Race Day: warming up tips

 Warming up before your big race is critical part of having a good race. Warming up gets your legs ready to ride and gets your blood flowing so when it comes to the race you’re in a good condition and it doesn’t put your legs into shock. If you were not to warm up before a race your legs would be full of lactic acid and when it comes to the race you would tire easy and find it hard to have a good performance.  Warming up is also important because you need to get an idea of what he cause will be throwing at you and it helps you practice certain parts that you are unsure about.

Ideally it is a good idea to get to the venue with just over an hour before the race, that way you have time to get signed on and changed into your kit and then you have plenty of time to check out the course and warm up.

1^st warm up lap:

Your first warm up lap should just be a steady spin around so you can get your bearing of the course, pick out your lines and the tricky parts. The tricky parts can vary from off camber sections, jumping over hurdles or running and many other aspects of the course. Once you understand these parts you, will find it easier to ride and won’t hesitate when it comes to it in the race. It is a good idea to get into the technique of going back to any challenging aspects of the course and getting that section clean so there are no worries, or more importantly, seconds lost when it comes down to the race.

Remember the 6 P’s: Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

                                     2^nd Warm up Lap:

The 2^nd lap is time to do your “hot lap”. This means going round the track at almost race pace and following your lines that you have chosen and the things you need to do to ensure you get the fastest time possible. Don’t forget to pick out the “Sven Line” which is the fastest line through a section which nobody else is taking. There is no need to go at full race pace because you don’t want to tire yourself out before the race starts but it is a good idea to go quite fast so you know that you will have no difficulties in the actual race.

Now that you have done your ‘hot lap’ it is a good idea to ride round a couple more times, not as fast as your race lap but fast enough to get your blood flowing and pick up your heart rate. When riding round make sure to brush up on any sections you are uncomfortable with. Also it is a good idea to keep your warm up jacket on until you line up because that way you stay warm.

What is cyclocross?

I often get asked what cyclocross actually is, so I think it would be a good idea to tell all you lot what I think it is. The google definition for cyclocross is “cross-country racing on bicycles” but I think cyclocross is a lot more than that. ‘Cross merges road cycling and mounting biking (MTB) to make probably one of the worlds hardest, physically and mentally, cycling event. You will have to challenge the elements and push your limits to ride harder than you ever have before. In a cyclocross race you should expect to encounter every type of terrain possible, and all the elements known to man. Who doesn’t enjoy pushing themselves to the limit? Who doesn’t enjoy getting covered in mud?

‘Cross races normally last for 45 minutes to 1 hour and mainly include off road riding, but some races have small parts of tarmac sections. Also a lot of courses include sections where you have to run with your bike, it might be to hop over a couple of hurdles or obstacles, or it could be because that certain part of the course is too steep or too muddy to be riden.  Remember that sometimes it’s quicker to run than it is to ride. The sprint is at the start of the race so In order to be positioned well you should be on the 1st couple of lines at the start, that way you don’t have to battle through the full field in order to move up.

So to summarise, cyclocross is a race that lasts for 45 minutes to an hour, where you will ride a mix off terrains and push your limits to the max. You can face almost any weather condition and both ride and run with your bike. Most importantly it is great fun.

3 Reasons why I love Cyclocross.

     1. You get to race your own race:

I have noticed that you can ride a ‘cross race and no matter where you are positioned you still feel part of the race. Unlike a road race where you have to ride around at somebody else’s pace you get to race at your own pace and you still feel like you’re racing and not out for a Sunday club run. You can be racing for 20^th, 10^th, 1^st or 80^th but no matter where you are, you still feel like you’re in the race. So everyone gets their own ride.

2. Great for spectators:

You don’t have to be racing to feel part of the cyclocross experience. Cyclocross is one of the few sports where you feel part of the action, you can see all the action as it unfold, a lot of courses are all visible from one place and all courses are possible to walk around. Unlike a road race, you get to see them come round multiple times instead of waiting for 3 hours to see the riders pass in a couple of minutes. Cyclocross is a muddy sport so dress to the occasion because it’s likely you will be just as muddy as the riders, especially if you are a pit crew.

 

Up close with Sven Nys 

    3. It's rock hard:

Cyclocross is probably one of the hardest things you will ever do, both physically and mentally. You face all conditions and all types of terrain, there is no guarantee in what you will get. In a 'cross race you can experience anything from: snow, rain, hail, freezing temperatures, and that’s only the weather. As far as terrain goes you will probably always be riding on grass, you then might have to face ankle deep mud, sandpits and climbs so steep you have to shoulder your bike. Therefore finishing a cyclocross race is an achievement in itself.

background information

My History with cycling and what made me get into it:

I’ve been around cycling my whole life really, my dad is an active cyclist. He used to work in the bicycle industry which means most of his friends are cyclist. it was only in the past couple of years that I started to enjoy watching cycling on the TV, although I was lucky to watch a full race since my mum gets annoyed because according to her "all that ever is on the tele' is cycling!" so she will makes us change the channel. I used to go and watch my dad race cyclocross and really got into it, so after being around it for so long and listening to my dad’s stories from races and rides he did, I just thought I would like to give it a try. So over the summer of 2014 I made my own little business out of doing garden work for people around my village and eventually made enough money to get my first 'cross bike in October 2014, a Trek Crocket and have been riding since.

Starting out:

I started racing over the winter of 2014-15 (youth category) and at the time I wasn’t very good, I was lucky to finish in the top half,  but I didn’t expect to be as I had only been riding for a couple of months. Over the past year I have improved quite a lot, last year I was racing for 50th but this year, after a summer of training, I have been in the business ends of the races and racing for a place inside the top 15. I even took 2 wins at a little series which ended up in me winning the youth series.

taking the win 

What is this blog about?

back before it started to get muddy.

I am a 15 year old, active cyclocross rider who has been racing ‘cross for just over a year now and have decided to take my love for the sport and share it with you lot out there who are also interested in this amazing sport. In this blog I will include a wide variety of things to do with ‘cross, everything from my personal experiences, training tips and races to news on what’s happening in the word of professional cyclocross. I will upload at least 2 new post every week. I will upload every Wednesday and Saturday,so stay tuned to find out more.