# cyclocross Training schedule?



## gregdogg62 (Aug 9, 2004)

This season will be my second year racing cross and I am hoping to have some good results moving up from the C's to B's. I had some good results in C's, but realize the extra race time and higher level of competition is going to be tough. Does anyone care to share a typical weekly/and/or longer periodl cross specific training program? I have about 8-10 hours to train a week. What type of interval workouts are most beneficial for cross racing, etc? How do intervals change as you get closer to your "A" race, etc.?

Thanks for the help!


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## Vegancx (Jan 22, 2004)

gregdogg62 said:


> This season will be my second year racing cross and I am hoping to have some good results moving up from the C's to B's. I had some good results in C's, but realize the extra race time and higher level of competition is going to be tough. Does anyone care to share a typical weekly/and/or longer periodl cross specific training program? I have about 8-10 hours to train a week. What type of interval workouts are most beneficial for cross racing, etc? How do intervals change as you get closer to your "A" race, etc.?
> 
> Thanks for the help!


For a sketch of what a week could look like broken down month by month, check out Simon Burney's <i>Cyclo Cross: Training and Technique</i>. It's not great, but it's there.

More useful, perhaps, is the series of articles on cyclocross written by Adam Hodges Myerson and his coaches at Cycle-Smart.

http://cycle-smart.com/Articles/index.html

They cover running, intervals, race prep, bike prep, etc. 

Cycle-smart can also put together a 3 month plan for you for not too much at all. Sorry for the plug, but they've helped me improve a bunch this year.


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## Dwayne Barry (Feb 16, 2003)

You don't need a lot of time for cross. I think most folks just do one hard workout a week (on Wednesdays) and then race sat. and sun.

I exchanged some emails with Erwin Vervecken a few years ago, and this is what he told me a typical week is for him:

M: 1-hour easy spin
T: 2-hour aerobic ride
W: AM: 3-hour ride w/ hill sprints
PM: 30-minute run
Th: 2-hour aerobic ride
F: 1-hour easy spin
S & Sun: Races

So even one of the best guys in the world is only training about 13-15 hours a week during the season.


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## escamillo (Oct 23, 2003)

yo greg,

i know there's going to be some practices on the lakefront again, working on skills, some race pace stuff, and randy was going to do a cx workshop at some point. 

my one tip, start running. good luck at the chi-cross.

e


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## wpbusc (Nov 23, 2001)

This is a modfied Crit/TT plan. It changes every week. This is about 10 weeks from peak for an "a" race.

Mon-off or 1-2 hours- Just easy and cruising. Try to keep the HR below 68% of your
threshold HR. 'cross skills maybe?

Tues- 5 minute warm-up 76% of threshold heart rate. MS: Then do your blow-out effort
at threshold heart rate for 5 minutes. Then cruise for 5 minutes, zone 2. Start 
out with a 15 minute effort with heart rate at Vo2 pace zone 4, and hold this for
2 minutes, then with each remaining minute intentionally drop the heart rate down
until you reach (76%) in the 6th minute, then bring heart rate back up so that the
7th minute is 100% of threshold, 8th is 105% of threshold, and hold here for the
remaining 7 minutes(try to pick it up to 120% in the last 45-60seconds if you can.
Repeat this 3x and allow for good recovery between each. The goal of this exercise
is to start out too hard in order to load up the system, and then demand a steady
output for a short period of time, then scaling back in order to prevent from exploding,
and forcing you to hold just at your threshold heart rate or a touch above. In the
end you finally ramp back up in order to push in the very end. CD: 15 minutes easy
spinning. walk 5mins/ run 8mins/ walk 5mins

Weds- WUo 10 minutes warm-up MS: Do (1) 3 minute effort all out to get the carbon
out of the legs. Then do 60- 90 minutes at Tempo pace( zone 2-3), NOT race pace,
but a notch below uncomfortable, but do-able. Within this , do 10 bursts to your
threshold heart rate and hold there for 20seconds, then recover to previous pace.
CD: Cool-down for at least 10 minutes

Thurs- WU: 15 minutes and smooth. MS: Just riding and doing (6) Mock TT's . Each
is 7 minutes long, but only 91-95% of your threshold heart rate.Just basically,
going fast, but not hammering at max pace. Solid effort. REST for at least 6-8 minutes
between each. CD: 15 minutes easy. walk 5mins/ run 8mins/ walk 5mins

Fri-off or 1-2 hours- Just easy and cruising. Try to keep the HR below 68% of your
threshold HR. cross skills maybe?

Sat- 15 minutes, just getting the legs and heart pumping. MS: The goal today is 
to push it up another notch in your distance. Trying today for at least 3 hours 
of riding and it would be great to get in a solid 3.5 hours. Keep the heart rate
from zone2/zone3 for a majority of the ride. In the 2nd hour of riding, do (2) x
15 minutes at your threshold heart rate-zone 4! REST for 10 minutes between each
with some easy pedaling at zone 1. In the last hour of riding, just try for some
tempo pace(maybe 40 minutes?) with heart rate in zone 3. CD: A nice easy cool-down
for 15minutes. walk 5mins/ run 8mins/ walk 5mins

Sun- 1-2 hours- Just easy and cruising. Try to keep the HR below 68% of your threshold
HR. 'cross skills maybe?


