Brought to you by Red Bull.
Every training session has a purpose.
Greg Callaghan has the unique claim to fame of being the fastest man in the fastest growing sport in the country.
As Ireland’s number one Enduro biker, he’s almost single-handedly putting mountain biking on the map. The relatively new sport involves being timed as you bomb downhill at breakneck speed. It demands enormous amounts of strength to keep control of the bike as you descend. As the name would suggest, endurance is probably the most important requirement.
While his days are spent plummeting down mountains, Greg’s career trajectory has been going in the opposite direction. In 2015, he was self-funding his races and living out of his van. Now as a full-time Red Bull athlete, the Rathfarnham native has his sights set on winning the world series.
Even though this level of success has been a long time coming, things really began to kick into gear when he started working with a personal trainer. Since then he’s placed first in a number of race stages and worked his way up to third in the world rankings.
In terms of what it takes to achieve such high standards, Greg says it starts with the right mindset. “You have to be conscious that every training session has a purpose. If you’re going out on your bike, you’re going out on your bike to do a job.”
Target your weaknesses
Enduro involves long, hard days in the saddle with the soul-sapping climbs being tempered with white-knuckle descents. Having a mental approach capable of processing both is key. With that in mind, preparation for the races requires a lot of variation. “No two weeks are the same for me really. There are always different goals to work towards and different schedules to help me get there.”
The sport attracts riders from all types of cycling disciplines which means that everyone will have their particular strengths and weaknesses. Targetting the areas in which you’re lacking is crucial to getting the most out of every stage. “One thing I felt that I was slightly lacking in, was maybe all-out downhill speed so that’s one thing that I want to work on this off-season.”
You can check out everything that goes into Greg’s fitness regime in the video below:
Brought to you by Red Bull.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
