Podcasts about Lael Wilcox

Ultra-fast long-distance bike rides have garnered a lot of attention of late, headlined by Lael Wilcox's record-setting circumnavigation of the planet. But as impressive as many of those efforts are, there's something lost in moving so quickly. Seeing the world by bike is a great way to slow down, take it all in, and have an experience that other methods of transportation can't replicate.Chris McCaffrey finished a seventeen-month ride around the world last fall, and we sat down to hear his whole story, from the trans-Atlantic rowing effort that sparked his interest in long-distance human-powered travel, to the incredible places he saw and people he met along the way, and a whole lot more.RELATED LINKS:BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredTOPICS & TIMES:Why ride around the world? (2:29)Trans-Atlantic rowing attempt (6:23)Chris's first big bikepacking trip (17:56)Lessons learned from that trip (24:03)Bike setup for the ride around the world (26:45)The route (32:10)Setting off (39:01)North America (43:22)Europe (49:12)Asia (51:03)Getting sick (1:04:44)Favorite places & next destinations (1:25:20)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDGEAR:30Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful and inspiring episode of MTB: Sharing the Stoke, host Jamie sits down with 13-year-old mountain biker Amelia Twist and her mum Toni to talk about a ride that's about so much more than just bikes.Amelia, a passionate Mountain Bike rider from Tauranga, is on a mission to challenge New Zealand's outdated school sport rules that exclude homeschooled students from receiving medals or joining teams in School Sport NZ events. Despite being able to race, homeschooled athletes are denied the same recognition as their peers—a rule that affects over 4,000 students nationwide.To fight this injustice, Amelia and fellow homeschooler George are planning a 730–800km winter bikepacking mission from Cambridge to Wellington, where they'll deliver a petition directly to Parliament. The goal? To ride for change and raise awareness for the overlooked voices of homeschool athletes.We dive deep into Amelia's riding background, her inspiration from bikepacking legend Lael Wilcox, and the logistics behind this bold midwinter adventure. Amelia shares the behind-the-scenes challenges of preparing for a long-distance ride in harsh conditions, from gear needs to legal action—yes, there's a judicial review in motion, and support is growing fast.Whether you're a rider, a parent, an advocate, or just love stories about young people making big moves, this episode will get you fired up. Amelia and George aren't just pedaling for podiums—they're pushing for fairness, inclusion, and the right to compete.

In this week's episode, Robyn and Will are joined by ultra-cyclist Lael Wilcox, who set the world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle in September 2024, cycling over 29,100km in 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes. Here Lael explains how to plan such a feat, the highs and lows of solitude on a bike, their fear, resilience and growth, and the unexpected emotional responses after achieving such a goal.Interview starts at 13.36------------------This episode is brought to you by Trek's custom Project One programme, which offers full custom paint, components and setup on every Trek bicycle. Check out Trek.com to start designing your dream bike now.------------------Did you know Cyclist is also stunning monthly print magazine? Subscribe now at store.cyclist.co.uk/cycpod and get every issue for less than in the shops, delivered straight to your door. And it's also a rather lovely website about everything road cycling and gravel. Check us out at cyclist.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lael Wilcox is an ultra-endurance cyclist and racer, and she recently set a women's Guinness World Record for fastest time cycling around the world. The trip was 18,000 miles long and it took her 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes to complete. She averaged 166 miles a day. And with the help of some friends, she planned her own route. She wanted it to include the kind of riding she likes to do, which is a lot of climbing in the mountains. It's slower and it's harder, but it's the riding that inspires her. Her route was intense, rewarding and challenging. She was especially grateful for finishing without any injuries. Considering how much road Lael covered, staying safe around vehicles was among her top priorities because regardless of what happens, her main goals are to always stay safe and to finish regardless of her standing. She says that each race is an opportunity to prove something to herself. Sometimes that's overcoming her fear of the route — like with cycling around the world and the Iditarod Trail. Other times it's about being capable of doing these increasingly long and difficult rides. Her desire to chase these rides, these proving grounds, is all-consuming. To the point that when she finds herself thinking about them, she stops eating or she stops talking to focus on the idea and her intent. She imagines it all fitting together like a puzzle — every piece is important and it all fits together to form a bigger picture. Sometimes that involves spontaneity — she loves that. Adjusting to weather, keeping an eye out for places to sleep, seeing wildlife, meeting new people, experiencing other cultures and visiting new places.

