Be ready when the gun goes off in CX

CX is here and it is a different sport from what we have been doing so far this year -:)

I know it is pedaling a bike like on the road or on a Mtn bike and the guy or girl who goes the fastest wins , but what makes CX so different from the other cycling disciplines is the preparation before the gun goes off.




I will here write up a basic routine that I have used and followed for years and of course fine tuned and perfected over time . Many of you have already listened to me preaching this to you and adapted it to your own CX regiment.

When you pack up your car going to the race ; bring EVERYTHING you own cycling and cyclocross related !

If it is a double race weekend and you have to stay overnight or even just a one day race BRING;

-2 bikes (if you have 2) sometimes I would prefer 3 -;)
-Extra wheels with different type of tires ; mud , dry grass ( most important) and file thread ( not that important , but certain races a benefit ) if you have extra sets of wheels besides the ones on the bike(s) ; bring them! Tubes if you race on clinchers.
-Tools + extra break pads, pedals , a floor pump, tire gauge ( yes if you do not know how to go by feel , the pump gauge is not accurate ) chain lube and a bucket with brushes and simple green to clean your bike other than just hosing it off.
- Toe spikes and if you have 2 pairs of shoes, some screws and even cleats
- A bag of all different type of gloves , booties and hats
- Skinsuits ( L/S , S/S ) a clean one for each day , so you do not have to do laundry !
- Warm up kits ; shorts, jerseys , jackets ,arm, knee and leg warmers, rain jacket, rain pants, a lots of socks , base layers etc.
- Embrocation ( warm up oils like SportsBalm ) a little first aid kit and baby wipes and towles.
- Food , regular and sports food what you will need for 2 days , bottles and drink mix , gels and recovery stuff. Anything you are used to eating and what works for you !

If your race starts @ 12.00 for example :

- Get there around 9.15-9.20 !!! Yes 2.5- 2.45 before your start. That way you will have 2 chances to get on the course before your race which is very critical to be able to do well.
- Kit up as soon as get there and get your bike ready , start with a little higher tire pressure you think you will use in the race .
- The 9.00 am race will be over about 9.40 , so that is when you can get on the course for your first time .
- Try to get 2 laps in , ride slow , Check out the start ( lines and what side is better to be on ) check out lines on the course, get a feel of tire pressure , take some air out if it feels like a rough ride . Determine where to push hard and where to recover on the course .
- Go back to the car , pick up your number , eat something , get your other bike ready ,if you need to switch or try out another tire type get all this ready to go . Pin your number if you have time ( this is not important yet)
- The 10.00 am race will be over about 10.40 , so this will be the 2nd and final time you can get on the course . 2 laps again , little faster pace and go over the same things on the course as you did an hour ago , decide on tire and pressure choice for the race !
- Go back to the car , eat something , bathroom, get you skinsuit on with numbers pinned embrocation if needed , warm up jacket , leg warmers , decide on everything you will wear at the race, check your bike(s) , bring your spare bike or wheels to the pit.
- Now you should have about 45 min to warm up and get to the start.
- Warm up ; I prefer to warm up on a road if there is one available and the weather is not too nasty . Other wise on the trainer ( maybe under a tent)
-Tempo efforts 3-10 minin length works well for me . A gradual opening up and not all out which tends to accumulate too much lactate acid before the race and hard to get ride of before the start, but this is individual prefrence and as a coach we can talk and see what works the best for you .
- Get to the start 15 min in advance , take your warm up clothing off and be there for your call up ! if is cold and rainy keep a jacket over your shoulders as long as possible and then toss it to the side when it is time.
- Turn the pedal ( the one you will be clipping into) on your bike when you are on the start line , so when it comes up to about 11 o'clock it is flat and ready for you to step right in when the gun goes off and a minimal chance of missing clipping in .

You have now done all the home work on the day of your race and there will be no doubt in your mind about anything , you did not rush anything and you paid attention to every detail this morning to be 100% ready when the gun goes off.



THIS IS CYCLOCROSS

Crash Aftermath

HI everybody,

Many of you have not talked or had any contact with me since my crash @ the NH 100 MTB race on Aug 21st . I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused and am truly sorry for the laps in the coaching the last 3 weeks. I have now been home from the hospital for 2 days and after a tough 5 hour drive in the car being home many new challenges has presented them selves l can assure you . This coming Mon will be 2 weeks since my back surgery and a significant progress in mobility with less pain is something that has been the goal every day .

These 3 weeks has been the hardest of my life by far , but there has not been one day I have been depressed or down about anything . This is mainly thanks to my wife , who is an increadable strong person and really knew how to handle a situation like this. We took things as they came each day and delt with it . She gave you guys updates , but also at the same time really stressed the fact how important it was for me to get the proper rest and more or less isolated me from e-mails , calls and even visitors. I can not tell you how tiring talking on the phone for 5 min was . Do not get me wrong , without your support + hundreds of other people in the cycling community all over the country , Canada and even Europe being this strong and positive would not have been possible. Thank you, you are all family to me !

Well, one day at the time and now the rebuilding process starts. I was very fortunate to have a world class surgent and without really knowing at first that I was in one of the best hospitals in the country for spinal injuries, the Dartmouth- Hitchcock Medical Center . The care by the the nurses and the team of top notch doctors gave me made me feel I was in the right hands every single day I spent there. Before being discharged on Wed I spoke to my Dr who performed the surgery , Dr Lollis. He basically said 2 things ;" do not fall down and do not bend over too much for awhile" ! Key here is obviously TIME and PATIENCE. I can NOT ride my bike basically for 5-6 Months and to be sure of a full and complete recovery NOT RACE for a year. I know giving it the proper time to heal will be something I will appreciate when I do get back to training and racing.

My plan will be to get strong enough first to be able to function independently and move like a normal human being again . I will start riding on an indoor spin bike in a couple of Months , but I will not rush it and then I will see if am ready to get on the road by Dec- Jan to be ready for our FinKraft Camps in late Feb-March. The hard thing here is missing the 2011 Cross season , but that is something I can live with and I am perfectly fine resuming racing next summer and be fit and ready for Cross 2012.

Enough about me , obviously I can not ride with you guys for a little while , but I can now focus on coaching 100% in many more ways with a little more time in hand. As starters I will each day spend time with clients to catch up where we left off and get everybody back on track.Talk to you about how the Road or MTB season went this year . Discuss traingplans, adjustments needed to be done perhaps and goals achieved or goals for the future. Cyclocross starts tomorrow and once I am back on my feet it will be a perfect opportunity for me to come to the races and work as your coach and pass on my experience to you from the side lines . When not racing myself my time will be devoted 100% to you . This will be a huge benefit for you and a great opportunity for me to film ( GoPro) you and really watch you guys racing and help you be 100% prepared for each race with equipment choices, technique , strategies , warm-ups and etc. Our clients who do not race cross will not be left out here either, there is a lot of coaching that can be done this off season , no worries there.

In addition to the coaching we have the FinKraft CyclingTeam and our Retul fitting studio where I can do a lot of constructive work and bring things to another level . Big plans , but I will not forget to rest and heal , because to make all this possible I will need that balance.

Thanks again for your understanding and support.

Roger@FinKraft