Thought I’d share my 'cross learnings here and invite comments and others to also share theirs.
I don’t seem t have posted much of anything from my 2019 season.
2019 was my first full CX season. I raced in pretty much every race in the Chicago Cross Cup and also in the IL State Championships (Masters 35+). I had several podiums and finished 3rd overall in the Cup Series and also placed 3rd in the State. In 2019 I also upgraded to Cat 3.
Although I had good results, the fields were fairly small, and my handling was still very rough. It got better as the season went on though. But I feel better prepared in 2021.
2021 CX Season
I came into the 2021 season stronger than in 2019. My threshold zones are up by 25-30 watts and my explosive zones are up by 35-40 watts. I also now have 1.5 years of consistent, weekly strength training under my belt. (I did not lift weights in 2019 or before).
In terms of bike handling, I am a little better, but not a whole lot better than in 2019. That’s because I did not spend extra time practicing CX skills. The main reason for that is needing someone (a coach, an expert) to guide me. There is only so much I can do on my own watching youtube videos. But that was impossible in 2020 (pandemic) and 2021 went by so fast that when I thought about it it was too late (shame on me, but also, I did not prioritize it thinking I did “so well” in 2019, how much harder could it be? 
)
So the season so far is going well.
What is going well:
- Strength training has made a huge difference. I can run, jump, carry a bike, and ride up ridiculously steep grassy and muddy hills (over and over and over again) like it’s nothing! And after the race I am not even sore anywhere (I used to get sore everywhere in 2019 after races)
- My explosive power is WAY up and I am able to repeat super hard efforts like never before. This is a combination of cycling training and strength training (all those heavy lifts recruit fast twitch muscle fibers and help with anaerobic capacity).
- I am better at balancing on the bike on off-camber and other challenging terrain, so I don’t fall nearly as much as I did in 2019
- I am getting better at handling the course and taking corners
What needs improvement:
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At the Trek World Cup this weekend I was right behind some big shot racers (sitting 3rd wheel) at the beginning of my Masters race. I got to see just how smooth they are and how they can glide through the course without ever touching their breaks. The pace wasn’t even hard, in fact, I remember thinking how nice it felt… until they rode away from me. This is skills at work. And experience. I am not there yet. I need to practice more skills if I want to do better. Raw power alone is not going to get me there.
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I need to conquer my fear of mass starts and fighting for position in narrow spaces.
Lastly, the fields are bigger and more competitive this year!! The Masters category now has Cat 1/2 racers in every race so that makes it much harder for someone with only 1 year of cross experience like me.
The more I race, the more I learn. At the end of the day though I am having a BLAST in every event!!
First race this season - Relay Cross and @PaleGail was there! Me and my teammate placed 9/20.
Second race: LAPT Lion Cross Masters 35+ in Wisconsin - 4th Place
Third race: Caldwell Woods Masters 35+ in IL - 4th Place
Fourth race: Trek Cup (part of the UCI CX World Cup) super difficult course and bigger field - 5th place
I have been also doubling up and racing in the Cat 3 races on the same day. I usually finish middle of the pack on these but I do it to get more experience. If I can nail my starts/fighting for position in a bigger field I will get much better results!
I am always wanting to learn and you are great at sharing with us!! Congrats on a great season!!! Well done!
