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…
Tag: life
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…
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,…
World Championships!
Where do I even start? Just the realization that I raced in an Elite World Championship race seems a bit surreal. The “pipe dream” that has been motivating my race schedule for the past year was to qualify for the 2024 XCM World Championship, to be held at Snowshoe, in WV, but even as I…
Sweet Simplicity
Early on in my evolution of becoming a mountain biker, I remember meeting someone who had a singlespeed mountain bike. I was curious, even to the point of asking if I might someday borrow the bike and experience singlespeeding for myself, but never did. (Ironically, while living in the Midwest, where a singlespeed mountain bike…
#LoveWhereYouLive
Almost a year ago, I moved to Roanoke, Virginia. Why? Mountain biking. Little did I know, that my move to Roanoke would be about so much more than just glorious trails and ample gravel roads for training. It would deliver an incredible community, a city replete with culture and food destinations, and all sorts of…
Making 25 of 24
Over the last several weeks, the questions seem to play on a broken record, How many hours are in your day? How do you fit it all in? How do you manage everything? Mostly, the answer is, “I don’t know” or “I don’t.” While there are certainly aspects of that which are true–such as the…
“Home”
The night before leaving Tanzania, some of my dearest friends put this song on repeat and we sang it together at least six times. Though I was fighting back tears then, I had no idea how much I would miss those brothers and the friendships and family I made during my four years in Tanzania….
Time to Ride
The world of a cyclist is full of wonder: The wind breathes freedom into my veins and hurries fear away into sweet song. The sun chases clouds into swift retreat, even in the rain. The incline gives glories untold as lungs gasp for precious air. The wheels fly, pedals spinning, muscles screaming, chain singing. The…
Ride Fierce Racing 