The only thing that graphic is missing is some barriers and a sand pit.

I've been racing CX somewhat seriously this year, but can't offer any training advice since my training is pretty much am I racing or not racing today?

Which looks something like this:
Mon - Zone 1-2 easy spin
Tue - Zone 2 longer spin
Wed - Weeknight CX race
Thur - Zone 2 longer spin
Fri - Travel, ride the course if I can
Sat - Race CX
Sun - Race CX

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Try not to drown / rock the bike / hobby-jog

nice. thanks for that. Enjoy the rest of the season...fun stuff!

I suppose I'm a CX rider, I went in headfirst this season. I haven't raced road or anything in a couple of years and was itching to get back into competitive stuff and cx has looked fun, there are plenty of events all fall here in New England, and I think I can train more to my liking for cx, as I never feel like I could really meet the demands of road racing. So I've done 9 races, and upgraded to 4 after 5 races basically because you can, but my results are always toward the bottom, so take this advice with a grain of salt!

I spent the whole summer just training sweet spot trying to regain lost ftp over the winter/spring due to life demands, so the idea of racing cross on sweet spot stuff was maybe a little silly, but the most important thing was just getting out and having fun and learning the ropes of CX. Even now I have only done a couple of really poor quality vo2 workouts, and figure I'll attack it again next summer and go into the season in better shape. But if I were to pick and choose what to work on, I'd personally focus a little less on the 3min stuff (mainly because I really suck at that right now), and do some different repeats at higher intensities. I find in the events I've been in that there's rarely time when I got that hard for 3min, it's more like these short climbs and constant accelerations, if you're on trainerroad, a workout like Pierce fit the bill for me, with short intervals of 125% with 88% recoveries off and on for 4.5min. Based on my recent experience, I think easing one's way back into vo2 world after focusing on sweet spot is crucial, I've just been awful at 2.5-3min intervals.

I think there are only 3 more races for me, and I just put on my powertap on my cross bike, so I'm really interested in seeing what my power is actually like at a cross race as I figure out what to improve, but it's a fun thing and I'm totally invested in cx now

You can race yourself into fitness or train yourself into fitness.
Ultimately the CX secret is the best recover from very short / intense efforts. There are many theories to this, that I will not go into here.

To best replicate the demands of CX, you're best completing Tabata or similar efforts.
20s on, 20 recovery for up to 10minutes, short break, repeat. The goal is the have similar power throughout the workout (ie don't over-cook the first set). To really highlight the pain associated with CX, immediately go into 5 minutes of Threshold power after finishing the 20/20 set.

You can do this on the trainer, you can make a mock cx course, you can ride trainer while watching a CX race video and "sprint" everyone time the riders do etc.

As the season is winding down, I would move straight into these types of efforts. If it were earlier I would have different recommendations.

The other type of workouts that work well are "Over-Unders". Essentially pressing over threshold for a time period and then recovering just below threshold. These can be varied: e.g. 150% of threshold for 30s, 90% for 3 minutes / or / 110% of threshold for 1 minute, 90% for 1 minute repeat for 10-20 minutes per set, multiple sets per session. etc.

Steady state "threshold" riding has little value in cyclocross except in concert with, or preparatory training for, variable intensity efforts.

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I talk a lot - Give it a listen: http://www.fasttalklabs.com/category/fast-talk
I also give Training Advice via http://www.ForeverEndurance.com

The above poster has eschewed traditional employment and is currently undertaking the ill-conceived task of launching his own hardgoods company. Statements are not made on behalf of nor reflective of anything in any manner... unless they're good, then they count.
http://www.AGNCYINNOVATION.com

Additionally-
This structure: Fast start, Recover in the middle, Fast end is fairly typical of a good CX race (especially at amateur races in the US). Your strategy is correct, each just needs to be at a faster pace. This can augmented with skills as much as fitness. Less braking / more cornering speed = less energy to accelerate = mo' better

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I talk a lot - Give it a listen: http://www.fasttalklabs.com/category/fast-talk
I also give Training Advice via http://www.ForeverEndurance.com

The above poster has eschewed traditional employment and is currently undertaking the ill-conceived task of launching his own hardgoods company. Statements are not made on behalf of nor reflective of anything in any manner... unless they're good, then they count.
http://www.AGNCYINNOVATION.com

yeah, now we're getting to it...and I appreciate your response.

It's the constant above threshold effort and 'try to recover' just below threshold that kick my butt. I need to train here, and get familiar with this over/under bandwidth if I'm ever going to move up the page.

When I slow down, I'm basically back to threshold - which isn't really the demands of cross. that's when all the other fellows pass me on the left or right.

good discussion. thank you

Love fall cx stuff!

This might help - from Adam Myerson - he came out for a local clinic and helped with bike handling issues I had.

https://www.cxmagazine.com/...lan-preparing-season

I've done 9 cx races this season and got smoked as all the steady state work we donin tri means nothing.

Next season I'll be better prepared

I started doing Wednesday intervals I built on trainerroad of 8 minutes of over unders from 95% upto 1 minute at 120%

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Yellowfin Endurance Coaching and Bike Fits
USAT Level 1, USAC Level 3

Cool. thanks for that. A friend recommended the same: over / unders

I am totally stealing your "crossing the field" drawing, hilarious! Did you draw that?

Generally agreeing with what others are saying, especially Xtrapickls and the over/under. For triathletes, training for cross is completely the opposite for what you have been training for. Even regular roadies who have a cross focus will dedicate training in July to higher intensity/shorter duration.

As a 20+year cx-er myself, here are some more observations and tips I've coached others on over the years.

