This is a six-week plan that will lead you up to your first race.
This is not a plan to peak for that first race. Instead, you will build up a good deal of training stress and back off a bit before the season's first race.

All of my plans include endurance training, strength training, yoga, and full email support (paulw@SimpleEnduranceCoaching.com). Email me with questions any time!

Plug this program in six weeks before your first race, and be ready to go for the season.
I'm going to assume in this program that you have already been doing some endurance rides this year and have a decent base of fitness.
Week 1 brings speedwork, running into cyclocross training
We start with some simple Fartlek (“speed play”) training where we do some easy, slow running with some short slightly harder bursts.
We also add 30/30 intervals where we ride hard for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds.
Week 2 adds longer intensity.
We add additional sets to the 30/30s and maintain the amount of running.
We focus on twice a week strength training in form of bodyweight or yoga strength.
Plus, we always need to keep some endurance work as part of our cyclocross training.
Endurance work keeps us building aerobic capacity, which is the backbone of speed work.
Week 3’s cyclocross training plan gets a little harder
We switch the intervals to 30/15s to mimic the effort you’ll make on a cross course.
This cyclocross training plan also adds hill intervals to work on your ability to tackle the short, steep hills you commonly find in racing.
We add a little more structured intensity to the runs.
Each week also includes a specific cyclocross practice focus.
In week 3, you’re starting to do more short speed work, working on specific skills like taking off-camber corners and doing efficient starts.
Week 4 continues the short hills, short intervals, and running
We add more volume to the 30/15s and Hill Repeats.
You also run a bit more with some flexibility with Fartlek training.
If you can do the running interval work up a hill, that’s best.
Week 5 is cross-specific in the cyclocross training plan
The penultimate week gets totally cross-specific with one of my favorite cyclocross training workouts!
The soccer field sprints mimic racing so well.
The cross practice session focuses on starts: Get 10 perfect starts (clip in right away) before you go home!
The running training is specific to running fast up hills!
Week 6 prepares you for racing!
The last week of the cyclocross training plan is focused on racing on Sunday.
We’ll do one more soccer field sprint session.
We also do one more running workout up hills.
Then on Saturday, do some pre-race riding.
You can do some work on the road, or you can do a bit more cross practice, especially starts.
And, if you know the course for the race, you can do some specific work to mimic what you’ll see the next day!

Check out my guide to strength training here to get ideas on how to structure your training:
https://www.simpleendurancecoaching.com/better-health-with-strength/

What questions do you have? Do you need more yoga or strength? If you want to talk more about this program, or start a longer program for the season, let's talk:
paulw@SimpleEnduranceCoaching.com