October 29, 2025 • 47 mins
In 2025, Christopher Blevins won 9 UCI World Cup races and was the first American Male to earn the UCI Men’s World Cup Overall Championship in 34 years. He raced for Team USA at the 2020 (held in 2021) and 2024 Olympic Games and won the inaugural UCI Short Track MTB World Championship in 2021. Before any of those accomplishments, in the summer of 2021, Blevins was an early guest on this podcast. We're revisiting that conversation in Episode 278 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast" to showcase the wisdom, work ethic, and authenticity he exhibited as a young athlete on the precipice of becoming one of the best athletes in the world.
Episode Highlights:
- How BMX training translated to racing MTB and on the road
- The influence of Durango Devo and mentors at Hagens Berman Axeon
- Making the transition from Junior to U23 to Pro
- Starting to work with Coach Jim Miller in 2019
- Seeking balance off the bike with poetry and music
Guest Bio – Christopher Blevins:
With a background in BMX, Cyclocross, and Road Racing, Christopher Blevins developed into a MTB World Champion, World Cup Champion, and 2-time Olympian. In 2021, he made history by winning the inaugural XCC World Championship. Riding for Specialized Factory Racing, Blevins is known for his technical brilliance, tactical intelligence, and clutch sprint finishes. In 2025, he won 9 UCI World Cup races and was the first American Male to earn the UCI Men’s World Cup Overall Championship in 34 years. Off the bike, he’s a poet, advocate, and inspiration to many, using his platform to grow the sport and empower the next generation of cyclists.
Read More About Christopher Blevins:
Website: https://usacycling.org/athlete/christopher-blevins
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopherblevs
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/19o8lsgMX0NLiGHPfbgOud
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HOST
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:06):
For the team at CTS, this is the Time Crunch Cyclist
Podcast, our show dedicated toanswering your training
questions and providingactionable advice to help you
improve your performance, evenif you're strapped for time.
I'm your host, Coach AdamPulford, and I'm one of the over
50 professional coaches to makeup the team at CTS.
(00:27):
In each episode, I draw on ourteam's collective knowledge,
other coaches, and experts inthe field to provide you with
the practical ways to get themost out of your training and
ultimately become the bestcyclist that you can be.
Now, on to our show.
(00:48):
Christopher Blevins has been arising star in the sport of
cycling for many years, and he'snow a star shining brightly on
the world stage.
In 2025, he won nine World Cupraces and was the UCI men's
cross country series overallchampion, scoring over three
hundred more points than hissecond place competitor.
He's been a dominant force inshort track for several years
(01:11):
now, and now he's showing he'sgot the goods for the 90 minute
stuff as well.
As a fellow American, mountainbiker, and overall fanboy, I am
stoked to see Christopher at thetop.
I interviewed him a few yearsago leading into the Tokyo
Games.
And there was so much wisdom inthat episode from such a young
(01:31):
athlete.
I wanted you, our audience, tohear that message again, or
perhaps for the first time ifyou've joined us recently.
Originally I was going to reachback out to Christopher and see
if him and his coach Jim Millerwant to come back on the
podcast.
But I think there's some beautyin listening to Christopher from
four years ago to tell hisorigin story about how BMX
(01:54):
racing set the groundwork forhigher level cycle cross, road,
and eventually cross-countrymountain bike racing.
And how his love of creatingmusic is not only a balance to
all of the racing, but a similarchannel of flow that can unlock
aspects in all of us for joy andhappiness.
The original interview was overan hour long, and please feel
(02:17):
free to go back and listen tothe full thing.
It was season two, episodesixty.
But for today, I've shortenedthings down a bit to focus on
his story, some training tips Ithink can apply to everyone
listening, and of course,Christopher's advice in life.
So sit back and enjoy myinterview with the newly crowned
(02:37):
cross-country World Seriesoverall champ, Christopher
Blevins.
So some of the quick overviewhere, like I said in the intro,
is uh I want to learn more aboutyou, Christopher, and I want our
listeners to to learn more too,because there's more than just
like bikes and and bunny hopsand stuff going on here.
So uh could you tell ourlisteners a bit more about
(02:58):
yourself, where you're from, andman, how you got into where
you're at?
SPEAKER_00 (03:01):
Yeah, um, of course, I'm from Durango, Colorado.
Um very proud of being fromDurango because it's such a
special community, and you know,I'm I'm the product of a number
of like incredible youth cyclinggroups, and chief among them is
Durango Devo.
Um but I started not on themountain bike, I started with
(03:22):
BMX when I was five.
Um there's an ad in the localpaper, and my dad took me to the
BMX track, and you know, BMXtracks are kind of just you know
total playgrounds for kidsgrowing up, and that's why
there's so many young kids thatare that are BMXers racing
nationally all over the country,and that was one of them.
Um, and that was my introductionto to the bike and racing at a
(03:44):
high level.
Um and uh yeah, I was reallyserious with BMX all through
elementary school years, andsomewhere along the way,
mountain biking and and roadwere added to the mix, and then
those two became the the thesole focus and um went to Cal
Poly uh in San Luis Obispo forcollege, actually graduated
(04:05):
officially just a couple weeksago.
Um congratulations.
Thank you.
Yeah, it's weird with you knowjust closing your computer and
calling that the end of college,but yeah, uh such are the times.
Um but yeah, uh now I'm you knowit's it's new chapter.
Um I guess sole focus right nowis the Olympics, and and uh
(04:26):
after that I'm a college gradand we'll see where to go.
SPEAKER_02 (04:29):
But um Yeah, exactly.
More chapters after that.
Tell me, tell me a bit more likeuh like BMX.
Why why did that resonate withyou?
Like when your dad brought youdown and you just started
playing, like what what whathooked you there?
SPEAKER_00 (04:41):
Yeah, I mean it's you know it's simple, it was
just how fun it was.
And uh my dad reminds me prettyoften after my first trap race
we traveled to, I think it wasin Salt Lake City.
Um, it was a national racethere.
And uh I mean it's a simplething, but on the on the plane
home, I was just like, Dad, thatwas fun, let's do it again.
(05:02):
And he's like, I always rememberthat moment, and I was like,
Yeah, son, we're gonna do itagain.
And you know, I mean, my my dadand I went like my mom and
sister, my mom kind of stayedhome with my sister, so my dad
was traveling me with me themost.
But we I've never counted, youknow, how many holiday inns we
stayed in around the country andlivestock arenas we race BMX in,
(05:23):
but it's in the hundreds forsure.
Um so it was quite an adventureuh growing up and really special
um to have that that high levelof of focus and you know
community, even though it's anindividual sport.
Um and then you know, BMX wasthe introduction to like the the
(05:46):
racing and the competitive sideof it, and I think that kind of
planted a or really lit a firein me and and kind of built that
competitive competitiveness thateach athlete needs at this
level, um, really young for me.
Um and the counter to that waswas Durango Devo and kind of a
more adventurous side.
SPEAKER_02 (06:05):
Yeah, so I mean, what's unique is right in
Durango, not only do you haveall the trails and all the
outside to ride in and stuff,but Durango Devo and what uh
Chad has created there with theculture and also just a bunch of
off-road athletes living thereand creating careers there.
I mean, you're just like you'reat the epicenter of riding
(06:27):
bikes.
SPEAKER_00 (06:28):
Totally.
I mean, yeah, yeah.
Chad um and and Sarah Tesher,you know, the the co-founders of
Devo, like I often think, uh,especially recently, like the
impact that one person can havein their community and starting
a youth riding program like thatthat has alumni, you know, in um
(06:49):
winning grand tour stages withSep Coos and the Olympics now
twice with Howard and I, and andalso like in the in the in the
industry or coaching kids andall over the world.
And it's just really special uhyeah, what what during Odevo is
and and kind of the the ethosthat it operates on.
SPEAKER_02 (07:05):
Yeah, it's it's um you know, right time, right
place, and and uh you know, yourdad and mom and even your sister
putting in the hours of gettingaround the country.
So it's a really uniquecommunity and situation to allow
you to do what you do.
So it's uh I wanted to likeportray that for people.
Um opportunities that you'vehad.
SPEAKER_00 (07:25):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's uh, you know, I I I like Ithink this, especially
reflecting now on making theOlympic team, it's like it
really is the product of all ofthese people who've influenced
me and um giving meopportunities that I was truly
fortunate to have in right time,right place.
And obviously there's a ton ofwork, but with everything of you
(07:46):
know, achievements of thismagnitude, there's there's
there's a thousand people uh andtiny moments that add up to it.
And uh yeah, I mean it allstarted with with BMX and
Durango Devo.
SPEAKER_02 (07:58):
And just to kind of portray that that development,
because there's there's somethere's some young uh
developmental routers thatlisten to this podcast and stuff
too.
So I mean you went from DurangoDevo to the whole athlete
program, right?
SPEAKER_01 (08:11):
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_02 (08:11):
Yep.
Yep.
And uh from there uh to the OxenHogman Berman crew where you
were racing on the road.
And tell me a little bit, justlike because I saw you racing on
the whole athlete program when Iwas uh directing team uh here in
the United States.
I saw you there for a bit, andthen you know, we didn't see
much of Christopher Blevinsbecause you were racing on the
(08:31):
road so much.
So can you tell us a little bitabout uh what what made you move
from whole athlete to HogsBergman?
SPEAKER_00 (08:39):
Yeah, um well, you know, whole athlete was uh I
think like whole athlete had ahuge impact and on so many
athletes.
And like me, you know, I mean mymy college roommate, um, my best
friend, Anders Johnson, uh, Imet through Whole Athlete.
Um, one of my best friends andyou know, high school
(09:00):
girlfriend, I met there, andthen Haley Batten, who I'm, you
know, uh going to the Olympicswith and teammates with on
Trinity, um, as well as KateCourtney, you know, we all came
through Whole Athlete and thelevel of like I think excellence
and and professionalism thatWhole Athlete had, it was uh was
really unique and a great timefor athletes that wanted to be
(09:23):
serious about the sport, likelearning how to be professional
and and and train really well.
Um, and that was huge, you know,and it was like I said, great
timing for our developmentalstage.
Um, and then you know, I had agood connection with specialized
as a junior since I was racingon the um NCCF specialized
(09:44):
junior routine based out of theBay Area with Larry Nolan,
another fantastic program, andthen whole athlete as well.
So um that specializedconnection along with I guess my
piece race result on the roadhelped me have a have a call
with with Axel Mercks.
And um, you know, I wasn't sureI wanted to race the road,
(10:05):
continue racing the road incollege um in my first couple
years of U-23, but it was uh youknow a dream to race for action
that I had had since I was like13, 14.
