It’s August, which means cyclocross is right around the corner. If you’re looking to get ready for the fall, now is a good time to start preparing. That means dusting the cobwebs off your ‘cross bike, giving it a once-over, maybe upgrading some parts, and getting your running legs ready. Running in ‘cross is a crucial aspect–whether it’s up a short hill or over barriers. (By the way, it’s probably good time to practise your dismounts, too.)
If you’re a cyclist who doesn’t run during the year, the early runs can be daunting. Rob Holmgren, from who has coached the national and provincial teams for CX and MTB (and has two kids that just went to the Olympics), says it’s important to start slow and easy.
Ease into your running regime
“Running will be a shock to your muscles and connective tissues, resulting in a lot of soreness,” he says. “The first four weeks are to be done at an easy endurance pace.” He says that means 5/10 to 6/10 effort.
If your cross season starts in late September or early October, you have lots of time to get some running fitness.
The Holmgren siblings talk beach time, coffee—and their first Olympic races
Holmgren says that you can ease into running by progressively upping the time. For the first week, he suggests two twenty-minute runs as a good starting point, then bumping that up to three in the second week. By the third week, ramp up to two runs a week with 30-minute sessions. In the fourth week, you can do three 30-minute runs a week, with one on the trails or grass.
Pro Tips: Michael van den Ham explains how to do a cyclocross remount
Once you’ve gained some fitness, you can then go for a slightly harder 45-minute run on mixed surfaces at an endurance pace. You can also incorporate a STOMP workout: five sets of 15-second max effort sprints after a 15-minute warm-up. Allow yourself three minutes of recovery between each effort.
“As racing approaches, you can incorporate more specific work such as sand, carrying your bike in your efforts, run-ups, and so on,” he says. “Don’t forget specific skill work such as dismounts and remounts at varying speeds and on varying surfaces!”
‘Cross is coming, so if you’re keen, get those running kicks and head out!
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…