Lael Wilcox is an ultra-endurance cyclist and racer, and she recently set a women's Guinness World Record for fastest time cycling around the world. The trip was 18,000 miles long and it took her 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes to complete. She averaged 166 miles a day. And with the help of some friends, she planned her own route. She wanted it to include the kind of riding she likes to do, which is a lot of climbing in the mountains. It's slower and it's harder, but it's the riding that inspires her. Her route was intense, rewarding and challenging. She was especially grateful for finishing without any injuries. Considering how much road Lael covered, staying safe around vehicles was among her top priorities because regardless of what happens, her main goals are to always stay safe and to finish regardless of her standing.  She says that each race is an opportunity to prove something to herself. Sometimes that's overcoming her fear of the route — like with cycling around the world and the Iditarod Trail. Other times it's about being capable of doing these increasingly long and difficult rides. Her desire to chase these rides, these proving grounds, is all-consuming. To the point that when she finds herself thinking about them, she stops eating or she stops talking to focus on the idea and her intent. She imagines it all fitting together like a puzzle — every piece is important and it all fits together to form a bigger picture. Sometimes that involves spontaneity — she loves that. Adjusting to weather, keeping an eye out for places to sleep, seeing wildlife, meeting new people, experiencing other cultures and visiting new places.

In this month's very inspiring bumper episode Rebecca Charlton is joined by more special guests to talk all things women's cycling and round off an unforgettable season. Her co-host this month is ex-pro rider and now TV reporter, pundit and commentator, Hannah Walker. We discuss her career progression since leaving the race circuit, hilarious anecdotes from the peloton and share some emotional stories very close to her heart.  We have an exclusive interview with Lael Wilcox, fresh from her record-breaking ride around the globe. We also chat to Sara Felton who completed the Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift just one day ahead of the pro peloton this year, to raise vital funds for Cure Leukaemia.  Thanks to Liv for all their support of the 2024 season of podcasts.  So settle down with a big coffee and enjoy!    

In September 2024, Lael Wilcox rolled into Chicago completing a three month, 18000 mile odyssey. Lael had just broken the world record for circumnavigating the globe, breaking the previous best time by more than two weeks. This isn't the first time the Alaskan native has set a new bar for others to meet. She's twice been the fastest finisher at the Tour Divide - racing from Banff in Canada to Antelope Wells in New Mexico and beat everyone, including to the men in the TransAm bike race from Oregon to Virginia. But Lael is more than just her record breaking feats, she's now one of the biggest names in her sport, and is using her platform to get more women and girls into the sport. Lael joins Bobby and Jens on The Odd Tandem to discuss all of this and more. Check out the video version of the podcast on our youtube channel. Join our Patreon now to get an ad free version of the podcast and your name in the titlespatreon.com/OddTandemFind us on social media by searching ‪@OddTandem‬ on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook

Bicycle Talk. Episode 414 September 25th 2024.   Ron's Rant:   Ron talks about a close call near his home with a truck pulling a camping trailer.  Big truck and the American obsession with them. On a positive side: The world championships have started.  Lot to share in the next week.  Lael Wilcox rode around […]

