Live
Powered by

2026-10-31

Canadian National Championships

  • Id: 2026-10-31-canadian-national-championships
  • Title: Canadian National Championships
  • Kind: event
  • Discipline: bike
  • Surface: cx
  • Priority: key
  • Planned time: race start (confirm)
  • Duration: race
  • Distance: ~50 min race
  • Intensity: race
  • Location: Oro-Medonte, ON
  • TrainingPeaks ID: 40520367

Objective

Win the national title with a committed start and controlled laps.

Goal

Win the title at a controlled effort: race the start for position (best 15 sec at the gun 575 W or more), lap 1 no more than 235 W, then about 215-225 W a lap. Switch to the full race plan only if someone is still within about 10 seconds after two laps.

Reasoning

A national title race, raced after a small taper in the week: fresh enough to contend, with the build continuing into November. Changed Oct 15: targets reset to her current race power (season race NP 208-224 W), and a rule for surges added. Changed Oct 25: climb, power-section and finish notes added. Changed Oct 26: cold-weather line added. With a thin field this year, the plan is a controlled race unless she's challenged.

Event details

  • UCI CN, Oro-Medonte, ON.
  • Race breakfast 3-4 h before the start.
  • Warm-up 35-40 min: 15 min building, 2 x 3 min at 247-260 W, 3 x 15 sec starts. Stay on the rollers or trainer until call-up, with 2 x 20 sec hard at about 10 and 5 min before the start: heart rate 120-130 at the gun, not 95.
  • Cool race: about 8-11°C forecast after a near-freezing morning. Keep the jacket and leg warmers on until call-up.
  • If it is 22°C or warmer, or in full sun: wait in shade with a cold towel or ice vest, drink an ice-slurry bottle 30 min before the start, take 500-750 mL of fluid with 500-700 mg of sodium in the 2 h before, and take a bottle hand-up in the pit if the commissaires allow it.
  • Race the first 60-90 sec for position, then settle: lap 1 NP no more than 235 W.
  • Controlled effort from there: about 215-225 W NP a lap. Smooth and seated on the climbs where you can, and build your gap in the technical sections, where it's cheap. Don't sprint out of every corner, and don't chase extra seconds once you're clear.
  • If someone is still within about 10 seconds after two laps, race to win: laps at 230 W or more, the surge rule and the finish plan below.
  • When the leaders surge: follow surges of up to about 30 sec at up to about 360 W. If a surge is longer or harder, let a gap of a few seconds open, ride your own threshold over the top, and close it in the technical sections.
  • Steep climbs and power sections: ride a short steep climb at the power it needs (the surge rule is for attacks). Gaps are kept on the power sections over the top: get back to threshold straight away and hold it.
  • The finish: learn the last corner and the finishing straight in the pre-ride. On the last lap, be first into the final technical section; on a short straight, the rider out of the last corner first usually wins.
  • Race.
  • Cool-down 15-20 min easy spin.
  • Review targets from the race file: best 15 sec at the gun 575 W or more; lap 1 NP 235 W or less; if clear, laps at about 215-225 W with almost no time at heart rate 188 or higher; if racing for the win, laps at 230 W or more; position at the first corner.

Constraints

  • Power meter paired and zeroed before the warm-up; the start and lap numbers depend on it.
  • Record the race as its own file, separate from the warm-up.

Recovery

Recovery drink within 30 min (GF/DF, about 1 g/kg carbohydrate and 20-25 g protein), then a full meal within 2 h. Legs up, carbohydrate-rich dinner and an early night: tomorrow is another race.

Fuelling

Breakfast of 1.5-2 g/kg carbohydrate from familiar GF/DF foods. 30 g carbohydrate with water 30-45 min before staging, a gel 10-15 min before the gun. Too short for on-bike fuelling: arrive fuelled.

Notes

Title race: the aim is the win at the lowest cost, so PanAm and the races after it start fresh. Debrief to Luca within 24 h: placing, gap to the winner, start row, lap times, what limited you, and how the legs feel the next morning.