Loading ...Update: Boulder Cycle Sport / FasCat Cyclocross Training Camp Moved to August
July 30th, 2010 Filed Under press releases, training and technique
Boulder Cycle Sport / FasCat Cyclocross Training Camp
It’s already almost August, which means that the US cyclocross scene is right around the corner. While most of us are doing something bike-related, either on or off road, to keep up the fitness, many of the ‘cross-specific skills are atrophying. It’s not too soon to start getting your cyclocross techniques back on track and turning them into a strength for your 2010 campaign. A training camp can be just the ticket, and if you happen to live in the Rocky Mountain region, Boulder Cycle Sport is teaming up with FasCat Coaching to present their annual Cyclocross Training Camp in mid-August. …continue reading: Update: Boulder Cycle Sport / FasCat Cyclocross Training Camp Moved to August
Ask A Pro With National Champ Tim Johnson
June 14th, 2010 Filed Under training and technique
Tim Johnson sporting his National Championship Jersey © Cyclocross Magazine
Joining us again for our bi-weekly column, Ask a Pro, is 2009 national cyclocross champion Tim Johnson (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com). If you missed our first reader submitted Q&A session, check it out here. Have a question for Tim? Send it to askapro@cxmagazine.com
Q: Tim, the biggest problem I have late in the year is with my hands and feet getting cold. Day 1 of the USGP in Portland my hands were so cold that I could barely grip the bars. Day 2 I taped warmers to my wrists and calves, which helped but didn’t solve everything. Your race was later in the day, but it was still very cold and your gloves were very thin. You race Worlds in Europe where it’s much colder, what’s the secret? …continue reading: Ask A Pro With National Champ Tim Johnson
New Bi-Weekly Column: Ask a Pro with National Champ Tim Johnson
May 22nd, 2010 Filed Under training and technique
Tim Johnson sporting his National Championship Jersey @ Cyclocross Magazine
Cyclocross Magazine is proud to announce a new bi-weekly column, Ask a Pro, with 2009 national cyclocross champion Tim Johnson (Cannondale – Cyclocrossworld.com). While winning one National Championship is impressive enough, Tim added this year’s win to the two Elite National jerseys already adorning his wall. A seasoned pro in both road and ‘cross, he had a screaming 2009 season, taking home 11 wins and a 14th place at the World Championships in Tabor. With such an extensive record, we thought our readers would benefit from Tim’s experience and hard-earned wisdom of handling the rigors of ‘cross, so we humbly asked him if he’d join us for a Q&A column in which he tackles your mud-caked queries. Look for a new slew of insights every other week, as Tim answers what’s on your ‘cross crazy minds. Have a question for Tim? Send it to askapro@cxmagazine.com
Follow the link for this week’s round of questions! …continue reading: New Bi-Weekly Column: Ask a Pro with National Champ Tim Johnson
Overtrainers Anonymous – A Column by Lee Waldman
April 9th, 2010 Filed Under editorial, rider diary, training and technique
Lee Waldman's fitness helps him lead the pack, but the training is a balancing act © Annette Hayden
Cyclocross Magazine columnist Lee Waldman checks in on his training progress and reports on his enlisted help to reign in his obsessive training tendencies. In case you missed it, go back and check out Lee’s previous column on instant gratification.
by Lee Waldman
“We have a new member joining us tonight…”
“Hi, my name is Lee, and I’m an overtrainer.”
“Hello Lee…”
If there isn’t a twelve-step program for people like me, there should be. I know that I’m not the only one either. I’d wager that many of you are connecting with me. Come on, admit it, you’ve done it! You’ve ignored those signals from your brain and body pleading with you to slow down, descended that dark, winding staircase from fitness to folly, suffered through the lackluster workouts where you’re legs hurt from the first pedal stroke, dragged your aching body out to do intervals when your heart really wasn’t in it. I know I’m not the only one. …continue reading: Overtrainers Anonymous – A Column by Lee Waldman
Gut Wrenching Mechanical Mondays: Hoods Up for Better Control
January 11th, 2010 Filed Under how-to, training and technique
Hoods up–a good 'cross position © Dave Drumm
‘Cross bikes share many things with road bikes, but there are stark differences both in the machines and in a good rider’s position. This week’s Gut-Wrenching Mechanical Mondays feature takes a look at a hood–and hand– adjustment that will help you improve your bike handling.
…continue reading: Gut Wrenching Mechanical Mondays: Hoods Up for Better Control
Training with Power for Cyclocross: Kenton Berg’s Diary #6 – Hazardous to Your Health?
