For the last while, I didn't know what to do, what to say, how to say it... and I didn't feel like I had a story to tell. No. That's not right. I didn't feel like I had the story that I wanted to tell.
A warrior of the mind
What happens when mental fatigue and brain fog start impacting every part of your life? If you only had a small percentage of your brain to work with, what would you do? Get frustrated and give up? Or try and use what you did have to the best of your ability? I had to learn to be more efficient with that small amount of brain power I had left that wasn’t busy healing my body. Doing what I’d always done in the same way but less often wasn't the way forward. Trauma happens in everyday life, and it changes the brain. But so does healing. Here’s how I started healing my brain.
Courage is not the absence of fear
After my accident, surgery, and subsequent time in the hospital, I was allowed to go home. I thought the hardest times were behind me. I was wrong.
Cycling vs Tree: Fractured
On Boxing Day I was involved in a cycling accident on gravel roads where I skidded out and hit a tree. Here is my story. Side note: do not try this at home.
If you can’t be fit, at least be fresh
(def) Start doing something too soon, act too hastily. For example, Tiffo jumped the gun on riding an Audax 600; it shouldn't have happened for another two months when she had trained more. Good thing Audax has a ride so aptly named so early in the season that allows us to do 'stupid things'...
2020 should have come with a trigger warning
Hearing that the podcast I'd done with Sparta Chicks was the 2nd most popular episode of the year has really made me reflect on how much 2020 has changed me. So this is a bit of a deep dive into what I've worked on and learned this year. And it's not only about cycling.
Just because I can doesn’t mean I should
I went into this Everest with clarity of focus, iron clad will, and a calm (anxiety free) outlook. But the planets didn't align on this one, and when my body screamed at me to stop I actually listened this time. So how important is this DNF? And why should I celebrate it?
Mental Toughness during COVID-19
As athletes, mental toughness is something that we constantly need to work on. Developing, training, testing, so that it's ready for when we need to call on it. So how do we work on mental toughness during lockdown in a pandemic? Spoiler alert: the answer may not be what you think.
Giro d’Italia Virtual: the long green (Garmin) line
I've often wondered what cyclists who race do for the rest of the day. After all, they are only racing for an hour or so. I now know the answer. They fall over and die on the floor. Or maybe that's just me.
Audax goes vEveresting
I guess this is what happens when you give an Audaxer and indoor trainer and point her in the direction of a challenge. So here's how I joined the Hells 500 "Lycra Party" vEveresting World Record attempt.