If you weren’t playing along with us last week, that’s the plan for you tonight.
You’re in catch up mode.
If you did do last weeks workout – including the written homework – today we’re going to use some of the actionable intelligence you gathered when you did so.
Specifically this:
Pick one skill from each list you made –
List #1:
What Cyclocross Skills am I really good at?
List #2:
What Cyclocross Skills am I kinda good at?
List #3:
What Cyclocross skills am i merely OK at?
List #4:
What Cyclocross skills do I kinda suck at?
List #5:
What Cyclocross Skills do I really suck at?
(just in case you forgot…)
That’s what you’re working on today.
5 skills, and five skills only.
From one of the things you’re worst at, to one of the things you’re best at.
Start with the skill from List #5, and work your way through to List #1
(We want this to end on a high note, eh?)
Make that skill you stink at tolerable.
Make that skill you’re tolerable at pretty darn good.
Buff that skill you’re great at so shiny that you just know you’re going to drop everyone in the group when you whip it out in a race.
Simple in principle, but difficult in execution, this one is.
Have fun!
M
PS – Looking for some hints & tips to hep buffing those skills? Start here…
That’s the stripped down version of this nonsense, but success is all in the details.
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 to 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. How constant?
Can you keep it in a 10 watt range?
Probably not.
15 watts?
More likely
20 watts?
Try.
Keep it steady.
These take practice to do well, and the better you get, the harder they get (you’re welcome.) This is a workout that’s a natural for the turbo trainer, and that’s how I do ‘em.
This 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 blurry vision thing. You should aspire to seeing-spots level of output on these.
If you can learn to push through your limits, really push, you will get better and you will get better fast.
It’ll be painful, though.
Feeling like you’ve got these wired?
Looking for an even bigger challenge?
Okey-doke…
Saddle up, and go for a 3×20!
Yup.
Same as the above, but add another interval to the session.
Well, it’s Monday already, and wow… the season is right around the corner!
Before we get started with the WOTD, a quick word to the wise; Now is the time to make sure you’ve got all your gear figured out for the upcoming season.
If you’re running tubulars, get your hands on the tires you want asap. They won’t be in stock for long.
Even more important?
If you’re gluing up your race tires, stock up on glue. The last couple/few years, halfway through Cross season, it’s been impossible to get tubular glue, even at the distributor level.
Don’t get stuck wanting.
Obviously this goes for bikes, too. It’s crazy, but most of the manufacturers still can’t seem to have their bikes available in time for the season to start, and they run out before the season is half over.
Yup.
Enough of that, though. On with the training.
I’m guessing that you’re pretty darn beat from a hard weekend of training.
You know what that means, right?
Time for a…
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.
When you do your recovery ride – if you have the time – just get out 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.
Or, go to work.
Or School.
Or whatever.
Whatever, whichever, try to take it easy today, ok?
If you’re looking for some variety, and some ass-kicking, though?
Never fear. Got you covered.
Have a go at… The Z.D.I. –
Warm up really well.
Find a fairly steep hill that you can do a 30 second hard effort on. Best bet is a climb that’s right on the big ring/small ring break point. You could do it in either one, depending…
Roll into the climb fast, and Sprint up it, 30 seconds hard effort.
Coast back down, turn around and go again immediately.
Repeat for a total of ten reps.
Yup. Ten.
Ouch.
Recover for 5-10 minutes, then go again. You’re trying to do 3-5 sets of ten.
Yes, this is really damn hard.
Don’t even try these if you’re feeling gassed.
Page on back to yesterday and check out those options, eh?
Weekend time! You made it through another work-week, and the Cyclocross season is another calendar page closer to beginning.
Yay!
So what should you do for training today?
Well, heck… many of you probably have road or MTB races on the schedule.
If you do, Go Race!
Racing tomorrow?
Sweet.
Check out what we did yesterday. If you didn’t do it then, and you’re racing on Sunday? Well, there you go. Have at it!
Not racing today or tomorrow?
Well, one of the two days, you might just want to go for a…
Hard Group Ride…
3, 4, 5 hours… whatever is just a little bit of a stretch for you.
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.
The idea is to ride just outside your comfort zone all day.
Riding shorter? Ramp it up a bit.
Push your limits.
Try not to pay to much attention to your power meter or heart rate monitor, just ride hard.
Too much?
Feeling a bit spent today?
OK.
How about a…
1.5 – 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, yikes… this is another post that’s going up morning-of, rather than night before.
Things have been a little bonkers around here, but they’re fixin’ to ease up a bit. The CXWOTD will go back to it’s night before posting deadline, I promise.
As it sits now, though, here we are and it’s Friday already.
Daaaaaaaang Bro!
…back to the lemons…
Today we’re going to have a go at a workout that I often recommend as a day-before-race opener.
If you’re racing tomorrow?
Perfect. Game on.
Not racing tomorrow?
No sweat.
It’s a really good idea to get a handle on your day before race routine well before the racing action gets underway.
How hard do you need to hit it the day before to ensure that the legs & lungs are open and ready to perform come race day?
How much openers action is too much for you?
You don’t want to leave your race legs out on the road the day before, eh?
So, how do you know?
Well before the racing starts, you get in the routine of trying some varied openers strategies the day before you do some big training efforts, and you see what happens.
Keep track. Write it down.
What’s really important isn’t how you feel right after you do today’s workout, it’s how you feel during your workout tomorrow.
Make sense?
Cool. Onwards with…
Ignition –
You’re going to be doing a series of short, hard sprints midway through a 1 1/2 – 2 hour ride, so give some thought to where you can do these effectively.
