# Crit Training



## crazydougo (Aug 12, 2012)

This is my first year racing and I am racing for an collegiate team and there seems to be a lot of Crits. I am just ending my base training and about to get into more serious training. When training for Crits what is the best approach it? 



First race is next weekend can't wait!


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## frankdatank1337 (Jul 25, 2010)

Lucky, I am taking this season off. With work and school I don't have enough time to train for racing.

Anyway, I found that weights and interval training help a lot. 
I would do intervals of 1 to 4 minutes and short intervals 10 to 15 seconds of max effort. With weights I would do workouts such as squats and lunges. I would also practice cornering. Knowing the best way to take a corner will save a lot of time and energy. Hope that helps.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Several things I found good for crit training.

Practice your starts, I use to do this weekly after I had done my sprints. Do 6 or so Starts withe one foot down. You should know how to get into you pedal without looking down and what to do if you mis-clip. I did this through out my time racing, I alwyas had a fast start but practice made it and easy way for me to position myself well on the first lap and stay there for the race.

Practice cornering - find a parking lot and practice going fast through turns. Less wasted energy getting back up to speed after a turn means freasher legs, corners are also a good place to pass more timid riders.

Do 15 on 15 offs. Sprint full out for 15 seconds then rest for 15. Repeat in sets of 5 sprints withe 1min rest between each set. Start withe 2 and work up. This trains fast recovery and makes it easier to handle the surge-y nature of crits. As and added bonus you can do 4x15 sec sprints with a one min at the end simulating surging plus an attack. Extra extra bonus practice some of those seated. Being able to generate a powerful surge seated can be useful when surging out of a corner, I find I can more stable seated and in control.

Lastly motor pacing, This requires having a moto pilot that knows what they are doing.


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## crazydougo (Aug 12, 2012)

Okay thanks for the fed back, I just wasn't sure if I should been doing short quick springs or longer sprints.This clarifies that for me, will go try this work out this week.


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

Back in the day I found the best training for crits was to do a lot of crits. Train to race and race to train was my motto. The best way to learn a skill is by performing that skill, trying to simulate it is second best.
The downside of course is the cost of entering a race once or twice a week.


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## Jesse R. (Oct 23, 2011)

I'm no expert, but I'll chime in with my contribution in what is my first year of racing. This year is my first year racing USACycling sanctioned events, but I did some local club races last year and I'm a Cat1 mountain biker. I finished in the top 4 in all the local club crits I raced last year, and this season so far I've placed 6th of 55, 5th of 38, and then just last weekend I won all three stages at a Stage Race outside of Vegas, including a Crit with a field of 52. 

I've accomplished these great results with a few key things in mind. I consider myself a climber. I'm 5'10" and only 145 pounds, so I'm definitely not built like your typical sprinter, and therefore I know I don't produce the kind of 5-15second power that some of these bigger guys can. Knowing this, I race a little differently. I use what I see as my strengths, and others weaknesses can sometimes nullify pure power. I've spent some time doing the intervals mentioned above in an effort to improve my all out sprint power. With that, I've been training to be more of a break-away rider. For this type of effort I've been replicating it with what some intervals that start with a really hard 30-60 second effort to "get away", and then a sustained 3 minute effort still well above your FTP, which replicates going solo for a lap or two. I've found it to be a huge advantage for me to go much earlier than most "traditional crit racers" would. Rather than waiting for the final 400 meters, I watch the race develop early on, and build a game plan around what I see. I watch how everyone is taking the corners, and identify the best line in the pavement. It's also important stay near the front to either get into a break that might be trying to get away, or to create one myself. 
So it definitely helps to have a game plan, and to race within you abilities and focus on your strengths.

The best thing I read before signing up to race in my first crit was, "if you're not moving forward in the group, you're moving backwards." This is so true. It's really easy to just get into your zone and not really pay attention to your positioning. It's easy to start by letting people in front of you, or just by sitting on the wheel of someone in front of you, and then before you know it, within a lap or two you find yourself dangling off the back of the group...


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## The Human G-Nome (Aug 26, 2002)

In my area, our Tuesday night practice crits all start with the coming of daylight savings time. The first couple are just dreadful, but after a month or so, something changes. I'm much faster, much stronger, and it doesn't hurt as much (unless I'm off the front). Since these are just simulated races, the are invaluable race experience. We have the Masters state crit champ, and the Masters state RR champ participating, and when you have really good days, and can keep up with those guys, it gives you all the confidence in the world that you're going to be just fine in your next race. 