December 4th, 2009 Filed Under rider diary, training and technique
Quad tendon - apparently important for pedaling
Not sure if you’re training effectively? Have some ambitious goals for the season but feel like your racing has plateaued? Cyclocross Magazine’s Kenton Berg has been stuck in this situation and decided to seek professional help. This is his sixth entry. Read his previous entry here.
WARNING: TRAINING WITH POWER MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH!
In an unanticipated series of events, I have discovered the downsides of training with power. Due to the intense nature of building the watts up over time and prepping for cyclocross Nationals, the brunt of training with power has been unleashed upon my quadriceps tendon, rupturing it with a force so great it made me shiver and, yes, shed a tear or two. This just in folks, training with power is dangerous and my season has come to a very unceremonious end due to extreme wattage overload.
Actually, in all seriousness, training with power is great and it is not, in any way, the reason for my untimely demise. …continue reading: Training with Power for Cyclocross: Kenton Berg’s Diary #6 – Hazardous to Your Health?
Riding the Night Train – Tips and Tricks for Cyclocross Training at Night
November 13th, 2009 Filed Under training and technique
Training for cyclocross at night takes some special equipment. © Cyclocross Magazine
Days are shorter and our lives are busy. How does training time fit in to a day with already too few hours? Even Michael Birner’s three-hour training plan featured in Cyclocross Magazine’s Issue 7 is constrained by limited sunlight. You can train indoors on a trainer, or train in the dark of night. Most of us know the tedium of trainers. Night riding can be a great alternative to staring at basement walls, but the idea of being on the road in the dark is intimidating to the uninitiated. Thankfully, new headlight and clothing technology make the night train safer and more comfortable than ever. …continue reading: Riding the Night Train – Tips and Tricks for Cyclocross Training at Night
Training with Power for Cyclocross: Kenton Berg’s Diary #5 – Don’t Call It a Comeback
November 10th, 2009 Filed Under rider diary, training and technique
Kenton Berg finds his form and power returning. ©Andrew Malakoff
Not sure if you’re training effectively? Have some ambitious goals for the season but feel like your racing has plateaued? Cyclocross Magazine’s Kenton Berg has been stuck in this situation and decided to seek professional help. This is his fifth entry. Read his previous entry here.
Back from Injury: One Month In
What a difference a month makes… Just a month ago, I was just coming back from some downtime due to an injury and had no idea of where I might be by now. Well, I’ve had my chief “fixer” working on me and the decompression therapy I’ve undergone has done wonders to alleviate my back pain. I’m back to full-on racing and training and …continue reading: Training with Power for Cyclocross: Kenton Berg’s Diary #5 – Don’t Call It a Comeback
Training With Power for Cyclocross: Kenton Berg’s Diary #3
September 17th, 2009 Filed Under rider diary, training and technique
Numbers, Numbers, Numbers, Watts, Watts, Watts. by bkusler on flickr
Not sure if you’re training effectively? Have some ambitious goals for the season but feel like your racing has plateaued? Cyclocross Magazine’s Kenton Berg has been stuck in this situation and decided to seek professional help. This is his third entry. Read his previous entry here.
Numbers, numbers, numbers…I’ve got tons of graphs and numbers now. So what does this all add up to? As it turns out all the rides with the little yellow computer on my bike will add up to something. Right now I’m working on building my fitness towards cyclocross season and continually integrating rides with the “crew,” races, and those miserable suffer sessions from my training plan into the big picture. As this all gets put together, a nice little profile of my capabilities (in watts) is being established and this will help Coach Kristi fine tune my training plan and figure out if I’m making progress or not.
To that end, what we’ve found so far …continue reading: Training With Power for Cyclocross: Kenton Berg’s Diary #3
To Hop or Not? Bunny Hopping Cyclocross Barriers
August 15th, 2009 Filed Under training and technique, video
Adam Craig hops at Cross Vegas 2008. by Cyclocross Magazine
Sven Nys’ early days of BMX racing developed his mad bunny hopping skills, and his ability to dominate races by hopping the UCI’s 40 cm barriers single-handily changed cyclocross courses and rules forever. Wonder why we see so few high-speed barriers at UCI races? For some reason, close, tight racing is believed to be more exciting than a Tiger Woods domination.
If you’ve got the skills and courage, hopping barriers can certainly can be an advantage.
