Are you looking to get into mountain bike enduro racing but wondering how to prepare, especially with limited time? We hope this post, with our personal advice from our racing daddy, might help you.

We aim to give you some tips to arrive sufficiently prepared at the race to enjoy it, even and especially in physically demanding races. If you are ambitious to get onto the podium, limited time is unfortunately a decisive factor.

Ultimately, training counts, but enjoying and attending races is the best part. Feeling that unique mix of anxiety, fatigue, thrill, and fun while being part of the race is a sensation that has to be experienced firsthand. Racing is just so cool!

Race Prep for Enduro Racing

The first big race of this year (Pietra Ligure, the first race of the UCI Enduro World Cup) has just ended and was quite physically demanding. The master category race included 1700 meters of elevation gain, and the practice runs the day before were entirely pedaled. But this is how we like it; in our opinion, this is real enduro.

But how do you prepare for such a demanding mountain bike enduro race with limited training time?

So we asked our dad for all his tips on competing in and enjoying an Enduro World Cup Race with limited time. He’s already had two years of racing as a dad and has learned a lot, especially during this last year. Let’s see the most important factors for him:

1. Consistency is more relevant than quantity

Daddy still dreams about long-distance training on the road bike, but time isn’t on his side for that kind of training. Instead, his adapted training schedule now focuses on at least one hour of organized training three times a week.

Nevertheless, long-distance training remains paramount and cannot be fully substituted by shorter sessions. So, whenever you have the opportunity, add at least one long-distance ride each week. Daddy noticed the lack of long-distance training during the race when he was riding beyond his routine one-hour training schedule.

2. Prioritizing an organized training schedule over random bike rides

This factor is crucial, especially when time is limited and you want to maximize your training. Daddy has experience with training plans but also found the free Garmin Coach plan inspiring. In general, here is his personal weekly training plan during a non-race week:

It often happens that programmed training doesn’t go as expected, so just embrace what’s happening, take it easy, and even enjoy a ride with your kid.

3. Race effort management

Effective race effort management is key in enduro, especially with less-than-ideal training, as it dictates your finishing condition. The best preparation for this crucial skill? Race experience itself. Forget trying to replicate race intensity in training; the unique pressures of competition are best learned by simply racing.

4. Bike choice in training is key

Daddy only learned this year. In fact, last year, due to limited time, he always used to train on his front bike, thinking it was a good choice. However, he realized during races that he had lost much confidence on his enduro bike and wasn’t really enjoying enduro races as much as expected. This year, instead, by consistently training on his enduro bike, he noticed a significant improvement in confidence during races. Therefore, especially when training is close to a race, always use your enduro bike.

You can use your road bike for aerobic training in the winter off-season. Simultaneously, always train technique on your enduro bike, and alternate bikes for anaerobic work.

5. Good nutrition

This might seem obvious, but it can be challenging to prioritize, especially as a dad. This doesn’t just mean loading up on energy bars but focusing on eating well before and after races. As Italians, a good Bolognese pasta is a must for dinner the night before a race. But yes, as parents, we aren’t strict about nutrition and we always eat together (racers and supporters). For training days, Daddy brought homemade energy bars with bananas, oats, and dates, along with rice crackers and fruit jam. During races, he used three gels and plenty of his homemade energy bars and felt good both digestively and energy-wise.

6. Mental presence

it’s easy for your mind to wander while riding uphill, especially if you’re not following a structured workout. If you instead try to stay concentrated on your training, it will be easier to stay focused during the race too.

Avoid feeling guilty about taking time to train instead of spending it with your kids. Instead, focus on the positive impact that even limited training has on your overall well-being. At race time, fully enjoy the awesome trails and the thrill of competition, knowing you’ve found your balance.

Therefore, consistent, smart training means you can still prepare for and enjoy enduro racing despite a busy life!

The balance between enduro, life, and parenting is always evolving. Find more tips on sport-life balance and sport parenting in our blog’s dedicated section.