"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"
-Wayne Gretzky along with various other professional athletes and coaches
CROSS IS HERE...I was reminded of that at Deschutes Brewery's UCI season-opener, GO Cross, in Roanoke, VA a couple of weeks ago: dust, mud, tight corners, uneven stairs, off-camber hills, punchy climbs, tree roots, slippery logs, sandpits, broken course tape, chaotic starts, bike pileups, hecklers, beer, and the 45 to 50 minutes of gut-wrenching, adrenaline-fueled, mind-blowing, dizzying, suffocating pain. Yes, it is the pain that marks the official start of cross season. As Westley said in William Goldman's Princess Bride: "To the pain!"
So here I am, pretending to be a professional athlete. Existing somewhere in the massive gray area that is reserved for the "elite" cyclist: neither amateur nor full-blown professional. However, the only way one can contend with the pros is to "become" one of them, and by that I mean fake it. Yup, fake it until you make it...and if you still don't make it, just keep faking it. All joking aside, I've realized that the best way to reach your goals is to live as if you've already done so. For me, that means adopting the professional athlete lifestyle and seeing how far I can go: eat, sleep, train, race, repeat.
Upon moving to Frederick this summer (even before that when Chris and I got engaged in the spring and decided to move in together), I/we made the decision that I wouldn't teach full-time this fall but instead focus on some other goals for the time being: moving, starting a life together, planning a wedding, fixing up the house/yard, exploring alternate career options, managing a team, racing my bike, working part-time, and eventually finding a job in the area. However, when making this shift, I didn't realize how overwhelming, and terrifying, it would actually be. I've been a teacher for over 15 years and for the first time in a long time, I'm not. That's weird and a bit scary.
However, I now have time to pursue other interests, hobbies, and career options. One of those is cycling--specifically cyclocross. No, I don't plan on dropping everything, forgetting about my English Education degrees, and pursuing a life of professional cycling at age 37. That would be ridiculous! Yet, I've always wondered what it would be like to "go for it" and see what happens. Enter 2018. This year, I am training my butt off, throwing myself into as many UCI/ProCX events as possible, traveling to races with my amazing soon-to-be-husband and team crew member, managing a small-grassroots-privateer race team (Vanderkitten-Entourage Racing/VKCX), and looking to compete in the Pro/Elite women's race at Cyclocross Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky this December. Hey, why not? You only live once!
There are two quotes that amply summarize what I have learned over the last few weeks as I enter into this year's cyclocross season:
"I think that the good and the great are only separated by the willingness to sacrifice." (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
"It doesn't matter what your background is and where you come from, if you have dreams and goals, that's all that matters." (Serena Williams)
Throwing myself into this season, I've had to sacrifice some things and learn that it's ok to do so. That doesn't make me a bad person just a dedicated one. As a teacher, I have always "sacrificed" myself for other people: students, parents, colleagues, work, etc. Now my focus has changed. It's different and strange (it even feels selfish at times), but it's what I have chosen to do right now. Luckily, I have the support of some amazing people and companies who are willing to take the risk so I can chase some crazy dreams and help a few others to do the same.
Recently, my kickass coach (Crystal Anthony) came into town to race back-to-back weekends in Roanoke and Rochester. Being that she now lives on the west-coast, Crystal stayed with Chris and me in Frederick for the week. Initially, I was terrified!
"What are we going to do all week?" I asked Chris.
"What do you mean?" he responded. "Eat, sleep, train, and race."
Oh yeah, that's right. She IS a professional athlete who actually makes a living riding and racing her bike (all discussion of how female cyclists can't actually "make a living" from racing aside), as well as coaching people like me who only wish they could be professionals.
So that's what we did for the week: ate, slept, trained, and raced (not in that order). It was an eye-opening experience. For 1 week I got to live and experience the pro-cyclist lifestyle. Here are some of the things I learned along the way:
Rest and recovery are important - When your coach tells you to "take it easy" he/she really means it (SLOW DOWN!). Sleep is also necessary so get some.
Food matters - Not just what you eat but when you eat as well, depending on what time of day you train or race. Having a substantial and nutritious pre-ride breakfast to jump-start the day is key. It's also vital to eat something just as substantial and nutritious post-ride to help the body refuel and recover. Plan your meals as meticulously as your workouts; they are equally as important.
Stress comes in all shapes and sizes - Your body doesn't really differentiate between various types of stress (physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, etc) so dealing with that stuff when it comes up instead of pushing it aside, whatever it may be, is essential to your overall health and well-being.
Training time is your time - Turn off the computer, put down your device, and focus 100% on your training or workout for that specific period of time. Mediocre training equals mediocre racing and results.
Always check the rice for bugs - It's true (don't ask!)
Every athlete, if given the opportunity, should spend some time "living like a pro" in order to understand what it's truly all about. That may be in the form of a multi-day cycling camp, weekend clinic, or focused training session (shameless plug: check out Crystal Anthony's Kingdom Trails Women's MTB Training Weekends). At the very least, allow yourself the time, and energy, to focus on training and racing if it's important to you.
I recently finished reading Mark Manson's bestselling book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, which basically declared (in a nutshell): decide what you care about and focus on that. There are really only a handful of things in life that truly matter to each of us: family, health, career, friends, hobbies. Outside of those few things, the rest is just fluff. As nice as fluff can be (it adds comfort to a bedspread and tastes good with peanut butter in a sandwich), it's really not necessary. At the end of the day, it just takes up space and time that could otherwise be dedicated to what really matters: the things we have chosen to care about (or "give a f*ck about" as Manson would say). This year, I have chosen to focus on a few important things and see what happens because you won't know if you don't try...at least that's what the pros say.
*DISCLAIMER: It's important to note that although I said the focus of the week was to "eat, sleep, train, and race", no female professional cyclocross racer can do just that. Crystal is a dedicated coach and athlete who takes her job seriously and dedicates a great deal of time during the day to her athletes and clients. Most, if not all, professional cyclists have other ways of generating income and supporting themselves outside of racing; thus, many run private coaching businesses, host camps, and teach at clinics in addition to their own training and racing during the year. I also promised Crystal that I wouldn't divulge any of her coaching techniques or training secrets so if you are interested in finding out more about "training like a pro" or just bettering yourself as a cyclist (or how to cook amazing and nutrition food), visit her website: CRYSTAL ANTHONY.