September 2008 Issue - Cycling Utah

12 cycling utah.com SEPTEMBER 2008HEALTHThe Goodness of CyclocrossBy Erik Moen PT, CSCSOnce again, it is cyclocross season.The West has a rich cyclocrosshistory. Cyclocross was started asa means of winter training for theroad cyclist. The cyclocross seasonin the United States typically runsfrom September through December.World Championships are typicallythe first week of February.Preparation for cyclocross requiresdifferent training strategies thantraining for road and mountainriding. Attention to these demanddifferences are often times the differencebetween staying healthy andhaving reasonable results.Reasons to believe cyclocross isgood•Races last an hour or under.•Not all cyclocross races are absolutemud-baths or snow fests.•Cyclocross challenges your balanceand coordination better than roadcycling.Challenges are made particularlyto the foot, knee, hip, and torso asa result of interacting with variedsurfaces via feet to ground and feetto pedals.•Cyclocross is a great weight bearingactivity.Weight bearing activities promotebone density. Road cyclingitself does not promote bone densityimprovements/maintenance.•No 5-6 hour road rides required.Cyclocross is a shorter, moreintense race than the typical stagerace or long road race.Reasons to believe that cyclocrossis good but challenging for theroad cyclist•Cyclocross has risk of injuries.Sprains, strains, lacerations/abrasions and contusions are themost common cyclocross injuries.Frequently sprained/strained areasinclude the ankle and the Achillestendon.•Cyclocross requires good bike handlingin all situations.Environmental challenges mayinclude thick mud, loose rock/gravel, sand pits, roots, wet grassand snow to name a few. Cyclocrosstires are typically 32-35mm wide.Not your average stable mountainbike tire.•Cyclocross eats bicycle equipment.Cyclocross exists in a prettyharsh climate for metal and movingparts: mud. Good maintenanceand upkeep of your bicycle isrequired. Plan to make friends witha mechanic.Tips to improve and promote ahealthy cyclocross seasonStretch! The demands of roadcycling on the legs are different thanthat of cyclocross riders. Cyclocrossriders have much higher demand(range of motion and strength) onhip flexors, hamstrings and Achilles.Coordinate! Jumping off the bikeat 20mph onto wet, slippery andunstable stuff requires a high levelof coordination. The typical roadcyclist is not all that coordinated offCyclocross previewCyclocross: Something for EveryoneBy Dayna DeuterAs I write this, the mercury herein the heart of Salt Lake City dippedbelow 65 degrees for the first timeThis is thePlace forCyclocross!GreatSelectionAvailable!in months… it’s time.Maybe you’ve heard the mediabuzz about cyclocross—‘It’s puresweet hell!’, ‘The toughest hour incycling’, ‘Mud, sweat, and tears’—Redline CXDemo Bikesavailable forJuniors!762 E. 12300 S. Draper, UTcanyonbicyclesdraper.com801-576-8844 • M-F 10 - 7:30 • Sat. 10-7Cervélo atDraper locationonly.of the bicycle. Plyometric trainingis a great start to improving yourcyclocross fitness.Strengthen! Trunk musculature isimportant for the cyclocross athlete.Back muscles of the road cyclist arenot used to hauling objects uphillon their feet. Plan to hear somecomplaining of back pain around thecool down area of most cyclocrossraces. Jumping rope is a reliablemeans of making quick improvementsof calf strength as it relates tocyclocross.Run! Most chronic swimmersand bicyclists look funny when theytry to run. Their muscles and jointsare not well prepared for their feet tohit the ground with such force. Easeinto running. Running for the purposesof cyclocross training shouldstart as late as July. Endurance runningshould occur approximatelytwice a week with an endurancesession (road/track) and an off-road/trail run.Coordinate your bike! Participatein at least one specific cyclocrosspractice session per week. Specificsof a practice session should include;mounts/dismounts, barricades,shouldering, and run-ups.Practice dirt! Focus should bemade on the practice of stayingupright on all surfaces and the abilityto maintain momentum throughvaried media (rocks, sand, mud, treeroots, etc).Endurance! Your weekly trainingshould include an endurance ride of2-4 hours depending on your skill/race level and seasonal variation (areyou a road cyclist currently in an“off-season”?).Cyclocross is a great sport as itcombines elements of coordination,weight bearing for the lower extremitiesand spine, aerobic training,and