How are BMX riders preparing for FISE Chengdu?
Flights booked, bags packed, bikes wrapped – as riders take off for FISE Chengdu, we caught up with BMX legends Kevin Peraza, Nick Bruce, Marin Rantes and Daniel Dhers to see how they’ve been preparing (physically and mentally) to blast off in the Freestyle Park this weekend!
Where have you trained?
Kevin: I don’t ever really call it training, it’s simply riding. I ride my local indoor skatepark Premises Park in Tucson, Arizona, or a bike path, some MTB trails and session around the city looking for spots to ride. I keep it fun.
Nick: Ray’s MTB Park and Chenga World Skatepark in Cleveland, Ohio. I also made trips to Woodward Camp in Pennsylvania, along with my personal resi jump in my parent’s backyard.
Marin: I was training at home for the last couple of months, but I finally got back to DDASC (Daniel Dhers Action Sports Complex) for a few weeks to train hard with the boss Daniel Dhers.
Daniel: Yo! I’m preparing by riding every day and enjoying what I do.
Who have you trained with?
Daniel: Luckily a bunch of people – Marin Rantes, Brandon Loupos, Hannah Roberts, Perris Benegas, Justin Dowell – have been coming in and out to prepare for China. It’s very important to have a very good crew of riders to keep motivated.
Nick: I ride alone mostly. So, myself and whoever is in the park at the time.
Kevin: I ride with my brothers and few friends at the indoor who motivate me. Whether it’s on my BMX, MTB or road bike – I have fun riding anything.
What tricks have you practiced?
Marin: I’m just trying to get consistent and have my hard tricks dialled for Chengdu!
Nick: I mostly do all of my competition tricks every session, a lot of the basics and fundamental stuff to feel good on the bike.
Kevin: Just dialling in the same old stuff. Making it look higher and better. Some technical stuff. Nothing really! (Insert mysterious wink here.)
What have you eaten?
Nick: Plant-based meals. This entails oats, plant-based protein, almond butter and pumpkin seeds in the mornings. Lunch is usually rice, sweet potatoes with some tempeh or tofu, then a recovery drink or protein snack. Dinner is big with lots of green veggies (maybe rice, lentils, more tempeh or tofu, or some sort of plant-based meat substitute).
Marin: I have my daily procedure of eating. Cottage cheese with tuna for breakfast, chicken with some sides for lunch, and ever-changing food for dinner.
Kevin: I’m vegetarian, so only a plant-based diet. Lots of fruits, veggies etc.
What fitness have you done?
Daniel: Hitting up the gym every other day to keep the body strong and flexible while trying to eat a balanced diet.
Marin: Gym 3 days a week.
Kevin: I get bored in the gym, so I put in some heavy miles for mental peace and focus. On the road bike I have been riding mountain bike trails with my good friend Noe and others for a different and fun work out. All cycling. I LOVE IT.
Nick: A lot of varying strength training with lighter weights and core stability work. Some sprinting work to get the heart rate up, and a lot of band exercises for recovery.
How have prepared mentally?
Marin: Just trying to take competition like every other day of training.
Kevin: I study the course render, play with different lines that seem to work in my mind, get excited and go ride! But not much… I’ve been hanging out with my fiancé Itsel and doing normal things; enjoying time with her, family (my brothers David, Victor, Eddie) and good friends, and not really stressing over it too much.
Nick: Yoga, reading, meditation, and spending time with my lady and my pups to relax and recharge.
Daniel: Overall, I’m doing what [Dave] Mirra once told me; “Do your homework so the test is easier!”
Any other tips?
Nick: Make an effort for some downtime or at least rush less throughout your day.
“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast,” it allows for a calmer collected day, which is something that’s always lovely!
Kevin: Wake up early, use my time wisely. Have fun, enjoy what I do. Remember and remind myself that winning is just a bonus. Try and come back home in one piece.
Do lots of exploring and embrace the culture while I’m out there for the week.
Will all of their preparation pay off in the final showdown of the 2019 FISE World Series?
Tune into our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages to follow all the action from FISE Chengdu – and don’t miss the UCI BMX Freestyle Park Final on Sunday, 3 November!
