Cyclocross is a discipline of cycling that is hugely popular in northern Europe and has a small but fervent following in the US. Originally created as a way for road cyclists to stay fit in the cold and dark European winter, it is a short (45-60 minutes) intense event that involves sprinting, dismounting and often running with the bike. Cyclocross rewards the athletic cyclist that can balance hard pedaling while maintaining speed through off camber, often slippery corners.
I discovered Cyclocross shortly after finishing a successful collegiate wrestling career. I had been an avid mountain biker for years, and I found the intensity, elbow to elbow racing, and technical nature of ‘cross to be the perfect outlet for my competitive drive. The fact that the races were less than an hour also fit nicely into my lifestyle, as having a career and young (at the time) family meant that I did not have endless hours to devote to training.
For the first 5-6 years of my ‘cross “career”, I got by with the core strength I developed over a lifetime of wrestling. Unfortunately, the further I got away from that training, and the older I got, the core strength began to dwindle. Over time, I started to notice some lower back pain that gave me pause. I spent a few years where I would train hard, get fit, and then do something silly like bend over wrong and I would be off the bike for weeks in pain. The last straw was during the spring of 2021, when I ended up on the floor unable to move without pain. That is when I finally decided to visit Dr. Greg and Precision Osteopractic.
I had met Dr. Greg on one of the many local group rides in the Upper Valley, and was aware of his specialized training and approach to orthopedic and sports rehabilitation. Upon our initial visit, I was blown away with his approach to uncovering the cause of and developing a plan to begin to remedy my injury. I was also impressed with his interest and insight into my athletic history, lifestyle, and goals for the future as an athlete and human.
My treatment plan combined hands on body work with a targeted, progressive exercise prescription to address some muscular weaknesses and general imbalances that I had developed over the years of being a cyclist. Through working with Precision Osteopractic, I have developed a new training regimen which includes these specific exercises along with my cycling workouts and routine “tune-up” visits to address any issues that come up.
As my body became stronger and more balanced, I began to notice an increase in the overall power I was able to produce on the bike, as well as my ability to recover from the increasingly difficult training sessions. Being a stronger athlete has led me to have one of my most successful cyclocross seasons ever.
This season I have been competing with racers who in years past would have left me behind early in the race. By remaining injury free, I also have been able to have consistently strong results throughout the season. Highlights for me this year are finishing 4th place in the season long River Valley Cyclocross Series in my category (a top 10 was a season goal for me), and coming in 3rd in the USA Cycling New England Regional Championships.
I continue to see Dr. Greg on a regular basis both in and out of season for tune-up adjustments, and to get updated exercise prescriptions that increasingly challenge me and make my body more adept to handle the rigors I am asking of it.
If you are an athlete, weekend warrior, or just want to have a body that feels better, I highly recommend the services of Dr. Greg and Precision Osteopractic.
Craig Vettori