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP This week on Life in the Peloton, we've got Lael Wilcox back on the pod. As many of you know, Lael has just become the Guinness World Record holder for cycling around the world. She rode an incredible 29,000 kilometers starting from Chicago, circumnavigating the globe in 108 days, 12 hours, and 12 minutes. I was so excited to get Lael back on the pod this week. I loved following her journey around the world through her podcasts and videos. Lael is full of energy, and what really drew me into this adventure was how she managed to make something so difficult and challenging sound like so much fun to manage to involve so many people. In our chat we spoke about what it was like to complete this adventure, to cross the globe, to ride in all these amazing places, and to do so with so many people joining in and following along. Her record attempt was followed by thousands of people, many of whom took the time to join her on the ride, offering gifts, places to stay, and help along the way, as well as the occasional diversion to improve her route! I was particularly keen to hear what it had been like riding across Australia, but I love to hear how people see my country and be able to see it through fresh perspectives. Lael actually reached out for a route, and I was really happy to be able to help out - at the last minute! And then to hear what this adventure had been like.   Lael is so inspiring to talk to, her story and approach to riding her bike is fantastic, and we loved having her back on the pod. Take a listen to this episode—it's an amazing trip around the world, not to mention a new world record, and something that's inspiring for so many cyclists. Sit back, relax and enjoy. Mitch ----more----   Listen to my previous chat with Lael - Lael Wilcox - The best of the best in Ultra Endurance Cycling This episode is also supported by our friends at Wahoo head over to wahoofitness.com to check out their awesome bike computers and trainers. The Dirty Docker is almost here! Dirty Docker is my multi-day event for all things cycling and running in the Macedon Ranges. For the last few weeks of winter, you can get an exclusive discount code by signing up to the Life in the Peloton Newsletter here. The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can't wait for you to read it.  

Liam Cahill and Felix Smith sit down with Lael Wilcox to discuss the tech behind a record-breaking around the world bike ride. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's adventure headlines day on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head)! Today Colin & Justin Housman run through headlines to come out of the outdoor community over the past week.Here's the rundown:A dropped bag of Cheetos caused big problems at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico proving that wherever people go, litter follows. (02:58)A pack of otters attacked a jogger who was out for her morning run in Malaysia. This story begs the question: what is the cutest animal that can royally f@%& you up? (13:21)A lost hiker was found after being missing for 30 days in North Cascades National Park. How much do we know and how many questions should we actually ask? (21:00)Lael Wilcox set a new record for biking around the world. How awesome is that?! (30:08)And of course they wrap things up with their Parting Shots! (37:17)Head to www.rockfight.co and sign up for News From the Front, Rock Fight's weekly newsletter!Please follow and subscribe to THE ROCK FIGHT and give us a 5 star rating and written review wherever you get your podcasts.Listen to and follow Gear & Beer! The newest show on the Rock Fight Podcast Network.Have a question or comment for a future mailbag episode? Send it to myrockfight@gmail.com or send a message on Instagram or Threads.Thanks for listening! THE ROCK FIGHT is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.

Koersklappers:  Gerben Onghena, Wim LagaeRechtstreeks uit het Stelvio-salon brengen Gerben en Wim een uitgebreide en diepzinnige kijk op de afgelopen wielerweek. Inclusief enkele Italiaanse herfstklassiekers, het EK in Limburg, de Canadese topkoersen in Québec en Montréal en ineens ook een preview op een wellicht spetterend WK in Zürich! Omleidingen waren er via de Radio Stelvio-strasse, Izidor Penko, de ambities van Kristian Blummenfelt, de Spelen in LA en de wilde tochten van Lachlan Morton en Lael Wilcox.Steun Radio Stelvio

In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Simon von Bromley and Liam Cahill sit down to discuss Lael Wilcox's incredible Around The World record and Lachlan Morton's ongoing lap of Australia Fastest Known Time attempt.   The duo pore over incredible stats from each ride and discuss the bike setups each rider used.   Rounding out the episode, they chat about why ultra-distance cycling has had such a resurgence in recent years. Could it have something to do with the increasing popularity of gravel and all-road bikes? Tune in to find out. Lael Wilcox shatters Around The World record aboard Specialized Roubaix SL8 New Cannondale road bike spotted under Lachlan Morton on his 14,200km lap of Australia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adventure cyclist Lael Wilcox has just wrapped up an incredible tour around the world on her bike, taking the current record and completing the trip in a whopping 108 days 12 hours and 12 minutes. Hear from Lael as she chats with Ian about the ups and downs, highs and lows, and relationships made while pushing the pace in the farthest corners of the world.