Todd Wells and Jeremy Powers are two of the top barrier hoppers domestically, and Andy …continue reading: To Hop or Not? Bunny Hopping Cyclocross Barriers
Making the Leap to Coaching: Kenton Berg’s Training Diary
July 24th, 2009 Filed Under rider diary, training and technique
A graph of Kenton's power during a local crit
Not sure if you’re training effectively? Have some ambitious goals for the season but feel like your racing has plateaued? Cyclocross Magazine’s Kenton Berg has been stuck in this situation but this summer he’s been motivated to do something about it and decided to seek professional help. Follow Kenton this season as he brings Cyclocross Magazine’s online readers along for a season of training and racing under the watchful eye of a coach. Kenton joins our growing group of columnists (including Christine Vardaros and Ben Popper) with this new semi-weekly online column.
Hi, my name is Kenton Berg and I’m just your average bike nut…that is, I love to ride but I also love to compete. Take the two and you’ve got a recipe for self-imposed suffering, wads of cash going to odd and trendy gear and endless negotiations with my wife. But this year, there are some ambitious goals fueling this lifestyle. And to have the best chance at achieving my goals, I’ve decided to bring some structure to my pricey passion and hire a coach.
Given that this was a major decision for me and that …continue reading: Making the Leap to Coaching: Kenton Berg’s Training Diary
The Perfect, Pain Free ‘Cross Fit
June 1st, 2009 Filed Under training and technique
Does your back hurt during ‘cross? Setting up a new ‘cross bike or wondering if your setup is really dialed? These spring and summer months are the time to figure these issues out. We’re here to help.
When it comes to cyclocross, the bike fit conundrum comes with a host of oft-repeated truths. These include buying a smaller frame, lowering your saddle, moving the saddle forward, moving it back, raising your bars. Do these ‘truths’ hold water?
Cyclocross Magazine contributor Bill Schieken recently talked with Beth Mason about bike fit issues specific to cyclocross …continue reading: The Perfect, Pain Free ‘Cross Fit
Tough Love Cyclocross Training with a Personal Trainer
May 4th, 2009 Filed Under Issue 4, training and technique
Yesterday we brought you Michael Birner’s article on planning your pre-season training for cyclocross. But putting it all together is easier said than done. Perhaps you need a trainer to help you stick to your plan? Hector Finely tells us how he prepared for his best season yet with a tough, unforgiving trainer. This article was published in our Issue 4.
By Hector Finely
After a disappointing ‘07 season, I had to do something to better prepare myself for the upcoming year.
In May, I got a personal trainer. She’s loud. She’s relentless. She has her routine, and I can’t question it. If she’s not happy with my efforts, she has no problem letting me know I’m not cutting it.
She doesn’t care if I had a tough day. She doesn’t care if I’m tired. …continue reading: Tough Love Cyclocross Training with a Personal Trainer
Training for Cyclocross – Pre-Season Training Plans
May 3rd, 2009 Filed Under Issue 3, training and technique
Whether you’re racing road or mountain or sitting on the couch waiting for ‘cross, it’s never too early to start planning your training for this season. We’re here to help. In this series of four articles, USAC Level 2 coach Mike Birner will guide your training through a successful cyclocross season. This is Part I, originally published in our Issue 3. Part II was in Issue 4 and online, and Part III was published exclusively online in Fall ‘08, and part IV was published in Issue 5 and online in January.
Building a Base: June through September
Since its inception, cyclists have used cyclocross as a means of maintaining their fitness through the off-season until their primary racing season returned. For some that is still the case, but more and more riders each year are deciding to make the cyclocross season their primary focus. If you are reading this magazine or website in the warmer months it’s likely that …continue reading: Training for Cyclocross – Pre-Season Training Plans
Training for Cyclocross – An Off-Season Plan for a Strong Next Season
January 9th, 2009 Filed Under cyclocross news, training and technique
Done for the season? Put on a few holiday pounds? Want to race better next year? In this fourth installment of our Training for Cyclocross series, USAC Level 2 coach Mike Birner of Mid-Maryland Coaching helps guide you through your off-season training to build for next year. (This is a preview of one of the many articles found in our Issue 5. Have you renewed or subscribed yet? Don’t miss an issue!)
The Off-Season: Winter
You’re done. You’re tired. You’ve hung up the bike. It’s time to take a break, but not too much of a break. This time of year can play an important role in how you will prepare for the following season. If you take too much time off, you’ll lose all of the fitness gains you made in the previous months. Take too little time off and you’ll never feel …continue reading: Training for Cyclocross – An Off-Season Plan for a Strong Next Season
