This plan is designed for a rider who has completed cyclocross seasons previously and would like to level up their riding and be more competitive. It is for an experienced athlete who has completed a base training program and has most likely spent the summer training and racing MTB or road. With that, it also assumes the riders has taken a necessary break and isn't entering this training plan carrying significant fatigue - you should be fit and fresh!
You will need a power meter to follow this program. Interval workouts are built to upload to your device with power-based workout programming for all structured rides. It includes an FTP test on Day 1 and instructions for how to determine and add your FTP in TrainingPeaks. If you know your current FTP, you can add that to your Athlete Settings and skip the testing day. Note: It is important that your FTP is set correctly in your athlete settings so the programmed workouts are appropriate for you.
This program is designed around a Monday rest day. If that works for your schedule, start the plan on a Monday. If you would like a Sunday rest day, start the plan on a Sunday. This plan includes five days of training per week. If you would like six days of training, add an easy recovery spin on one of the scheduled days off. If you would like four days of training, add a day off on the scheduled recovery or skills day.
This plan is designed to prepare you for CX season and to take you through the first block of racing, four race weekends. Because CX season is rarely about one priority goal but developing fitness and carrying it through many race weekends, this plan builds your fitness and gives you a sense of how to continue to structure your training through the 'rest and recover' cycles of consecutive weekends of CX racing. This plan assumes Saturday race days but includes instructions for two day race weekends.
All KCC training plans come with a comprehensive document of best practices and guidelines. You will find this doc attached in your first day of training.