And uh Axel allowing me to havethe freedom to race mountain
bikes along with road was was uhtoo good of an opportunity to
pass up.
And I'm really grateful I youknow said yes to to racing on
(10:28):
action because I'm you knowstellar team.
SPEAKER_02 (10:31):
So yeah, yeah, and and I I mean it's it's the
foresight of what Axel has thereis just you know recognizing how
to manage you and and give youthe options because clearly
there's passion for both roadand mountain.
Right now you're on the mountainmission, and uh there'll be more
chapters to come to, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_00 (10:50):
Yeah, and I think you know, I was still like it
was only what three, four yearsago when um when I was first
U23, yeah, four years ago.
But like that was that was stillearly for kind of the cycling
industry to consider theseroadies that also race mountain
bikes or mountain bikers thatalso race road.
And now it like is starting tofeel like the norm or like a
(11:12):
hidden kind of advantage thatcan can hopefully you know help
develop more Matthew Vanderpolesor Tom Pitcock's.
Um so from a strictly trainingperspective, the mountain bike
mixed with the road, mixed withcross, um can can develop you
incredibly well um and be veryversatile both in how you race
(11:36):
and how you respond as anathlete.
Um I think you know Axelrecognized that mountain biking
was not gonna do harm to myroad, even though uh I missed a
few starts.
But yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (11:49):
Yeah, no, that's it.
And that that's thedevelopmental aspect of of the
athlete.
It's like which which bike?
All the bikes.
Yeah.
You definitely do that.
And I think, you know, a nod toyour current team too.
I mean, Trinity Racing.
Um, tell us a little bit moreabout that because they're
they're far reaching too.
I mean, they've got athletes onall disciplines.
SPEAKER_00 (12:08):
Yeah, um, you know, this year with Trinity is kind
of a new, it's it's in some wayslike the inception of a new
team, and it's really exciting,kind of, yeah, like you said,
the far reaches that this teamhas already and how um it'll
continue to grow.
Um, a very solid, you know,young road team with a lot of
(12:28):
good Brits, but um, an Americanwith Luke Lamperdi who just won
pro-crit nats.
And um, for me personally, uh,I'm not sure if I'm gonna race
any road this year, but I I havethe opportunity to do so with
Trinity, which was reallyintriguing.
And then Cyclocross.
Um I'm 99% sure I'm gonna giveit a go at the World Cups and
(12:51):
Cross Worlds this year.
And you know, Trinity offers theexperience and know-how and uh
platform to do that.
So it's yeah, it's an excitingteam to be a part of and uh I
think grow with.
SPEAKER_02 (13:03):
No, I like that a lot.
And you know, it's it'sinteresting to be able to
interview you and have ourlisteners uh hear this like, you
know, how does a rider developwith all the bikes?
Let's just say that, and uh inin perform at such a high level.
So I I guess from the trainingside of things, if we go back to
BMX, can you tell our listenerslike what are the main
(13:24):
differences in like how youprepared for BMX racing versus
cross-country mountain bikeracing?
SPEAKER_00 (13:30):
Yeah, um I think you know, people who aren't cyclists
at all or uh, you know, watchthe Olympics maybe and see
cycling as a discipline andthey're assume that riders could
do both, but that's likethinking uh I mean, essentially
you saying bulk could beat thebest marathon runners, and
that's the difference in BMXfrom a training perspective.
(13:52):
It's like a 30 35-second raceand incredibly chaotic and and
dangerous, um, exciting, but uhyeah, I as a kid I started
lifting weights pretty young,like at 12, and it was all
functional stuff, and then Inever got that big, and that's
kind of why I realized in someways like my body type is is
(14:14):
better suited for the enduranceside of things, and I want to
keep my body you know intact andnot not have like 13 surgeries
by the time I'm 30.
Um exactly.
Um but I was doing a ton ofsprint work, uh goes without
saying, and then a lot of workin the gym, and I know that's
(14:35):
the formula for um all of thethe the elite BMXers.
Um I do think though that theyand this applies to track racing
as well, they are starting torealize the benefit of of
training with volume, eventhough they're sprinters, and uh
go on some road bikes and suitup in the chamois.
Um and uh you know, it just justbuilds a healthy athlete.
SPEAKER_02 (14:59):
Um I was just gonna say, which is really exciting
because it adds in like so muchhealth component to it.
SPEAKER_00 (15:06):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (15:08):
So yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (15:09):
And I yeah, no, I think that you know, maybe that
was that was an advantage to tome in my later years of BMXing,
which I stopped when I was 16,but having a full focus on the
road and mountain, maybe youknow, it was more of in some
ways, it was an advantage than adetriment um to focus on the
endurance side of things.
But it's certainly BMX from askill standpoint um was huge and
(15:34):
foundational.
And then also from a mental sideof things, like when you're
getting ready for a 30-secondBMX race where the first two
seconds determines your wholeseason, really.
Like you gotta be so locked inand have that um resilience.
And you know, I I definitelythink that that has helped me
when it hits the fan for sure inroad racing and stuff.
(15:56):
Um, and working my way throughthe pack.
I learned that all through BMX.
So um it's a great sport for foryoung kids.
It it will lead to it will ifyou if you escape it, you know,
and you and you head to mountainroad.
Uh but and also like I love theBMX world and the community, but
uh it's different.
Yeah, it's for sure.
SPEAKER_02 (16:14):
It's it's way different.
But that's that's kind of mypoint for for listeners who
don't know maybe anything aboutBMX.
It's just like the the metabolicdemands are drastically
different than cross-countrymountain bike racing.
However, those technical skillsand those those you know
high-risk situations, that'stranslatable.
I think that's what I see in youwhen I when I when I watch you
race, it's just like thattechnical proficiency and focus
(16:37):
when shit gets crazy.
Like you got that.
And it's pretty fun to see, youknow.
Um, and so I I have thisquestion on here.
Uh, in in it's what type ofrider would you describe
yourself as like to ourlisteners out there to better
portray like the the type orstyle of riding that you do?
SPEAKER_00 (16:59):
Well, I I mean I'd say um at the risk of sounding
like I'm avoiding the question,maybe like I am an all-arounder.
And uh when even when I was onthe road, like I had a couple
solid TTs.
I was never gonna be a you knowGrantor GC rider, but uh I could
climb up the longer stuff.
Um I was I was the leado guy forour sprinters on action and even
(17:23):
had a couple sprint sprintsmyself.
Um in XEO, you know, I mean XEOis essentially a time trial for
an hour and a half, and youcan't really like, you know,
it's it's it's more you in theterrain than it is you and the
competitors.
But I am really good atstarting.
And if I'm starting fifth row,like I can get myself to the
(17:44):
first or second row um by theend of the start loop, and I
think that's a huge skill.
And that that does, you know,implore the BMX skills of the
punch, the punchiness and theand the um, you know, the tack
to to move through the pack.
Um courses, I think that's agood indication of the type of
rider I am.
And and I like steep, shorterclimb.
(18:07):
So something in the under oneminute range, but fast dry
descents are kind of typical ofgrowing up on the west.
So prefer those over the wet,rooty stuff we see so often in
Europe.
But um, and then if you throw ina couple pump tracks and jumps,
then uh then I'll really beloving it.
But we don't get that all thatoften.
SPEAKER_02 (18:27):
Yep, yeah, yeah, for sure.
And I I say that a lot too interms of uh cross-country mom
bike racing, is it's a technicaltime trial with a hard start.
Yeah, you know.
And if you know, if you'recoming up the ranks like you
have been and you gottanegotiate moving through people,
but I think that's where thatyou know the bike handling
skills and the anaerobictraining that you had early on.
I mean, that's that's showcasingthrough now.
(18:48):
So um, but yeah, that's it'sinteresting to hear uh that
background and as it applies totoday.
But yeah, you're all around hermaking chapters as we go here.
So um uh you know, you mentionedDurango Devo and how influential
it was you know to yourdevelopment, but uh to the
training side of things.
(19:10):
Can you describe like when youmoved from BMX to that Devo
team?
Like what kind of volume wereyou doing?
Was it intervals?
Was it racing?
Was there structure?
Like what did what did uh whatthe heavy doing?
SPEAKER_00 (19:21):
Yeah, um, I mean Devo was famous for like
intervals being like a bad word,and like we were allergic to
intervals, and that's special.
But at the same time, we hadmonthly telegraph time trials,
which is a you know, 15 minutesif you're really fast.
20 minutes uh was really good asa kid.
(19:41):
And uh yeah, 20-minute climb uhin Durango.
And Howard forever had thelongest time, probably still
does.
Uh and everyone was cheering atthe top and built little tunnels
that you'd you know, humantunnels that you'd go through.
And it's like what a cool way toget kids stoked on pedaling hard
and seeing what they're made of,um, without them realizing that
(20:04):
they're training like that.
And then, of course, we'd havelittle town sprint races on the
road bikes and stuff like that.
Um and then should mention alsoweekly short tracks that Chad
designs the courses uh andthey're always just so fun.
Um and then I was in a uniqueposition because I was racing
BMX like so seriously, likeabout 12, right?
(20:26):
I had already had six nationaltitles and um was like a veteran
in the sport at that time, likesix years of traveling and had a
had a routine and like wastraining really hard.
Like uh I don't know what thehours were, but it doesn't fall
too short of what I'm doing now.
Um so Devo was really like nostructure and go ride your bike
(20:50):
with your friends.
Sometimes it'll be hard,sometimes you'll show up and
play foot down in the parkinglot.
Um, and that was really healthy.
Um I don't think I would have,you know, quite gotten to the
point I'm at so quickly.
Uh like for instance, one piecerace when I was 18.
If I didn't have a coach when Iwas 15 and start training a
(21:13):
little more structured, but inthe case of like a Howard Graz
or Sepp Koos, they had thenatural talent and just went on
these crazy long adventurerides.
And then like by the time theywere later in their junior years
or in college, they were like,Yeah, okay, I'll I'll do this
seriously, and um very quickly,you know, went to the very top
(21:34):
of the sport.
So they're rare cases inexceptional athletes, but um,
yeah, the the mix was wasessential for me.
SPEAKER_02 (21:42):
Yeah, and that's and that's kind of the the point
there is like because you cameat it at such a different angle,
uh, so focused and so intense,like early on.
I think you know the pendulumwas in one direction.
And uh Devo made that pendulumswing a little bit more and kind
of gave you that that balance orthat that uh the fun factor you
needed to to balance it all out.
SPEAKER_00 (22:03):
Absolutely.
Yeah, and I think that's atestament to the power of you
know community and training.
And that's it.
Like you can go out and bangyour head against the wall on an
interval day all by yourself.
