In my article "Why Do You Race?" I asked and answered the question as an exploration in motivation; as a coach it's not just my job to tell a rider what intervals to do or when to rest, but also to help them find the inspiration to climb on the bike day in and day out amidst the pressures of work, family, and the inevitable failures that come during a season of racing. It helps that as an active racer I struggle with the same issues as my clients, and spend a great deal of time trying to solve these problems for myself as well.In the course of this constant search, many years ago a friend passed on a book called "Sun and Steel" by Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima. In it, Mishima details ...
Where It All Starts: Dialing In Your 'Cross Start Technique and Training
Cyclocross is unique from most other cycling disciplines in that the field sprint comes at the start of the race rather than at the finish; you get your desert before dinner, as it were. Where you're staged on the line, the time it takes you to get into the pedals, the gear you choose, and in what position you make it to the first corner, transition, or obstacle can impact your entire race. You may find yourself in the lead group with no extra effort, or you may spend the day stuck behind traffic or crashes, battling to get up to the group you belong based on fitness. A good start can also backfire and put you with riders you're not strong enough to stay with, causing you to over race, ...