Cadence/foot speed and coasting. If you are accustomed to 100rpm average during your triathlon, then good. In cross, you have to keep your foot speed up and your gearing lower, as there is more rolling resistance even on dry ground. It only gets worse with mud. Not a lot of straightaways in cross, and dammit if there isn't a nice 90degree turn every 50 feet. On top of that foot speed, you need to stand up out of the corners, not apex in, and coast out of the corner. If conditions are epic and it's slippy, counter steer and apply pedal pressure to keep traction thru the corners. If the corner isn't so tight, again, don't coast the corners keep pedaling/driving the rear wheel.

Learn to run while already at your anaerobic threshold. Nobody runs like that, not even sprinters. So it's a different kind of brick to ride at 110% and then get off and run up a hill.

Work on transverse-plane mobility: the dismount and remount is not a normal thing. Lower your saddle 6mm, or so that when standing in your cycling shoe, you can place the inside of your right thigh (adductor side) on the top of your saddle without going on tip toe. Or 'hitching' your hip. Many times your bike will be higher than normal - on a camber, or you are standing in a low spot, so hopping is not efficient.

Warming up pre-race: you're probably not warmed up enough, if you are starting too hard and fading in the first lap. Get in a corner, get on the trainer, and get yourself up to FTP for 20mins. Do a couple of intervals - before you get lined up and stand around waiting for the race to start. This isn't a bike race, it's a fire drill. Get to the start line "hot", when the whistle blows GO. Timing all of this is an art - you need to get to the venue in time to get your number, get warmed up properly, preride the course (or at least have a strategy for the holeshot).

oddly enough, it takes more time, clothing and equipment for a 30minute cross race than it does for an Ironman. If conditions are gooey you don't want to muck up your bike, so again with a trainer (and an extra road wheel). Bringing your own food and water for pre and post race. Clothing for pre, warmup (don't go into the race with already gooey sweaty kit), and post race (don't hang around in gooey chamois). Bring garbage bags for extra muddy icky clothing, pre-soak in dishsoap before washing.

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Anne Barnes
ABBikefit, Ltd
FIST/SICI/FIST DOWN DEEP
X/Y Coordinator
abbikefit@gmail.com

Wooo. Cross! Love it. I’m in my fourth season of CX as a primary focus, and I finally feel like I’m starting to get it right. I’m a cat 2 with most of the points needed to upgrade.

Check out goldentech’s response in this thread:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/?post=5470709
Pure gold.

I do a short mtb season with a good build, shut it down late May, and start rebuilding in June. I’m buddies w some of the better Cat 1s in Texas so I know this isn’t unique to me. This year I did a tempo block, a sweet spot block, and then a threshold block- each 4-6 weeks. I didn’t start anaerobic work until the last week of Sept (first race 10/3)- original plan was mid sept but a nasty gastroenteritis put me down for two weeks. Previous season I was starting anaerobic stuff in August and was burnt out by November. Racing into anaerobic fitness seems to work for me based on this season- great results so far and still feeling relatively fresh. I just know I’m going to do relatively poorly the first few races and I’m okay w that. I highly recommend running, weights, and core work leading into the season (and during) for injury prevention. Once I’m in season, if no midweek race I’ll do 3x or 4x 5’ 110%-115%. I’ve also started doing 20-30’ of (15” on/15” off) at 160+%. That was given to me by a much better cxer and seems to simulate racing very well. You can do it in 10min blocks if it’s too hard to do all at once.

Good advice above about cornering. Learn to break as little as possible. If you’re in traffic and it’s faster to run...run, block and remount. If your bike handling sucks, get a mtb and commit to riding it weekly in the spring or summer. That has been huge for me personally.

The advice above abt doing 20min of threshold work as a warmup is truly terrible and has been thoroughly debunked. Velonews even did a podcast on it. Don’t blow your wad before you even start racing. Warmups are personal. I do 20 min of easy spinning, whatever a few laps of preriding requires, a few sprints and that’s it.

Welcome to the fray. Glad you’ve found CX. Hope some of this helps.

Agree with much of what has been said already. You don't necessarily need the sharp top end that are must haves for crits and road races but you do need to be able to ride above threshold for short bursts and then maintain threshold. I've actually found Zwift races to be a pretty good comparison where you have to go nuts at the beginning but then be able to hold power throughout.

A lot can also be said for training the technical aspects too. There are several guys who show up to cross races after having cleaned my clock all road season only to have me return the favor because they can't ride the best lines or muddle through the technical spots of a course.

Thanks all, I'm happy with the responses as there are a lot of good nuggets here, and some that affirm what I've discovered so far - especially about handling.

Thanks for your input Anne, and no that drawing isn't mine... It's just making the rounds up here in the NW.

Been lovin the cx for 40plus years. I have never figured out a training plan to get in shape for cross other than racing your way in. If you have a Wednesday night series try and hit every one of them. I just can not force myself to suffer hard enough in workouts to simulate a cross race. CX racing always reminds me of trying to PR in a 5 k run, but last three or four times as long. There is just no way around the hurt.

If you don't have a local series start one up. Even if it is totally an outlaw event with no entry, insurance or nothing. Just get a few buddies and set up a course. Having lots of miles base is always good, but cross racing sharpens the blade for cross racing. If you are a triathlete you have a leg up on running. I don't think anyone runs all that well when you start at well past the redline, but if you can run the dismounts like a sprinter you can make up huge amounts of time and space. If you can race weekends and have a Wednesday race the rest of your week can be just road or trainer riding.
I am old and slow now, but my number one advice for the hard legs is to get a good hole shot. You lose so much time in the pileups, slowdowns and passing people that you are lapping if you aren't at the front. But most of all enjoy the journey, cx is painful but the funnest thing on two wheels.