fun in the mud and snow. Thereare a lot of reasons why a bicyclistbut what is it? Cyclocross is aunique discipline of cycling that canbest be described as a cross betweenroad cycling, mountain biking, andsteeplechase. Races take place ona closed circuit and last 45 minutesto 1 hour. The terrain includespaved, grass, and off-road surfacesand a series of obstacles—includingbarriers, steep hills, or stairs—thatrequire dismounting, shoulderingor carrying the bike, then remounting.Competitors use primarilycyclocross bikes, which use slightlymodified road geometry to allow forknobby tires and better clearancewhen passing over obstacles.Like no other segment of bikeracing, ‘cross brings together adiverse group of bike racers; theroadie and mountain biking communitiescombine for a short andintense season and the primary purposeis fun. It’s the multi-facetedaspect of ‘cross that offers somethingfor everyone:•Mud and grass for the powerriders? Check!•Corning that rewards those whocan find and ride a fast line? Check!•Fast hard pack and paved sections?Check!•Bike handling skills? (Just TRYnot to fall down when there’s 6” ofsnow on the course!) Check!•Transitions and accelerations?Cross is above all an event oftransitions, primarily surroundingdismounting, remounting, and acceleratingout of corners. Check!•And… hard efforts? Yeah, lots!Check, Check!Mud and Snow last season at Ft. Buenaventura in the Utah CyclocrossSeries race #10. FInd your photo at zazoosh.com.Photo: Dave Iltisshould try cyclocross. Cyclocross isa great social outlet in addition toa great training outlet. Go watch arace if you don’t plan to try one outfor yourself. A little bit of preparationwill go a long ways in your survivabilityof the cyclocross season.The many variables allowscyclocross to appeal to a broad audiencealso makes it tough to master.In any given race—or lap for thatmatter—there are a hundred thingsto try to get right, and consequentlya hundred things that can go wrong.Perhaps herein lies some of themystique that surrounds cyclocross;despite years of practice and effort,there is always something more tolearn. As a result, ‘cross generatesits own loyal followers that keepcoming back for more.But really, words can’t adequatelycapture the cycling side show,the red-headed step child of bikeracing that is cyclocross. You haveto experience it to know it. We arefortunate to have a vibrant Utah‘cross community and a packed racecalendar.Check out the complete Utahand Idaho Cyclocross schedule onpage 8.More information can also befound at utahcyclocross.com.Ridley Cyclocross SkillsClinicThe Ridley Factory Team, anationwide elite and grassroots racingteam, is proud to present the 2ndannual Cyclocross Skills Clinic, takingplace September 13, 2008 in SaltLake City. The clinic will focus oncyclocross basics during the morningsession (9 am -12 pm), includingmounting, dismounting, and cornering.The afternoon session (2-5 pm)will cover more advanced techniqueErik Moen PT, CSCS is a nationallyknow expert on bicyclinginjury treatment and bicycle fit.Erik practices physical therapyin the greater Puget Sound area.Erik may be reached through hiswebsite, www.bikept.comand race strategy.The clinic will feature handsoninstruction with local talent AliGoulet (Ridley Factory Team), BartGillespie (Cannondale-MonaVie),and Kathy Sherwin (Sobe-Cannondale). This elite-level bikeracing trio offers a wealth of cyclocrossknowledge and experience, apassion for the sport, and a desire topass it all on to clinic participants.Riders of all ability levels arewelcome, as are mountain bikes.Cost is $50 for the whole day or$30 per session. Add $5 for day-ofregistration. Preregister at www.sportsbaseonline.comDon’t let a deficit in technicalskills prevent you from applying allyour hard-earned summer fitness tothe fastest-growing segment of bikeracing!Free CX Demo Bikesfor KidsCanyon Bicycles- Draper willonce again be offering free demosfor Junior riders. With a $5.00entry fee for Juniors in the UtahCyclocross Series, this will be agreat opportunity to get the familyout to try cyclocross. Sizes willrange from 24" wheel to size 52.Questions about the demo can beanswered by Canyon Bicycles inDraper 576-8844.Cyclist Dies in Summit County AccidentA cyclist died on July 26th on the Brown’s Canyon road in SummitCounty. According to Summit County Sheriff’s Office, JoAnn Krajeskiappeared to have gone over the handlebars and hit her head. It did notappear that any automobiles were involved in the accident.