An interesting conversation ensued between a friend and I a couple weeks ago as we were in the car driving home from a ride. I mentioned how I was glad she was willing to ride with me again -- at times in the past she said that she felt too out of shape to do …
Patience & perspective.
I've been struggling with a hamstring injury since the beginning of winter. For most of that time, I didn't even realize it was an issue. My hammie was tight and sore but I figured it was something that would work itself out. About a month ago, that dull soreness turned into a burning pain in …
The things worth doing.
The things we are most scared of are often the things most worth doing. Evan reminded me of this last week as I was having a meltdown and freaking out about going on a 3-day bikepacking trip with a group of women that I barely knew. I was scared I would somehow be in over …
Balance.
To use a favorite analogy of my coworker Karl, life is like spinning a bunch of plates in the air, trying to keep them from crashing to the ground and shattering into a million pieces. I tend to think of my own life like a Venn diagram with five circles: Exercise/outdoor adventure, work, home, a …
Defying my weaknesses.
Riding my bike is my best attempt to defy my weaknesses. This thought popped into my head one morning earlier this summer as I was enjoying a solo "ride before the ride" on the Allegrippis Trails. Later, I'd be meeting up with some friends for what I knew would be a pretty casual roll, so …
Interbike virgin.
I went to Interbike for the first time this year. It was my first time in Vegas, my first time at a bike show this big, my first time trying to write so many articles in such a short amount of time and see so many different products within the span of a couple of …
Conquering.
I had this teacher in high school who said he went into teaching because he was always scared of public speaking, and he tries to do things he's scared of. I don't think about much from high school. It wasn't exactly my favorite period of my life. But I think about this statement a lot. Most …
Necessary.
I like to be outside. I like to ride my bike. I like to run. But these things are more than just hobbies. They are necessary to my existence as a happy human being. I wouldn't call myself "naturally happy." It seems like happiness comes so much easier to other people. Despite the fact that …
Push through the mud.
I'm going to risk sounding like an egocentric, self-obsessed, narcissist for a minute here. I love this photo of myself. Of all those that exist, it's remained a favorite ever since it was taken in November 2013. Evan and I had decided to ride from our cabin to town via the shoreline of Raystown Lake, a …
Progress.
"It never gets easier, you just go faster." -Greg LeMond I think of this a lot, and there is a good amount of truth in those words. It can be hard to measure progress, especially when you're not necessarily on the lookout for it all the time. I'm not obsessed with getting faster. I don't …