Oh yes, it's cyclocross season alright.  Today we raced the seventh round of the GPTB in Washington, just over the Columbia River from Portland.  While it was relatively dry and dusty for the Cross Crusade in Bend, it was cold, rainy, and muddy for our race, as many think it ought to be for this sport.

Rumor had it that there was going to be a long, muddy run-up, so I prepared appropriately:

I didn't have a costume, but I wore these fangs

Just before the start, it was pouring rain and chilly, but not too cold.  It was cold enough, though, that I did my warmup earlier in the day; and, in the moments before the race while I had the car to myself, I concentrated on taking some time to focus, staying warm and ingesting some nice, hot home made chai:

Chai.  Comin' in hot.

With greased legs and a happy stomach, I rolled to the line.  I have a habit of starting too hard for my own good and today I was determined not to do that.  It seemed to work as, when the whistle blew, I settled quickly into 5th or 6th position.  I stayed there for a lap or two while I got used to the flow of the course and the conditions. 

Besides three barriers on the flat bits, including one cleverly placed in the middle of a hairpin turn, the course had two nasty run-ups per lap.  The first wasn't too bad at 26 to 30 seconds, but the second seemed to take forever.  I was to be able to do it in 45 to 50 seconds, depending on traffic.  In seven laps, these add up to about 9 minutes of deeply-tracked uphill mud running – nearly 15% of the race! I went a bit faster up the long run in the middle and later laps, so my slow-start plan seems to have worked. 

Let's have a look at my data file from today's race:

David Douglas CX #2: Red is Heart Rate data, yellow is Power data, and blue is Speed data.  The dashed red line is at 180bpm. The dashed yellow line is at 350W. Click the image to magnify.

If we observe the relationship of speed (blue) to heart rate (red), it's interesting to note that the highest heart rates occurred at the lowest speeds.  These were the run-ups.  Each lap, there were two HR spikes where these happened, reaching 185+bpm.  This speaks to the off-and-on nature of the race, and the difficulty the run-ups posed to good pacing.

Speaking of pacing, here are my HR averages for each 20-minute third of the race, respectively:

• 170bpm
• 173bpm
• 174bpm

So, despite the spikes required for the run-up (both on my shoes and from my HR!), I was able to start at a good pace and gradually increase it as the race went on.  My HR average for the race was 173bpm – significantly less than my tested Threshold HR.  Again, this is due to the off-and-on nature of this particular race.

In the end, I finished 3rd on the day, a result I am happy with.  Here are some photos from the race:

First lap – all nice and clean, with fangs exposed

The first time up the long run-up.  Running makes me feel haggard.

Coming through the muddy twisty bits before the first descent

Going through the same

Over the hairpin barrier (in a very determined way, it would appear)

It is no exaggeration to say that last week, here in Oregon, summer came to an abrupt end and winter arrived.  One day it was in the 70s and sunny and the next it was in the 50s and raining.  It's still raining, only now it is even colder.

This sort of thing, of course, makes for great cyclocross.  I think it is safe to say that the dust races of 2012 are over and the mud is here to stay.

The weekend started with the Canby Cross-Word CX Challenge. A smaller race, not part of either local series, it was nonetheless well-attended and saw some good competition. It was also the first muddy race of the year, and we all had to adapt to the new conditions after dealing with hardpack and dust thus far.

Canby CX:

I started at the back, but quickly made my way up into the top three.  As you can see from the file below, I started a bit too hard and I paid for it later on.  The first 1/3 of the race saw my HR average 183bpm, with correspondingly high power output (which I will keep a secret for now!).  The rest of the race only saw an average of 179bpm – the cost of an imprudent start.  At one point, I had caught the #2 rider, but a slip on corner saw him ride away and I had to settle for 3rd place on the day.  Small mistakes often have high costs in 'cross.

Canby CX: Red is Heart Rate data, yellow is power data.  The dashed red line is at 180bpm. The dashed yellow line is at 350W. Click the image to magnify.

Cross Crusade Heron Lakes:

The weekend's second race wasn't what this cycling coach had hoped for.  The Heron Lakes course at PIR is one of my favorites – flat, fast, and hectic.  I missed last week's race (I was attending the USA Cycling Coaching Summit, my first one as a Level 1 coach) and so I had forfeited my call-up and had to start at the back again.  It didn't seem to make much difference as less than six minutes into the race, my rear derailleur decided to join my front derailleur and I was going nowhere.  It was a curious failure as it did not seem to involve sticks or mud, or other riders.  The body of the derailleur simply sheared off the pivot bolt. 

