when you preview the course.

Then race.

Go fast where you know you are fast.

Rest where you know you can.

Be first into the sections where you are slow, and attack where you know you have an advantage.

Go faster. Win races. Get sports cars and a coke habit.

Start the whole process by riding, memorizing, and visualizing one Section of tonight’s course.

Have fun!

M

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Feeling rested from yesterday? I hope so… don’t be a lemming, right?

OK.  On with the show!

We’re moving into a new phase of our training as we head towards the end(ish) part of the season. For most of us, the base level of our fitness isn’t going to go up at this point; we’re as strong as we’re going to get.

It’s time to work on the fast.

Having said that, here’s a big damn curve ball…

We’re doing a Classic 2×20 today.

Huh?

Yup. no speed work today; we’re doing that on Thursday this week.

The 2×20 today is going to be a baseline, and a reminder work out for us. We will (and do…) base a fair bit of our work interval-wise off your exertion/wattage/whatever levels as established in this workout.

Keep track of what you do/did today!

I don’t much care how you do it, but establish a metric for today’s workout.

Wattage numbers are great, but many of you don’t have the spendy gear necessary to generate them. There are other indicators you can use –

– What gear you did the workout in, and  at what cadence?

– What was your Heart rate?

– How far do (did) you go in 5 minutes? Ten? The full Twenty?

– What was your Perceived level of Exertion (PE)?

However you do it, figure out a way of capturing and remembering how hard you work today.

You’re doing this:

https://crosssports.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/workout-of-the-day-for-914-2/

But the real work for today is figuring out just how hard you had to work to do the workout.

Make sense?

If it doesn’t, it will.

More on just why we’re doing this in tomorrow’s post…

M

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It’s the first Monday in November… welcome to the home stretch.

Unless you’re one of the few US riders heading to Europe, or reading this from Europe (Howdy to all ya’all, btw…) you are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Nationals is right around the corner.

So, take it easy today.

Today’s workout is an easy, 1 hour Recovery Ride.

Get on your bike.

Start riding. Easy.

No pressure on the pedals. Super teensy tiny gear.

Roll around with very little effort until your legs start to feel better than when you started. When this happens, go home. Get a massage. Stretch. Get to bed early.

Easy?

Good.

So, now something to think about…

How is your training going?

How tired are you?

Personally, I’m beat.

I overslept this morning after not being able to get to sleep last night. I’ve been cranky all weekend. I’m coming off 3 weeks of seriously hard training.

I’m walking right up to the edge of the over-training cliff, and I need to back off before I walk over it.

What does this mean?

It’s pretty simple. I’m taking it easy for the next couple of days.

I’m not taking a rest week. It’s too late in the season for that, for me; my body will go into shut down mode if I take the whole week easy.

Rest and Recovery are the hardest parts of training for the self-coached athlete.

When I coach someone – especially for Cyclocross – I find myself spending as much time calculating rest indications and training stress scores as I do designing workouts.

This isn’t the case for most self-coached athletes, however. They tend to continue to drive themselves up to the cliff, over the cliff, and into the ground beyond.

Don’t be one of those idiots (uhh… lemmings. I meant lemmings…)

Take some time today to think about your training, and more importantly your not training.

– How much rest do you need?

– When do you get it?

– When was the last time that you actually had a day off – off as in no ride, no workout, and no job!

How do you know when you are walking up to the cliff?

– What are your personal signs of over-training?

How’s your sleep?

How’s your appetite?

Libido 😮 ?

How is your mood?

Is your body mass staying constant, or changing in a predictable, stable manner?

Is your waking HR stable?

Start to write these things down.

I’ve talked a fair bit about keeping a log of your training; it’s a good idea.

Even better idea?

Keep track of your non training stresses (work, family, etc.) as well.

Begin to document your physical reactions to all the stresses you are under.

Learn to see the warning signs of over training before you walk over the cliff, and learn to take a break when you need it.

This is another one of those little things that will make you fast…

… or at least keep you off the couch.

Which ain’t fast.

M

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Holy cow… it’s November!?!?!

Go Race.

That’s all for today.

Lot’s more tomorrow – and in the next couple of days – as we begin to switch the training focus to speed, and offer up some tips for making it all the way through the season… which is probably starting to feel really, really long if you did a full road/MTB schedule…

M

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Well, most of ya’all are racing today, so my job is pretty easy – go race!

Full gas.

At this point in the season, if you’re racing, you’re racing; no holding back, no weekend training races… just go for it.

…unless, maybe, you’re racing Sunday as well.