Authorities in Belarus have granted amnesty to several dozen political detainees in recent weeks. These are opposition figures, part of the movement that protested the reelection in 2020 of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko over his authoritarian domestic policies. We hear from a political adviser to the opposition about the prisoner releases, and the reaction in opposition communities in Belarus and in the diaspora. Also, a severe drought in southern Namibia has led to food shortages. So, the country's Ministry of Environment announced a controversial plan: to cull wildlife in order to feed people in urgent need of sustenance. Plus, an influential pastor in the Philippines was just arrested after a two-week standoff between police and his supporters. And, a bicyclist has broken a world record. Lael Wilcox just became the fastest woman to circumnavigate the globe by bike. Listen to today's Music Heard on Air.

I always say day 3 is when bike tours click in, but don't sometimes exceptions prove the rule? And don't my bicycle adventures always find some way to go sideways? Everything seems to be going just fine as James and I cycle away from our beach camp, but what could possibly throw a monkey wrench into our plans this time? Oregon Coast Remix - Part 3 Morning at Beachside State Recreational Site • Departure from Beachside around 8:30 AM. • Planning to stop at Yachats, about 10 miles away. • Encountered a group of young hikers. Camp Experience • Ratings for campsites along the way, with particular praise for South Beach and Cape Lookout. • The soothing sound of crashing waves as a backdrop at Beachside. Technical and Physical Challenges • Tim's battery anxiety despite having sufficient power. • Horrific leg cramps and focusing on electrolytes. • The impact of caffeine on appetite suppression and performance. Journey Highlights • Departure from Beachside towards Yachats and reminiscing about a previous mishap in Yachats. • The importance of breakfast and managing indigestion during the ride. • Discussion on the beauty and challenges of the Oregon Coast terrain. Midday in Yachats • James and Tim enjoyed a coffee break and discussed Lael Wilcox's podcast. • Description of the Oregon Coast's scenic beauty, cool weather, and the joy of riding with a tailwind. Mechanics and Adjustments • Issues with bike gears and attempts at barrel adjustment. • Reflecting on the bike's performance and necessary future adjustments. Arrival at Jesse M. Honeyman State Park • Rating the new hiker/biker campsite at Honeyman State Park. • Reflecting on the day's ride and the impact of indigestion on performance. Rider Reflections and Future Plans • Tim and James discuss their potential next stops and the flexibility needed when plans go awry. Statistics Miles biked 35.3 Elevation gained 1427 ft 1472 ft - 435m Calories eaten at lunch maybe 50 Bikers encountered at camp 0 Nephew post credit scenes 1 Flats 0

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines: Anchorage ultra endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox is trying to beat the Guinness World Record for fastest bicycle circumnavigation of the globe by a woman. Governor Mike Dunleavy and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski toured the Juneau neighborhoods that experienced record-breaking flooding earlier this week.

Riders at the 2024 Tour Divide endured all kinds of weather as they made their way south from Banff to Antelope Wells. Our guest this week, Meaghan Hackinen, found a way to prevail despite the less than ideal conditions, winning the women's race and also setting the fastest Grand Depart time. Meaghan got her start in cycling commuting to school, eventually finding her way to long bikepacking trips to fulfill her sense of adventure. Inspired by Lael Wilcox's win at the 2016 Trans Am Bike race, Meaghan decided to dip her toe into competitive ultra distance cycling. Since then she has raced ultras all across the world, proving time and again to herself that she is stronger than she thinks. Follow Meaghan on Instagram @meaghanhackinen Follow us on Instagram:@girlsgonegravel @feisty_media Girls Gone Gravel Website:https://www.girlsgonegravel.com/ Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ Support our Partners:Use the code gggfierce for 30% off at fiercehazel.com Buycycle: save up to $100 on your purchase by entering code GIRLSGONEGRAVEL at buycycle.com Precision Fuel & Hydration: Use this link to get 15% off your first order https://visit.pfandh.com/girlsgonegravel Tifosi: Use the code FM20! to get 20% off your order at tifosioptics.com Use the code FEISTY for 15% off first-purchases at pillarperformance.shop, or TheFeed.com for North American listeners.