And there's something special tothat, and there's something
important about that, likelearning to love that if you're
serious about it, and learningto have that kind of intrinsic
(22:25):
inner motivation to meet thatwall and go past it.
But at the same time, like findthe community and the training
partners, whether you call themthat or you're just riding
buddies, that you can go out andhave fun with.
And don't isolate yourself inyour in your training plan uh to
where you don't say yes to a fungroup ride and don't really know
(22:46):
how it's gonna go, but it alwaysturns out great.
So um that's a that's a piece ofadvice I'd have, especially for
young riders, is like leverageyour your community or you know,
seek out the the people aroundyou that are doing the same
thing as you.
SPEAKER_02 (23:00):
That's sage advice.
I couldn't agree more.
Couldn't agree more.
Uh well, I know you startedworking with Jim Miller, and
that's when you know yourstructure probably changed quite
a bit there too.
Um, can you talk about uh whatyou were doing a little bit
before Jim?
And then once you startedworking with him and maybe even
what the experience was goingthrough that transition.
SPEAKER_00 (23:21):
Yeah.
Um I mean, I I'd honestly saythe structure almost went down
in some ways.
Um, and I know you know you'vehad Jim on, and I'm sure he's
talked about like his philosophyof just building the engine and
just going out and you know,like honestly, just busting your
ass.
So like structure, I wasn'taccounting for every minute of
(23:42):
the ride in a specific powerzone, but the work went up for
sure, and the volume went up,um, which I wasn't expecting
because I was choosing to focuson the mountain bike at that
time.
And I was I I thought that uhyou know, I'd be doing hour and
a half rides, like two and ahalf hour rides.
And now those are those arethose are short, short.
(24:03):
Um, so when I had a few fourhour days in a row with like
high endurance, it was like oof,this is this is grueling.
And um I think that Jim'sphilosophy uh really centers
around that engine building.
And uh it takes time, you know.
I mean, building fitness uh yearin, year out, like will continue
(24:26):
to to to stack the pyramidhigher on your form.
And uh I think that's wherewhere I'm where I'm at and where
I'll hopefully continue to seethose gains.
But transition was wasmidseason.
I kind of realized um, you know,I wanted to change and just to
see what I was capable of with ahigher workload.
And I remember before, I sort ofalluded to this just a second
(24:50):
ago, but before AustraliaWorlds, my first year under 23,
like I had a few four-hour days,and I was like, damn, like Jim,
why am I why am I doing this?
And he's like, volume buildfitness.
And I was like, all right.
And then I had one day I went.
If he's if Jim listens to this,he'll probably maybe he'll
remember and laugh about it, butI certainly remembered.
(25:10):
Um, I had a like four-hour rideand I did three hours and 40
minutes, and you know, I thinkthis was after I had asked him
why he had the high volume amonth or so away from world
champs, and uh he says, youknow, 20 minutes short is um an
hour and a half a week, which isyou know, five hours a month,
(25:33):
which is you know, 50 hours umof trading block or something.
And I was like, man, am I likeon this prison sentence of doing
it?
And but like now I'm at a pointwhere a four-hour endurance plus
ride, which is that high leveluh of endurance that you can
just kind of uncomfortable allday, like I I really love those
(25:57):
days, and I'll go out and pickthis epic ride and just bust it
out.
And uh it's funny how yourperspective of that and your
perspective of what's hardchanges the more you really
settle into it.
So took some adjustment, butyeah.
SPEAKER_02 (26:09):
Yeah, you know, that that's it entirely, and it takes
time, but once you have thatfitness, I mean uh when you're
fit, everything's more fun,including those long, sticky,
you know, tempo rides like youlike you're talking about.
But you know, what Jim's comingfrom, and I share a similar uh
mentality with him, but it'slike what he's doing there is
you know, 20 minutes short onone ride, you do that over the
(26:31):
course of seven days, it startsto add up.
You do that over the course ofyou know 31 days, it really adds
up.
And uh I did a podcast withSteven Siler, and he talked
about kind of that long-termapproach to developing an
athlete.
And it's it's not only the longrides, but it's like a bunch of
those long rides strong togetherover time, over time to build
that engine and get that pyramiduh nice and wide so it can go
(26:54):
nice and high.
And it's uh you know, and volumedoes build fitness and then
eventually you know hone it downto get that performance, which
is where we're at right now.
SPEAKER_01 (27:03):
Totally, totally, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (27:06):
Yeah, so it's often just to speak on that, I think.
Yeah, and I'm sure Steven Silerwould say that something along
the lines uh as far as mylimited understanding of his
philosophy, like training is alot more simple than people
often make it.
And you know, you still needincredibly smart people like
yourself and Jim and Steven, youknow, leading the athletes.
(27:28):
But um yeah, you just kind ofgotta put your nose to the
grindstone sometimes, and thenas you get closer to the event,
understand what output you needfor that and and hone it in a
bit closer.
SPEAKER_02 (27:41):
Yeah, and that's it.
And I think not to training issimple in my head.
Human physiology and humanpsychology is complicated.
SPEAKER_00 (27:51):
Very true, very well said, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (27:53):
And getting the athlete to have buy-in and
getting them motivated to do thework, that that's you know,
that's the art of it.
And I when you can do that, whenyou have somebody like Jim or
Steven, that can motivate theathlete in intelligent ways and
sift through the BS that's outthere, because there's a lot of
BS, and I think that's whatmakes the strategy complicated
(28:17):
or deciding on a strategycomplicated.
That most athletes, yeah, theythey they want the you know, the
secret weapon or the the magicpill or something like this, and
it's just a bunch of work.
Good rest and get it done andthen have have some good timing.
SPEAKER_01 (28:33):
Yeah, totally.
SPEAKER_02 (28:35):
Yeah, no, I like that.
I like that.
So um kind of coming back to uhyou know, you alluded to it a
few times, but like when youstarted working with Jim, you
hadn't decided necessarily to golaser focus on the mountain bike
for the Olympics.
When did you make that decision?
SPEAKER_00 (28:53):
It was actually it was pretty early on talking to
Jim, and he was an advocate ofit kind of from the inception,
like of when we started workingtogether.
SPEAKER_02 (29:00):
Um that is like how long ago was this?
SPEAKER_00 (29:03):
Yeah, this was three years ago, I want to say.
Um but like I've told this storya few times in the past month,
but I had a sticky note on mywall freshman year of college,
which was 2016, um, that saidTokyo.
So like I've had this on my myyou know dream since I was a
kid, but past four years Ireally realized like I could do
(29:27):
this, and uh it definitely had alot to do with my decision to
leave action in 2020, 2019,sorry, and um and just focus on
the mount bike.
So it was good timing.
Um and you know, we at that timewe were chasing points to try to
secure two spots and we fell abit short.
(29:48):
But um yeah, Jim and I have hadthis plan and but worked towards
it for three, four years now.
SPEAKER_02 (29:56):
We'll get into that here in just a second, but I
guess uh Since we brought it up,how did it feel when you heard
that you actually made thatspot?
SPEAKER_00 (30:04):
Yeah, it's you know, I mean goes without saying it's
emotional and really special.
Um and I I knew more or lesslike certainty that I had it,
but still like getting theofficial call.
Like I didn't expect to actuallyget the goosebumps and feel it
so strongly, even though I Iknew what I was gonna hear on
the other end of the phone.
(30:25):
Um but yeah, I mean it it's anhonor and uh it's it's the
continuation of the the dreamand that kind of lives in the
process, if that makes sense.
100% makes sense.
SPEAKER_02 (30:37):
Um and you mentioned that 2019 to 2020 um year in the
in the transition.
I mean, we had a little pandemicum get in the way and still kind
of you know, we'll definitelyhang it in there.
Uh how did COVID change thingsfor you?
How did it change your yourtraining?
SPEAKER_00 (30:55):
Yeah, well, you know, 2019 wasn't a great season
for me.
I had high hopes and fell a bitshort.
And uh a lot of it, I won't gotoo deep into this, but I think
throughout that year I realizedlike I a bit more why I wanted
to be a bike racer and um how Iwanted to be a bike racer and
(31:15):
kind of the inner journeythrough that and realizing like,
yeah, you know, I do want thisand I want it my way.
And um it was an important, youknow, year of kind of that
reflection to realize thepurpose and smashing pedals and
pursuing this goal.
Um and I think if I didn't havethat those challenges in 2019
(31:39):
and come out of it with a bit ofa renewed sense of purpose, I I
would have uh not worked as hardas I did in 2020.
Um we're so fortunate ascyclists that throughout the
pandemic it was the best socialdistance activity you could ask
for.
Um I mean, we're so fortunate.
And I was in San Luis Obispo andthese beautiful roads and
(32:01):
busting my ass.
And I planned some, I planned amock grand tour of sorts.
And it wasn't obviously quitethe level of a grand tour, but
it was like close to 30 hoursfor three weeks.
Um and I had I do some creativethings like bring out five guys,
cat ones that are that had freshlegs on one day and and talk
(32:24):
some trash and then let themattack me at the end, and I was
like the one who had to pullback every move.
Um so I mean that was a and thenalso as as a bunch of bros did,
like I went for a ton of KOMsand I'd have one of those N plus
days and have to steal like two20-minute KOMs throughout it,
and it was so cool to realizelike in training, you don't have
(32:48):
to go on the perfect fivepercent grade you know hill and
meet your threshold and stare atyour power number the whole
time.
You can do the same effort umwhen you're kind of chasing a
carrot, whether that's a Stravasegment or um whatever, uh some
friends.
So that's from a trainingperspective how I work through
(33:09):
it.
And then later in the year, Iwent to Europe, had about a
month before the World Cups, um,and won racing there, and to get
my feet under me, and um raninto Tom freaking Pitcock and
you know he showed us a little.
I think uh especially with Tomfor you know listeners who don't
know, I'm sure you know what TomPitcock is at this point.
(33:32):
But after he smashed Nova Mestoand you know and beat all the
elites, I was um like, man,can't you just hand me the U-23
world championships for for realhumans?
But I say that obviously joking.
Um, you know, Tom was by far themost, you know, the most
deserving that you can get.
But yeah, long way of me sayingthe worlds was a big goal in my
(33:53):
mind, and a second place again.
I had one in 2018, but a silvermedal to Tom Pitcock was um was
great.
So uh that kept me motivatedthroughout the whole year
because I had the feeling worldswas gonna happen.
SPEAKER_02 (34:07):
Well, that's yeah, I mean, a lot of athletes have had
to recalibrate over that uh 2020year, and it seems like you
recalibrated pretty well uh toget that.
