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Don’t be a “Chicken” and race Cross
By Roger
The Cross
season is in full swing by now and all the series have a few races under
their belt.
I competed in 8 races so far, 4 of them were in muddy
conditions; if this trend continues it will be a tough fall on your body
and equipment.
Cross is a different sport in many ways even though you
still ride a bike. It is not like road racing or mtb
and certainly not like track. To do well in cross very detailed preparation
before each race is required.
 
Roger and Kyle "in the mud"
What to expect is hard to predict, but the weather is a
very big factor in cross. The same race (same course) as in previous years
could be a completely different experience this year. Other than fitness
and little technical skills, tires are the most important thing in cross.
With the right tire choice and right pressure you can make up 5 spots even
if you were not the strongest guy in the race. Learn how to check your
pressure by feel and adjust it accordingly to the demands of the course.
This brings us to the “routine “. Going to a cross race
is almost like a ritual. Check the start times and get there usually about
2 ˝ hours before you start. That way you can pre-ride the course 2 times
before your race and dial everything in. Believe me those 2 hours fly by
quick!
Bring a
couple of different wheels and tires, start to ride the course with a
little higher pressure and let some air out as you get the feel of the
course. Do a couple of slow laps and just inspect the “lines” and then do a faster one or some sections of it at almost race
speed.
Bring
everything double, YES; shoes, helmets, a bag of all kinds of gloves, rain
jacket & rain pants, every base layer you have in stock, 2 skin suits
(long & short sleeve) regular shorts and jersey, plenty of different
socks (used the Woolies last weekend), a bunch of hats and towels.
Then the
most important part; get an arsenal of Sports  Balm
embrocation (the Belgium knee warmers), Vaseline
and Chamois Cream.
From the
Hardware department; basic tools so you can fix and adjust things on your
bike. Extra brake pads, a good floor pump and if you ride clinchers, spare
tubes. A bucket with some cleaning supplies (Simple Green) and a brush are
a good choice. With this go the stylish rubber
boots and if you really want go all out, get the fisherman full rain suit.
Keep a floor mat or a piece of plywood in your car to stand on when you
have to change in the mud.
Christophe Jammet
in you, guessed it: "more mud"
After you have done your laps on the course and you have
the tire pressure dialed in, get changed into your race kit and bring your
pit bike or wheels to the pit (this is the last 45 min before your start),
drink your special cocktail and eat something, then hop on the trainer
(under a tent if available) or if it is nice out ride on the road, the key
thing is to keep riding and stay warm with the blood flowing!
Get to the
start or hover around the start area 10-15 min before the actual start.
Keep a jacket on until it is time; take a Gel and a last sip of your “go
juice“.
I think
now you can see why time is so important before the race, yes it is a 45
min to an hour race, but in reality it is a 3-hour event. Not enough time
to be able to do every part of the puzzle creates STRESS, which is the
worst thing you can do to yourself before a CX race.
Sometimes
I think the race is won before it has even started.
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TWO
TOUGH LADIES
Kim Aspholm and Bernadette Carlson
won the Women's Team category in the Geneses Adventure Series race
in Ringwood , NJ . They raced in the pouring rain for
5 hours+ . Orientering , running , MTB and cannoeing!!
Congrats to these two
tough ladies; great prep for the NY City Marathon, which will be their next
Challenge !!
MARK
YOUR CALENDAR
TUCSON
Arizona Training Camp
NOVEMBER
1ST IS WHEN THE 10% DISCOUNT FOR THE CAMP EXPIRES
SO
BOOK NOW TO SAVE!!
Photo shows actual house for next year's stay
ARIZONA TRAINING CAMP 2010 FEBRUARY 21 TO MARCH 14
TUCSON, ARIZONA
for more info go to web site link /
services-training camps
WWW.FINKRAFTCOACHING.COM
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