Now that Cyclocross season is coming up do you start incorporating running into your daily routine? What do you do for it?

Thanks,

Kary

Hi Kary,

Yes, I do start running during this time of the year, but not daily. We all know that cyclocross incorporates running at full speed after dismounting your bike for a run up and/or barriers. And although you may not win a race with superior running skills, it is possible to lose the race without them. That is why it is best to get some running miles in before your first cyclocross race of the season.

For most cyclists who donʼt have too much running under their belt, I recommend starting very easily and slowly. That can be a hard concept to grab for most of us but you need to go easy on yourself while your body adapts to the new routine and new stresses of a completely different sport.

To get started I would recommend a very easy 15-20 minute run on the flats twice a week. Start with walking for 10 minutes as a warm up first and then doing your run following that. Do this until you are no longer getting sore a day or two later which may take some time. As you get stronger you can start finding hills to run up for 15-20 minutes (after warming up). Once you are comfortable with doing that, you can increase your intensity by doing 15-30 second running intervals with 3-4 minutes of recovery in between. You can decrease recovery time as your running fitness increases as well to make things even harder. And as always, remember to stretch after you are all done with your running workouts too!

See you out there!

Kathy Sherwin
SoBe/ Cannondale Mountain Bike Team