But to go in a little deeperthere, when you said you the
mock grand tour, what was yoursand gym's, what was the
rationale, what was the goal ofsimulating something like that
(34:31):
to the stresses of the body, tothe mindset?
I mean, why go so big on a yearwhere there's no racing around?
SPEAKER_00 (34:40):
Yeah, well, I mean, on one hand, it's a goal in and
of itself.
And if you make training campstheir own achievement to work
through, it it nicely wraps itup in a little bow, and you're
like, yeah, that that camp thatwe called, you know, uh whatever
you want to call it, put a fancyname to it, make a Google Docs
(35:01):
and like plan your routes andhave your hashtag Kate Epic.
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
Uh I don't have a have one TheBeloved Zero.
SPEAKER_02 (35:10):
I don't I don't know.
SPEAKER_00 (35:11):
Yeah, yeah.
There you go.
I'll use that one next time.
Um but yeah, I had a bunch ofpoint-to-point days where I had
friends pick me up in SantaBarbara, like 120 miles down the
coast, and um really like gotcreative with it.
And when you approach traininglike that and plan it
beforehand, it is a lot more funand you're a little more
(35:31):
motivated.
Um, so that was one rationale.
And then he has coached a lot ofthe world tour guys and saw that
any of the guys that were intheir early 20s who had a world
tour in their legs just got ahuge step up the next year.
Um and by no means did Iactually get a world tour or
grand tour on my legs, uh, but Itried to the best I could.
(35:54):
And uh that level, that loaddidn't necessarily pay off like
in the short term, but I thinkin the long term, continuous
hits like that will start tostack up really well.
SPEAKER_02 (36:06):
Yeah, that that's why I bring it up because it's
there's twofold there.
One is there's a principle oftraining called variability or
variety.
And as a coach, you you need tobe you need to stay creative to
add in variety, to change thingsup, to look at things in
different ways, to stress theathlete in a different way.
And uh, you know, when I heardyou guys doing that, I was like,
(36:29):
oh, that's that's awesome.
That that's a brilliant way todo it, right?
And the, you know, chasing, um,you know, chasing uh King of the
Mountains and getting segmentsand all this kind of stuff,
really motivating way to do thisduring COVID.
And the other thing is, youknow, spot on with the
developmental rider, those whohave more of the opportunity to
um ride and race their bike morein a very in a functionally
(36:53):
overreaching, or I would call itcall it over-training if you
want, but get super tired uhover the course of three weeks.
They come out a changed rider.
You know, you read anything, youinterview athletes, and after
their first grand tour, if theysurvive, if they bounce back and
still want to ride their bike,um, they're a changed rider for
sure.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (37:11):
And uh especially yeah, the one obviously asterisk
to throw in there, which I knowyou I know, you know, uh you
were maybe gonna say this, butis rest after, obviously.
So huge.
Yeah, huge.
I really shut it down for a weekand then rebuilt from there.
Uh, but you can't you can't dothat all the time.
Um, so three weeks is sort ofthe maximum that you can go
(37:33):
though those you know, 30-hourweeks with with intensity.
But uh yeah, gotta rest just ashard as you train.
SPEAKER_02 (37:42):
Yeah, and that's the asterisks, and and you you
alluded to that as well.
It's like you know, the gains inthe short term may have not
been, you know, as as uh clear,but in the long term, uh they
will be, and that's just it.
And I'm not advocating reallyanybody to do this on their own.
Like if they listen to this,like, don't do that on your own.
Like, make sure you got somebodyuh overlooking your shoulder and
(38:02):
giving you some guidance.
But it's a very uh veryeffective way if you have all
the tools in place to to reallymake an overload.
Well, before we before we wrapthis up, I know uh balance
balance is an interesting onefor athletes, uh, and you seem
to find it off the bike.
Um tell me more about, I mean,you're done with school now, but
(38:23):
you have a huge music componentto what you do and uh some rap
and some poetry.
Tell tell us more about that.
SPEAKER_00 (38:30):
Yeah.
Well, you know, it's um it's asimple, you know, outlet and
form of expression that's sodifferent than being an athlete
and such a good balance.
Um, I actually recently wrote alittle blog for for a friend um
in his his group, he's got umabout that kind of poetic art in
(38:50):
the poet poet poetry process,excuse me, poetic process, um,
and how for so long I've thoughtof it as something that's so
different than cycling that itbalances things out.
But in a lot of ways, I thinkthat the art of poetry and the
process of poetry and you know,digging into your depth and
figuring out what you're made ofapplies just the same to being
(39:12):
an athlete.
And you know, there's a lot ofroom as an athlete to have a
poetic heart and artistic mind.
Uh so you know, there's a lot ofathletes with with uh kind of
quirks or or hobbies that theythey have running parallel to
cycling, and it's it's hugelyimportant to keep those other
sides of us alive.
Um and that was also everythingto do with why I picked to go to
(39:35):
Cal Poly instead of uh a cyclingschool.
And I wanted friends that didn'tknow the sport and uh who I
could relate to outside of thebike, and uh that was huge.
So the balance in perspective isthe most important thing.
I think the balance in doingeverything at once is is less
important.
You know, I've realized I thinkthrough the past couple years of
(39:56):
of uh occasional scatterednessand running around like a
chicken with my head cut off,that um sometimes you only need
to do one thing and only need tofocus on Tokyo or your job or
whatever, whatever have you.
Um, but keeping the balancedperspective is more important
than than a balance of action ina lot of ways.
So um understanding you know,you know, what else there is out
(40:20):
there and and where it sits inthe world and in your world is
crucial.
Um and and music and poetry isis the opportunity to to reflect
on that for me.
And um, yeah, I've got my miniguitar here and I'm terrible at
it.
But I I brought that in my bikecase to Europe and I'm trying to
get better.
SPEAKER_01 (40:38):
So nice, nice.
SPEAKER_02 (40:40):
Yeah, I I think uh again, balance is such an
interesting one, and I I'm I'mglad you mentioned it because
like we get out of balance alot, and we we but balance to me
almost like doesn't exist,right?
We the because life it's azoomed out time period when
we're talking about balance,right?
And there's these time periodswhere you're just severely out
of balance, and then you swingback the other way to find this
(41:02):
other balance in order tobalance it all out to where you
want to go in the end.
And so it's interesting likethat.
And I was listening to a podcastwhere you mentioned uh, you
know, the rap and the music andthe and the poetry um being so
separate from the bike, and Iwas like, man, Christopher, I
think it's I think it's realsimilar, right?
But it's like a different mode,right?
(41:23):
The creativity and the and theflow states that occur in both.
It's like very similar.
SPEAKER_00 (41:28):
Totally.
And I honestly just recently hadthat had that realization.
So interesting.
SPEAKER_02 (41:34):
Interesting.
SPEAKER_01 (41:35):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (41:36):
Um and I understand that you that you have or or do
work with uh some kids at ajuvenile hall in your Durango,
um, kind of working on some ofthis poetry and stuff.
SPEAKER_00 (41:47):
Yeah, in San Luis Obispo, actually.
Um started this, okay.
Yeah, yeah.
I was uh sociology mitor incollege, and that's kind of how
I um became passionate about,you know, uh the human side of
criminal justice and and and youknow um had the opportunity to
volunteer with this greatorganization and and help run a
(42:08):
creative writing program there.
More more often than than not,we just sit and play cards with
the kids.
And I haven't I went a coupletimes this past year, once it
reopened with COVID, um, buthaven't been able to have the
consistency that's that's reallyimportant to to build those
relationships.
Um but you know, this is anexample of choosing something
(42:31):
that will widen perspective andchoosing something that's
important for you know adevelopment that has nothing to
do with on the bike stuff and umthe development of of hum
humanity and what my ownhumanity and how I want to
relate to people.
So um it's a simple thing andit's it's one hour a week um
when I'm available to go in andum talk to kids who who may not
(42:55):
have people believing in them.
Um and and just yeah, you know,give them the time of day to
play cards with them and and uhand be a resource, you know, if
they if they want to talk to youabout stuff.
So um I'm also helping a uh withan a couple employees from
specialize, not affiliated withwith the company, but um we're
running a program at an adultprison in in uh Salinas Valley.
(43:19):
Um and there's just there's thisgroup, it's a maximum security
prison, and there's a a groupthat has organized to reach out
to at-risk youth and uh try totell them their stories and have
an impact from behind the bars.
Um so they lead seminars on youknow mistakes they made and and
(43:40):
development and how they canchange the paradigms we have.
So um I write letters with a lotof inmates and have learned so
much about you know, about somuch.
So that's been huge.
And I'd love to continue to tobuild those pathways and explore
that, which uh, you know, isobviously a world away from from
(44:02):
the bike stuff, but uh hugelyimportant to me.
SPEAKER_02 (44:06):
Yeah, that is that is so rad.
Uh I I didn't know that aboutyou uh just before this this
podcast.
So that's really cool.
Uh keep that going.
That kind of inspires me to uhget off this microphone or get
off the the phone or from a uhout from a bike race and go do
something something differentand get back.
SPEAKER_01 (44:25):
So well thanks.
It's cool, appreciate it.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (44:29):
Yeah, yeah.
Man, well, we we covered wecovered a ton today,
Christopher.
And this is uh this is awonderful conversation.
You're a fascinating humanbeing, and I want to thank you
again for taking your time to beon the show.
I know you got big things goingon, so um, we'll put a pin in it
here just at the top of thehour.
But uh, my last question to youis um because like I said, we do
(44:51):
have a lot of juniors listeningto this uh podcast, and we also
have uh people chasing theirgoals.
So if you could give any adviceto the young athletes, writers,
musicians, or anyone pursuingtheir big dream, what would you
tell them?
SPEAKER_00 (45:04):
Yeah, um I mean I I I kind of I feel like I to go
back to what I said earlierabout two things, two things
that are sort of different, sortof related.
Um, one of them is community andyou know share the the what
you're going through with othersand and live in that kind of
(45:25):
gift that you're doing together,whether it's riding your bike or
um making music or whatever.
But I think there's there's alot of power in connection, and
there's a lot of power toopening to other people and
involving them in your process.
And like I've started the showwith, I'm I'm the product of so
many people who help, you know,provide me opportunities to get
here and provide me love alongthe way.
(45:48):
And uh, you know, lean intothose, be a resource for other
people around you, and uh justgo shred with your friends, you
know.
And then other side of it, morepersonal, is is slow down and
take the time to to reflect andto examine your why.
And it doesn't have to always besome some big kind of like
foundational, you know, deepphilosophical examination of of
(46:13):
why you're doing something.
Sometimes it's super simple andyou're you're you're doing this
because you want that.
But you know, know your ownreason, external of other
motivations and um otherachievements, you could, you
could, you could get out there.
