4 trainer workouts to get you ready for cyclocross season

Take your road fitness from the gran fondo to the cyclocross course

Matthew Pioro September 6, 2016

by Michael Liberzon

I’ve seen many strong road cyclists hit cyclocross season only to find their conditioning on tarmac doesn’t translate fully to the CX course. If you’ve been training for gran fondos all season, then your aerobic fitness is likely well developed. While that’s a great starting point, it is not enough for ‘cross success.

The features you face during your cyclocross season – the quick corners, the short and punchy hills, the stops and starts because of obstacles – demand developing power at VO2 max intensities and higher. You want to work on maximal power output for 3–5 minute efforts and 30–60 second bursts.
The following process will get you ready for the mud and barriers.

Step 1: Testing

To structure your training, you need to know your current critical power (CP) at five minutes and 30 seconds. Here’s a way to test your CP.

30 minutes easy
3 x 1 minute high cadence, 1 minute easy
5 minutes at 100 per cent of functional threshold power (FTP)
10 minutes easy
5 minutes all-out effort. Stay strong through the last minute and don’t let the power slip.
10 minutes easy
2 x 30 seconds all-out effort out of the saddle, 3 minutes easy
15 minutes easy

Make sure you record the five-minute all-out result, as well as the best of the 30-second all-out results. These figures represent your CP-5 and CP-30, repectively.

Do your best to test when you are well-rested, hydrated and fuelled. Ideally, tests should be performed after at least 24 hours of rest.

Step 2: Training

Rather than a set workout, here are elements and guidelines for creating your own. Aim for two of these exercises per week on top of your outdoor skills practice and long, aerobic efforts.

Sprint-and-hold intervals

Start with a 15–30 sprint at 5 per cent below CP-30. Then hold on for 2–4 minutes at 5 per cent below CP-5. Do 4–6 reps with 5–10 minute recoveries.

Threshold with bursts

Work at 95 to 100 per cent of FTP for 10–20 minutes. Include 4–6 15–30 second accelerations to 5 per cent below CP-30. Repeat 2–3 times.

And run

Include triathlon-style “brick” intervals in which you hop off your trainer in the middle of a hard set and run to the end of the street and back. Hop back on the bike and pick up where you left off.

That’s right. I said, “Hop off your trainer.”

“Wait! Can’t I do these outdoors?” you ask.

Sure. It is possible, but quality, uninterrupted work at these intensities requires quiet, traffic free streets. For those of us living in major cities or on roads with a lot of traffic-calming features, these routes may are likely in very short supply.

A smart trainer, or even a dummy trainer and a power meter-equipped bike will allow for perfect repeatability. With these tools, you can rest assured that you’re nailing the right power target each and every time. It is also much easier to track progress. If you feel as if the workouts are getting easier, redo the test. Are your CP values higher? They will be. And so will your performance on race day.

Michael Liberzon is an NCCP-trained triathlon coach, certified personal trainer, kettlebell instructor and owner of the X3 Training Lab. His degree in mechanical engineering supports his evidence-based approach to coaching.