{"id":8701,"date":"2015-06-26T09:20:32","date_gmt":"2015-06-26T16:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.trainerroad.com\/?p=8701"},"modified":"2020-03-04T08:28:30","modified_gmt":"2020-03-04T16:28:30","slug":"specialty-blocks-short-track-cross-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trainerroad.com\/blog\/specialty-blocks-short-track-cross-country\/","title":{"rendered":"Specialty Blocks: Short Track Cross-Country"},"content":{"rendered":"

From a fitness perspective,\u00a0only minor\u00a0disparities exist between cyclocross racing and short track XC racing, but there\u00a0are\u00a0enough<\/em> differences between the two to merit\u00a0individual plans for each. These subtle differences inspired only mildly different plans, but ones that can build on one another really well as you use your STXC training & racing as a brutal and highly\u00a0effective ramp into your ‘cross season.<\/p>\n

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Overview<\/h2>\n

As with most forms of MTB racing, Short Track XC races rely on\u00a0short, explosive\u00a0efforts both in the beginning of a race in addition to the potentially hundreds of others to follow. So riders have to be able to generate a lot of power quickly, briefly & repeatedly and\u00a0also possess the ability to follow these intense efforts with sustained, near-FTP work immediately after – and “near” means\u00a0below and<\/strong> above FTP.<\/p>\n

These often\u00a0diverse and\u00a0always intense event characteristics breed the sort of rider who can pretty much do it all while in a redlined state, so specialty blocks for these riders have to cover a lot of fitness bases\u00a0<\/em>while keeping a steady\u00a0emphasis on intensity.<\/p>\n

The best way to accommodate so many possible overlaps is to combine interval formats, but it’s also necessary to narrow the training scope and chase specific types of capabilities\u00a0as well. So these specialty blocks contain\u00a0workouts devoted solely to maximum aerobic power, devoted solely to intensive efforts just far enough above FTP to promise sustained suffering, as well as workouts combining\u00a0these efforts and even those that add other demands.<\/p>\n

STXC\u00a0Demands & Training<\/h2>\n

With short but highly demanding race courses that see riders working hard throughout, any competitive short-track rider has to have a finely tuned aerobic engine, one that can dam up high levels of muscle acidity and then patiently & painfully ride through that burn without losing position on tight singletrack-ish<\/em> laps.<\/p>\n

And clearly there’s an emphasis on the ability to generate\u00a0high power again & again without cooking the legs to a point where this repetition is no longer sustainable. What’s more, all but that single lead riders is going to dictate the pace leaving everyone else to suffer in his\/her\u00a0wake of superior fitness.<\/p>\n

But\u00a0learning to suffer at someone else’s discretion without falling apart falls right in line with the nature of a structured training plan devised by someone else, someone who calls the shots that you must<\/strong>\u00a0follow lest you suffer the dissatisfaction of falling off pace or falling short of a workout’s prescription.<\/p>\n

But there does exist some leniency in the form of\u00a0alternate workout versions that offer\u00a0flexibility and opportunity for personalization should any of the workouts prove too hard or perhaps not hard enough relative to your near-peak fitness.<\/p>\n

Specialty Block Structure<\/h2>\n

Immediately on the heels of\u00a0your\u00a0Base\/Build conditioning, the first 6 weeks of each volume-version of these specialized STXC blocks seeks to maintain your training momentum by\u00a0thrusting you right into the intensity. The emphasis here is on just what’s described above: maximum aerobic power in the VO2max range, hard starts well into anaerobic\/near-maximal territory & plenty of muscle endurance work in painful proximity to FTP.<\/p>\n

The fourth week is the typical rest week where the reduction in training load mirrors the overall volume of the block itself. That is to say, if you’re on a low-volume plan, don’t expect a sizable reduction in training load, but if you’re on a higher-volume version of the STXC specialty block, this recovery week actually looks a bit like recovery.<\/p>\n

The same can be said about the final 2 taper weeks where the taper is more pronounced the higher the training volume which precedes it; low-volume trainers see a subtler taper than higher-volume trainers.<\/p>\n

The timing of your most important events will influence your target completion date, but there’s nothing to prevent you from taking part in lower-priority races in place of weekend workouts. And should you want to extend this plan to accommodate further weeks of racing, the format of the 2 taper weeks works well for as many additional weeks as you can handle.<\/p>\n

Block Progressions<\/h2>\n

As with any properly periodized MTB training progression,\u00a0\u00a0a Short Power Build\u00a0block is the best-fit build block but the\u00a0General Build<\/a>\u00a0block remains very much\u00a0in line with the diverse demands of trail racing\u00a0too.<\/p>\n

Prior to\u00a0these Build blocks, anywhere from 6-12 weeks of\u00a0Sweet Spot Base training<\/a>\u00a0or even\u00a012-16 weeks of Traditional Build conditioning are recommended, especially if your season is a long one and your planning affords\u00a0months of training prior to your most important events.<\/p>\n

Optimally, riders will reach these\u00a0MTB\u00a0specialty\u00a0blocks with sufficient base mileage and\u00a0properly timed and progressed build conditioning, so\u00a0here\u00a0a few training periodization structures based on that assumption:<\/p>\n