Um and and you know, peoplepeople know what I'm talking
about here, but so often we weforget to slow down and we we
(46:37):
don't think there's more to lifethan than just increasing it in
speed.
And you know, we all need thatreminder, especially now.
So uh I know I do, but um I dotoo.
Yeah, yeah.
But keep that alive in thesport, you know, keep that that
feeling of why you got into itand uh what you want to be as an
athlete or or whatever it is,um, keep that alive.
SPEAKER_02 (47:02):
Thanks for joining us on the Time Crunch Cyclist
Podcast.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
If you want even more actionabletraining advice, head over to
trainwright.com backslashnewsletter and subscribe to our
free weekly publication.
Each week you'll get in depthtraining content that goes
beyond what we cover here on thepodcast that'll help you take
(47:22):
your training to the next level.
That's all for now.
Until next time, train hard,train smart.
For the team at CTS, this is the Time Crunch Cyclist
Podcast, our show dedicated toanswering your training
questions and providingactionable advice to help you
improve your performance, evenif you're strapped for time.
I'm your host, Coach AdamPulford, and I'm one of the over
50 professional coaches to makeup the team at CTS.
(00:27):
In each episode, I draw on ourteam's collective knowledge,
other coaches, and experts inthe field to provide you with
the practical ways to get themost out of your training and
ultimately become the bestcyclist that you can be.
Now, on to our show.
(00:48):
Christopher Blevins has been arising star in the sport of
cycling for many years, and he'snow a star shining brightly on
the world stage.
In 2025, he won nine World Cupraces and was the UCI men's
cross country series overallchampion, scoring over three
hundred more points than hissecond place competitor.
He's been a dominant force inshort track for several years
(01:11):
now, and now he's showing he'sgot the goods for the 90 minute
stuff as well.
As a fellow American, mountainbiker, and overall fanboy, I am
stoked to see Christopher at thetop.
I interviewed him a few yearsago leading into the Tokyo
Games.
And there was so much wisdom inthat episode from such a young
(01:31):
athlete.
I wanted you, our audience, tohear that message again, or
perhaps for the first time ifyou've joined us recently.
Originally I was going to reachback out to Christopher and see
if him and his coach Jim Millerwant to come back on the
podcast.
But I think there's some beautyin listening to Christopher from
four years ago to tell hisorigin story about how BMX
(01:54):
racing set the groundwork forhigher level cycle cross, road,
and eventually cross-countrymountain bike racing.
And how his love of creatingmusic is not only a balance to
all of the racing, but a similarchannel of flow that can unlock
aspects in all of us for joy andhappiness.
The original interview was overan hour long, and please feel
(02:17):
free to go back and listen tothe full thing.
It was season two, episodesixty.
But for today, I've shortenedthings down a bit to focus on
his story, some training tips Ithink can apply to everyone
listening, and of course,Christopher's advice in life.
So sit back and enjoy myinterview with the newly crowned
(02:37):
cross-country World Seriesoverall champ, Christopher
Blevins.
So some of the quick overviewhere, like I said in the intro,
is uh I want to learn more aboutyou, Christopher, and I want our
listeners to to learn more too,because there's more than just
like bikes and and bunny hopsand stuff going on here.
So uh could you tell ourlisteners a bit more about
(02:58):
yourself, where you're from, andman, how you got into where
you're at?
SPEAKER_00 (03:01):
Yeah, um, of course, I'm from Durango, Colorado.
Um very proud of being fromDurango because it's such a
special community, and you know,I'm I'm the product of a number
of like incredible youth cyclinggroups, and chief among them is
Durango Devo.
Um but I started not on themountain bike, I started with
(03:22):
BMX when I was five.
Um there's an ad in the localpaper, and my dad took me to the
BMX track, and you know, BMXtracks are kind of just you know
total playgrounds for kidsgrowing up, and that's why
there's so many young kids thatare that are BMXers racing
nationally all over the country,and that was one of them.
Um, and that was my introductionto to the bike and racing at a
(03:44):
high level.
Um and uh yeah, I was reallyserious with BMX all through
elementary school years, andsomewhere along the way,
mountain biking and and roadwere added to the mix, and then
those two became the the thesole focus and um went to Cal
Poly uh in San Luis Obispo forcollege, actually graduated
(04:05):
officially just a couple weeksago.
Um congratulations.
Thank you.
Yeah, it's weird with you knowjust closing your computer and
calling that the end of college,but yeah, uh such are the times.
Um but yeah, uh now I'm you knowit's it's new chapter.
Um I guess sole focus right nowis the Olympics, and and uh
(04:26):
after that I'm a college gradand we'll see where to go.
SPEAKER_02 (04:29):
But um Yeah, exactly.
More chapters after that.
Tell me, tell me a bit more likeuh like BMX.
Why why did that resonate withyou?
Like when your dad brought youdown and you just started
playing, like what what whathooked you there?
SPEAKER_00 (04:41):
Yeah, I mean it's you know it's simple, it was
just how fun it was.
And uh my dad reminds me prettyoften after my first trap race
we traveled to, I think it wasin Salt Lake City.
Um, it was a national racethere.
And uh I mean it's a simplething, but on the on the plane
home, I was just like, Dad, thatwas fun, let's do it again.
(05:02):
And he's like, I always rememberthat moment, and I was like,
Yeah, son, we're gonna do itagain.
And you know, I mean, my my dadand I went like my mom and
sister, my mom kind of stayedhome with my sister, so my dad
was traveling me with me themost.
But we I've never counted, youknow, how many holiday inns we
stayed in around the country andlivestock arenas we race BMX in,
(05:23):
but it's in the hundreds forsure.
Um so it was quite an adventureuh growing up and really special
um to have that that high levelof of focus and you know
community, even though it's anindividual sport.
Um and then you know, BMX wasthe introduction to like the the
(05:46):
racing and the competitive sideof it, and I think that kind of
planted a or really lit a firein me and and kind of built that
competitive competitiveness thateach athlete needs at this
level, um, really young for me.
Um and the counter to that waswas Durango Devo and kind of a
more adventurous side.
SPEAKER_02 (06:05):
Yeah, so I mean, what's unique is right in
Durango, not only do you haveall the trails and all the
outside to ride in and stuff,but Durango Devo and what uh
Chad has created there with theculture and also just a bunch of
off-road athletes living thereand creating careers there.
I mean, you're just like you'reat the epicenter of riding
(06:27):
bikes.
SPEAKER_00 (06:28):
Totally.
I mean, yeah, yeah.
Chad um and and Sarah Tesher,you know, the the co-founders of
Devo, like I often think, uh,especially recently, like the
impact that one person can havein their community and starting
a youth riding program like thatthat has alumni, you know, in um
(06:49):
winning grand tour stages withSep Coos and the Olympics now
twice with Howard and I, and andalso like in the in the in the
industry or coaching kids andall over the world.
And it's just really special uhyeah, what what during Odevo is
and and kind of the the ethosthat it operates on.
SPEAKER_02 (07:05):
Yeah, it's it's um you know, right time, right
place, and and uh you know, yourdad and mom and even your sister
putting in the hours of gettingaround the country.
So it's a really uniquecommunity and situation to allow
you to do what you do.
So it's uh I wanted to likeportray that for people.
Um opportunities that you'vehad.
SPEAKER_00 (07:25):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's uh, you know, I I I like Ithink this, especially
reflecting now on making theOlympic team, it's like it
really is the product of all ofthese people who've influenced
me and um giving meopportunities that I was truly
fortunate to have in right time,right place.
And obviously there's a ton ofwork, but with everything of you
(07:46):
know, achievements of thismagnitude, there's there's
there's a thousand people uh andtiny moments that add up to it.
And uh yeah, I mean it allstarted with with BMX and
Durango Devo.
SPEAKER_02 (07:58):
And just to kind of portray that that development,
because there's there's somethere's some young uh
developmental routers thatlisten to this podcast and stuff
too.
So I mean you went from DurangoDevo to the whole athlete
program, right?
SPEAKER_01 (08:11):
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_02 (08:11):
Yep.
Yep.
And uh from there uh to the OxenHogman Berman crew where you
were racing on the road.
And tell me a little bit, justlike because I saw you racing on
the whole athlete program when Iwas uh directing team uh here in
the United States.
I saw you there for a bit, andthen you know, we didn't see
much of Christopher Blevinsbecause you were racing on the
(08:31):
road so much.
So can you tell us a little bitabout uh what what made you move
from whole athlete to HogsBergman?
SPEAKER_00 (08:39):
Yeah, um well, you know, whole athlete was uh I
think like whole athlete had ahuge impact and on so many
athletes.
And like me, you know, I mean mymy college roommate, um, my best
friend, Anders Johnson, uh, Imet through Whole Athlete.
Um, one of my best friends andyou know, high school
(09:00):
girlfriend, I met there, andthen Haley Batten, who I'm, you
know, uh going to the Olympicswith and teammates with on
Trinity, um, as well as KateCourtney, you know, we all came
through Whole Athlete and thelevel of like I think excellence
and and professionalism thatWhole Athlete had, it was uh was
really unique and a great timefor athletes that wanted to be
(09:23):
serious about the sport, likelearning how to be professional
and and and train really well.
Um, and that was huge, you know,and it was like I said, great
timing for our developmentalstage.
Um, and then you know, I had agood connection with specialized
as a junior since I was racingon the um NCCF specialized
(09:44):
junior routine based out of theBay Area with Larry Nolan,
another fantastic program, andthen whole athlete as well.
So um that specializedconnection along with I guess my
piece race result on the roadhelped me have a have a call
with with Axel Mercks.
And um, you know, I wasn't sureI wanted to race the road,
(10:05):
continue racing the road incollege um in my first couple
years of U-23, but it was uh youknow a dream to race for action
that I had had since I was like13, 14.
And uh Axel allowing me to havethe freedom to race mountain
bikes along with road was was uhtoo good of an opportunity to
pass up.
And I'm really grateful I youknow said yes to to racing on
(10:28):
action because I'm you knowstellar team.
SPEAKER_02 (10:31):
So yeah, yeah, and and I I mean it's it's the
foresight of what Axel has thereis just you know recognizing how
to manage you and and give youthe options because clearly
there's passion for both roadand mountain.
Right now you're on the mountainmission, and uh there'll be more
chapters to come to, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_00 (10:50):
Yeah, and I think you know, I was still like it
was only what three, four yearsago when um when I was first
U23, yeah, four years ago.
But like that was that was stillearly for kind of the cycling
industry to consider theseroadies that also race mountain
bikes or mountain bikers thatalso race road.
