Are you racing XCO mountain bike Nationals in Nova Scotia or US MTB Nationals at Bear Creek in Pennsylvania this July? If you haven’t started training seriously for Canadian MTB Nationals yet, we’ve got you covered with a 3-month plan that gives you new workout ideas, and a progression towards race day in July!

Get the Plan Here

What is this Plan?

All of our plans are delivered via Training Peaks. You can get a free account linked to Peter’s Coach account with this link. Our XCO build plan includes the same workouts that have been used by top master’s racers to achieve National and Provincial championships. Some of Peter’s favorite workouts that he uses in his own training are also included!

The focus is on developing speed and off-road proficiency with offroad intervals and technical-focused MTB Workouts. You will be climbing and descending a lot and this will be offset by lower intensity road/gravel days on flatter terrain. There are planned rest weeks and rest days to help you avoid overdoing your training and so you continue to increase your tolerance for high intensity.

This plan is meant to be outdoors and offroad so it includes guidance for heart rate and RPE (feeling) and occasionally power but is very focused on MTB riding fast so power is not emphasized or required. Structured Downloads (e.g. for zwift/garmins) are available for some workouts but not all since the workouts are meant to be offroad and variable with your fitness/location.

When Should this be used?

This plan is best applied 8-12 weeks ahead of your goal Cross-Country or ‘XCO’ mountain bike race under 3 hours. The weekly hours can be adjusted ~6-15 hours per week depending on how you use the ranges suggested and if you take advantage of optional workouts.

WHO is this for?

Ideal users of the 3-month XCO build plan will have been training for a few months. They will have done a general preparation or ‘base’ phase to establish fitness and cycling skills before this more specific block of training. It is appropriate for riders who have raced and trained before (intermediate/advanced). If your race is further away or you have not been training please consider the Offroad Base Plan.

For more advanced or ambitious goals, you will want to consider our more customized 3-month 100% Made For You Plans, which take your current fitness, schedule, goals, equipment, and abilities into account.

Get the plan for only $47