Quality over quantity: How Julian Braun trains for the King of the Lake

Five victories, one second place and a course record in seven appearances: Julian Braun has a special history with the King of the Lake. But his everyday life is not all training and racing. Between the office, evening intervals and long weekend rides, his focus today is on one thing above all: purposeful training that fits his life.

Ahead of his next start at Lake Attersee, we spoke to Julian about his preparation, his favourite intervals and the art of not going out too fast.

From mountain biking to the professional World Championships

Driven, analytical, composed: these are the three words Julian uses to describe himself. The 30-year-old from Siegen started cycling at the age of 15. It all began with an open season-opening ride organised by a mountain bike club in a neighbouring town.

His first mountain bike races soon led to more. At 17, Julian switched to road cycling. At 19, in his first U23 season, he competed in his first professional road races.

His standout memories include competing at the professional World Championships in Norway in 2017, finishing runner-up in the German U23 time trial championships and winning the German team time trial title. And, of course, his five victories at the King of the Lake.

He sums up what he loves about time trialling in one sentence:

“What I like most about time trialling is riding consistently fast right at the limit.”

Training between the office and dinner

In a normal working week, Julian trains between ten and 15 hours. At training camp, that can rise to 25 or even 30 hours. His typical weekday shows just how much planning goes into that workload:

His longer endurance sessions take place at the weekend, provided there is no race scheduled.

When Julian is neither working nor training, he enjoys exploring his artistic side: painting and drawing.

What made him faster

When asked about the most important change he has made to his training, Julian has a clear answer:

“Quality over quantity in training.”

In the past, he focused more heavily on volume. Today, he trains with greater purpose, pays attention to key sessions and worries less about accumulating as many hours as possible.

That approach is reflected in his favourite workouts: threshold intervals of ten to 15 minutes on the time trial bike. He also enjoys VO₂max intervals in a 30/15-second rhythm. High-intensity efforts suit him.

Sprint training, on the other hand, takes more willpower. His explanation is honest: sprinting is not one of his greatest strengths.

Staying consistent while still adapting

Combining work, private life and ambitious training demands more from Julian than a full calendar. What matters is finding a balance between consistency and a willingness to respond at short notice.

When work is particularly stressful, his training sometimes needs to be adapted. That is exactly where he uses YOUB:

“I describe my situation and immediately receive a suggestion for how to adapt my training. That is very valuable.”

For Julian, planning and flexibility therefore belong together. Keeping the important sessions in view while taking account of what everyday life currently allows is a key part of his training approach.

Why the King of the Lake is special

At Lake Attersee, many things come together for Julian: the landscape, the atmosphere and a fast, flowing course.

His personal history also makes the race special. Five victories, one second place and a course record in seven appearances: that record still gives him goosebumps.

In the final week before the race, one thing therefore takes priority: maximum freshness. To achieve it, Julian reduces both his training volume and intensity.

He sums up his race strategy in a single word: consistency. Ride as evenly as possible from start to finish without overpacing.

“It has to feel too easy at the start”

Julian has this advice for anyone racing the King of the Lake for the first time:

“It has to feel too easy at the start.”

The race is almost 50 kilometres long. With adrenaline and excitement running high, the temptation to ride the first few kilometres too fast is considerable. According to Julian, what still feels good at the beginning comes back to bite you by the second half of the race at the latest.

His advice fits the three words he uses to describe himself: driven, analytical, composed. Especially at the start, it pays to keep a cool head.

Three quick questions to finish

Would you prefer one hour of time trialling or a five-hour ride?
One hour of time trialling.

Favourite food after a race?
Cake, ideally with a delicious cappuccino.

Music before the start – which song?
“Even if this horrifies people: I don’t listen to music before the start.”

Would you also like to make your training fit better around your everyday life?
Discover YOUB and adapt your training in the chat to your goals, your available time and your daily routine.