And now it like is starting tofeel like the norm or like a
(11:12):
hidden kind of advantage thatcan can hopefully you know help
develop more Matthew Vanderpolesor Tom Pitcock's.
Um so from a strictly trainingperspective, the mountain bike
mixed with the road, mixed withcross, um can can develop you
incredibly well um and be veryversatile both in how you race
(11:36):
and how you respond as anathlete.
Um I think you know Axelrecognized that mountain biking
was not gonna do harm to myroad, even though uh I missed a
few starts.
But yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (11:49):
Yeah, no, that's it.
And that that's thedevelopmental aspect of of the
athlete.
It's like which which bike?
All the bikes.
Yeah.
You definitely do that.
And I think, you know, a nod toyour current team too.
I mean, Trinity Racing.
Um, tell us a little bit moreabout that because they're
they're far reaching too.
I mean, they've got athletes onall disciplines.
SPEAKER_00 (12:08):
Yeah, um, you know, this year with Trinity is kind
of a new, it's it's in some wayslike the inception of a new
team, and it's really exciting,kind of, yeah, like you said,
the far reaches that this teamhas already and how um it'll
continue to grow.
Um, a very solid, you know,young road team with a lot of
(12:28):
good Brits, but um, an Americanwith Luke Lamperdi who just won
pro-crit nats.
And um, for me personally, uh,I'm not sure if I'm gonna race
any road this year, but I I havethe opportunity to do so with
Trinity, which was reallyintriguing.
And then Cyclocross.
Um I'm 99% sure I'm gonna giveit a go at the World Cups and
(12:51):
Cross Worlds this year.
And you know, Trinity offers theexperience and know-how and uh
platform to do that.
So it's yeah, it's an excitingteam to be a part of and uh I
think grow with.
SPEAKER_02 (13:03):
No, I like that a lot.
And you know, it's it'sinteresting to be able to
interview you and have ourlisteners uh hear this like, you
know, how does a rider developwith all the bikes?
Let's just say that, and uh inin perform at such a high level.
So I I guess from the trainingside of things, if we go back to
BMX, can you tell our listenerslike what are the main
(13:24):
differences in like how youprepared for BMX racing versus
cross-country mountain bikeracing?
SPEAKER_00 (13:30):
Yeah, um I think you know, people who aren't cyclists
at all or uh, you know, watchthe Olympics maybe and see
cycling as a discipline andthey're assume that riders could
do both, but that's likethinking uh I mean, essentially
you saying bulk could beat thebest marathon runners, and
that's the difference in BMXfrom a training perspective.
(13:52):
It's like a 30 35-second raceand incredibly chaotic and and
dangerous, um, exciting, but uhyeah, I as a kid I started
lifting weights pretty young,like at 12, and it was all
functional stuff, and then Inever got that big, and that's
kind of why I realized in someways like my body type is is
(14:14):
better suited for the enduranceside of things, and I want to
keep my body you know intact andnot not have like 13 surgeries
by the time I'm 30.
Um exactly.
Um but I was doing a ton ofsprint work, uh goes without
saying, and then a lot of workin the gym, and I know that's
(14:35):
the formula for um all of thethe the elite BMXers.
Um I do think though that theyand this applies to track racing
as well, they are starting torealize the benefit of of
training with volume, eventhough they're sprinters, and uh
go on some road bikes and suitup in the chamois.
Um and uh you know, it just justbuilds a healthy athlete.
SPEAKER_02 (14:59):
Um I was just gonna say, which is really exciting
because it adds in like so muchhealth component to it.
SPEAKER_00 (15:06):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (15:08):
So yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (15:09):
And I yeah, no, I think that you know, maybe that
was that was an advantage to tome in my later years of BMXing,
which I stopped when I was 16,but having a full focus on the
road and mountain, maybe youknow, it was more of in some
ways, it was an advantage than adetriment um to focus on the
endurance side of things.
But it's certainly BMX from askill standpoint um was huge and
(15:34):
foundational.
And then also from a mental sideof things, like when you're
getting ready for a 30-secondBMX race where the first two
seconds determines your wholeseason, really.
Like you gotta be so locked inand have that um resilience.
And you know, I I definitelythink that that has helped me
when it hits the fan for sure inroad racing and stuff.
(15:56):
Um, and working my way throughthe pack.
I learned that all through BMX.
So um it's a great sport for foryoung kids.
It it will lead to it will ifyou if you escape it, you know,
and you and you head to mountainroad.
Uh but and also like I love theBMX world and the community, but
uh it's different.
Yeah, it's for sure.
SPEAKER_02 (16:14):
It's it's way different.
But that's that's kind of mypoint for for listeners who
don't know maybe anything aboutBMX.
It's just like the the metabolicdemands are drastically
different than cross-countrymountain bike racing.
However, those technical skillsand those those you know
high-risk situations, that'stranslatable.
I think that's what I see in youwhen I when I when I watch you
race, it's just like thattechnical proficiency and focus
(16:37):
when shit gets crazy.
Like you got that.
And it's pretty fun to see, youknow.
Um, and so I I have thisquestion on here.
Uh, in in it's what type ofrider would you describe
yourself as like to ourlisteners out there to better
portray like the the type orstyle of riding that you do?
SPEAKER_00 (16:59):
Well, I I mean I'd say um at the risk of sounding
like I'm avoiding the question,maybe like I am an all-arounder.
And uh when even when I was onthe road, like I had a couple
solid TTs.
I was never gonna be a you knowGrantor GC rider, but uh I could
climb up the longer stuff.
Um I was I was the leado guy forour sprinters on action and even
(17:23):
had a couple sprint sprintsmyself.
Um in XEO, you know, I mean XEOis essentially a time trial for
an hour and a half, and youcan't really like, you know,
it's it's it's more you in theterrain than it is you and the
competitors.
But I am really good atstarting.
And if I'm starting fifth row,like I can get myself to the
(17:44):
first or second row um by theend of the start loop, and I
think that's a huge skill.
And that that does, you know,implore the BMX skills of the
punch, the punchiness and theand the um, you know, the tack
to to move through the pack.
Um courses, I think that's agood indication of the type of
rider I am.
And and I like steep, shorterclimb.
(18:07):
So something in the under oneminute range, but fast dry
descents are kind of typical ofgrowing up on the west.
So prefer those over the wet,rooty stuff we see so often in
Europe.
But um, and then if you throw ina couple pump tracks and jumps,
then uh then I'll really beloving it.
But we don't get that all thatoften.
SPEAKER_02 (18:27):
Yep, yeah, yeah, for sure.
And I I say that a lot too interms of uh cross-country mom
bike racing, is it's a technicaltime trial with a hard start.
Yeah, you know.
And if you know, if you'recoming up the ranks like you
have been and you gottanegotiate moving through people,
but I think that's where thatyou know the bike handling
skills and the anaerobictraining that you had early on.
I mean, that's that's showcasingthrough now.
(18:48):
So um, but yeah, that's it'sinteresting to hear uh that
background and as it applies totoday.
But yeah, you're all around hermaking chapters as we go here.
So um uh you know, you mentionedDurango Devo and how influential
it was you know to yourdevelopment, but uh to the
training side of things.
(19:10):
Can you describe like when youmoved from BMX to that Devo
team?
Like what kind of volume wereyou doing?
Was it intervals?
Was it racing?
Was there structure?
Like what did what did uh whatthe heavy doing?
SPEAKER_00 (19:21):
Yeah, um, I mean Devo was famous for like
intervals being like a bad word,and like we were allergic to
intervals, and that's special.
But at the same time, we hadmonthly telegraph time trials,
which is a you know, 15 minutesif you're really fast.
20 minutes uh was really good asa kid.
(19:41):
And uh yeah, 20-minute climb uhin Durango.
And Howard forever had thelongest time, probably still
does.
Uh and everyone was cheering atthe top and built little tunnels
that you'd you know, humantunnels that you'd go through.
And it's like what a cool way toget kids stoked on pedaling hard
and seeing what they're made of,um, without them realizing that
(20:04):
they're training like that.
And then, of course, we'd havelittle town sprint races on the
road bikes and stuff like that.
Um and then should mention alsoweekly short tracks that Chad
designs the courses uh andthey're always just so fun.
Um and then I was in a uniqueposition because I was racing
BMX like so seriously, likeabout 12, right?
(20:26):
I had already had six nationaltitles and um was like a veteran
in the sport at that time, likesix years of traveling and had a
had a routine and like wastraining really hard.
Like uh I don't know what thehours were, but it doesn't fall
too short of what I'm doing now.
Um so Devo was really like nostructure and go ride your bike
(20:50):
with your friends.
Sometimes it'll be hard,sometimes you'll show up and
play foot down in the parkinglot.
Um, and that was really healthy.
Um I don't think I would have,you know, quite gotten to the
point I'm at so quickly.
Uh like for instance, one piecerace when I was 18.
If I didn't have a coach when Iwas 15 and start training a
(21:13):
little more structured, but inthe case of like a Howard Graz
or Sepp Koos, they had thenatural talent and just went on
these crazy long adventurerides.
And then like by the time theywere later in their junior years
or in college, they were like,Yeah, okay, I'll I'll do this
seriously, and um very quickly,you know, went to the very top
(21:34):
of the sport.
So they're rare cases inexceptional athletes, but um,
yeah, the the mix was wasessential for me.
SPEAKER_02 (21:42):
Yeah, and that's and that's kind of the the point
there is like because you cameat it at such a different angle,
uh, so focused and so intense,like early on.
I think you know the pendulumwas in one direction.
And uh Devo made that pendulumswing a little bit more and kind
of gave you that that balance orthat that uh the fun factor you
needed to to balance it all out.
SPEAKER_00 (22:03):
Absolutely.
Yeah, and I think that's atestament to the power of you
know community and training.
And that's it.
Like you can go out and bangyour head against the wall on an
interval day all by yourself.
And there's something special tothat, and there's something
important about that, likelearning to love that if you're
serious about it, and learningto have that kind of intrinsic
(22:25):
inner motivation to meet thatwall and go past it.
But at the same time, like findthe community and the training
partners, whether you call themthat or you're just riding
buddies, that you can go out andhave fun with.
And don't isolate yourself inyour in your training plan uh to
where you don't say yes to a fungroup ride and don't really know
(22:46):
how it's gonna go, but it alwaysturns out great.
So um that's a that's a piece ofadvice I'd have, especially for
young riders, is like leverageyour your community or you know,
seek out the the people aroundyou that are doing the same
thing as you.
SPEAKER_02 (23:00):
That's sage advice.
I couldn't agree more.
Couldn't agree more.
Uh well, I know you startedworking with Jim Miller, and
that's when you know yourstructure probably changed quite
a bit there too.
