From rock climbing and motocross, to running 5Ks in a cape, these athletes get creative about staying fit and motivated during the off-season.
We asked 10 of our favorite pros from diverse disciplines a few questions about their winter training habits. Do they cross-train? And what does their off-season look like? We hope these answers inspire you to get out there and have some fun this winter, whether you’re on your bike, on a moto or doing something completely new!
Danny MacAskill // Trials
“I don’t tend to do much traditional training in the gym. I just ride as many different types of bikes as possible; trials bikes, mountain bikes, bmx from time to time and my moto trials bike.”
Kyle Warner // Enduro // 2016 NAET Champ
“I spend lots of time in the gym during the winter—the goal is just to build strength and mobility and then focus more on riding (both road and mountain) about 12 weeks before the start of the season.”
Tracy Moseley // Enduro & DH // 3x EWS Champ
“I ride my road bike, as well as cross-training with running, yoga and Pilates… and having fun!”
Rotem Ishay // XC // Jamis Factory MTB Team
“This winter I picked up running. I enjoy trail running and snowshoeing and skiing, both alpine and Nordic, when it’s snowing. I also do some strength training and play basketball. When the trails are snowed in [in Durango], I try to go to Moab on weekend trips as often as possible. Mountain biking is just as good as life gets!”
Sonya Looney // Endurance // 2015 24-Hr World Champ
“Yoga, skiing, running, eating cookies! I also ride my bike a lot in the off-season because I love racing in the Southern Hemisphere in the winter.”
Macky Franklin // Enduro // Jamis Factory MTB Team
“I ride my dirt bike, play on the slackline, run, do gym work, XC, and alpine ski. When I was spending more time in New Mexico during the winters, I was roller skating with the local roller derby team (they were allowed to hit me, but I couldn’t hit back) which was great for my balance and reflexes. And I ride my bike…”
Jerome Clementz // Enduro // 2013 EWS Champ
“I train according to the weather so everything from XC skiing, to running, gym, downhill skiing, stability exercises, MX riding… A bit of everything and sometimes some riding.”
Larissa Connors // XC // 2016 Pro XCT Champ
“My favorite cross-training is hiking all the trails where bikes aren’t allowed!”
Chloe Woodruff // XC // 2016 Olympian
“I incorporate some functional strength training into my routine, do some hiking, and usually sign up (and train) for a short running race. This year it was an 8K Turkey Trot.”
Rachel Strait // Enduro // GT Factory Racing
“In the off-season, I really don’t train. I take a solid month off and just ride for fun, with no thought of training. I need the time off. Once we hit December I really ramp up the training and begin to focus. This season I am working with Coach Ryan Geiger and he has me on a fun training program focusing heavily on fitness but also a lot on skills and gym days. This off-season has been so much fun! Lots of moto, BMX nights, and rock climbing to mix things up!
We asked a gaggle of pros some questions. This column highlights their 10 best answers to each question.