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Megan Guarnier (second from right) wins bronze for Team USA at the 2015 Road Cycling World Championships.
Megan Guarnier (second from right) wins bronze for Team USA at the 2015 Road Cycling World Championships.

How Does an Olympic Cyclist Train?

Queen of the road Megan Guarnier has developed tremendous physical fitness and psychological fortitude鈥攏ow she鈥檚 after a medal at Rio. Here's how she got there.

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Megan Guarnier (second from right) wins bronze for Team USA at the 2015 Road Cycling World Championships.

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鈥檚聽rise to the top of cycling began over 10 years when, as a college athlete, she made the transition from an All-American swimmer to the bike. Since then, she鈥檚 been on a roll. The 30-year-old from聽Queensbury, New York, won the United States Road Cycling National Championship in May and took bronze at the World Championships in September, becoming the first American woman to medal since 1994. These performances earned聽Guarnier聽a slot in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games where she鈥檒l be racing next August.

Favorite Workout:聽I love recovery rides. They are so important because they let me decompress and re-energize for the next hard session.聽

Hit the Weights:聽The strength gains are great for power on the bike. I usually spend about two-to-three months each year in the weight room. But I also make sure to stop [lifting weights] at least three-to-four weeks before racing to allow the pop to return to my legs.

Entertainment for Riding Indoors:聽Trainers聽are no fun, which is why I moved somewhere warm. But sometimes I still find myself riding indoors. Thank God for Netflix. A long ride on the trainer becomes a great way to binge watch an entire season! 聽If I鈥檓 doing hard intervals I鈥檒l switch to music. Girl Talk is my favorite.聽

The Art of Suffering:聽A lot of racing is mind over body. When I鈥檓 really hurting, rather than let the pain get the best of me, I remind myself that if I鈥檓 hurting, everyone else is too. I also try to stay present; I don鈥檛 even think about the next five minutes. It鈥檚 all about getting done what needs to get done in this moment.聽

Prime for Performance:聽Find a routine to repeat before you race. For me it鈥檚 yoga. I do the exact same yoga routine every time. It only takes about 20-25 minutes, and it predictably puts my body and mind in race mode.聽

Hold the Gluten:聽It鈥檚 about figuring out what works for you. I know this is a stereotypical endurance athlete thing to say, but yes, I鈥檓 gluten-free, and I have been for the last six years. Although I was never diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I just don鈥檛 digest gluten well: it leaves me bloated and feeling blah. 聽It may not work for everyone, but a gluten-free diet works for me.

Eat Plenty:聽If you need the fuel. My family and friends鈥攁nd even my teammates鈥攁re amazed at the amount I can eat. 聽They鈥檙e like, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e the littlest girl on the team; how do you eat so much?鈥澛

And Eat Early:聽Make sure to finish eating at least three hours before a race or hard training ride. If I don鈥檛, and I鈥檓 really pushing it, I feel food swirling in my gut. Better to fully digest before getting on the saddle.

Recover Right:聽I recover just as hard as I train. Tons of sleep. Compression socks for travel. Lots of bodywork. And even though I know聽the science is mixed, I love ice聽baths, especially after really hard days鈥aybe because they numb my legs.

It鈥檚 OK to Take a Break:聽It鈥檚 also important to have the confidence to step away from your bike to let your body and mind recover. If the thought of a hard workout brings you close to tears, skip it. It鈥檚 better to take a few days off now than to put yourself in a hole that takes weeks to dig out of later. 聽

Can鈥檛 Live Without My鈥βPower meter and yoga mat. 聽If I do a ride without my power meter, it鈥檚 like the workout didn鈥檛 happen. 聽I love to analyze all the data. 聽I鈥檓 extremely crazy when it comes to that stuff, which is probably why my yoga practice is also really important. 聽The type-A, analyze-everything self needs a balance.聽

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