Um, can you talk about uh whatyou were doing a little bit
before Jim?
And then once you startedworking with him and maybe even
what the experience was goingthrough that transition.
SPEAKER_00 (23:21):
Yeah.
Um I mean, I I'd honestly saythe structure almost went down
in some ways.
Um, and I know you know you'vehad Jim on, and I'm sure he's
talked about like his philosophyof just building the engine and
just going out and you know,like honestly, just busting your
ass.
So like structure, I wasn'taccounting for every minute of
(23:42):
the ride in a specific powerzone, but the work went up for
sure, and the volume went up,um, which I wasn't expecting
because I was choosing to focuson the mountain bike at that
time.
And I was I I thought that uhyou know, I'd be doing hour and
a half rides, like two and ahalf hour rides.
And now those are those arethose are short, short.
(24:03):
Um, so when I had a few fourhour days in a row with like
high endurance, it was like oof,this is this is grueling.
And um I think that Jim'sphilosophy uh really centers
around that engine building.
And uh it takes time, you know.
I mean, building fitness uh yearin, year out, like will continue
(24:26):
to to to stack the pyramidhigher on your form.
And uh I think that's wherewhere I'm where I'm at and where
I'll hopefully continue to seethose gains.
But transition was wasmidseason.
I kind of realized um, you know,I wanted to change and just to
see what I was capable of with ahigher workload.
And I remember before, I sort ofalluded to this just a second
(24:50):
ago, but before AustraliaWorlds, my first year under 23,
like I had a few four-hour days,and I was like, damn, like Jim,
why am I why am I doing this?
And he's like, volume buildfitness.
And I was like, all right.
And then I had one day I went.
If he's if Jim listens to this,he'll probably maybe he'll
remember and laugh about it, butI certainly remembered.
(25:10):
Um, I had a like four-hour rideand I did three hours and 40
minutes, and you know, I thinkthis was after I had asked him
why he had the high volume amonth or so away from world
champs, and uh he says, youknow, 20 minutes short is um an
hour and a half a week, which isyou know, five hours a month,
(25:33):
which is you know, 50 hours umof trading block or something.
And I was like, man, am I likeon this prison sentence of doing
it?
And but like now I'm at a pointwhere a four-hour endurance plus
ride, which is that high leveluh of endurance that you can
just kind of uncomfortable allday, like I I really love those
(25:57):
days, and I'll go out and pickthis epic ride and just bust it
out.
And uh it's funny how yourperspective of that and your
perspective of what's hardchanges the more you really
settle into it.
So took some adjustment, butyeah.
SPEAKER_02 (26:09):
Yeah, you know, that that's it entirely, and it takes
time, but once you have thatfitness, I mean uh when you're
fit, everything's more fun,including those long, sticky,
you know, tempo rides like youlike you're talking about.
But you know, what Jim's comingfrom, and I share a similar uh
mentality with him, but it'slike what he's doing there is
you know, 20 minutes short onone ride, you do that over the
(26:31):
course of seven days, it startsto add up.
You do that over the course ofyou know 31 days, it really adds
up.
And uh I did a podcast withSteven Siler, and he talked
about kind of that long-termapproach to developing an
athlete.
And it's it's not only the longrides, but it's like a bunch of
those long rides strong togetherover time, over time to build
that engine and get that pyramiduh nice and wide so it can go
(26:54):
nice and high.
And it's uh you know, and volumedoes build fitness and then
eventually you know hone it downto get that performance, which
is where we're at right now.
SPEAKER_01 (27:03):
Totally, totally, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (27:06):
Yeah, so it's often just to speak on that, I think.
Yeah, and I'm sure Steven Silerwould say that something along
the lines uh as far as mylimited understanding of his
philosophy, like training is alot more simple than people
often make it.
And you know, you still needincredibly smart people like
yourself and Jim and Steven, youknow, leading the athletes.
(27:28):
But um yeah, you just kind ofgotta put your nose to the
grindstone sometimes, and thenas you get closer to the event,
understand what output you needfor that and and hone it in a
bit closer.
SPEAKER_02 (27:41):
Yeah, and that's it.
And I think not to training issimple in my head.
Human physiology and humanpsychology is complicated.
SPEAKER_00 (27:51):
Very true, very well said, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (27:53):
And getting the athlete to have buy-in and
getting them motivated to do thework, that that's you know,
that's the art of it.
And I when you can do that, whenyou have somebody like Jim or
Steven, that can motivate theathlete in intelligent ways and
sift through the BS that's outthere, because there's a lot of
BS, and I think that's whatmakes the strategy complicated
(28:17):
or deciding on a strategycomplicated.
That most athletes, yeah, theythey they want the you know, the
secret weapon or the the magicpill or something like this, and
it's just a bunch of work.
Good rest and get it done andthen have have some good timing.
SPEAKER_01 (28:33):
Yeah, totally.
SPEAKER_02 (28:35):
Yeah, no, I like that.
I like that.
So um kind of coming back to uhyou know, you alluded to it a
few times, but like when youstarted working with Jim, you
hadn't decided necessarily to golaser focus on the mountain bike
for the Olympics.
When did you make that decision?
SPEAKER_00 (28:53):
It was actually it was pretty early on talking to
Jim, and he was an advocate ofit kind of from the inception,
like of when we started workingtogether.
SPEAKER_02 (29:00):
Um that is like how long ago was this?
SPEAKER_00 (29:03):
Yeah, this was three years ago, I want to say.
Um but like I've told this storya few times in the past month,
but I had a sticky note on mywall freshman year of college,
which was 2016, um, that saidTokyo.
So like I've had this on my myyou know dream since I was a
kid, but past four years Ireally realized like I could do
(29:27):
this, and uh it definitely had alot to do with my decision to
leave action in 2020, 2019,sorry, and um and just focus on
the mount bike.
So it was good timing.
Um and you know, we at that timewe were chasing points to try to
secure two spots and we fell abit short.
(29:48):
But um yeah, Jim and I have hadthis plan and but worked towards
it for three, four years now.
SPEAKER_02 (29:56):
We'll get into that here in just a second, but I
guess uh Since we brought it up,how did it feel when you heard
that you actually made thatspot?
SPEAKER_00 (30:04):
Yeah, it's you know, I mean goes without saying it's
emotional and really special.
Um and I I knew more or lesslike certainty that I had it,
but still like getting theofficial call.
Like I didn't expect to actuallyget the goosebumps and feel it
so strongly, even though I Iknew what I was gonna hear on
the other end of the phone.
(30:25):
Um but yeah, I mean it it's anhonor and uh it's it's the
continuation of the the dreamand that kind of lives in the
process, if that makes sense.
100% makes sense.
SPEAKER_02 (30:37):
Um and you mentioned that 2019 to 2020 um year in the
in the transition.
I mean, we had a little pandemicum get in the way and still kind
of you know, we'll definitelyhang it in there.
Uh how did COVID change thingsfor you?
How did it change your yourtraining?
SPEAKER_00 (30:55):
Yeah, well, you know, 2019 wasn't a great season
for me.
I had high hopes and fell a bitshort.
And uh a lot of it, I won't gotoo deep into this, but I think
throughout that year I realizedlike I a bit more why I wanted
to be a bike racer and um how Iwanted to be a bike racer and
(31:15):
kind of the inner journeythrough that and realizing like,
yeah, you know, I do want thisand I want it my way.
And um it was an important, youknow, year of kind of that
reflection to realize thepurpose and smashing pedals and
pursuing this goal.
Um and I think if I didn't havethat those challenges in 2019
(31:39):
and come out of it with a bit ofa renewed sense of purpose, I I
would have uh not worked as hardas I did in 2020.
Um we're so fortunate ascyclists that throughout the
pandemic it was the best socialdistance activity you could ask
for.
Um I mean, we're so fortunate.
And I was in San Luis Obispo andthese beautiful roads and
(32:01):
busting my ass.
And I planned some, I planned amock grand tour of sorts.
And it wasn't obviously quitethe level of a grand tour, but
it was like close to 30 hoursfor three weeks.
Um and I had I do some creativethings like bring out five guys,
cat ones that are that had freshlegs on one day and and talk
(32:24):
some trash and then let themattack me at the end, and I was
like the one who had to pullback every move.
Um so I mean that was a and thenalso as as a bunch of bros did,
like I went for a ton of KOMsand I'd have one of those N plus
days and have to steal like two20-minute KOMs throughout it,
and it was so cool to realizelike in training, you don't have
(32:48):
to go on the perfect fivepercent grade you know hill and
meet your threshold and stare atyour power number the whole
time.
You can do the same effort umwhen you're kind of chasing a
carrot, whether that's a Stravasegment or um whatever, uh some
friends.
So that's from a trainingperspective how I work through
(33:09):
it.
And then later in the year, Iwent to Europe, had about a
month before the World Cups, um,and won racing there, and to get
my feet under me, and um raninto Tom freaking Pitcock and
you know he showed us a little.
I think uh especially with Tomfor you know listeners who don't
know, I'm sure you know what TomPitcock is at this point.
(33:32):
But after he smashed Nova Mestoand you know and beat all the
elites, I was um like, man,can't you just hand me the U-23
world championships for for realhumans?
But I say that obviously joking.
Um, you know, Tom was by far themost, you know, the most
deserving that you can get.
But yeah, long way of me sayingthe worlds was a big goal in my
(33:53):
mind, and a second place again.
I had one in 2018, but a silvermedal to Tom Pitcock was um was
great.
So uh that kept me motivatedthroughout the whole year
because I had the feeling worldswas gonna happen.
SPEAKER_02 (34:07):
Well, that's yeah, I mean, a lot of athletes have had
to recalibrate over that uh 2020year, and it seems like you
recalibrated pretty well uh toget that.
But to go in a little deeperthere, when you said you the
mock grand tour, what was yoursand gym's, what was the
rationale, what was the goal ofsimulating something like that
(34:31):
to the stresses of the body, tothe mindset?
I mean, why go so big on a yearwhere there's no racing around?
SPEAKER_00 (34:40):
Yeah, well, I mean, on one hand, it's a goal in and
of itself.
And if you make training campstheir own achievement to work
through, it it nicely wraps itup in a little bow, and you're
like, yeah, that that camp thatwe called, you know, uh whatever
you want to call it, put a fancyname to it, make a Google Docs
(35:01):
and like plan your routes andhave your hashtag Kate Epic.
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
Uh I don't have a have one TheBeloved Zero.
SPEAKER_02 (35:10):
I don't I don't know.
SPEAKER_00 (35:11):
Yeah, yeah.
There you go.
I'll use that one next time.
