2026 Sea Otter Classic Debrief!
Woof what a fun, but full gas, couple of days. I thought about how ‘fulfilling’ was the word I wanted to use to describe my experience this year. I shifted the focus to coaching & supporting with ten @baringperformance athletes racing across the various events. So much fun working with these athletes in person and helping them execute great race day performances.
Another thing that makes Sea Otter so rad is the expo and being able to catch up with brands, partners and friends from the last ~15 years of bike racing.
I jumped into the Fuego XL 70 mile race on Saturday and that decision was filled with instant regret the moment we started - someone please remind me to do the XC next year. At least my new @cuoreofswiss kits are looking sharp 😜
Fall / Winter life update since the last time I posted on IG was in August after Leadville, oops.
I quit my job in September and have been coaching full time for my own business, @baringperformance . I’ve been podcasting with @isaiah.newkirk & @trainingedgecoaching and have hopes of being a lot more active on IG again.
This winter was @ans.baring and I’s second here in CO. While the snowpack was a little less than ideal, we made the most of it with super fun trips to Aspen, Jackson Hole and some skimo time in between with @boulderskimo & @hagan_ski_usa .
A decent bit of bike time this winter was a great way to make up for the lack of snow and I was able to work on a lot of new team projects with @worldbicyclerelief & @baringperformance (lots to be announced there soon)!
I just capped things off with a short trip back east for a family wedding and got to meet my new nephew (congrats @brynmog & Nick!!!!).
Tomorrow I fly to CA for Sea Otter Classic to kick off bike season. I have a LOT of athletes racing who I’ll get to see and support in person along with catch up with a bunch of friends, brands and partners!
That should bring everyone up to speed on the last ~7 months! Here’s to more bikes, learning and adventures in 2026!
Will you be at @seaotterclassic ?! Training Edge Coaching and Baring Performance is teaming up with really rad brands to host a shake out ride on Thursday April 16th. We will be meeting at @hunt.road expo tent at 8:30am where @thecoffeeride will be slinging espresso for you all! Goal roll out time of 9am. We will then do a 12.8mile loop to see key sections of the gravel course. We will end the ride at @bekenetik for free post ride beverages and Ketones. All through the ride, Elliott and I will be there to pass along the same coaching and race prep advice we give to our Lifetime Grand Prix athletes. Join us, get some great coffee and ketones, and chat race prep and training with us! To find full ride information as well as the ride route click the link in bio.
A common question we get a lot as coaches is “I am feeling a bit under the weather today, should we adjust the training?!”. While we are not doctors, nor do we have medical degrees, this is a very common thing to ask your coach. In this episode, we chat about navigating the early onset of minor and moderate sickness, how to make changes based on how you feel, and, even, how to re-enter into training when the body is ready.
Take a listen 👂 through link in bio
🎿 Did watching Skimo at the Olympics get you fired up? 🇺🇸
Seeing Americans Cam Smith and Anna Gibson crush it in the Mixed Relay was a huge milestone for the sport. But how do everyday “weekend warriors” take those elite Olympic training methods and apply them to our own uphill season?
In the latest edition of Coaches Corner, Professional Coach Elliott Baring breaks down the science of getting faster through Progressive Overload.
Here is a sneak peek at what you need to know to crush your PRs this season:
The Secret is Rest: You can’t just add stress indefinitely. You need strategic recovery to achieve “supercompensation” so your body can rebuild stronger.
The 3:1 Method: Build your volume by 10–15% for three weeks, then drop it by 50% in week four to recover and adapt.
Hitting the Ceiling: Run out of hours in the week? Shift your focus to intensity and terrain specificity instead of just logging empty miles.
Want to learn exactly how to structure your training blocks like a pro? Hit the link in our bio to read the full breakdown! 🔗
📸: @cullenmchale / @eldoramtnresort@hagan_ski #pureskimountaineering #skitouring #haganski
Active vs passive recovery - which is better?! Next on the pod, we’re covering a common question we often receive as coaches: whether to take passive or active recovery days. We’ll define both, discuss common mistakes, and offer insight into how we help our athletes make the right choice for them.
