For 3x National MTB Champion Bjorn Riley, art and cycling go hand in hand. We gave the TrainingPeaks audience the opportunity to ask Bjorn any and all questions related to training, nutrition, and how he manages his double life as a professional athlete and artist.
Q1: You mentioned that cycling was more of a fun and unstructured endeavor growing up. When did you get serious about training and structure?
A: I would say I got somewhat serious when I was 16 and 17, but I got truly fully focused on cycling when I was 19.
Q2: You don’t have a racer vibe. How disciplined are you day to day in training/nutrition/recovery? What does a typical day look like?
A: Might not have a racer vibe on the outside, but when I’m on the bike I am a racer. I like to keep my day very free-flowing and relaxed, but when I get on the bike I make sure to keep my training very disciplined and focused.
I strive for perfection in my intervals. But everywhere else I think the imperfections are great. The imperfections surrounding my cycling life make me more relaxed.
Q3: You said you were a night owl and sometimes catch yourself staying up painting. How do you make sure you’re getting enough sleep?
A: For the most part I make sure not to paint or draw before I go to bed. If I do, my mind then begins to race and I get way too energetic.
Q4: What’s your favorite pre-ride meal?
A:That’s a really hard one but for the most part I really like sunny side up eggs with arugula, some garlic, and some avocados on top of a slice of sourdough toast.
Q5: I switched to road cycling but I want to find the fun of XC races again, any tips?
A: Go on an adventure ride when you have a really long endurance zone one day. For me, those are like rest days but more for my mind than my body.
Q6: What’s your average TSS and hours on the hard training weeks?
A: For my hard training weeks, it’s typically around a 30- to 35-hour week with 200 to 300 TSS per day with one rest day in the middle. So I would say around 1200 – 1500 TSS in the week.
For a more in-depth view into Bjorn’s life, check out this video:
