Makaira Wallace embraces endurance training as prep for senior sprint debut

CYCLIST Makaira Wallace has embraced the rigours of long distance, outdoor training as she ramps up preparation ahead of her debut season in the elite division in 2025.

Wallace, 18, closed off her junior campaign on a high by capturing two silver medals (women’s keirin, time trial) at the World Junior Cycling Championships in China, in August.

The speedster is currently in Rionegro, Colombia, for a six-week training camp and has adopted several new techniques to bolster her fitness ahead of an anticipated, hectic season.

Wallace is a sprint cyclist but has added long distance, endurance training exercises at altitude to her regime to “strengthen up” and improve her breathing technique while riding.

She is joined by JLD Academy coach and two-time Trinidad and Tobago Olympian Njisane Phillip, who is eager to get the best out of Wallace as she enters the highest realm of competition.

“The experience so far has been really great other than the suffering in the gym and at altitude in the mountains,” Wallace said from her Colombia base.

“But I’m really enjoying myself and it’s definitely a new experience. I haven’t climbed (riding uphill) this much in my life. We did a six-hour ride a day ago and it was really challenging mentally, but that’s what we’re here for.”

When Newsday spoke to coach Phillip on October 22, he reiterated the importance of Wallace acclimatising to high-altitude riding and doing lots of gym work to build on her strength and conditioning.

The camp started in early October and entails four weeks of road training at altitude followed by two weeks at the velodrome in Medellin.

Wallace confirmed her first tourney as a senior cyclist would be a class one event in Switzerland, in December. She is also aiming at making her UCI Nations Cup debut early next year.

“I’m just really grateful to have this time to get a good fitness base in on the road which we don’t really get a lot of time to do otherwise when we’re focusing on the track and gym. So I’m happy to put in the work for next year and get ready for the big events at the start of the year.”

Three weeks into her endurance training, Wallace believes the hardest part is gone. She’s well acclimatised to the change in environment and can better control her breathing while riding at over 7,000 feet above sea level.

“I’m adjusting a little better than I thought I would even though the first week and a half was a bit hard with breathing. But it’s been going really well getting my fitness up. The first week or so was really supposed to be to ease into it, so we’re going to see how much pain I’m going to be in for the next two weeks. But I’m looking forward to it.”

In one week, Wallace and Phillip head to Medellin to do some track work at the velodrome there, before returning to TT.