Cyclo-Cross Cycling Wattage based Power Cyclocross Plan Beginner 12-15 hours by Hunter Allen
12 weeks - $99.95
Total Hours: 128
Total Hours: 128
This is for the Beginner Cyclo-Crosser with 12-15 hours a week to train. You probably have not done any cross races yet, or you've done a limited few. This plan is a great way to get you involved in the sport, to learn more about it and to be ready for the racing season. This wattage based plan is for the recreational cyclist all the way up to a Category 4 road racer or beginner Mt. biker. You are excited to give C-X a try this year and don't know where to start. This is the plan for you if you would like a bit of instruction, have a power meter and are not afraid of doing some hard work and getting muddy.
After purchase, your plan will be available in your own private online training log account. You'll enjoy these benefits and more:
Sample workouts:
Workout #1 : Bike
3 by 10 LT CX
Planned Time: 1:30:00
REST DAY! JUST KIDDING! So you want to race Cyclocross. No matter the level you race the paragraph below describes why you have to train for Cross. This Plan is designed for the 1st season racer who really wants to race CX, but isn't building their year around it. A great way to have a blast and develop some incredible fitness. Welcome to the first day of your Cross training plan designed to make you fast as ever on the CX BIKE. Whether your season goal is Masters Nationals or to beat your local nemesis we have designed a plan to make sure you are flying by the end of the season! It's important that you try to do your best and get in all of these workouts. There will be some days that you are going to be tired, some days that it's going to hurt more than ever on the hills, and some days you just don't want to do ab work or go running. Tough. Get it done anyway. This is Cross season and it's not for wimps. You are going to get muddy, wet, bloody and cold. Maybe all in the SAME RACE! Heck, PROBABLY all in the same race. This training plan will make you tougher. It's going to make you tougher physically and mentally. When it's raining and 40 degrees and you stepped in a pile of cow poo on the way to registration, and your significant other is complaining about the crappy weather, you are going to have a BIG inner smile, knowing that this is what you trained for. This is nothing compared to all the intervals you have done. This is nothing compared to all the blood, sweat, and tears you have put into your fitness 'bank'. "Bring it on" you'll say to yourself and have a big old confident smile on your face as you line up to the guys at the start... Fasten your seat belt, time to get ready for the jump to light speed..... WU: 15 minutes easy with a bit of a ramp at the end to get the heart going. (HR 55-60%) MS: TIME TO ROLL. CX season is coming. Start out with a 5 Minute effort at VO2max watts(106%+) build up the intensity and blow by the end of the 5 minutes- watts should be 120-130%. Get the legs ready to work. 2 x 10 minutes (HR 95-105%). Ride just below threshold 90% (90-94%) 10 Minutes rest between each (HR 65-75%). Finish off with 3 x 1 minute from almost a track stand. Find a gear that gets you off the line fast. 5 min rest between each (HR 65-75%). CD: 15 minutes easy and do 30 ROWs with your bike. Lift it just like you would in CX. Lets get the shoulders ready for Cross. (HR 60-75%)
Planned Time: 1:30:00
REST DAY! JUST KIDDING! So you want to race Cyclocross. No matter the level you race the paragraph below describes why you have to train for Cross. This Plan is designed for the 1st season racer who really wants to race CX, but isn't building their year around it. A great way to have a blast and develop some incredible fitness. Welcome to the first day of your Cross training plan designed to make you fast as ever on the CX BIKE. Whether your season goal is Masters Nationals or to beat your local nemesis we have designed a plan to make sure you are flying by the end of the season! It's important that you try to do your best and get in all of these workouts. There will be some days that you are going to be tired, some days that it's going to hurt more than ever on the hills, and some days you just don't want to do ab work or go running. Tough. Get it done anyway. This is Cross season and it's not for wimps. You are going to get muddy, wet, bloody and cold. Maybe all in the SAME RACE! Heck, PROBABLY all in the same race. This training plan will make you tougher. It's