Link in bio.
#pod #athlete #coaching #recovery #learning
Wallowing in deep snow is a lot more fun when you’re actually fueled for it. Coach @elliottbaring breaks down how simple carb-focused fueling can keep your energy steady, your climbs smoother, and you big days way less bonky. Want to ski longer and wallow happier this winter? Read the full guide on the HAGAN blog, link in bio.
@hagan_ski #pureskimountaineering #haganskiusa #haganskifamily #pureskimountaineering #skiing #backcountryskiing #skitouring
The Training Edge Podcast is back! And we have a new Co-Host : Elliott Baring! Elliott brings a high level of both knowledge and experience.
To kick things off we discuss how you can use a post season review to evolve your training. We run through our coaching processes of how to use data and knowledge to elevate an athlete to a new level.
Check out the episode now through the link in bio!
The work starts long before the first storm. Build your aerobic base now so you can ski harder, longer, and with more flow when winter hits ⛷️
Coach @elliottbaring shares how steady effort can pay off big come winter. Read more at the Hagan Blog, link in bio.
@hagan_ski #pureskimountaineering #haganskiusa #haganskifamily #pureskimountaineering #skiing #backcountryskiing #skitouring
Want to have more fun on the skintrack, ski longer with less fatigue, and build the fitness to enjoy every lap a little more? ⛷️💪
We’ve teamed up with @elliottbaring , a professional cycling coach and racer, to bring the science of endurance training to everyday ski tourers. His new series on the Hagan Blog breaks down how small, consistent habits can improve your aerobic base, help you recover better, and make every tour feel smoother and stronger.
You don’t need to be a racer to train like one — just a skier who loves spending time in the mountains. Read the first story on the Hagan Blog, link in bio.
@hagan_ski #pureskimountaineering #haganskiusa #haganskifamily #pureskimountaineering #skiing #backcountryskiing #skitouring
I did the @vaportrail125 , well I did most of the vapor trail 125, well I did enough of the vapor trail 125.
The high mountains have never been for me. Especially the highest mountains and the Vapor Trail is mostly above the red zone for these muscular meat sticks and their Appalachian lungs.
Nevertheless I am a citizen of the shred and the community that arrives in Salida CO at 10pm on a day in September is a fine sample of our strange tribe of world loving, self-hating, long-suffering stooges. And I am one of them.
@elliottbaring asked me a few months ago if I had interest in doing this big roll as a not-race sort of party effort. And I did not. But I was wrong.
Elliott is a wonderful foil to my “vibes based” fitness. He is dialed and focused, extremely fit, and adapted to life up high. He’s been my coach for many years and I’m not the most compliant athlete but we work well together. I respect the athlete and the person he has become since we met probably 15 years ago.
And so I agreed to saddle him with myself for this Vapor Trail effort. And off we went. It was a wild ride starting in the dark riding off the F street bridge in Salida. We rolled with the front pack, lights off, making light of the forthcoming 17k of vert in 125 miles.
We rolled well, putting single track skills to use while preserving our matchbooks, and enjoying a lighter pace than most of our other racing. It was a joy to tell stories and laugh in the dark. We both enjoyed it immensely. Spent a little time waiting up for another EBs friends, and overall just didn’t stress ourselves.
My night and morning didn’t go to plan, with an unfixable mechanical that only happens when you take a bike from 5 days of hard racing immediately to 10,000 feet. And one ugly crash. But we managed to make it to breakfast and Monarch pass.
I loved the experience of riding through the dark with my pal, sharing moments with friends. Congrats to my pals who WON and set records, @wallacesworld and @kait.boyle . And thanks to @absolute_bikes_co and my ripper of a @cannondalemountain for so much work out of the box.
#MyI9 #Cannondale #Shimano #Maxxisbike #BlueRidgeCyclery @exposure.lights