After a rejuvenating zero day to avoid the storms, I had one more day of road riding to catch my train. A familiar route, but not exactly one with mindfulness paid to bikes. Would I catch the train home? Celebrate 10 Years of Pedalshift Quick housekeeping if you missed last episode's live show news… I'm off to Oregon for the 10th anniversary tour: Oregon Coast Remixed! We'll pivot right into that as soon as we wrap up the C&O But Slow over the next few weeks, so stay tuned. Also another shout to Lael Wilcox's pod… her adventure around the world continues so make sure you follow along Lael Rides Around the World wherever you get this pod. Unless you get it off my website, in which case go google hers ;) C&O But Slow - Part 4 Introduction Good morning from the cabin. Discussion about the day's ride and weather conditions. Reflection on the decision to take a zero day due to bad weather. Travel Plans and Preparations Route description: predominantly downhill, then uphill, and flat sections. Mention of carrying less load compared to previous rides. Discussion on the necessity of taking the garbage to remote bins. Weather conditions: cold, layering up, and safety measures with lighting on the bike. Highlighting areas of exposure to highways and the importance of planning the ride to avoid rush. On the Road Experiences Initial thoughts after starting the ride and adjusting clothing layers. Navigating roads and using Google Maps for routing, challenges with algorithm recommendations. Encounter with the lowest elevation point near Back Creek and the difficulties with uphill rides. Discussion about the upcoming route, including passing the county landfill and Ridge Road's rollercoaster-like terrain. Mid-Ride Reflections Break to consume snacks and hydrate, reflection on time management for the ride. Encounter with local traffic and the need for careful navigation on Ridge Road. Challenges with the bike's mid gears and potential need for maintenance. Final Leg of the Journey Detailed description of the last few miles and final crossing of Highway 9. Observations on new constructions and reflections on the local area's development. Final thoughts on the ride, considering an e-bike for future trips for efficiency. Nearing the train station, managing time well and cooling down after the ride. Arrival at Martinsburg Train Station Reflection on the ease of the final stretch and the efficiency of the route taken. Thoughts on Martinsburg's potential and current state, including commuter resources. Preparing for the train ride back, discussion on local transit options and their effectiveness. Return to DC Arrival in DC, reflection on the overall trip and its unexpected developments. Observations on local cycling culture and the changes seen in the area. Mention of upcoming episodes and future plans for spring and summer. Statistics Miles biked 20.1 Trains taken 1 Bars eaten 2 Celebratory train beers 1 Flats 0

After leaving you all with a bit of a cliffhanger, the decision is made – my (formerly) slow and chill C&O ride now gets another 18 miles of riding to some sweet sweet roofed lodging at my cabin. But that means I cross into West Virginia where I encounter something I've never dealt with before. Explicit tag earned for this episode… Celebrate 10 Years of Pedalshift Live 6/8 The march to the ten year anniversary of the show commences… Live show to celebrate things June 8th, at 8pm ET. It will be podcasted the following week but always down for some live banter. It'll be on the YouTube channeland here at pedalshift.net/live. ALSO, if you aren't subscribed to and listening to the fantastic Lael Wilcox's podcast, I can't recommend it enough. She's trying to break the world record for cycling the world and is audio journaling it every day. She's recently completed her eastern US leg and by the time you hear this will be in Europe working her way east. It's so good - laelwilcox.net for the details. She is a legend and this is elite level stuff! C&O But Slow - Part 3 Introduction - Riding to the cabin due to favorable weather conditions Travel Plans and Preparations - Description of the route and challenges ahead - Discussion on safety measures and time management - Strategy for avoiding bad weather and deciding to ride immediately On the Road Experiences - Reflections on the ride: pain, headwinds, and dealing with a truck that rolls coal - Encounter with challenging road conditions and gearing issues - Insights on energy management and navigating difficult climbs Scenic and Safe Routes - Decision-making on route choices to avoid hazards - Progress update and estimated distance to the destination Final Leg of the Journey - Description of the last few miles and expected challenges - Nearing the end: checking distance and anticipating weather Arrival and Reflections - Arrival at the cabin and initial feelings - Immediate plans and reflections on the day's ride Zero Day - Announcement of a zero day due to bad weather - Observations on the weather conditions and impact on the trail Closing Thoughts - Strategy for the upcoming ride to the train station - Gratitude for making the right decision and empathy for those still on the trail Statistics Miles biked 18 F bombs tossed  1 Zero days 1 Heavy rain storms dodged 2 Flats 0