I'm looking at the bright side – I have one 3rd place, and my bike frame and my body are intact.  It's easy enough to get a new derailleur.

Here are some photos from the weekend:

Canby CX.  If I look surprised by the mud, it's because I am.

Heron Lakes: My teammate Monty (aka Montador) and I before the start.

Heron Lakes: Erik V and I round a bend in the first 3 minutes of the race.  That was about the half way point for me!

Heron Lakes: My rear derailleur breaks, ending my race.  Aw, muffin!

A few weeks ago, an athlete contacted me asking for a few private coaching sessions on the basics of cyclocross.  Those sessions seem to have worked as today he won his category at the Cross Crusade Rainier and now he has to upgrade!

Although there is no substitute for some hands-on practical cyclocross coaching, I thought I would outline in writing what we worked on.  It's a good start for anyone who is getting into the sport and a nice reminder for those who have been in it a while and may have developed some bad habits or lost a bit of the flow.  I'll write more on the latter in a later installment.

Here is what we covered in the first session:

• Bike fit
• Low-speed, high-traction corners
• Low-speed, low-traction corners
• High speed corners
• Bunny hops
• Intervals for CX preparation

Let's review one topic at a time.

Bike Fit

A properly fitted CX bike should feel a bit different than your (properly fitted) road bike.  Individual fit is very specific and the following will not apply to everyone.  It's best to find a qualified fitter in your area and have that person do a specific fit for your CX bike. 

That said, your CX bike's saddle will likely be a bit forward compared to your road bike.  The height, however, should be the same from the pedal to the saddle top, accounting for the difference in shoe and pedal systems. 

Next, check your handlebars.  Some riders prefer to have about the same reach as on their road bikes, but with a saddle/handlebar drop that is less than on a road bike.  Others prefer to have a shorter reach with the same drop, or a bit less.  It depends a bit on your flexibility as well as on the bike itself.  If you're not positioned on the bike the way it is designed for you to be, it won't handle optimally.  Finally, since a lot of time is spent on the brake levers in 'cross, many riders run their bars and/or brake levers a tilted slightly more upward than on their road bikes.  I prefer to do this as well, but I also run compact bars so the drops are not simply along for the ride. 

Typical road handlebar tilt and brake lever position.	CX handlebar tilt.  Notice the levers are a bit higher relative to the bar tops.

Low-speed, high-traction corners

Remember always to stay relaxed!  This is the golden rule for all good bike handling.  For these corners, brake and pedal at the same time.  This sounds a bit silly, but the idea is to keep drive to the rear wheel so that it "pushes" you around the corner.  The brakes counter the drive and together they help you balance.

Low-speed, low-traction corners

Brake early in slippery conditions so that you don't lock up your wheels on the approach to the corner.  Make sure to keep the power on from about 1/4 of the way through the turn.  Lean the bike instead of steering it.  When the front end slides, keeping the power on will bring the bike back into line.  RELAX and have confidence in your bike.  It's designed to get you out of trouble, so let it. It is good to practice this in deep, loose gravel (remember, SLOW speed).  Once you get used to the front wheel sliding a bit, it won't seem so scary.

High speed corners

Very similar to the road - relax your arms, stay low, lean and counter steer a bit.  Keep your weight low and push downward on your outside leg, which should be at the bottom of the pedal stroke.  Trust your tires and don't be afraid of a little sliding around.  Relax.

Bunny Hops

Compress by crouching with your arms and legs, then spring upwards and lift the bike with you.  First, focus on lifting both wheels at the same time, then focus on first the front wheel and then the rear in a rocking-horse motion. The former is useful for low obstacles, while many prefer the latter for higher ones.  You can even land your wheels briefly on the top of the obstacle as you roll over it.  Set out some 2x4s on grass and practice.  This is a great video example:

Intervals for CX Preparation

You have worked hard with your cycling coach and have been targeting CX all summer.  You have done your endurance homework and built a nice foundation for day-to-day recovery.  On this foundation you can build the House of Cross.  It's not a church, but with weekly attendance, each Sunday your competition will kneel before the altar of your awesomeness. 

If you are racing on Saturdays (and I encourage you to, since they are often low-key and casual), go hard on Tuesday and Wednesday and take Thursday completely off.  This may change depending on your individual qualities of recovery and training load capability, but this is a good place to start. Here are a couple of sample workouts for you on these days:

#1:

WU (warm up): 20 mins easy/medium spin. Keep cadence high at 90_+ rpm.

