A little more than 8 years ago, I found myself absolutely exhausted in my daily life. I always felt like I was in need of a nap, regardless of whether or not it was a training day. At the time, I was in the midst of a lengthy career in the biotech industry as a desk-bound researcher who was also a road warrior with a full weekly travel schedule. Between my flights to and from Denver, Raleigh, and other cities across North America, I was also trying to maintain a robust training schedule that sometimes even included renting a bike for a local ride in whatever city I was visiting for work.
For those of you who don't follow the mountain bike racing scene closely, Anne is one of the top North American enduro riders. She's also a scientist with a PhD in studying nanoparticles in the environment who currently works at an environmental toxicology consulting firm. Quite the combination. There's far more to her than just being a super-smart mountain biker, however. Anne likes to commit 100% to whatever she does -- no holding back. If she can challenge preconceived notions in the process, it's even better. I've recently gotten to know Anne and decided an interview was in order to give everyone a better picture of what makes this unique individual tick.
Interested in triathlon, but don't know where to start?
Whether you're considering sprint, XTERRA, or Ironman distance, professional triathlete Branden Rakita breaks down the basics to get you going in the right direction.
Eating with a purpose means making smart food choices to fuel whatever it is you want to accomplish with your meal. Want to be able to train and compete at your best? A huge part of this is being intentional about what you put in your body. Whether it's going on a big ride in the mountains, sneaking in a quick weekday interval session, or having an easy recovery day, fueling yourself appropriately for the task at hand is the only way to maximize your long-term performance.
Cyclocross races aren’t that long—30 to 60 minutes depending on your category—but there are thousands of decisions to make in that concise amount of time. During a race you’re constantly assessing when to draft vs lead, which line to take around a corner, whether to ride or run, when to attack. The more automatic and instinctive those decisions are, the better. Experience over years of racing certainly helps with making these decisions on the fly. However, regardless of your level of expertise, the pre-ride is another essential component to informing and pre-determining race decisions. Here are a few tips to make your pre-rides effective:
