Bruce Rychlik Used Video To Improve His CX Season

Bruce Rychlik's 2016 Cyclocross Season was one of fun, learning, and improving. After each of his 14 races, he detailed his post race reflections and studied his Garmin Virb videos with his coach Karen Mackin.  It was quite remarkable the progress he made this season, in part due to the learning that took place because of viewing the video with cadence, watts, speed, location, etc.  Of course the other part was a lot of hard work.   Viewing where/when you are doing well (i.e. you are passing or catching up to others), and when are not doing as well (you get passed) is a powerful learning experience.  Then, when you then relate that to what is going on around you, what you are doing, and how you are doing it (speed, watts, cadence, etc) it is empowering.

A few of the most important things he learned he needed to work on (and then successfully implemented at the end of the season) with the help of video:

• to accelerate out of the turns
• work harder at the top of the hills
• when to rev up the cadence and when NOT to
• where to line up (left/right) at the start
• what lines work through the corners, which don't
• how hard you REALLY need to go to get to the first corner in a good place and how key that is to your race results.

These are only a few of the many items Bruce worked on and improved upon over the course of the season.  Another great use of the video:  Watching a supremely executed CX race is divine, and his coach was happy to view a few of those!

So what happens on the very last race of the season?  He forgets his Garmin! (and Strava didn't record) and he forgot to turn on his video camera!   So no data, no video, but his coach is as happy as a clam because this was his report...

"The course was 100% snow, I got lapped - and muddy - but it was the most fun I have had all year on a course.  Very muddy - gloppy and gluey, the entire course!"

Bruce Rychlik is coached by PCG Elite/Master Coach Karen Mackin