MS (main set): Do three sets of 5 x 30 seconds at 100% effort with 30-second spin recoveries. Rolling starts, standing, big gear. Get to top end quickly. Cool down easily and stretch.

CD (cool down): 15 to 20 mins easy spin.

#2:

WU: 15 mins easy spin, L1.

MS: 3 sets of 5 x 20 seconds On FULL GAS, 10 seconds OFF with 4 minutes between sets.

CD: 15 mins easy spin, L1.

Start by only doing one interval day mid-week and another aerobic day.  Ideally, make this a Tempo/SST.  SST is "Sweet Spot Training" - high tempo/low threshold, or 87%-90% of your threshold capacity (the power or HR you can hold for 1 hour).  Here is a good one:

WU: 15 mins easy spinning.

MS: First 30 mins - SST. Final 30 mins SST. Everything in between at L3 - Tempo.

CD: 15 mins easy spin. Easy!

Through competition, we discover ourselves.

Huo Yuanjia

This weekend was a cyclocross double header, with two races on warm, sunny, October days:  GPTB Heiser Farms and the traditional Cross Crusade opener at Alpenrose Dairy.  Since I'll be away next weekend, I decided that I would do the double.

I'm flying fit right now, so I am trying to take advantage of my good form and do as much racing as I can.  I'm also having loads of fun and really enjoying myself.  Plus, as a cycling coach, it's good to stay in the game and learn as much about myself as possible.

It would appear these days that my LTHR is a bit higher than I thought, or maybe it's not.  Let's have a look at this weekend's races:

Heiser Farm CX

This race was fast and relatively smooth, in terms of one's efforts, with only one dismount over a set of three barriers.  With the first Crusade race of the season looming the following day, attendance was a bit lower than normal with about 30 riders taking the start.  The competition, however, was still strong with all of the series contenders in attendance.

Let's have a look at my HR file:

Heiser Farm CX: Red is Heart Rate data, blue is speed data.  The dashed red line is at 181bpm.  Click the image to magnify.

At the start, I accidentally hit the wrong button on my computer, so I'm missing data from the first lap.  However, the separation really began on lap 2, and that is where we begin our analysis.  My average HR for the race was 181bpm.  From the graph, you can see that, after the first 3 laps, things settled down a bit.  At this point, I was in the main break of 4 riders.  With 2 laps to go, my HR goes up again as one rider punctured and the rest of us fought it out until the finish.  I came 3rd in that battle, but I gave it all I had, so I feel good about my race.

Lately I have been racing at a HR a few bpm above my normal LTHR.  This could be for a few reasons:

1. I underestimated my LTHR (not likely)
2. I'm relatively fresh coming into the races these days as CX in-season is largely race-and-recovery
3. I've had some anxiety as of late and that raises one's HR
4. It's been warm and even a bit hot at some races.

It's not uncommon to have a "fresh" LTHR and a "fatigued" LTHR that is a few bpm lower.  With the combination of the above factors, and keeping this in mind, it is not a stretch to say that my effective LTHR these days is more like 181bpm than 178bpm.  The next day proved this again.

Cross Crusade Alpenrose Dairy

This race, in contrast to the day before, required a lot more short, hard bursts of effort.  The course was hard and bumpy with several short ride-up sections, a set of barriers, and two run-ups.  Here is the HR file:

Alpenrose CX: Red is Heart Rate data, blue is speed data. The dashed red line is at 181bpm. Click the image to magnify.

This time I hit the correct button at the start, so my data is complete.  The start saw the highest HR as all 93 riders in my field careened down a short paved section and into a loose dirt and gravel s-turn.  A short descent was followed by a steep ride-up that had everyone fighting for traction.  After lap 2, when things began to separate, I got down to the business of making up as much time as possible.  I missed the races at which I could have had the possibility of scoring call-up points, because I was busy racing MTB Marathon Nationals.  Thus, I started in the last row.  Other than a bit of pacing difficulty mid-race (which is easily seen in the data), and legs which were a bit tired from the day before, I was able to put out a steady effort.  This netted me 17th on the day, just inside the points!

Despite having raced the day before and ridden to this particular race, I was able to maintain an average HR of 182bpm.  The heat and a bit of under-hydration played a role in that, I am sure.  That, and the crowd support was fantastic.

Here are some photos from the weekend:

The start at Heiser Farm

This is what I look like just before I have a great time

In the mix on the first lap

Going up

Going down

Going across