3 races in 3 days in 2 states is one way to start a mountain bike season. Go big, or go home, right? Why 3 Races in 3 Days? As a bit of background (and if you don’t care to read about nerdy mountain bike race details, just skip ahead a couple paragraphs), I primarily…
Tag: cycling
The Stable Cyclist Podcast: Rebuilding Confidence After Unintentionally Going Viral
Thanks so much to JP at The Stable Cyclist Podcast for the opportunity to share a bit of my story of learning how to overcome anxiety on the bike, and the experiences that have propelled me into becoming an advocate for getting more women on mountain bikes and the importance of mental health.
2025 Ride Fierce Women’s Scholarship: Spring Update
In the last two months, Annie, Megan, Nicole, and Abby have been diligently training and preparing for their selected races. All four women are registered–so prepare to see them at The Shed Enduro, ORAMM, The Shenandoah 100k, and the Slatyfork Enduro this summer! Here are some short updates from each of them! The Shed Enduro:…
Spring is Here: Finding Balance in Life’s Seasons
I’ve been thinking a lot about balance lately. It’s no secret that many athletes at the highest levels have openly renounced balance, claiming that its necessary to go all-in on their chosen sport in order to be successful. However, others are pushing back on that idea, Kate Courtney and Sonya Looney among them, claiming that…
The Long Road Back
If you’ve ever gone for a hike, you likely have experienced the false hope of thinking that your destination is “just around the next bend” or “over the next hill.” My recovery from shoulder surgery feels much the same way. Back in October, when I first had surgery, I was looking forward to my first…
The Beginning of an Epic Story
In one of my past lives, I was an English teacher, and so, I can’t help but love a good story. If you think back to your middle or high school English classes, you might remember learning about the building blocks of a story, represented by the ever-present plot diagram. Ok. Take a trip down…
No one said it would be easy
There’s a certain value in doing hard things, in the sense of accomplishment that comes from facing a challenge and “winning.” As a general rule, I’m not one to shy away from hard. Juggling grad school, working full-time, coaching, training, and racing? Got it. Pile on emotional stressors from a break up, unexpected financial burdens,…
Party Laps Forever
Three weeks before the start of Trans New England, all of my best laid plans blew up. The UCI changed the date of the XCM World Championship from the previously published Saturday, September 21st to Sunday, September 22nd–a minor change, unless, of course, you were planning to drive from West Virginia to New Hampshire for…
A dream come true
It isn’t very often that a world championship event is held on home soil, or, even more specifically, on one’s home trails, but that is exactly what happened last weekend as the 2024 UCI Cross Country Marathon (XCM) World Championships took place at Snowshoe, West Virginia. The course was 68 miles of backcountry goodness, trails…
Level Up
The 2023 USA Enduro National Championship at Ride Rock Creek was my second enduro race ever. I had just gotten stitches out of my knee (for the second time last summer), and the wet conditions made a slip-n-slide out of the backcountry stages. I was terrified, but I was also hooked. Coming into the Enduro…
Ride Fierce Racing 