Crit training

macmaywill
macmaywill Posts: 19
edited May 2014 in Training, fitness and health
Last Wednesday I did my first CAT5/4 crit race. I could only hang for half of the race then I was dropped, struggled to catch up again. Total of 45 riders CAT4/5 plus some 3 & 2's were part of the race doing their "warming" since their race was next.

After the race, I was talking to some of the riders and one of the guys adviced me to do 1 min VO2max sprint with 2 min off, ten times, another one advised me to do 4 minutes VO2MAX with 4 mins rest. Which brings the question, what are the intervals that you've seen most gain with?

Comments

  • napoleond
    napoleond Posts: 5,992
    The ' going to lots of races' interval sessions. ;)
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  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    macmaywill wrote:
    Total of 45 riders CAT4/5 plus some 3 & 2's were part of the race doing their "warming" since their race was next.

    Sounds like a really well-run event...

    Difficult to suggest anything specific, because you've not given us much to go on. So in the absence of any usable info, just do what NapD says and keep racing.
  • ongej
    ongej Posts: 118
    Indeed, best interval sessions for crits are crits. I got dropped in my first race too, and then tried to do some "crit-style" intervals for a few weeks that was basically 30sec hard, 30sec off , or 5 second very hard, 25 sec off... etc... went to the next race, and got dropped again...then decided, sod-it I'll race and race and race and see what happens, 3 races later, I stayed with the bunch and was ok from then on... a combo of technique and increased fitness, both best learnt with the "motivation" of seeing others going all out and not wanting to be dropped..
  • macmaywill
    macmaywill Posts: 19
    I did lots of tabatas, 15,20,30 sec intervals but the race speed is another animal. Guys average 26mphr with32mphr each corner. That's what my friend told me to race more often and so the plan is to race 3 times a month for next 3 months. Saturdays I do 65 miles group rides
    This is my 9 month in cycling and think have a decent base of 3k miles.
  • macmaywill
    macmaywill Posts: 19
    Imposter wrote:
    macmaywill wrote:
    Total of 45 riders CAT4/5 plus some 3 & 2's were part of the race doing their "warming" since their race was next.

    Sounds like a really well-run event...

    Difficult to suggest anything specific, because you've not given us much to go on. So in the absence of any usable info, just do what NapD says and keep racing.

    Yes it's a really well organized crit. They race 4&5, 3&4, 2&3. Women go in between. Only one crash I saw and it was CAT2/3.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    In so many ways, I hate crits.. no advice, just gives you an added dimension.
    Honestly, apart from the very few who actually win the damned things, who can place hand on heart and say they like them?
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    macmaywill wrote:
    Imposter wrote:
    macmaywill wrote:
    Total of 45 riders CAT4/5 plus some 3 & 2's were part of the race doing their "warming" since their race was next.

    Sounds like a really well-run event...

    Difficult to suggest anything specific, because you've not given us much to go on. So in the absence of any usable info, just do what NapD says and keep racing.

    Yes it's a really well organized crit. They race 4&5, 3&4, 2&3. Women go in between. Only one crash I saw and it was CAT2/3.

    Sorry, I was actually being sarcastic. Allowing riders who are warming up to get involved in (and possibly influence the outcome) of another race is just stupid.
  • jibberjim
    jibberjim Posts: 2,810
    Imposter wrote:
    macmaywill wrote:
    Total of 45 riders CAT4/5 plus some 3 & 2's were part of the race doing their "warming" since their race was next.

    Sounds like a really well-run event...

    Seems common in some of the north American places (where I'm assuming 'cos of the 5 and the CAT's) where there's not that deep fields, so to actually get a reasonable bunch size people can race two races with overlapping things, they're not "warming up" in the sense of not racing, they are actually in the race, they'll just also be doing the next race up.

    It also means that "crit training" may be quite different to the UK where our crits are often on purpose built circuits or airfields where you can just ride around all the time and don't have sprint out of corners etc. Against proper 4 corner square crits with big sprints very regularly. Training really is different, if you're getting dropped at Hillingdon then you need threshold, in a 4 corner crit then it's possibly different...
    Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/
  • ozzzyosborn206
    ozzzyosborn206 Posts: 1,340
    JGSI wrote:
    In so many ways, I hate crits.. no advice, just gives you an added dimension.
    Honestly, apart from the very few who actually win the damned things, who can place hand on heart and say they like them?

    I love crits, not so much high level ones where i get a kicking but ones where i can be competitive are an amazing buzz, especially in town centres with decent crowds
  • oldhairylegs
    oldhairylegs Posts: 220
    ozzzyosborn206 wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    In so many ways, I hate crits.. no advice, just gives you an added dimension.
    Honestly, apart from the very few who actually win the damned things, who can place hand on heart and say they like them?

    I love crits, not so much high level ones where i get a kicking but ones where i can be competitive are an amazing buzz, especially in town centres with decent crowds


    Me too.

    Best buzz I have had racing has been in street circuit crits. Did one of the Smithfield Nocturne support races last year and the atmosphere was just electric :)
  • markwb79
    markwb79 Posts: 937
    Imposter wrote:
    macmaywill wrote:
    Imposter wrote:
    macmaywill wrote:
    Total of 45 riders CAT4/5 plus some 3 & 2's were part of the race doing their "warming" since their race was next.

    Sounds like a really well-run event...

    Difficult to suggest anything specific, because you've not given us much to go on. So in the absence of any usable info, just do what NapD says and keep racing.

    Yes it's a really well organized crit. They race 4&5, 3&4, 2&3. Women go in between. Only one crash I saw and it was CAT2/3.

    Sorry, I was actually being sarcastic. Allowing riders who are warming up to get involved in (and possibly influence the outcome) of another race is just stupid.

    On occasions that happens over here, I have done it in the past too. I don't think it takes anything away from the lower cat riders. When I was one of them I found it actually help with the advice and sometimes shouting they would give.

    Now I just find it very messing and mostly stay at the back for my 'warm up'
    Scott Addict 2011
    Giant TCR 2012
  • BrandonA
    BrandonA Posts: 553
    Out of curiosity how fast are these rides and how long do they last?
  • macmaywill
    macmaywill Posts: 19
    ave 25mpr
    each corner 30mphr
  • BrandonA
    BrandonA Posts: 553
    macmaywill wrote:
    ave 25mpr
    each corner 30mphr

    What level is that, or are all the levels the same speed?
  • macmaywill
    macmaywill Posts: 19
    That's CAt5.
    Speed seems to be the same but CAT 5 we race for 30minutes and 2/3 for 45 minutes.
  • macmaywill
    macmaywill Posts: 19
    macmaywill wrote:
    Last Wednesday I did my first CAT5/4 crit race. I could only hang for half of the race then I was dropped, struggled to catch up again. Total of 45 riders CAT4/5 plus some 3 & 2's were part of the race doing their "warming" since their race was next.

    After the race, I was talking to some of the riders and one of the guys adviced me to do 1 min VO2max sprint with 2 min off, ten times, another one advised me to do 4 minutes VO2MAX with 4 mins rest. Which brings the question, what are the intervals that you've seen most gain with?

    Just an update.I'm now able to hang on after my 3rd race. After 2 races, i took note of the strong riders and which wheels to stick on which helps in drafting.

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