Um but yeah, I had a bunch ofpoint-to-point days where I had
friends pick me up in SantaBarbara, like 120 miles down the
coast, and um really like gotcreative with it.
And when you approach traininglike that and plan it
beforehand, it is a lot more funand you're a little more
(35:31):
motivated.
Um, so that was one rationale.
And then he has coached a lot ofthe world tour guys and saw that
any of the guys that were intheir early 20s who had a world
tour in their legs just got ahuge step up the next year.
Um and by no means did Iactually get a world tour or
grand tour on my legs, uh, but Itried to the best I could.
(35:54):
And uh that level, that loaddidn't necessarily pay off like
in the short term, but I thinkin the long term, continuous
hits like that will start tostack up really well.
SPEAKER_02 (36:06):
Yeah, that that's why I bring it up because it's
there's twofold there.
One is there's a principle oftraining called variability or
variety.
And as a coach, you you need tobe you need to stay creative to
add in variety, to change thingsup, to look at things in
different ways, to stress theathlete in a different way.
And uh, you know, when I heardyou guys doing that, I was like,
(36:29):
oh, that's that's awesome.
That that's a brilliant way todo it, right?
And the, you know, chasing, um,you know, chasing uh King of the
Mountains and getting segmentsand all this kind of stuff,
really motivating way to do thisduring COVID.
And the other thing is, youknow, spot on with the
developmental rider, those whohave more of the opportunity to
um ride and race their bike morein a very in a functionally
(36:53):
overreaching, or I would call itcall it over-training if you
want, but get super tired uhover the course of three weeks.
They come out a changed rider.
You know, you read anything, youinterview athletes, and after
their first grand tour, if theysurvive, if they bounce back and
still want to ride their bike,um, they're a changed rider for
sure.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (37:11):
And uh especially yeah, the one obviously asterisk
to throw in there, which I knowyou I know, you know, uh you
were maybe gonna say this, butis rest after, obviously.
So huge.
Yeah, huge.
I really shut it down for a weekand then rebuilt from there.
Uh, but you can't you can't dothat all the time.
Um, so three weeks is sort ofthe maximum that you can go
(37:33):
though those you know, 30-hourweeks with with intensity.
But uh yeah, gotta rest just ashard as you train.
SPEAKER_02 (37:42):
Yeah, and that's the asterisks, and and you you
alluded to that as well.
It's like you know, the gains inthe short term may have not
been, you know, as as uh clear,but in the long term, uh they
will be, and that's just it.
And I'm not advocating reallyanybody to do this on their own.
Like if they listen to this,like, don't do that on your own.
Like, make sure you got somebodyuh overlooking your shoulder and
(38:02):
giving you some guidance.
But it's a very uh veryeffective way if you have all
the tools in place to to reallymake an overload.
Well, before we before we wrapthis up, I know uh balance
balance is an interesting onefor athletes, uh, and you seem
to find it off the bike.
Um tell me more about, I mean,you're done with school now, but
(38:23):
you have a huge music componentto what you do and uh some rap
and some poetry.
Tell tell us more about that.
SPEAKER_00 (38:30):
Yeah.
Well, you know, it's um it's asimple, you know, outlet and
form of expression that's sodifferent than being an athlete
and such a good balance.
Um, I actually recently wrote alittle blog for for a friend um
in his his group, he's got umabout that kind of poetic art in
(38:50):
the poet poet poetry process,excuse me, poetic process, um,
and how for so long I've thoughtof it as something that's so
different than cycling that itbalances things out.
But in a lot of ways, I thinkthat the art of poetry and the
process of poetry and you know,digging into your depth and
figuring out what you're made ofapplies just the same to being
(39:12):
an athlete.
And you know, there's a lot ofroom as an athlete to have a
poetic heart and artistic mind.
Uh so you know, there's a lot ofathletes with with uh kind of
quirks or or hobbies that theythey have running parallel to
cycling, and it's it's hugelyimportant to keep those other
sides of us alive.
Um and that was also everythingto do with why I picked to go to
(39:35):
Cal Poly instead of uh a cyclingschool.
And I wanted friends that didn'tknow the sport and uh who I
could relate to outside of thebike, and uh that was huge.
So the balance in perspective isthe most important thing.
I think the balance in doingeverything at once is is less
important.
You know, I've realized I thinkthrough the past couple years of
(39:56):
of uh occasional scatterednessand running around like a
chicken with my head cut off,that um sometimes you only need
to do one thing and only need tofocus on Tokyo or your job or
whatever, whatever have you.
Um, but keeping the balancedperspective is more important
than than a balance of action ina lot of ways.
So um understanding you know,you know, what else there is out
(40:20):
there and and where it sits inthe world and in your world is
crucial.
Um and and music and poetry isis the opportunity to to reflect
on that for me.
And um, yeah, I've got my miniguitar here and I'm terrible at
it.
But I I brought that in my bikecase to Europe and I'm trying to
get better.
SPEAKER_01 (40:38):
So nice, nice.
SPEAKER_02 (40:40):
Yeah, I I think uh again, balance is such an
interesting one, and I I'm I'mglad you mentioned it because
like we get out of balance alot, and we we but balance to me
almost like doesn't exist,right?
We the because life it's azoomed out time period when
we're talking about balance,right?
And there's these time periodswhere you're just severely out
of balance, and then you swingback the other way to find this
(41:02):
other balance in order tobalance it all out to where you
want to go in the end.
And so it's interesting likethat.
And I was listening to a podcastwhere you mentioned uh, you
know, the rap and the music andthe and the poetry um being so
separate from the bike, and Iwas like, man, Christopher, I
think it's I think it's realsimilar, right?
But it's like a different mode,right?
(41:23):
The creativity and the and theflow states that occur in both.
It's like very similar.
SPEAKER_00 (41:28):
Totally.
And I honestly just recently hadthat had that realization.
So interesting.
SPEAKER_02 (41:34):
Interesting.
SPEAKER_01 (41:35):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (41:36):
Um and I understand that you that you have or or do
work with uh some kids at ajuvenile hall in your Durango,
um, kind of working on some ofthis poetry and stuff.
SPEAKER_00 (41:47):
Yeah, in San Luis Obispo, actually.
Um started this, okay.
Yeah, yeah.
I was uh sociology mitor incollege, and that's kind of how
I um became passionate about,you know, uh the human side of
criminal justice and and and youknow um had the opportunity to
volunteer with this greatorganization and and help run a
(42:08):
creative writing program there.
More more often than than not,we just sit and play cards with
the kids.
And I haven't I went a coupletimes this past year, once it
reopened with COVID, um, buthaven't been able to have the
consistency that's that's reallyimportant to to build those
relationships.
Um but you know, this is anexample of choosing something
(42:31):
that will widen perspective andchoosing something that's
important for you know adevelopment that has nothing to
do with on the bike stuff and umthe development of of hum
humanity and what my ownhumanity and how I want to
relate to people.
So um it's a simple thing andit's it's one hour a week um
when I'm available to go in andum talk to kids who who may not
(42:55):
have people believing in them.
Um and and just yeah, you know,give them the time of day to
play cards with them and and uhand be a resource, you know, if
they if they want to talk to youabout stuff.
So um I'm also helping a uh withan a couple employees from
specialize, not affiliated withwith the company, but um we're
running a program at an adultprison in in uh Salinas Valley.
(43:19):
Um and there's just there's thisgroup, it's a maximum security
prison, and there's a a groupthat has organized to reach out
to at-risk youth and uh try totell them their stories and have
an impact from behind the bars.
Um so they lead seminars on youknow mistakes they made and and
(43:40):
development and how they canchange the paradigms we have.
So um I write letters with a lotof inmates and have learned so
much about you know, about somuch.
So that's been huge.
And I'd love to continue to tobuild those pathways and explore
that, which uh, you know, isobviously a world away from from
(44:02):
the bike stuff, but uh hugelyimportant to me.
SPEAKER_02 (44:06):
Yeah, that is that is so rad.
Uh I I didn't know that aboutyou uh just before this this
podcast.
So that's really cool.
Uh keep that going.
That kind of inspires me to uhget off this microphone or get
off the the phone or from a uhout from a bike race and go do
something something differentand get back.
SPEAKER_01 (44:25):
So well thanks.
It's cool, appreciate it.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (44:29):
Yeah, yeah.
Man, well, we we covered wecovered a ton today,
Christopher.
And this is uh this is awonderful conversation.
You're a fascinating humanbeing, and I want to thank you
again for taking your time to beon the show.
I know you got big things goingon, so um, we'll put a pin in it
here just at the top of thehour.
But uh, my last question to youis um because like I said, we do
(44:51):
have a lot of juniors listeningto this uh podcast, and we also
have uh people chasing theirgoals.
So if you could give any adviceto the young athletes, writers,
musicians, or anyone pursuingtheir big dream, what would you
tell them?
SPEAKER_00 (45:04):
Yeah, um I mean I I I kind of I feel like I to go
back to what I said earlierabout two things, two things
that are sort of different, sortof related.
Um, one of them is community andyou know share the the what
you're going through with othersand and live in that kind of
(45:25):
gift that you're doing together,whether it's riding your bike or
um making music or whatever.
But I think there's there's alot of power in connection, and
there's a lot of power toopening to other people and
involving them in your process.
And like I've started the showwith, I'm I'm the product of so
many people who help, you know,provide me opportunities to get
here and provide me love alongthe way.
(45:48):
And uh, you know, lean intothose, be a resource for other
people around you, and uh justgo shred with your friends, you
know.
And then other side of it, morepersonal, is is slow down and
take the time to to reflect andto examine your why.
And it doesn't have to always besome some big kind of like
foundational, you know, deepphilosophical examination of of
(46:13):
why you're doing something.
Sometimes it's super simple andyou're you're you're doing this
because you want that.
But you know, know your ownreason, external of other
motivations and um otherachievements, you could, you
could, you could get out there.
Um and and you know, peoplepeople know what I'm talking
about here, but so often we weforget to slow down and we we
(46:37):
don't think there's more to lifethan than just increasing it in
speed.
And you know, we all need thatreminder, especially now.
So uh I know I do, but um I dotoo.
Yeah, yeah.
But keep that alive in thesport, you know, keep that that
feeling of why you got into itand uh what you want to be as an
athlete or or whatever it is,um, keep that alive.
SPEAKER_02 (47:02):
Thanks for joining us on the Time Crunch Cyclist
Podcast.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
If you want even more actionabletraining advice, head over to
trainwright.com backslashnewsletter and subscribe to our
free weekly publication.
Each week you'll get in depthtraining content that goes
beyond what we cover here on thepodcast that'll help you take
(47:22):
your training to the next level.
That's all for now.
Until next time, train hard,train smart.
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