Get Race-Ready: A Six-Week Cyclocross Training Plan for Peak Performance

Building on Your Summer Fitness

This plan assumes you’ve spent the summer building a fitness base. 

It includes strength training and yoga to enhance your body's strength, mobility, and stability. 

The strength training focuses on bodyweight exercises and yoga strength work to avoid injuries and keep your core (hips to shoulders) stable when you’re riding cross. 

If you haven’t done yoga or strength work before, ease into these gradually. 

The goal is to help you get faster and more comfortable on the cyclocross course.

Week 1: Introduce Speedwork and Running

We start with intervals and running in this first week. 

• Running is introduced slowly to avoid muscle soreness, focusing on gradual adaptation. Start with running twice a week for maybe 20 to 30 minutes. 
• Add 30/30 intervals—ride hard for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. Build up the volume in the intervals without increasing intensity. 
• Maintain your endurance volume with at least one long ride per week. 
• I’m assuming you’ve been doing some strength training. If not, add in a basic full-body strength program with hip hinges, chest push and pull, and shoulder push and pull. Again, set up a time for a Virtual Coffee, and we can talk about specifics with strength training.
• Start practicing your cyclocross skills: dismounting and remounting your bike, cornering, and starts. 

Week 2: Increase Intensity

Repeat the first week's structure with added sets to the 30/30s while maintaining the running volume. 

• Add a second day to the 30/30s and add some additional time to the total work. 
• Continue with twice-a-week runs.
• Continue with strength training 
• Continue with your endurance volume. 
• Start with a community cyclocross practice in place of the 30/30s to work on your skills. 

Week 3: Elevate the Challenge

Now we start to increase the intensity of both the runs and the bike intervals. 

• Switch to 30/15 intervals to mimic cyclocross efforts. You get less recovery while still working as hard. 
• Add hill intervals to improve your ability to tackle steep hills. For example, find a short steep grass hill on your cross bike and ride up to and over it. You can practice your corners on the way down. 
• Introduce more structured intensity to the runs. Starting with some simple Fartlek (“speed play”) training, combine easy running with short bursts of increased speed. You can do hill runups on the same hill you ride up. 
• Focus on specific cyclocross skills like off-camber corners and efficient starts. Joining a local cross practice group can be beneficial.
• Maintain the long endurance rides. 

Week 4: Build on Short Hills and Intervals

This week, we’re building on the volume of the intensity. 

• Increase the volume of 30/15 intervals and hill repeats. 
• Add more running, preferably incorporating Fartlek training. Running intervals up hills is ideal. 
• Try to get the cross practice to Wednesdays so you can double up on the weekend with a long endurance day with some tempo intervals, followed by a 30/15 interval session on Sunday. 

Week 5: Cyclocross-Specific Workouts

This week focuses on cross-specific workouts, including my favorite cyclocross workout:  soccer field sprints. 

• Sprint down the sideline of a soccer field, take the corner at speed, recover behind the goal, and sprint again. Build up to race time with these over the next few weeks. Start with two six-minute sessions, one in each direction. 
• The practice session focuses on perfecting starts, aiming for 10 perfect starts before finishing. 
• Running workouts focus on fast hill ascents.
• Maintain the long endurance ride. 
• Make sure your cross bike and wheel sets are tested and ready. Bring anything into your local bike shop that needs repair. 

Week 6: Final Preparations

In the final week, prepare for your race on the weekend. 

• Include one more session of soccer field sprints and a hill running workout on Tuesday 
• Do your long ride on Wednesday.
• Take Friday off from training if you race on Sunday, (or Thursday off if you race on Saturday; you can do the long ride on Sunday if you don’t race) and do some pre-race riding on Saturday. 
• Skip the weight training this week if you have a big race or do a short intense session of one set with deadlifts and the full-body strength routine 

Season Training Schedule

The following weeks will be a combination of this kind of schedule:

• Monday - rest day
• Tuesday - structured intervals, depending on how often you’re racing.
• Wednesday - long endurance ride
• Thursday - easy endurance or off depending on your weekend
• Friday - openers
• Saturday/Sunday race

By following this structured six-week plan, you’ll be well-prepared to tackle the cyclocross season with confidence and improved performance.

Three Things to Know About Preparing for the Cyclocross Season

1. Include short, intense intervals like 30/30s to get you ready for the intensity of a cross race.
2. Include some running with short sprints to prepare you for running up hills and over barriers. 
3. Maintain your long endurance ride once a week. 

Need more? 

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Paul Warloski is a:

• USA Cycling Level 2 Coach
• RRCA Running Coach
• Training Peaks Level 2 Coach
• RYT-200 Yoga Instructor
• Certified Personal Trainer