All Cyclocross Specialty training plans are improved to be more specific to your riding and racing goals.
What’s New
All Cyclocross plans include even TSS weeks to allow riders to easily integrate training races and higher-priority races into their training. To prepare riders for rapid-fire repeats seen in ‘cross racing, these plans put an emphasis on varied power delivery, including high-end aerobic, anaerobic, and explosive capabilities. Anaerobic work is addressed early on and is maintained with race-like workouts over the latter half of the plan.
The updated Cyclocross plans also have a 2-week taper in the mid- and high-volume plans — the low-volume plan sticks to a 1-week taper strategy.
Summary of plan benefits: an emphasis on explosive repeats and improved TSS progression fosters the ability to race the unique demands of cyclocross.
The Types of Fitness You’ll Gain
Massive amounts of strength and endurance are required of ‘cross racers. The most efficient way to build both is through a blend of interval work (threshold, V02max, anaerobic repeats and endurance rides). You’ll get all that in the Cyclocross plans. Upon completing the plan, an athlete will be prepared to race at, or above, threshold for damn-near their entire race.
Why the Drop in Stress from the Newly Updated Build Plans?
If you started training with TrainerRoad before March 20th of 2017, you’ll notice a slight reduction in TSS from your Build plan to the Cyclocross Speciality plan. This is to transition you from the Build phase into the Specialty phase at an appropriate ramp rate. If you look at your full Base, Build and Specialty training plans, Coach Chad steadily grows your TSS in the Base and Build phases. It isn’t until the Specialty phase that you’ll see TSS level off to make sure you’re as fresh as possible for your goal events or riding season.
How to Start the Cyclocross Specialty Plan
If you started a Cyclocross Specialty plan before August 30th (the release date of the new plans) and would like to update to one of the new plans, you must stop your current plan and reselect the Cyclocross plan to access the new improvements.
If you’d like to update your new plan with the completed workouts from your earlier plan, you must unassign the workouts from your past plan in order to assign them to the new plan. This will allow you to update your new plan with the rides you’ve completed from your original one.
If you’re new to structured training: Before you start the Cyclocross training plan, we recommend completing Base and Build phase training plans first. The Sweet Spot Base plan, followed by the Short/General Power Build plan are great to follow before moving onto refine your abilities with the Cyclocross Specialty plan.
Have a question about training plans? Leave it below or send our support team a message to support@trainerroad.com.
