Training is key for me to progress in the sport of mountain biking. Not just training, but consistent training. I have always had a drive to be better and grow in whatever sport I was doing growing up, but starting mountain biking sparked a whole new level of it. I currently race enduro and downhill events which both take a lot of physical and mental strength. Another big part of my life is my job.I work 4-5 days out of the week and am fortunate enough that my jobs mainly revolve around biking. Half of my week consists of trail building and coaching and then the other half I am bartending. Sometimes fitting training into my busy weeks can be difficult to squeeze in, but it's a priority for me. 

My week to week routine includes a relaxing morning, getting whatever training I have planned for the day done, lots of snacking, going to work, and spending time with my dog Queso. I currently spend two days in the gym and three days on the bike. I try to break up gym days cause I usually end up being pretty sore the day after. 

Strength training has always been a favorite of mine. I love popping in some headphones and going to town on the weights. When I'm in the gym, I aim to workout no longer than an hour. This keeps me at a steady pace the whole time I'm there. My workouts usually consist of half lower body, other half upper body, and a tad bit of core. 

Training on the bike usually consists of interval days and long endurance rides. On interval days, I'm usually on my gravel bike or on a trainer. During ride days, you can catch me at Kanuga Bike Park, The Riveter, Pisgah National Forest, or Pleasant Ridge County Park. I love that I get to live in an amazing area that's filled with mountain bike trails. 

Taking time to recover Is a huge part of training for anyone and for me, I have found that taking recovery days prevents burnout and gives me time to do things other than biking. I try to take 2 recovery days a week. That means no biking and no gym. On these days, I always try to do some deep stretching, yoga, or go on a hike.