Even the biggest names in outdoor sports are in lockdown. But they’re still getting after it. Here’s how they’re working out and what they’re listening to for motivation.
Two surefire ways to beat the doldrums are working out and rocking out. We talked to some of the greatest endurance running, climbing, skiing, and cycling athletes to find out how they’re doing both.
From strict regimens (like Ashima Shiraishi’s) to exploratory walkabouts (like Rickey Gates’), these athletes are doing everything to keep their edge. And their taste in music — well, see for yourself!
Lael Wilcox Workout and Playlist
![lael-wilcox-kyrgystan lael-wilcox-kyrgystan](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2019/12/lael-wilcox-kyrgystan.jpg)
Who Is Lael Wilcox?
Lael Wilcox is the queen of bikepacking. She’s the first American to win the 4,300-mile Trans-America Bike Race (2016), she set the women’s course record for the 2,750-mile Tour Divide (2015), and she established first-ever fastest known time for 1,500-mile Baja Divide (2017).
The Workout
- 12-minute foundation training video for my lower back (example here)
- Forearm planks (4 for 2 minutes each, with 1- to 2-minute rest in between, or fit in sporadically throughout the day)
- 1 hour of yoga on glo.com (also just started doing pilates on glo.com today, something I’ve wanted to do for years)
- Wheelie practice as part of the 30-Day Wheelie Challenge
- One of the following close to home on bigger days: 4- to 8-hour hike, road ride, mountain bike
- One of the following on recovery days: 4-mile run, 1- to 2-hour rollerblade
- 2 sets of 10-minute jump-roping (to strengthen my Achilles and prevent injury)
- 100 pushups: 4 sets of 10 (narrow arm), 4 sets of 15 (wide arm)
Lael Wilcox Workout Playlist
- “Peanut Butter Jelly” by Galantis
- “Fire” by The Pointer Sisters
- “1996” by Wild Child
- “Loaded” by Primal Scream
- “Jump to It” by Aretha Franklin
- “Fever on the Bayou” by Rodney Crowell
- “Guitar Town” by Steve Earle
Clare Gallagher Workout and Playlist
Who Is Clare Gallagher?
Clare Gallagher Workout
- Average number of runs per week: 8
- Average distance per week: 71 miles
- Average hours running per week: 11
- Average elevation gain: 5,315 feet
Clare Gallagher Workout Playlist
Rickey Gates Workout and Playlist
Who Is Rickey Gates?
Rickey Gates Workout
- I identified the project as a whole. What constitutes San Francisco? This is fairly easy to define, as it is surrounded by water on three sides and a strict county and city border to the south. Then I came up with a game plan. For me, that meant systematically making my way back and forth across the city in 20- to 30-mile clumps.
- Prior to each run, I would print out a map. (I preferred Yahoo maps because there weren’t any paid-for landmarks cluttering the map like on Google. Today, my preference is GPS Visualizer, which has many different base layers to choose from.) I would study the map some before my run — this would include identifying dead ends, alleyways, ways to loop my run, etc. But for the most part, I would kind of just make it up as I went along — map in hand, four-colored pen to mark streets off as I ran.
- I recorded my route with my Suunto watch and uploaded that to Strava at the end of every day. Once the route was uploaded, I went on to the “heat map” function on Strava or to CityStrides to cross-check my progress.
Rickey Gates Workout Playlist
Caroline Gleich Workout and Playlist
Who Is Caroline Gleich?
Caroline Gleich Workout
- 10 regular squats to warm up. Make sure to keep your knee tracking over your toe. You don’t have to go super deep.
- 10 single-leg squats on a stability disc on each leg. Start by doing them on the ground without any instability. If you don’t have a stability disc, you can use a pillow or cushion to challenge yourself.
- 10 single-leg deadlifts on each leg.
- 10 step-ups on each leg. This helps keep my legs strong for boot-packing up couloirs. Use a sturdy chair or stool.
- 10 back lunges on each leg. I prefer to step back because it feels like less impact on my knees.
- 20 seated kayakers (Russian twists). I do these with 15 pounds of weight.
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- In In Out Out
- Two Feet in Each Square
- Two feet in, two feet out
- One leg in and forward, one leg out and back
- In In Out Out Laterally
- Lateral Jumps In and Out
Caroline Gleich Workout Playlist
Adrian Ballinger Workout and Playlist
Who Is Adrian Ballinger?
Adrian Ballinger Workout
- (10 min.) Full-body warmup: running stairs in the house, hangs from jugs, stretching shoulders/back/arms with band
- (10 min.) Fingers warmup: 3 sets each: 2 sec / 5 sec / 10 sec on 35mm, then 20mm, then 15mm
- (20 min.) Max finger hangs (with weight vest): 3-5 seconds per hang on smallest hold possible, 90-second rest between hangs
- (20 min.) Pullup/pushup pyramids: 1 of each, rest 30 sec.; 2 of each, rest 30 sec.; 3 of each, rest 30 sec.; continue to failure, then reverse
- (20 min.) Endurance hangs: 7 sec. on / 3 sec. off on smallest hold possible — 25 sets. Rest 5 min., repeat.
- (10 min.) Core: I love the Cirque du Soleil core workout on YouTube.
Adrian Ballinger Workout Playlist
Margo Hayes Workout and Playlist
![margo-hayes-bloody-finger-Siurana-Pati-Wall-by-Greg-Mionske margo hayes](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2018/04/margo-hayes-bloody-finger-Siurana-Pati-Wall-by-Greg-Mionske.jpg)
Who Is Margo Hayes?
Margo Hayes Workout
Margo Hayes Workout Playlist
Ashima Shiraishi Workout and Playlist
Who Is Ashima Shiraishi?
Ashima Shiraishi Workout
- 3 minutes of jump-roping (or count 300 skips)
- 5 Frenchie pullups (5 seconds up, hold 5 seconds with arms at 90 degrees, then hold 5 seconds at 145 degrees)
- 1 minute of mountain-climbers
- 20 V-sits
- 1-minute plank
- 20 reverse crunches
- 15 pushups
- 20 bird dogs each side
- 20 dead bugs each side
Ashima Shiraishi Workout Playlist
Sunny Stroeer Workout and Playlist
Who Is Sunny Stroeer?
Sunny Stroeer Workout
Sunny Stroeer Workout Playlist
Rob Krar Workout and Playlist
![Krar Western States Krar Western States](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2015/03/Krar-Western-States.jpg)
Who Is Rob Krar?
Rob Krar Workout
Rob Krar Workout Playlist
- “Only The Young” by Taylor Swift
- “Just Kids” by Matt Kearney
- “Machine Gun” by Portishead
- “Time Bomb” by Arek and the Ships
- “Highwayman” by Willie, Johnny, Waylon, Kris
- “Heads Will Roll” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- “Kill V. Maim” by Grimes
- “Fade” by Kanye West
- “Car Radio” by Twenty One Pilots
- “Heart Heart Head” by Meg Myers