I just purchased the CX Season Bundle. Trying to lay out my plans in the right order leading all the way to Nationals. Please help on where to start and if to do Race/Recovery v. CX Intervals mid-season
I’m a Cat 2 CX, road, and mtb. Not much racing, but a lot of training this spring, trying to focus on good prep and no burnout for CX this year (my main discipline). I wanted to try a different coaching strategy this year, and bought the CX Season bundle. Can you help me layout my season to make sure I’m starting in the right point now. I have a good base, but figured I would start with with the Sweet Spot Plan this week. This means that I would skip the Race/Recovery plan.
My current bike training has included lots of z2, some MTB races, Tuesday Night Worlds.
Off the bike I have 1 day core, 1 day leg lifting, 1 day running
Right now, I laid out the following:
CX Summer Sweet Spot, 6/24 -> 8/4
6 Weeks to CX, 8/5 -> 9/15
First major race, 9/14
CX Intervals, 9/16 -> 10/27
6 Weeks to Nationals, 10/28 -> 12/8
Nationals, 12/10 -> 12/15
This perfectly lines for 4x 6 week training plans. Is this the best layout? My alternatives could be:
Hi Frank, how would you suggest transitioning off sweet spot gravel plans (i.e. SBT GRVL) into cross season? I have been doing steady SS for close to 10 months now. Signed up for SBT and RPI on August 18 and Sept 1, and then heading straight into cross. Would it be worthwhile to end the gravel/sweetspot plan early to get more high end CX work in?
Heya @brandoninboco - right after the SBTG - you are gonna need a break. Although what are your cx season goals?
If they are modest you can plow right into the season and do a slow fade stop mid-October. If you have goals extending into November you are going to want to take a break for a week and then begin the “Six Weeks to Cyclocross” Plan.
I can’t emphasize enough taking a chill week to separate the two seasons
Understand and agree on the chill week - I raced half that distance Saturday and am only just back to my 15 minute commute ride!
I think my main goal is to simply get to race more and get some skills back- been a while since I did CX. My gravel calendar has had big blocks of training (8 weeks+) without races, and I enjoy the work, but I really like racing. So I am excited for shorter races and more of them!
Picking this thread back up with a follow up question. My situation and goals may be a bit different so would love some guidance. Below is my progression over the last year or so.
Long break of 4 months ( injury) no riding
3 months just riding without structure
Then 12 weeks sweet spot
Followed by the Gravel plan
Due to the long break my FTP is still about 10% lower than pre-break. Going into CX with goals to start in start racing in late September and last through December and be competitive. Wondering if 6 week CX Sweet Spot is the right call or jump into 6 weeks to CX. Will both realistically be equally beneficial to raise the FTP ceiling?
Hiya Matt - @brandoninboco ’ s timing is different fro yours since he’s doing the SBTG on August 18th.
You on the other hand fall right into our normal cx plan progression:
Cyclocross Summer Sweet Spot (July)
Six Weeks till Cyclocross (August - mid Sept)
Cyclocross Intervals (mid-Sept - October)
Cyclocross In Season November
Six Weeks to Peak for Nationals (Nov- Nationals)
There’s some overlap in the last two six weeks plans if you are or aren’t going to Nationals. But you want to start sweet spot cx training here now, July 2nd. Hup Hup and good luck!
Don’t jump into the Six Weeks till CX until late July , August 1st
I just purchased the bundle and am also wanting to make sure I do the correct sequence. I’ve been following a training program for the last 10 weeks and mtb racing weekly for the past month, so have a decent base with FTP around 230, but want to switch gears and prepare for cx. Our first race series begins August 31st and will be going strong every weekend until December. Since I have about 9.5 weeks until race day, do I follow Summer Sweet Spot for about 4 weeks and pick up the full 6 Weeks till CX program? Or is there a better suggestion?
Thanks for asking this, I have the same query, but am now confused. Up in Canada so season wraps up before the end of October. How I’ve approached races before is,
C Race = City Race
B Race = Provincial Race Series (3 doubleheader weekends over 4 weeks)
A Race = The Last provincial Race & MAYBE Nationals two weeks later (TBD)
I’m 12 weeks away from first B race, so thinking I should be starting 6 Weeks now, even though first C race may be 8 weeks away, and then go into Intervals so end of Intervals is my first serious race.
Or should I be waiting 2 weeks, with 6 weeks ending with the first organized C race, and then having intervals go into the B season, and then race and recover for only 1-3 weeks?
This makes sense that race/recover can be used a mid season alternative depending how I feel in October.