if i have to read one more blog post about 'cyclocross practice'...... i'm gonna.... i don't know what i'm gonna do, but won't be pretty. I ride, i do not practice. the whole notion is an anathema. i ride and i race.
i understand the idea and the value of preparation. i ride hills, i throw a few run-ups into my ride, i do intervals of intense exertion, i ride long slow distances, and i can even fartlek. but i will never practice or workout. i try to condition my body and enhance muscle memory so i can dismount and grab my bicycle without thinking before i act. technique is what i'm talking about.
one cannot race without preparing for it. better racers have more experience, and better trained athletes have better results. but practice is bad, running up the same hill ten times in the same session teaches you nothing. I ride approximately the same route/course for 45 minutes to an hour 5 nights a week. every ride is different, i gauge my fitness by the time it takes me to finish and how i felt doing it.
