![]() Before becoming a triathlete, my primary after-work activity was Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP), where I served in senior roles in the (then) all-volunteer staff. However, I am wary of letting myself drift into auto-pilot mode. I’ve learned a lot, work with amazing people, and am proud to serve my country, even in these…ahem… tumultuous times. I’ve been a civil servant in the federal government for over seven years now, nearly 14 if you include my time as a government contractor. Speaking of challenges, let’s move now to the professional front. Am I still nervous about road racing? Most definitely! But as Liz reminds me, if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. Answer below.) My teammates are amazing and I’ve learned more about cycling in the past quarter than in the previous six years as a triathlete. (Care to guess which one I am? Hint: I specialize in endurance triathlon races. I’ve learned the difference between a domestique, GC, rouler, puncheur, climber, and sprinter. I’m able to ride in a paceline without a panic attack. And yes, that is a sticker with my name on it.įast forward to three months later. I should have been wearing a helmet at this point, because my head just about exploded. Starting, for example, with Colnago, which would provide each of us with matching bikes. We also learned about the late-winter team training camp, opportunities for fun and challenging races across the mid-Atlantic, and other sponsors. (These are all different people.) Yes, really. With the team coach, manager, mechanic, and personal trainer. The “team photo” turned out to be a full-fledged photo shoot. “OK,” I told Nick, “I’m in.” “Great,” he said, See you at the team photo tomorrow.” Coach Nick is a big supporter of women’s cycling…and justice. (Seriously, thank you!) Also, the bike team would likely just be two or three races for a small, first-year local shop team - no big deal. Amazingly, they were also supportive, as I would still race in their team kit for triathlon races. But what about my triathlon sponsor, Coeur? I wouldn’t want to jeopardize that relationship. I was still skeptical, but talked to Liz. ![]() He said I should still consider it, since it would make me a better cyclist for triathlon. I thanked him for the compliment but explained that I’m a triathlete and haven’t done any road cycling. ![]() A week or two later, Nick asked if I’d be interested in joining the ProBike FC women’s cycling team. Yes, please! I signed up for a weekly package, guaranteeing a great workout and respite from the gridlock. Here’s another key difference between this studio and, say, SoulCycle - rather than a techno-infused dance party, Nick is a former Tour de France pro and UCI bronze medalist, and gives advice on gearing and cycling technique. What gridlock?Ĭoach Liz and I booked a free class and met Nick, the studio’s owner. There are hundreds of courses to choose from, including many triathlons with matching video - so you can get a sense of both the terrain and scenery (minus potholes, traffic lights, or crazy drivers). Unlike a spin studio, CompuTrainer studios have you ride your own bike (road, tri, fixie, etc.) and the resistance will change automatically based on the course you ride. How could I somehow get in my workout close to work and wait out traffic? As luck would have it, a new CompuTrainer studio - ProBike FC - had just opened in Falls Church. One of my motivation zappers had always been after-work trainer sessions at home, since my evening commute frequently lasted an hour and then I wouldn’t finish my ride until around 8 PM. But it was still fun and addictive and I ended the season wishing I knew more people in the race scene and wistfully noticing how much fun people on bike teams seemed to be having - and some of them even had heated tents! I put that in the back of my mind and started training again for triathlon season. But how?Īs you may know from reading this blog, I dove into cyclocross racing in December - “dove” being the appropriate word, as I fell of my bike. Professionally, I wanted to polish my leadership skills and build my network beyond my day job. On the sportz front, this meant finally taking the plunge and participating in a bike race. Over the summer, thanks to the prodding of Alicia Bonner Ness‘s 28 Day Summer Creativity Challenge (full disclosure: I lasted about five days), I set some goals to try to move out of my comfort zone. ![]() This seems to be the theme for the past few months, both on the personal and professional fronts.
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