"If you want to have an incredible event experience, go to an event run by an athlete." That was the advice that Rebecca Rusch offered up in Episode 9 of Second Nature, so on this episode, we're speaking with trail running legend Tim Tollefson about mammoth trailfest. As an athlete, he's built this event from scratch, and now he's here to share everything he's learned - which would apply to anyone trying to start their own event, no matter the sport. mammoth trailfest.: https://www.mammothtrailfest.com/ Tim's BPC: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7MrwPuxQFU/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng== Aaron's BPC: https://content.rapha.cc/us/en/story/laels-ride-around-the-world Check out Lael Wilcox: https://www.instagram.com/laelwilcox/   Sign up for our newsletter: http://www.secondnature.media Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media  

For years, bikepacker Lael Wilcox wasn't sure whether she wanted to try and break the Around The World record. But with politics and climate change threatening global stability, the 36-year-old thought it was now or never, and has set out to try beat Jenny Graham's 2018 record by two weeks by circumnavigating the globe in 110 days.

Lael Wilcox is an ultra-endurance legend. And yet, aged 20, she'd barely ridden a bike. It was only when she started a new job 6km from her home and realised cycling was the most efficient way of commuting that she turned to two wheels.A love affair was born. And then she realised she was damn good at it. Now 36, Lael's won almost everything she could dream of: the 6,800km Trans Am Bike Race; holds the women's course record for Tour Divide (4,418km); has the fastest known time for the Arizona Trail… the list goes on and on.And now she wants to smash the women's round the world record – and is setting off from Chicago on May 26 to do just that. She aims to complete her trip around the globe in just 110 days. Lael spoke to Rob and Eliot about her spellbinding journey to this point – and how she plans to break an iconic record. We loved welcoming Lael to Just Ride and can't wait to track her progress. Here at Just Ride we absolutely love hearing from you, so hit Eliot or Rob up on their socials or email podcast@redbull.com to get a shout out on the show.

Lael Wilcox is known as one of the world's best ultra-endurance cyclists. She's ridden over 150,000 miles in more than 50 countries. Now, Lael is going after her wildest idea yet: to break the record for cycling around the world. Her goal is to ride more than 18,000 miles in 110 days.Connect with Lael:Website InstagramCheck out:Take the Wild Ideas Listener Survey!! Sign up for Hipcamp and REI's “Summer of Magic Campout Series” Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One: Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program and learn about local REI Fund granteesTEVA

