August marks the point in my diary where I start thinking about cyclocross again. I start to flick through the Irish cyclocross calendar, see what races are falling when, and see which races suit. With the first race starting on October the 3rd, little over 8 weeks remain until the first hour of pain.
So what should we be doing? Well this depends on several factors, but most importantly, what have you been doing? Before I start an athlete on a new period of training for an event the first thing to do is a re-cap.
- What have then done in the past month?
- Recovery post season?
- Still training hard?
- Family holiday?
- What did they do in the past 6 months?
- Road race season?
- MTB race season?
- What has been a limiter in last year’s season?
- Starts?
- Strength?
- Never raced cross?
In order to plan a season, you need to look back and see where you have come from. We all like to come off the back of a season feeling fit, take a few weeks off structured training, dust off the cross bike at the last minute, and head out and expect to perform like last year. Surprisingly enough the first race of the year hurts like hell, you take longer to warm up, and post race recovery can take along time.
So, how to start into a season? Most of us will still be fatigued both mentally and physically from the end of a race season, be it MTB or road. Now is not the time to get out and do the hardest intervals. All that you succeed in doing is burning a candle that will be gone come nationals in January. Moderation is the key. Moderation is just about riding your bike again. Moderation is meeting an old friend for a drink or two.
Now is the time to focus on the overlooked aspects of your season, the fit of your bike, and buying new kit you wore out last year. Give the bike a once over, take out all the bits that need to be greased, make sure everything works. Replace what you need, then replace what you’d like to replace. If unsure drop it off to the local bike store. If getting a new bike you need to work on fit, this means a few hours of cyclocross riding, not an eyeball fit in the kitchen the night before a race.
Once you have the bike set up, head out for a ride. Leave the heart rate monitors behind, take a bottle with you (jersey pocket if you have to), take spares as you probably won’t be riding light over roots and rocks. Do a few 1 hour rides just cruising around a course, or your local trails. Get used to the different position, get used to slightly less grip, and get acquainted with your bike again.
Greg May, BSC
_____________________________________________________________________
Greg May is an exercise physiologist working in the Department of Health and HumanPerformance in Dublin City University. He coaches triathletes and off road cyclists in his spare time. At weekends he likes to collect mud on his bike.