xc base training v 'cx racing

Was planning on focussed training this winter for xc racing, but after experiencing my first cx race last weekend I’m frothing on it and planning on racing enough races (7) before xmas to get a league position.

Obviously all out anaerobic blasts for 50 minutes aren’t really compatible with base training, or so I understand from the literature. What do other people who race both cx and xc do?

This is compounded by the fact I’m hoping there will be another winter xc series in Wales which means the possibility of racing all the way through till next proper xc season.

My two thoughts at the moment is to either:
1)not to train for cross, just to focus on base and do the ‘cross races for fun and a bit of variety.
2) take the cross seriously with relevant hard intervals etc but makes sure I keep up one 2hr aerobic effort every week and then extend the base period into January with more longer rides.

I do 1

Most of the cx races I’ll be doing are on sat, leaving Sunday good for a big big ride.

Serious about CX?

Do 2.

So many mates in the same position as you, most roadies. CX takes up the winter and they start on preparation the beginning of Sept. Intervals during the week, wattbike and/or rollers every other day.

Me, I just ride.

I guess much of it depends on what your summer plans look like and how seriously you take the CX. Both sound reasonable approaches. If I did 2 I’d just make sure there’s enough of a gap between winter and summer season to fit in a decent amount of base and build.

FWIW I plan on doing 1, but with some XC not CX.

You can only answer it by working out what you want most, and more importantly – what your strengths and weaknesses are in relation to your key events.

Thanks

I think I need to focus on power over endurance, one of the reasons I’m racing ‘cross, but I had a period last may/june typically coinciding with most xc races when my legs just felt awful, rest or not. I’ve read this is due to insufficient base.

Essentially I only got back into bikes properly the spring before last, and spent most of that year out with a fractured shoulder so I’m much more weaknesses than strengths!! My one real strength is climbing as I’m scrawny!

Due to a hectic schedule I wont be able to structure my training till mid oct anyway by which I’m I’ll have another couple of cross races under my belt and be able to decide how seriously i want to take the cx.

For CX; steady ride z1/2 Monday 90min-2hr. Just spinning over.
Tues, Wed, Thurs; cx based training; intervals, sprints, russian steps.
Fri rest
Sat steady ride with 10 min effort
Sun race.
That’s what works for me anyhow.

Depending on your current levels of fitness and when the XC races are you want to do you could flip your year round. Build into hard intervals and race pace stuff now then switch to steady aerobic base the. A shorter hard interval prep through to race pace block when you get into the XC season.

I’ve always liked the notion of a reverse endurance pyramid for UK seasonal cycling as you get the hard stuff done in winter when you’re likely to need to be on the turbo anyway and you can ride longer in late winter/ early spring for your base. You do need a reasonable level of residual base fitness for this to work well (i.e don’t go from 4 weeks off to V02 intervals) and a bit of time between between the end of your base to the start of your next racing block (After a big base block it takes me 2 ish weeks of higher intensity training before I start picking up lots of gains.)

Iain

Long slow rides for base training is outdated theory is it not? What you are trying to achieve is the fitness to recover so you can maintain the training load required to get race fit.

Racing cross will be fine. Once the season is over and on the weeks where there are no races, do some longer rides.

I switch between 3-4 hour road races, mtb marathon, hill climbs, CX, and epic day rides (300miles the longest this year in 21h) and time trials fairly easily. A couple of weeks of specific training normally sees me right but that is normally about pacing strategy and mindset than body adaptations.

Iain G, I like this idea, as i was wondering how I’d occupy myself on multiple hour turbo efforts once I’d got bored of watch Lord of the Rings over and over again!

Jonba, interesting, thanks, so if long slow base rides are out of vogue, what aerobic work should I be doing? I have to say I’ve hated trying to stay in z2 for hours, dull as anything!

Long turbo rides in winter are a bit bonkers in my mind! For me as an example I go quite well of running a cycle of low then high intensity training. Using traditional base training isn’t so required if you’re not building up to being able to handle volume or intensity every year. I keep quite a high level of training constantly at the minute and cycle between low and high intensity to allow myself to adapt and reduce the risk on injury. I see big gains shortly after the transition between low and high intensity. Provided you build in some race specific stuff before your main races to allow you to peak correctly I think it works well.

For CX/XC you could cycle high for the cx season, low then a short peak block just before the xc season, high for the xc season and low after before the cx season and keep cycling that year on year. Handily the CX season will have slightly different requirements to the XC also so you can do a slightly higher level of intensity for the CX phase and then slightly lower for XC (assuming you do 2hr XC vs 1hr CX.) That way you’ve spread a traditional IV phase year across your year as normal but ordered it in a different fashion. Your performance in each of your peak times probably won’t be as good as if you had done a traditional year with 1 peak time but I think it’s more of a steady progression and allows more training each year with less time off and less chance of injury so 5yrs like this vs 5yrs of 1 peak, I think you’d make more gains like this.

Iain

Ian, don’t count on any XC races in Wales this winter, neither of last year’s series is being repeated.

My take on training – just get out and have fun and ride as hard as you can as much as you can until just before it stops being fun. And if that means CX, do it, it’s excellent for putting in a sustained effort and should help XC handling skills too.

At our age and level, proper training is just wrong. Life’s too short for turbo trainers.

And if you can’t face going out alone in the wind and rain, try night riding with the local club, it’s a hoot.

Turbos have there place. While I’m an advocate of getting out and enjoying it turbos are a good tool to make use of the few months of the year when it is truly grim outdoors midweek evenings.

I have specific goals though. I was preparing for a road race season and being in shape makes it much more fun. Got my first win in the second race of the season – a grippy 3/4 near Berwick.

Chrispo, I saw on fb that A Cycling were hoping to co-ordinate a winter xc series even though Matt isn’t doing the pembrey series again this year. Fingers crossed it comes to something!

shedbrewed – Member
For CX; steady ride z1/2 Monday 90min-2hr. Just spinning over.
Tues, Wed, Thurs; cx based training; intervals, sprints, russian steps.
Fri rest
Sat steady ride with 10 min effort
Sun race.
That’s what works for me anyhow

So that’s why you consistently beat me?

For me :
Monday, lie around with stiff legs. Eat cake.
Tuesday, more cake
Wednesday, pork pies
Thursday, is thete any cake left
And so on

Pre-ride nutrition, cake, as you saw.

😆

Are you on Strava btw?

I’m following Jon’s approach today!