If you are, and you aren’t ripping people’s legs off, maybe think about taking it a little bit easy today.

I’m not saying sandbag the race entirely, but if you aren’t winning or fighting for points… maybe take it just a little bit slower, a little bit below “max all the way” today. Keep some in the tank for tomorrow.

Not racing today? Racing on Sunday?

Can Openers, baby. Have fun –

– 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.

Sound familiar?

Yup – this is a pretty standard, week-in and week-out day before race routine.

How is it working for you?

This is an important question, and one you need to answer.

Try varying the routine and see what happens; throw in a few more short efforts. Go a bit longer or a bit shorter on the longer interval. Try just spinning the day before instead.

Do you find that you really kick  A** on the second day of a 2 race weekend? Try really amping it up on the preceding day – up as in “Damn… that felt like a race…”

Experiment.

Figure out what works.

Have fun…

M

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I’m wearing a sweater inside my apartment, my bike is covered in mud, and my shoes are sitting in front of the heat duct. This could only mean that it’s really cross season…

Yup.

That also means lots of racing this weekend. Double-race weekends all over the place! Yeehaw!

So… what the heck is the workout?

Racing both days this weekend?

The default workout for the day before a race is Can Openers:

https://crosssports.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/workout-of-the-day-for-saturday-1024/

Stop and think for a second before you jump into doing this, though.

– How important is the Saturday race?

– The Sunday race?

– How fit are you? Are you killin’ it? Are you ready to double up full-gas?

If you’re the average joe, and you aren’t burning up the courses this season, give some thought to blowing off the Can Openers tomorrow. Take it easy instead – ride nice and easy for an hour or so. Maybe throw in a couple of short efforts – kinda’ like yesterday’s post.

Use the Saturday race as an opener for Sunday.

Honestly, for most folks this works better than hitting the openers on Friday; what you lack on Saturday, you get back on Sunday, ’cause you’re just a little bit less beat down.

Make sense?

OK.

Don’t do this if Saturday is important to you – or if you’re riding well enough that the extra effort on Friday won’t cost you on Sunday.

Which way should you go?

I honestly can’t tell you unless you hire me and email me your workout files 😮

Try it both ways – over the course of a couple of weekends – and see what works.

Have fun!

– As an aside, take a moment tomorrow to check the chain(s) on your bike(s.)

Change ’em out if you need to!

Here’s how – http://www.ehow.com/video_4985721_change-bicycle-chain.html

I’m replacing chains tonight, and I probably should have done it earlier. Chains on cross bikes take a tremendous beating, and one of my chains went from “go” to “no-go” in the course of one muddy practice session.

Don’t wait too long to replace the chain, or you’ll wind up replacing chain(s) and cassette(s).

Which sucks.

M

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Howdy Folks!

Lot’s of variables to consider today…

How are you feeling?

Tired? Worn out from training in the rain and cold?

Take it easy today. Go for an easy 1 hour spin.

Racing on Saturday? Definitely an easy day today.

Not a full-on recovery day, but go short and easy-ish. Throw in a couple of efforts so your body doesn’t go into shut-down mode, but make ’em super short, and just one or two of ’em. We’re talking something along the lines of “sprint for that town line sign on your way home.” Other than that, keep it in the little ring today.

Racing on Sunday (but not Saturday…) and feeling good?  Go super traditional, and do a Slow Roast today:

https://crosssports.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/workout-of-the-day-for-thursday-108/

Feeling super motivated? Still building fitness? Classic 2×20 time…

https://crosssports.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/workout-of-the-day-for-914-2/

… or even Mixed Messages…

https://crosssports.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/workout-of-the-day-for-tuesday-106/

Have fun folks; it looks like lots of real cross weather this weekend, and pretty much everywhere. Yeehaw!

M

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Well, it’s that time of the week again… Skills Practice night. Yay! My favorite night of the week!

Hopefully it’s yours, too… remember to have fun with this stuff folks, OK? You’re always faster when you’re smiling 😮

Enough of that – on with the workout!

– If you’re super ambitious – as always – think about doing a Classic 2×20 in the AM, and Skills work in the PM –

Don’t forget to warm up well and stretch before really hitting the skills part of the evening hard.

(In that order, btw – warm up, then stretch!)

What are we working on tonight?

– Barrier skills.

Watching the races this weekend, I couldn’t help but notice that folks are still having lots of trouble with barriers – especially fast doubles.

so…

Tonight, hit the barriers hard.

Put up (or simulate!) a set of doubles on flat, fast terrain.

– Work on your entrance to the barriers. How fast can you come in to the barriers? Push it in practice so that you can find your limit – wind up smeared all over the barriers in practice – not in the race!

