Alchemy athletes Anneke and Cody recently returned from their latest adventure: round three of the Enduro World Series in Montagnes du Caroux, France. The duo is now preparing to depart for round four in Jamnica, Austria/Slovenia, where they will battle their way down through “Black Hole Enduro” – a lengthy (and beautiful) stage that will pass through both Austria and Slovenia. We sat down with the two Alchemy riders to discuss how they get dialed in before races, which is especially relevant now as they prepare for one of the newest and longest rides in Enduro World Series history. What was your training regimen leading into the EWS season? Cody: Pre-season prep is a tricky subject because you want to push yourself to a new level, but you don't want to over-train. My typical week consists of 5-6 days on the bike, mixing between all mountain, cross country, and road. I’m also in the gym 2-3 days a week. Anneke: It was intense, with a lot of hours on the bike, long road rides and mountain bike rides combined with intervals and gym training. Some local XC racing on the weekends. What's your typical diet during pre-season? Cody: My diet stays pretty neutral throughout the year. I eat a lot of fruits and veggies along with protein from lean meats. Also can't forget about those carbs... Bags on bags of rice! Anneke: In general, I just like to eat healthy and normal, so not really a diet. Loads of fruits and veggies! Do you have tricks to recovery when you're traveling? Cody: Recovery is a bit different for everyone, but I find I spend as much time as I can with my legs up as well as just trying to relax the mind, which is easier said than done when it comes to traveling. Anneke: That is always really hard, but definitely drink a lot of water, stretch, rest and keep eating healthy. What's your day-before-race routine? Cody: Day before race is usually a practice day so once we've finished up practice I look for ways to refuel the body, do some stretching, and watch some course footy. Anneke: Depending on the race, we are normally out pre-riding the course and setting up our bikes. What's your day-of race routine? Cody: Day of race I try to go with the flow and keep it fun! Anneke: Do some kind of active recovery exercise like a light spin and stretching….and chill hard! When there’s a quick turnaround (example: Round 1 to Round 2) of EWS how did you ensure you recovered and are ready to go at all times? Cody: The back-to-back races can be difficult for sure especially because both Chile and Colombia were at elevation. So, a lot of relax time and eating are key, and it turned out alright, as I felt really good physically once race day came around in Colombia. Anneke: I make sure to rest a lot and not waste too much energy on hanging or walking around. Now that you have a couple weeks between races what are you most looking forward to? Cody: Looking forward to spending time at home with friends and family, and of course spending time on the bike and getting some time to put in a solid little training block to stay on top of the fitness. Anneke: Riding for fun with friends!