So, my suggestion is to seek out your local Tue or Wed practice crit, and then attend them religiously. You'll see small progress week upon week until one day you realize that you're simply a much stronger rider.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

crazydougo said:


> This is my first year racing and I am racing for an collegiate team and there seems to be a lot of Crits. I am just ending my base training and about to get into more serious training. When training for Crits what is the best approach it? ...


Especially now that Daylight Savings Time is about to start, many communities have informal, weekday evening crit practices in business or industrial parks. Typically the format is an hour long "training" crit.

_Find them, and do it!

_In my area, these training crits attract many cat3, cat2, and some cat1 racers. You may not be able to hang on at first, but the format allows you to take a recovery lap, and then jump back on.

here is a brief intro to crit racing tactics, that you can try to apply during the crit practices:
Golden Rules Of Crit Racing | Cycling Tips

Some big takeways are,
- stay nearer the front but Not at the front during an actual race. 
- become skillful at pedaling _and _drafting thru corners.

Regarding conditioning, assuming you have good aerobic base, it's all about race-specific intervals.

ADDENDUM:
huh! Human G-nome and I posted almost simultaneously with the same thought in mind, the midweek practice crits!


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

Is your question about a training plan or tactics?


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

And how long is this season for you? 

If you're going to race through September I'd avoid short intervals for now as they could bring you to a peak. It's early March now and nobody can peak for six months!

Keep the miles up for the next few months. Let the weekend crit be your intensity on the weekend. And if you cannot find a Tuesday race do maybe one slightly harder ride during the week, such as 3 X 20 minutes or 4 X 10 minutes spinning up hills (this is a good effort but definitely not all out). 

You can also practice sprints once a week. This isn't a crazy V02 max effort and you do not want to be completely winded. Just do a few full out sprints to a sign post to get your legs used to winding up the pace.


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## The Human G-Nome (Aug 26, 2002)

I'm not sure I understand the science behind waiting on short intervals until later in the season because you will "peak too soon". My coach still puts me on short intervals once per week, the same intervals he engages in, even in February and March. His August last year? He won four Pro/1/2 races in a row.

I think it really depends on the rider, your background, and your ultimate goals. I don't think early season short intervals are something you necessarily need to avoid. 

I also wonder why people, especially amateur racers, find late season races so much more important than early season races. They are worth the same amount of upgrade points in the end, and the prize money (not much to speak of in the grand scheme of things) is also about the same. Unless it's an omnium or points series, or you are looking at winning your district or something (and very few riders can say that), it shouldn't really matter. 

Additionally, the ratio of short, more intense efforts to longer, more base-like efforts is important all season long. The people that "go fast all the time" always are the ones who minimize their fitness most in the end. It takes a balance of miles, and that should be done all season long. 



Local Hero said:


> And how long is this season for you?
> 
> If you're going to race through September I'd avoid short intervals for now as they could bring you to a peak. It's early March now and nobody can peak for six months!
> 
> ...


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

Your response is perfectly reasonable. 

Much of what I said is based on my own experience. Shorter, more intense intervals bring me to a peak. (What better way is there to peak?)

Why is there a preference for late-season races among amateurs? No clue; I'll probably peak in April


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

The Human G-Nome said:


> ...
> I also wonder why people, especially amateur racers, find late season races so much more important than early season races. They are worth the same amount of upgrade points in the end, and the prize money (not much to speak of in the grand scheme of things) is also about the same.
> Unless it's an omnium or points series, or you are looking at winning your district or something (and very few riders can say that), it shouldn't really matter. ....


The "elite" amateurs are doing exactly that -- targeting district, state, or national championships.

While I am definitely not a serious contender for that ;-), I too am targeting some "championship" and NCC events, later in the season. 
Why? Better & more interesting courses, high racer turn-out, and in general a lot more hoopla & excitement.

And besides, you can have 2 solid peaks, maybe 3, during a long season. Eg, in So Cal, there are races from mid-January to early Sept.


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## The Human G-Nome (Aug 26, 2002)

tom_h said:


> The "elite" amateurs are doing exactly that -- targeting district, state, or national championships.
> 
> While I am definitely not a serious contender for that ;-), I too am targeting some "championship" and NCC events, later in the season.
> Why? Better & more interesting courses, high racer turn-out, and in general a lot more hoopla & excitement.
> ...


There are only a few dozens guys that have any prayer of winning state and districts. The other 10 thousand or whatever should not care. The turnout, the pack sizes, the audience, the prizes... All the same in February as they are in August. I am in NorCal and also race year round. 

I am only contending that unless you are a cat 1 finishing in the top 10 routinely, the old adage that you are going to "peak to early" is way overblown. We have no tdf in July. Just more 4 corner crits and road races in the middle of nowhere. 

I just did Snelling the other week, and our field was 100 riders large. All fields were sold out. This race is no less important than the vast majority of other races for the vast majority of amateur riders.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Peaking early isn't a problem, unless the peak occurs when there is no racing. Sometimes you can sneak in good results in the early season when folks aren't at their peak yet. 

Plateauing is the main concern. I got in the power interval trap my first year of racing. Results came quick. Plateued in July and fell apart thereafter.


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## The Human G-Nome (Aug 26, 2002)

I think it really depends on the rider as well. Some riders just handle stressors differently than others. Too many intervals can blow out one guy and derail his season while another guy does just fine.

That's why it's so beneficial to employ a coach who is actually looking at your data for signs of unexpected and potentially long-lasting fatigue. As a racer managing his own schedule, it can be really easy to get locked up in the drama of the race season and become negligent when it comes to really checking in with yourself and making an honest assessment on whether it's better, perhaps, to either not race this weekend, or else not even ride at all.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

The Human G-Nome said:


> I think it really depends on the rider as well. Some riders just handle stressors differently than others. Too many intervals can blow out one guy and derail his season while another guy does just fine.
> 
> That's why it's so beneficial to employ a coach who is actually looking at your data for signs of unexpected and potentially long-lasting fatigue. As a racer managing his own schedule, it can be really easy to get locked up in the drama of the race season and become negligent when it comes to really checking in with yourself and making an honest assessment on whether it's better, perhaps, to either not race this weekend, or else not even ride at all.


True. I kept getting told I was gonna hit the wall and didn't until much later. I still eventually hit it and the remainder of my summer was pretty demoralizing on the bike. Upon hitting the wall, my first order of business was getting Friel's book and I got a Quarq the year after. 

I seem to be getting a little better each year under this plan. I'd probably get a lot better without the usual "distractions" like a job and family.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

The Human G-Nome said:


> Snelling


A number of my teammates did Snelling. 

Do you race CCCX? That's my back yard and I'll be out there tomorrow. I'll try to peak/KOM/plateau for Sea Otter this year.


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## Eric_H (Feb 5, 2004)

Back when I was racing P/1/2 only, the best way for me to race better in crit was to race more crits. I am not blessed with a fast-twitch body, so I always struggle with the speed changes in crits. The more I raced, the better I was but for me to get a result I was always looking for a breakaway.

In terms of training, short sprints with short recovery work well. I like to find a short square loop in an industrial park or quiet residential neighborhood. Ride 30 minutes of laps, and sprint out of every corner. Pretty simple stuff.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Eric_H said:


> Back when I was racing P/1/2 only, the best way for me to race better in crit was to race more crits. I am not blessed with a fast-twitch body, so I always struggle with the speed changes in crits. The more I raced, the better I was but for me to get a result I was always looking for a breakaway.
> 
> In terms of training, short sprints with short recovery work well. I like to find a short square loop in an industrial park or quiet residential neighborhood. Ride 30 minutes of laps, and sprint out of every corner. Pretty simple stuff.



the parking lot workout is a good one. A slightly more complex version of this is to do 2x20s but instead of doing them steady FTP do the first 10 seconds of each min as a surge (think weak sprint) followed by floating for 10 seconds (FTP -10-20%) then the rest of the min at FTP repeat for all 20 mins, 5 mins est then repeat the whole deal. So much fun to be had.


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## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

In a district with so many varied races, some are just considered better (and more prestigious) than others, and different people target different races for their peaks. In other words, I'm not sure how much there really is a late-season bias in NorCal (although there is Cal Cup, which is attractive). Snelling is like the "real" kickoff of the season, a strongman's course, the first test of the season, etc. Some people make it a high priority. But some people will feel the same way about Pescadero, and others will feel that way about Patterson Pass. I don't know if it works the same way in districts with fewer races.


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