In this episode, host Craig Dalton interviews Stefan Barth, author of the book "Ultra Cycling and Bikepacking: All You Need to Know." Stefan shares his journey into ultra cycling and bikepacking, discussing the challenges and unique aspects of these long-distance events. He highlights the importance of sleep, nutrition, and positioning in preparing for and competing in ultra cycling races. Stefan also emphasizes the need for a strong physical foundation and the role of mindset in overcoming obstacles during these demanding events. Ultra Cycling and Bike Packing. All you need to know (Amazon link) ISBN: 978-3-910501-03-4 Episode Sponsor: Pillar Performance (use code: CRAIG for 15% off) Support the Podcast Join The Ridership  About the Guest(s): Stefan Barth is an author and coach specializing in ultra cycling and bikepacking. Based in Frankfurt, Germany, Stefan has a passion for long-distance cycling events and has participated in races such as the Race Across America and the Transcontinental. With a background in medical fitness coaching, Stefan combines his knowledge of training, nutrition, and mindset to help athletes prepare for and succeed in ultra cycling events. Episode Summary: In this episode, host Craig Dalton interviews Stefan Barth, author of the book "Ultra Cycling and Bikepacking: All You Need to Know." Stefan shares his journey into ultra cycling and bikepacking, discussing the challenges and unique aspects of these long-distance events. He highlights the importance of sleep, nutrition, and positioning in preparing for and competing in ultra cycling races. Stefan also emphasizes the need for a strong physical foundation and the role of mindset in overcoming obstacles during these demanding events. Key Takeaways: Ultra cycling and bikepacking require a different approach to training compared to shorter races. Factors such as sleep, nutrition, and positioning become crucial in ensuring success. Sleep strategies vary depending on the duration of the event. While shorter races may not require sleep, longer races necessitate planned sleep breaks to maintain physical and mental well-being. Nutrition plays a vital role in sustaining energy levels during ultra cycling events. Experimenting with different foods and finding what works best for individual digestion is essential. Positioning on the bike is crucial for efficiency and energy conservation. An aggressive position, combined with flexibility and mobility training, can improve performance and reduce energy expenditure. Building endurance for ultra cycling involves training at or just below threshold levels for extended periods. Long intervals of 20-30 minutes at high intensity can help increase the ability to sustain effort near threshold. Notable Quotes: "Just because it's possible to push through doesn't mean it's fun. Cutting off sleep is a sure way to get rid of the fun." - Stefan Barth "Your base or your fundamentals are always a good physical condition. That's what you really need to finish those events." - Stefan Barth Automated Transcription, please excuse the typos:  [TRANSCRIPT] **** - (): . [00:00:00] - ():  Craig Dalton: Hello, and welcome to the gravel ride podcast, where we go deep on the sport of gravel cycling through in-depth interviews with product designers, event organizers and athletes. Who are pioneering the sport **** - (): I'm your host, Craig Dalton, a lifelong cyclist who discovered gravel cycling back in 2016 and made all the mistakes you don't need to make. I approach each episode as a beginner down, unlock all the knowledge you need to become a great gravel cyclist. **** - (): This week on the podcast, I've got the great pleasure of welcoming author and coach Stefan Barth. He's the author of a book called ultra cycling and bike packing. All you need to know that was recently translated from German to English. It's a very deep technical book. About ultra cycling and these long distance events. Highlighting how different the training. Preparation and otherwise competing successfully the events. Needs to occur. **** - (): Stefan noted that in his preparation for ultrasonic. Recycling events. While he could cobble together a number of resources, podcasts, videos, et cetera. There was no singular location. That highlighted insights and philosophies and training methodologies. That he could find. So he sat on a journey to create the, this book. They look forward to jumping into the conversation with Stefan. **** - (): Okay. Before we jump in, I do need to thank pillar performance for their support of this episode. Pillars of sports, micro nutrition company. Who's developed products that intersect between pharmaceutical intervention and sports supplements for athletes. As I mentioned previously, I'm really thinking about my overall health and wellbeing this year. **** - (): Trying to make some changes from a lackluster 2023. **** - (): My nighttime routine and sleep has become a crucial part of being able to perform my best pillars. Triple magnesium is informed by leading heart rate variability researcher, Dr. Dan Pluse and used by many high performing athletes. Pillar has recently signed on as the official micronutrition partner of Israel, premier tech. It has been integral to my end of the day routine. 