– Work on coming out of the barriers fast. Faster than you go into them. Accelerate out of the barrier section!

– Work on barriers with curved entrances and exits; don’t just set up barriers and come straight into them. Practice with odd angles on the in and the out – the tighter and crazier the better. Make it difficult, harder than you ever see in a race!

– Practice different ways of carrying the bike over the barriers.

Do you flip the bike? Do you post it? How far apart do the barriers need to be to warrant putting the bike back on the ground?

That’s probably plenty of barrier work for one night, so…

Next – Off cambers, redux.

More off camber and turns work.

Check out last Wednesday’s workout, and crib some of the tips and suggestions from there.

Here’s the drill for tonight….

Ride an off camber, turn-y section one footed.

Yup. One foot clipped in. One hanging in space. Try it…

….then flip it around, and use the other foot…

…and back again…

Have fun with this.

It’s a blast.

Starts…

Practice yer starts. Hit ’em hard. Remember to shift up, and hit it again after you’re “up to speed.” Go until you get 5 perfect starts.

Practice race…

As always, finish up with a race simulation. Tonight, work on explosive efforts out of all the technical and twisty sections.

Exits, exits, exits. Think fast exits.

If you’re riding in a group, try to beat everyone out of everything.

Find the line that will allow you to be fast coming out of a section.

Really work on looking through a turn or technical section to the exit of the section and beyond…

That’s plenty for one day, I think.

I’m out of here…

M

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Feeling rested and recovered?

No?

Take another dose of yesterday’s W.O.T.D. and check back tomorrow.

Yes?

Great! Here we go…

Today’s workout is Get Up For The Downstroke.

– Warm up well.

– Find a moderate hill that takes less than 2 minutes to climb at full gas, and has a traffic free run-out at the bottom.

– If you are on a longer hill, pick a landmark that will tell you when you have gone the appropriate distance/time.

You are going to do a series of intervals on this hill. Here’s what they look like…

– Begin each interval with an out of the saddle acceleration at the bottom of the hill. Get up to speed, then sit down and climb the rest of the hill seated.

– Go hard. The effort level here should be right around your sustained max level for a climb of this length. You should be wanting to stop when you get to the top of the climb.

– Again, each climbing interval will take 2 minutes or less.

When you top out on the climb, immediately turn around, and pedal towards the bottom of the hill, gradually gaining speed.

When you reach the bottom of the hill, get out of the saddle, and Sprint full-gas until you are spun out in a large gear.

– You should be going really freaking fast when you finish this sprint. If you aren’t going faster than any speed you see in a Cross race, you’re doing this wrong.

Recover for 30 seconds – 1 minute.

That’s one interval. You’re going to do 2 sets of 5, or 3 sets of 6. 5-10 minutes between sets.

Have fun!

M

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If you’ve been following the W.O.T.D, you can probably guess what’s on tap for today…

It’s Recovery Ride Monday.

Hop on your bike.

Spin for an hour or so, or until your legs start to feel fresh(er.) When they do, go home.

Low gear, almost no effort on the pedals.

OK?

Good.

So… that’s the workout for your legs.

How about some work for your head?

First, watch this:

Wow, right? That was pretty fantastic racing!

After you get done thinking “Man… Sven Nys is amazing,” stop and break it down just a little bit more than that.

Nys is amazing.

Why?

He’s got incredible physical gifts.

He has unparalleled bike handling skills.

He’s tactically brilliant.

It took all 3 to win this race.

You might have the handling skills of Nys. Heck, you might even have the potential to reach the level he’s at physically (anybody spray drink through their nose when they read that? 😮 )

If you don’t work to develop his tactical skill, though… you’ll never be the complete package as a rider that he is.

Even if you don’t have the other skills, if you can develop your tactical sense, you will beat other riders. Riders that are more talented, gifted, and physically fit than you are.

Stop and think about your racing this weekend. How did it go?

OK… how did it go tactically.

If you raced in Seattle this Sunday, take a second and try to remember the race, and the race course. Lots of climbing. Long, fast as hell descent. Twistys at the bottom. Super short final pavement section.

On Sunday, both the Master’s 1/2 and Open 1/2 races came down to small groups on the last lap. 5 or six people.

In both of those races, the first guy to the bottom of the long descent won the race… and that meant you had to be first or second wheel at the top of the climb.

The actual sprint for the win happened over a kilometer from the line.

In other words, the local races looked one hell of a lot like the Koppenbergcross.

That’s pretty damn cool.

…and food for thought.

M

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