By J.P. Partland

photos by Jamie Garcia

Cyclocross is tricky to train for. There are many skills needed for racing ‘cross and most of these need honing. There’s riding, running, transitioning, handling the bike well in adverse conditions, and doing everything fast. Most of us have been riding, but mixing the other stuff in can be tricky. And adding to the difficulty is recovering from the races, which can have track intensity at road lengths.

Since this is a bike website, I assume you’re riding.

Running is important. You don’t need to run much during the week, but some is a good idea. Start small, with five-minute runs twice a week—with at least five minutes of walking after the run. And build from there. Some like to run long, while others build to 20 minutes. Many who advocate shorter runs like to mix sprints into their running. The idea behind the sprints is that the training intensity can be done off the bike, which can be a refreshing change from the rest of the season. Some people run long and easy while others work up to running longer and hard.
@##=#<1,C>@##=#
Transitioning is important. You have to be comfortable and confident getting on and off your bike in all sorts of conditions. As with running, it’s best to start slow and short, then build. Start by working on the form. Make sure you can do it confidently at slow speeds and with perfect form. I’d say the first day of transitions should be all about getting it right, do it right comfortably, hopefully after a short time, and you can go home. Once this is accomplished, build up the time and speed. Once it seems second nature, you can start cutting down the transition sessions.

Starting fast is important. Since cyclocross races are so taxing, it’s probably best not to tax yourself so hard during the week. ‘Cross races start with a sprint, so start with sprinting. Mimic a cyclocross start. Do sprints from a standstill–one foot on the ground, just like at the start of a race. GO! Sprint in saddle and shift up as pedaling gets easy. Go for 10-20 seconds. Rest. Repeat. As season goes on, work on other sprints.
@##=#<3,C>@##=#
Riding fast is important. Many top ‘crossers motorpace during the week. Since few of us have the time or resources to pull this off, tempo riding can help. The point is to get a feel for the sustain necessary to complete a race fast. Either ride with a fast group or go out with your heart rate monitor and stay in a somewhat uncomfortable zone—just below lactic acid buildup.

Negotiating tricking conditions fast and smoothly is important. Most racers can handle their bikes well on dry pavement, but what of sand and slick grass? Ride around off road. Work on turning as well as going up, down, and across steep and off-camber stuff. If possible, you want to confront and master every possibility in training, so that you know how to handle it when it appears on a racecourse.
@##=#<2,C>@##=#
Recovery is important. You should be totally blown after every cyclocross race, so being totally blown from workouts is probably a bad thing. Likewise, you want to be rested for the weekday workouts. Definitely, if in doubt, leave it out. It’s better to be over-rested than over-trained.

These concepts are all pretty basic. It’s how you mix them that makes the difference. After some trial and error, you’ll probably come up with your own ideas, which is a good thing.

It’s also a good idea to think of cyclocross training in the context of your entire year. Consider what you like and dislike about training, what keeps you motivated, and what you will be doing after cyclocross is over. There should be a slow transition from the training you’ve been doing before cyclocross to cyclocross season. It should be different to keep you mentally fresh. And you should think about what you’ll be doing after cyclocross season as well. Some pick up their running towards the end of ‘cross, so they can use that as a fitness activity from the end of cyclocross season through January, even into February.

J.P. Partland is a rider, racer, journalist, and coach. He’s been to four cyclocross nationals.