going to make you tougher physically and mentally. When it's raining and 40 degrees and you stepped in a pile of cow poo on the way to registration, and your significant other is complaining about the crappy weather, you are going to have a BIG inner smile, knowing that this is what you trained for. This is nothing compared to all the intervals you have done. This is nothing compared to all the blood, sweat, and tears you have put into your fitness 'bank'. "Bring it on" you'll say to yourself and have a big old confident smile on your face as you line up to the guys at the start... Fasten your seat belt, time to get ready for the jump to light speed..... WU: 15 minutes easy with a bit of a ramp at the end to get the heart going. (HR 55-60%) MS: TIME TO ROLL. CX season is coming. Start out with a 5 Minute effort at VO2max watts(106%+) build up the intensity and blow by the end of the 5 minutes- watts should be 120-130%. Get the legs ready to work. 2 x 10 minutes (HR 95-105%). Ride just below threshold 90% (90-94%) 10 Minutes rest between each (HR 65-75%). Finish off with 3 x 1 minute from almost a track stand. Find a gear that gets you off the line fast. 5 min rest between each (HR 65-75%). CD: 15 minutes easy and do 30 ROWs with your bike. Lift it just like you would in CX. Lets get the shoulders ready for Cross. (HR 60-75%)
Workout #2 : Bike
CX RACE OR RIDE
Planned Time: 2:00:00
WU: 10 Minutes Easy (HR 55-60%) MS: Goal today is to get a longer ride. Mountain bike is OK but get in a solid 2 hours (HR 70-85%). Start the ride with a 5 MINUTE effort with a bit of VO2. at the end of it (115% of threshold watts, HR 110-120%) Then just stay slightly on the gas for most of the day. Be sure to attack the short climbs and spend some time out of the saddle pulling on the bars. Ride the flats pushing a bit harder gear than normal. CD: Enjoy the ride but be sure to get some work in. Keep the watts above recovery ride but below threshold. (HR 60-75%)
Planned Time: 2:00:00
WU: 10 Minutes Easy (HR 55-60%) MS: Goal today is to get a longer ride. Mountain bike is OK but get in a solid 2 hours (HR 70-85%). Start the ride with a 5 MINUTE effort with a bit of VO2. at the end of it (115% of threshold watts, HR 110-120%) Then just stay slightly on the gas for most of the day. Be sure to attack the short climbs and spend some time out of the saddle pulling on the bars. Ride the flats pushing a bit harder gear than normal. CD: Enjoy the ride but be sure to get some work in. Keep the watts above recovery ride but below threshold. (HR 60-75%)
Workout #3 : Run
CX RUN1-stairs/hills
Planned Time: 0:30:00
GET your Road bike or CX bike out!! WU:Do 'ROWS'- Just like you are lifting your bike over a barrier. Also be sure to grap the down-tube and throw the bike onto your shoulder. It will hurt a bit. LIFT YOUR bike off to the side of your body up to just a little higher than your shoulder height. 30 times before you leave the house. No joke. Just like a cross dismount and lift. You will thank me in December ....your bike will feel lite as a feather. WU: 5 minutes easy jog (HR 55-60%) MS: Find a short hill or stairs. This is day "one" running so less is more!! Just do a few sets. Nothing crazy. We will get to that in a few weeks. Do 5 hills and push hard up the hills/stairs, easy on the downhills. If you have a running background feel free to do a bit extra. (98-108%) CD:5 Minutes easy jog/walk home Don't Make the RUN hard. Just get the time in. (HR 60-75%) No Rocky efforts yet. 10 MInutes of CORE when you get home. make it BURN
Planned Time: 0:30:00
GET your Road bike or CX bike out!! WU:Do 'ROWS'- Just like you are lifting your bike over a barrier. Also be sure to grap the down-tube and throw the bike onto your shoulder. It will hurt a bit. LIFT YOUR bike off to the side of your body up to just a little higher than your shoulder height. 30 times before you leave the house. No joke. Just like a cross dismount and lift. You will thank me in December ....your bike will feel lite as a feather. WU: 5 minutes easy jog (HR 55-60%) MS: Find a short hill or stairs. This is day "one" running so less is more!! Just do a few sets. Nothing crazy. We will get to that in a few weeks. Do 5 hills and push hard up the hills/stairs, easy on the downhills. If you have a running background feel free to do a bit extra. (98-108%) CD:5 Minutes easy jog/walk home Don't Make the RUN hard. Just get the time in. (HR 60-75%) No Rocky efforts yet. 10 MInutes of CORE when you get home. make it BURN
