What do you guys do off-the bike to train for 'cross. Running, weights, that sort of stuff. I'm interested because I need to figure out how I'm going to balance bike training with off-the bike stuff that you need for 'cross.

I like to stretch some, do a bit of core strength stuff like wood splitting or shoveling stuff, running is a personal thing, I like to do more than is needed, but just running a couple days a week with some hill sprints and bounding is all you really need. Doing some cross specific practice with dismounts, barriers and such is helpful, especially pre season, then work on your weak areas like the start or clipping back in or whatever between races. A little strength training won't hurt, maybe fit in on your run days.

I like to do stuff like ride to a park, ride around some and practice stuff, change shoes and do some running and maybe pushups, then ride home.

In the past, I did plyometrics as part of my run, I just jumped up on picnic tables and such, maybe I'll try that again this year.

Mostly, you train like a crit racer with some cross specific stuff added in.

I had a decent year last season by dropping both total training hours and intensity once the season got underway, rather than trying to do lots of barn burner intervals and such and just ending up sick come November. With two young children, I live in a mucous zone all fall.

I like to stretch some, do a bit of core strength stuff like wood splitting or shoveling stuff, running is a personal thing, I like to do more than is needed, but just running a couple days a week with some hill sprints and bounding is all you really need. Doing some cross specific practice with dismounts, barriers and such is helpful, especially pre season, then work on your weak areas like the start or clipping back in or whatever between races. A little strength training won't hurt, maybe fit in on your run days.

I like to do stuff like ride to a park, ride around some and practice stuff, change shoes and do some running and maybe pushups, then ride home.

In the past, I did plyometrics as part of my run, I just jumped up on picnic tables and such, maybe I'll try that again this year.

Mostly, you train like a crit racer with some cross specific stuff added in.

I had a decent year last season by dropping both total training hours and intensity once the season got underway, rather than trying to do lots of barn burner intervals and such and just ending up sick come November. With two young children, I live in a mucous zone all fall.

Yeah, I have a park near my house perfect for some uphill running sprints, maybe some on the bike as well. I'm interested in you're saying you "train like a crit racer." What sort of stuff does this mean? I've treated 'cross more like a hilly time trial, with nearly constant, but varying power output. So I do lots of 2x20's and vo2max intervals, no sprints and very few anaerobic type intervals.

Well, I'm no expert, but here is my opinion. A typical cross course has sections where you are coasting or going less that maximum exertion, unlike a TT race. Because the race affords some opportunities for recovery, you are beter served, placing wise, to dig nto your anaerobic system which will serve up a lot more output, while extracting a price in oxygen debt which you can hopefully recover back in the easier sections. Tactically, you will place best if you attack both both other riders and features of the course.

To do this, you need to dig into your anaerobic system in training with things like 30 second intervals, hill sprints, etc. The good news is you can do a lot of this junk on the trainer when it is dark or snowing outside. I think the trick is applying this load without tapping into your reserves too much and getting sick. Getting some bronchial thing that turns into a sinus thing requiring antibiotics can blow a hole through half the season, making all the intervals pointless.

cross racing is indeed an all-out time trial, with few chances for recovery as there is very little or no coasting. however, as it is a varying intensity time trial interrupted with running, your training should simulate these elements. 1) over/under intervals: 3X 8 minutes just under LT threshold HR, 4 minutes just over LT threshold HR (i.e. 8-4-8-4-8-4). 2) Running hill sprints with bike: 10X 10-30 second running hill sprints at maximal effort, with 5 minutes recovery between each sprint. 3) Technical/speed work: spend a good hour each week mounting and dismounting, running over barriers, and perfecting your bicycle shouldering; this can be done at the end of the ride in a park when the sun has gone down.

tip: even on short hills, shouldering the bike is faster than pushing the bike.

Start doing core work in the gym now. Having strong abs and back muscles does make a difference in the later laps of races.