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## gregdogg62 (Aug 9, 2004)

Thanks for the link to the articles. It definitely confirmed some thoughts I had about a training program. Last year I came into the cross season, after spending a week + riding the Alps of France. I had really good form after what I described as an hour plus time trial effort for each mountain pass we rode, usually doing two or three a day. In cross races I had no problem following a steady pace, but whenever anyone accelerated was when I would get in trouble. This year I feel I need to put more emphasis on those types of efforts, along with improving my technical skills.


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## ricebowls (Jun 11, 2004)

This will be my second year racing as well and here's the schedule I've been trying to keep:

Mon: Rest
Tus: 30-45 min run/gym
1-1.5 hr moderate MTB ride depending on how I'm feeling.
Wed: 1 hr moderate to hard Cross specific workout.
Thur: 30-45 min run/gym
1-1.5 hr moderate MTB ride depending on how I'm feeling.
Fri: Rest
Weekends focus on mountian bikes until after the NORBA Nationals.

I purposely stay away from HR and technical training details since I tend to get wrapped up in them, so I just try to focus on having a good time and "listening" to my body to judge where I'm at and how hard I can push. I'm looking to do as well as I can in the C's since last season I was bring up the back of the pack in that class. If you guys have any suggestions feel free to comment.


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## argylesocks (Aug 2, 2004)

gregdogg62 said:


> Thanks for the link to the articles. It definitely confirmed some thoughts I had about a training program. Last year I came into the cross season, after spending a week + riding the Alps of France. I had really good form after what I described as an hour plus time trial effort for each mountain pass we rode, usually doing two or three a day. In cross races I had no problem following a steady pace, but whenever anyone accelerated was when I would get in trouble. This year I feel I need to put more emphasis on those types of efforts, along with improving my technical skills.


yo i sent you a PM about the same thing.
good luck :0


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## wpbusc (Nov 23, 2001)

" In cross races I had no problem following a steady pace, but whenever anyone accelerated was when I would get in trouble."

Check out the workout for Tuesday- start out over your head (just like a 'cross start), ease back so you don't blow, then ramp it up again!

Wednesday - Steady effort, increase pace/effort/heart rate/watts then return to the previous intensity. Sounds like gregdogg62's weakness.


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## xccx (Aug 5, 2005)

I have been following the workout schedule in Simon Burney's book. At first I was a little skeptical, but its hard! I have a question about it tho:

Simon Burney refers to the "threshold HR" as...

"the rate that your heart beats during efficient aerobic effort, when the production of lactic acid is equal to the speed that it is removed by the body. In simple terms, this is the rate that your heart beats at when going flat-out over a 20-30 minute ride, say, during a 20k time trial. Use the HRM for a time trial, either in competition or training, and make a mental note of your HR during the middle section of the ride -- from 10 to 20 minutes is best. This will give you a very accutare measure of your threshold HR, and from this you will see how to train at the four main levels."

My question is ...is the "threshold HR" essentially the upper end of one's target HR zone? That is, if my target HR zone is from 125 - 165 bpm, is my "threshold HR" 165 bpm? If this is true, then the "threshold HR" would be about 80-85% of my max pulse?

Does this make sense or am I way off??


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## wpbusc (Nov 23, 2001)

xccx said:


> ."
> 
> My question is ...is the "threshold HR" essentially the upper end of one's target HR zone? That is, if my target HR zone is from 125 - 165 bpm, is my "threshold HR" 165 bpm? If this is true, then the "threshold HR" would be about 80-85% of my max pulse?
> 
> Does this make sense or am I way off??


You're close!!
Threshold heart rate is usually established by performing a time trial and using the average heart rate for the time trial as an indicator of threshold. Check out "The Cyclist Training Bible" by Joe Friel or use this link http://www.trainingpeaks.com/trainingplans/ericschwartz/trainingintensity.asp.


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## Reneec (Jan 2, 2003)

If you are in Chicago (which I get the impression you are) you might want to consider attending the Cycle-Smart clinic that is taking place in Madison on Sat, Sept 10. I'm organizing a full day clinic and having 2 of the Cycle-Smart coaches come out to do instruction. That would be a great place to work on improving your skills. If you're interested there are a few spots still available and the registration brochure is online at www.madcross.org

Renee




gregdogg62 said:


> Thanks for the link to the articles. It definitely confirmed some thoughts I had about a training program. Last year I came into the cross season, after spending a week + riding the Alps of France. I had really good form after what I described as an hour plus time trial effort for each mountain pass we rode, usually doing two or three a day. In cross races I had no problem following a steady pace, but whenever anyone accelerated was when I would get in trouble. This year I feel I need to put more emphasis on those types of efforts, along with improving my technical skills.


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## xccx (Aug 5, 2005)

great, thanks for that info...very helpful!


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