Workout #4 : Bike
LT 4x10 and 6 by 1 minute
Planned Time: 1:30:00
Try these on the CX or Mountain bike. Be sure to pick an intensity where you can finish the workout. Solid Warm up15-20 Minutes (HR 55-60%). Then do a 5 Minute Blow out. Ramp every 1 minute till you're pegged the last minute. Solid VO2 by the end of 5 minute... out of the saddle for the last 30 seconds. We are back at it today... Get these done. (3-4) x 8 minutes at 100% Threshold Wattage (HR 98-102%). Rest for 8 minutes between each (HR 65-75%). Do these at a LOWER than normal cadence- by 5 rpm. The goal here is to feel a bit bogged down. Just like in CX. Keep trying to get on top of the gear. Really focus on getting your full body into the effort. Also get in 3x 1 minutes all out-(130%) Hammer and push it with 1 minute between each (HR 65-75%). Start from a stop with Pedal Unclipped just like in CX. Even if you are on your road bike. These are going to hurt, so be ready. Just get them done. In and Out of saddle. Cool down for 15 minutes. (HR 60-75%)
Planned Time: 1:30:00
Try these on the CX or Mountain bike. Be sure to pick an intensity where you can finish the workout. Solid Warm up15-20 Minutes (HR 55-60%). Then do a 5 Minute Blow out. Ramp every 1 minute till you're pegged the last minute. Solid VO2 by the end of 5 minute... out of the saddle for the last 30 seconds. We are back at it today... Get these done. (3-4) x 8 minutes at 100% Threshold Wattage (HR 98-102%). Rest for 8 minutes between each (HR 65-75%). Do these at a LOWER than normal cadence- by 5 rpm. The goal here is to feel a bit bogged down. Just like in CX. Keep trying to get on top of the gear. Really focus on getting your full body into the effort. Also get in 3x 1 minutes all out-(130%) Hammer and push it with 1 minute between each (HR 65-75%). Start from a stop with Pedal Unclipped just like in CX. Even if you are on your road bike. These are going to hurt, so be ready. Just get them done. In and Out of saddle. Cool down for 15 minutes. (HR 60-75%)
Workout #5 : Custom
Planned Time: 0:15:00
If this is your first season then be sure to make goals of DIALING in all the SKILLS. You wan't to have RAD skills on race day. Make it GOAL #1. Sit down and write or review your Cyclocross goals. Be sure to have some that you can work on every week. Have some goals for certain skills you want to master, and have other goals about following the plan and doing the work. Race goals should be realistic for the 12 weeks, but don't limit yourself from having dreams. Be sure to read the FULL Plan today and circle KEY workouts and KEY race weekends.
Workout #6 : Run
CX RUN1-stairs/hills
Planned Time: 0:40:00
WU: LIFT YOUR bike over your head 30 times before you leave the house. Think about throwing it up and clearing the barrier. 10 minutes easy jog WU: Easy jog for 10 minutes (HR 55-65%) MS: Find a short hill or stairs. Just do a few sets. Nothing crazy. We will get to that in a few weeks. Do 5 hills and push hard up the hills/stairs, easy on the downhills. If you have a running background feel free to do a bit extra. (HR 98-108%) CD:5 Minutes easy jog/walk home (HR 60-75%) 15 MInutes of CORE when you get home. make it BURN, Just drill your core and lower back non-stop for 15 minutes.
Planned Time: 0:40:00
WU: LIFT YOUR bike over your head 30 times before you leave the house. Think about throwing it up and clearing the barrier. 10 minutes easy jog WU: Easy jog for 10 minutes (HR 55-65%) MS: Find a short hill or stairs. Just do a few sets. Nothing crazy. We will get to that in a few weeks. Do 5 hills and push hard up the hills/stairs, easy on the downhills. If you have a running background feel free to do a bit extra. (HR 98-108%) CD:5 Minutes easy jog/walk home (HR 60-75%) 15 MInutes of CORE when you get home. make it BURN, Just drill your core and lower back non-stop for 15 minutes.
Workout #7 : Bike
Planned Time: 1:30:00
SUPER Important if you have never raced CX Your CX bike will ride much different than a mountain bike. You need to really focus on learning the LIMITS of the bike. Start SLOW. WU: Just ROLL around today. This Plan has YOU either ON or OFF. Today is just some CX Practice. MS: 90 Minutes. Goal today is get out and work on your Cross technical weaknesses. Just spin High cadence and no power to the pedals. Find some obstacles and work on CX Skills. Find some SAND or trees. When you get home be sure to do some Core for 10 minutes.