A flat, straight, low-traffic section of road or trail is what you’re looking for.
Even better if it’s about a :45 minute ride away; that will make things nice and simple.
Hop on your bike and roll out the door.
Ride steady, at an easy, relaxed pace for 45 minutes – 1 hour, eventually winding up at the aforementioned stretch of road.
You’re now going to do a series of Hard out of the saddle sprints from a very low starting speed, almost a standing start.
10 sprints, 10 seconds each.
1 minute between each sprint.
After the last sprint, roll back home spinning easily to recover.
Budget a minimum of 20 minutes for the spin/ride back home.
That’s the basic version of this.
Start with it, and see how you feel tomorrow.
Personally, I find that I need a little bit more to open up the legs, and I throw in a 10 minute steady effort at right around my 2×20 level.
Some people need more than that, even (although not many, and not much.)
From what I’ve been seeing, it seems like folks are feeling a little bit beat up right about now.
That’ll happen, eh?
Don’t overdo it, folks. I’m seeing a lot of people who are so psyched for the upcoming cross season that they’re training their asses off already, guaranteeing one thing, and one thing only.
They’re going to be in a box by the middle of the season.
Don’t let that be you, eh?
With that in mind, no big gear work today, OK?
Kinda’ the opposite, in fact.
Vroom Vroom!
Today we do some…
Spin Ups –
– Get on your bike and warm up with a leisurely spin, 10-20 minutes minimum.
– After you’re warm, find a nice, long, flat or slightly downhill section of road with little to 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…
Think Road-Runner fast…
The goal here isn’t to make the bike go fast, it’s to make your legs go fast.
There’s a difference, eh?
You should do these in a small enough gear that you want to shift up.
Don’t.
– Repeat 3-5 times, a minute or so recovery between reps.
That’s a set.
Recover for 5 minutes, rolling around at a leisurely pace between sets.
– Go again, same thing.
Recover, then repeat as time and fitness allow.
Shoot for 3-5 sets of 3-5, or keep going until your leg speed drops off.
When you’ve completed all your reps, roll on home at a leisurely, relaxed pace. Ideally, take 1/2 hour or so to do this.
If you start these out and you just can’t get your motor running?
No sweat.
Back things down a bit and go for a…
1-2 Hour Moderate Ride –
Get on your bike.
Go ride for an hour or two
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.
1 notch above a recovery ride.
Make sense?
Have fun!
M
(I ❤ King Crimson. Getting an album credit on a K.C. album has to be one of the highlights of my life 🙂 )
[Ouch… did I just post a TV commercial?! What the heck was I thinking?!]
Whatever.
It’s Wednesday, and that almost always means it’s…
Cyclocross Skills Day!
Today we’re going to put a little twist on that.
We’re going to work on our skills today, but the real emphasis will be placed on some brain work.
What Ya’all are going to do today is make lists.
List #1:
What Cyclocross Skills am I really good at?
List #2:
What Cyclocross Skills am I kinda good at?
List #3:
What Cyclocross skills am i merely OK at?
List #4:
What Cyclocross skills do I kinda suck at?
List #5:
What Cyclocross Skills do I really suck at?
Seems pretty simple, eh?
Here’s the thing, though: you need to be honest with yourself about this. Really damn honest.
That’s not so easy.
Here’s some perspective to give you an idea of what I’m talking about…
There are riders who consistently podium at the World Cup level who can’t do some of the basic ‘Cross skills at the “really good” level.
Still think you’e great at all this stuff?
Yeah, I did’t think so.
🙂
We all have room to improve. The question is what we need to improve the most.
Hopefully, that’s one of the things you’ll figure out for yourself by doing this exercise.
We’ll talk about what else we hope to get out of this soon.
So, you ask… what about the on-the-bike stuff ?
Here you go… and remember, as you’re doing all this, think about everything we just talked about, OK?
That’s the real goal today.
– Warm up on the bike.
As long as it takes to get loose, you should have a light sweat on when you…
– Stretch.
Active stretching, focus on all the muscles you use getting on & off the bike, but don’t when you’re riding. Go as long as it takes to work everything and get loose.
– Mount & Remount skills. 10-15 minutes.
You probably don’t need me to blather on any more about this. Check out the last couple of Wednesday’s posts if you’re new to the blog…
– Technical skills on the bike. 10-15 minutes
Tight turns and off-cambers. Think about your entrances and exits from all the technical sections. Pedal, pedal, pedal. Try to pedal through everything. Keep the gas on, power going through the rear wheel, and you maintain traction.
Odds are that at this point in the season you aren’t going to be all that great at stuff like this. No sweat, we’re just doing this as part of a general assessment, to get a feel for the lay of the land, dig?
– Starts.
Make it feel like a race start, but not quite. 1/2 to 3/4 speed. Again, we’re looking to see how technically good at these you are, not necessarily how fast you are. Make sense?
– Race simulation.
On technical, race-like terrain.
2 five – ten minute efforts, 5 minutes recovery between them. If you’re up for it. Totally optional.
Once again, 1/2 – 3/4 speed. We’re looking to see where the skills are at more than we’re looking to get a workout.
Yeah, I know… good luck with that, right?
– Warm down.
Spin out your legs. Take enough time doing this that you feel them unspool and loosen up.
Go home, eat, relax, and write up that assessment.
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
Yeah, that's right... if you have completely lost control of all sense of fiscal responsibility, you can now purchase silly articles of clothing with my blog address on them.
How cool is that?
Just go to - http://crosssports.spreadshirt.com/
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