Cyclocross season is here! If you aren’t a diehard crosser, the season may have snuck up on you. But, not to worry, there is still time to hone your existing fitness to the demands of cyclocross racing - not to mention get in on the spectator friendly venues littered with heckling, costumes, beer and money hand-ups. Coach Daniel Matheny shares his cyclocross training overview with a few workouts to get you on course.
It’s that time of year, when cooler air starts to slip into your hot summer day. You begin to wish you had brought arm warmers, as you head home from an evening spin.
Getting your nutrition dialed for cross race can be trickier than you might think. Races are relatively short, but they are also incredibly intense. The only thing I've encountered that comes close to their physical intensity are short-track mountain bike races, but even they are not quite as vomit inducing. Sprinting over barriers and up steep hills by foot as commonly encountered during cross races pushes the intensity level through the roof. You need glycogen stores to be at maximum to fuel these and other anaerobic efforts, but you also don't want much food in your stomach come race time. That is, unless you want to be distracted from going your fastest by burping up breakfast. It's not a pleasant feeling.
Since starts are crucial to cyclocross racing, take 1-2 servings of Beta Red 2 hours before your race, and then have another serving approximately 30 minutes before starting.
Enduro Bites Ambassador Jen Kates explains how to ease back into training without risking injury after taking time off due to the gyms being closed because of COVID-19, injury, illness, or any other reason. Check out her advice on how to get back to strength training... safely and successfully.
