You train, you train, and you train to perform your best at your favorite activity. Yet sooner or later, you start to experience aches and pains. You want to do your best, outlast your opponents, and feel your best while doing it… but how?
Ultra cyclist, Miron Golfman, shares his secret to being able to do what he loves (cycling!) all year long at the highest level. It’s really quite simple… by prioritizing cross training between big events, he is able to perform better overall.
What is cross training?
Cross training is simply switching up your exercise game. For example: olympic skiers don’t just ski, pro runners don’t just run, and ultra-cyclists don’t just cycle. If they did, they’d crash and burn. Sound familiar?
The benefits of cross training has us convinced that it must be implemented into an athletes training plan. Just to name a few reasons:
- Cross-training allows you to work the body in ways your main sport does not which in turn, improves conditioning, coordination, agility and balance.
- Doing new activities can help you feel excited about returning to your main sport. After all too much of anything can get boring!
- Using your body in different ways can help you adapt easier to training loads
- Cross-training helps improve your fitness, while decreasing the risk of injury
Miron's secret
This month I am off to the Southwest to cross-train and enjoy the beauty of the desert. Cross-training is how I continue doing the activity I love most… and I’ve got to say, it’s a pretty rewarding break.
I’m undertaking three back to back trips this mo. Starting with a Grand Canyon river trip for the first 16 days of June, followed by a long weekend in Zion national park canyoneering, and finishing with an attempt of the Colorado Trail riding alongside Tyson Flattery from Durango to Denver.
While it is a bit sad to be leaving Alaska during June (arguably one of the most beautiful months of the year) I’m excited to be going down the Grand Canyon, a permit that was delayed from 2020 due to the pandemic. Being in the southwest I couldn’t help myself but tag on two additional adventures.
This year I am focused on training and development as I look forward to 2023 and a very ambitious race schedule planned. It feels important to be taking a bit of a step back from the bike for a few weeks to make some time for some paddling and canyoneering two sports that are also very near and dear to my heart.
Allowing time to explore my passions outside of cycling keeps me eager and hungry as I look forward to the races I have on the horizon. By stepping back from my bike even if it’s just for a few days or a few weeks, always makes me that much more ambitious when I find myself back on the saddle. Prioritizing a balanced life, allows me perform at my highest level in the sport I am most focused on.
As much as I am excited for my adventures ahead, I can’t wait to return to Alaska to soak up the rest of the summer sun, jump back on the bike and lean into some heavy months of training!
Looking for a personalized training plan to help you perform you best?
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The program is specifically tailored to the athlete and the goals they are working on achieving. Check it out!