Workout #8 : Bike
CX RACE OR RIDE
Planned Time: 2:30:00
If you can do this on the CX bike on gravel roads that is GREAT You really need to focus on learning to ride a CX bike. It seems simple but the SKILLS are a huge part of the CX game. Today is Super Important. Be sure to get a Solid ride in. WU: 10 Minutes Easy (HR 55-60%) MS: Goal today is to get a longer ride. Mountain bike is OK but get in a solid 2 HOURS (HR 70-85%). Start the ride with a 5 MINUTE Blow OUT at VO2 watts, at least average(115% of FTP, HR 110-120%). After the Blow Out I want you to ramp back to tempo and stay there till your ride is over. Stay on the gas for most of the day. Be sure to attack the short climbs and spend some time out of the saddle pulling on the bars. Ride the flats pushing a bit harder gear than normal. I want the ride to be SOLID Tempo. CD: Keep the watts above endurance ride but below threshold. (HR 60-75%)
Planned Time: 2:30:00
If you can do this on the CX bike on gravel roads that is GREAT You really need to focus on learning to ride a CX bike. It seems simple but the SKILLS are a huge part of the CX game. Today is Super Important. Be sure to get a Solid ride in. WU: 10 Minutes Easy (HR 55-60%) MS: Goal today is to get a longer ride. Mountain bike is OK but get in a solid 2 HOURS (HR 70-85%). Start the ride with a 5 MINUTE Blow OUT at VO2 watts, at least average(115% of FTP, HR 110-120%). After the Blow Out I want you to ramp back to tempo and stay there till your ride is over. Stay on the gas for most of the day. Be sure to attack the short climbs and spend some time out of the saddle pulling on the bars. Ride the flats pushing a bit harder gear than normal. I want the ride to be SOLID Tempo. CD: Keep the watts above endurance ride but below threshold. (HR 60-75%)
Workout #9 : Bike
Cyclocross race effort
Planned Time: 2:30:00
WU: 30-40 Minutes Just like on Race Day- Do you have a favorite warm-up yet? (HR 55-60%) What is your warm-up? You'd better have one nailed down to the minute. Now is your chance to figure what makes you feel warm, and preps you for the race without taking anything out of you for the race. If you don't have a set one yet, Try this one: 15 minutes level 2 (HR 69-83%), then a 10 minute 'ramp,' gradually taking your wattage from level 2 to level 4 in minutes 9 to 10 (HR 69-83% in the beginning, 95-105% in the last minutes). You should be flat out at your time trial pace in that last minute. then 5 minutes easy. (HR 69-83%) Then do 4 x 1minute fast pedaling efforts. Each effort is cadence over 100rpm, not worrying about wattage too much, but focusing on fast, smooth pedaling and getting the muscles to "open up" and the blood pumping! REST for 1 minute of easy pedaling between them (HR 65-75%). Then 5 minutes at level 2. (HR 69-83%) Finally, do (1) 5 minute effort at Level 5 or Vo2max watts(HR 106%+). Then you are ready. 5-10minutes of easy pedaling and then start your Cross race. (HR 69-83%) MS: The plan is to remind you why you race cross. Find a local park or trail where you can simulate a CX race. DO 1 by 20 minutes. Be creative. All you need is a 2 minute circuit that is similar to a race course. Start just like a CX race. Out of the pedal and breathing FIRE. Ride the first 2 minutes all out. Settle in for 15 minutes of upper tempo-85-95% of threshold (HR 88-96%)- IN and OUT of the saddle like a race. Ride the last 3 minutes of each effort max. Goal today is to learn a great warm-up, and get in 20 MINUTES of solid race effort on the CX bike. Learn how to ride it when you are tired. (HR 84-90%) Make some notes after the effort about bike set-up, gearing, tire pressure. CD: 30 minutes easy with some dismounts and practice corners. (HR 60-75%)
Planned Time: 2:30:00
WU: 30-40 Minutes Just like on Race Day- Do you have a favorite warm-up yet? (HR 55-60%) What is your warm-up? You'd better have one nailed down to the minute. Now is your chance to figure what makes you feel warm, and preps you for the race without taking anything out of you for the race. If you don't have a set one yet, Try this one: 15 minutes level 2 (HR 69-83%), then a 10 minute 'ramp,' gradually taking your wattage from level 2 to level 4 in minutes 9 to 10 (HR 69-83% in the beginning, 95-105% in the last minutes). You should be flat out at your time trial pace in that last minute. then 5 minutes easy. (HR 69-83%) Then do 4 x 1minute fast pedaling efforts. Each effort is cadence over 100rpm, not worrying about wattage too much, but focusing on fast, smooth pedaling and getting the muscles to "open up" and the blood pumping! REST for 1 minute of easy pedaling between them (HR 65-75%). Then 5 minutes at level 2. (HR 69-83%) Finally, do (1) 5 minute effort at Level 5 or Vo2max watts(HR 106%+). Then you are ready. 5-10minutes of easy pedaling and then start your Cross race. (HR 69-83%) MS: The plan is to remind you why you race cross. Find a local park or trail where you can simulate a CX race. DO 1 by 20 minutes. Be creative. All you need is a 2 minute circuit that is similar to a race course. Start just like a CX race. Out of the pedal and breathing FIRE. Ride the first 2 minutes all out. Settle in for 15 minutes of upper tempo-85-95% of threshold (HR 88-96%)- IN and OUT of the saddle like a race. Ride the last 3 minutes of each effort max. Goal today is to learn a great warm-up, and get in 20 MINUTES of solid race effort on the CX bike. Learn how to ride it when you are tired. (HR 84-90%) Make some notes after the effort about bike set-up, gearing, tire pressure. CD: 30 minutes easy with some dismounts and practice corners. (HR 60-75%)