30 minutes before sleep. **** - (): I mix in one scoop of pillar's triple magnesium powder into a glass of water to help guarantee my body spends as much time. In REM and deep sleep as possible. Pillar uses a high dose of glycinate magnesium. Activating the parasympathetic nervous system. And ensuring you fall asleep. And stay in that restorative sleep phase longer and longer. I've been tracking my HRV data each morning and it speaks volumes as to what pillar triple magnesium is doing for my recovery, higher HRV and more closely linked REM and deep sleep cycles on top of that. I feel better. More rested and recovered. If you'd like to try pillar today, head on over to pillar performance.shop. For us listeners, you can head to the feed.com/pillar and enter the code Craig for 15% off. That's Craig C R a I G for 15% off all first-time purchases. Would that behind us, let's jump right in to my conversation with Stefan. [00:03:22] - ():  Stefan Barth: Stephane, welcome to the show. Hi, Greg. [00:03:25] - ():  Craig Dalton: I'm excited to get you, to know you a little bit better and learn more about the book you wrote Ultra Cycling and Bikepacking, All You Need to Know. As we were talking about offline, I think it's a very interesting journey where many of us honor are on as cyclists from starting to do gravel events, starting to do longer gravel events, getting interested in bikepacking. **** - (): And I think as the sports evolve and the science of training evolves, it's super interesting to have a discussion with someone like you has thought a lot about. Ultra cycling, how to train for it. You've thought so much about it that you've written a book [00:04:03] - ():  Stefan Barth: about it. Yeah. And glad that it got translated into English. **** - (): So more and more people are able to read it now. So I'm really looking forward to our chat. [00:04:15] - ():  Craig Dalton: Yeah, it's so maybe that's a good point to let's, let's set the stage where you located and maybe follow that on by where did you grow up and how did you discover cycling in the [00:04:25] - ():  Stefan Barth: first place? Okay. Yes, I'm from, from Germany and I'm located in Frankfurt here. **** - (): And yeah, so the book is about ultra cycling and bike packing. And that actually is where I started my cycling career. So it was like always. I was, I was driven to the, to the longer, longer events. And even when I started cycling as a teenager, it was always, okay, I want to go the, for the 100 kilometers to the town that is a little bit farther away. **** - (): Uh, most of my friends, they were not able to reach these towns even by the bus. And I was feeling very, very cool just to be able to go there by bike. And somehow this, this got my addiction to long distance cycling starting and yeah, it developed from that. So. I'm probably a young starter, so I think it was like with 14 years that I did my first free day ride and yeah, then it escalated quickly. [00:05:29] - ():  Craig Dalton: And did you ever get drawn into kind of more traditional bike racing or was touring and long distance riding always your true love? Yeah, only [00:05:38] - ():  Stefan Barth: for a short time. I had like a triathlon time. So I had a couple of years when I was more doing Ironman distance triathlon races. And that was the time when I got more professional in cycling as well, because I got more, yeah, I focused more on competitive cycling. **** - (): And during that time I did a couple of criterium races, but it never really catched me, so it's not, yeah, it was not to my taste to, to ride in a, in a bunch and to always, uh, have this fear of, of, of a crash and I'm not the, the guy made for speed, but rather for, for long stretches and to, to feel like the, the exhaustion creep into your legs. **** - (): But. Because of the duration and not because of the intensity. [00:06:29] - ():  Craig Dalton: Got it. And where did your sort of professional life and, uh, and cycling start to intersect? [00:06:37] - ():  Stefan Barth: A couple of years ago, it was like really the time when I, when I did those Ironman distance races that was like the beginning of putting more thought into how should I prepare my body, how should I prepare my mind what do I need to do with nutrition to get better on those races and yeah, that's probably where I started to think, okay, I could or this is my passion and I, Will, well, I want to do something in my professional career in this area in the long term, and soon afterwards I started to go part-time as a coach. **** - (): And I did like, in Germany it's called medical fitness coaching. So I studied in an area where you put a lot of weight into how to. coach athletes, but at the same time, how to do rehab and prehab. Yes. And this I did some years in part time and I had a full time job in the finance sector. **** - (): And when I published the book or the German edition of the book, ultra cycling and bike packing at that time. I had to make a decision because both careers would have been, one career would compromise the other one. And then I decided, or it was pretty easy for me actually to decide that I want to, to have a job that is my passion at the same time. **** - (): And so I decided to go all in, in coaching and writing about coaching. [00:08:02] - ():  Craig Dalton: That's super interesting. And it makes sense given some of the very technical elements of the book. Around physiology that you lean into that we can talk a little bit about later. And it also makes sense that Ironman journey, which you and I share, I feel like as athletes, Ironman, it's one of those disciplines that highlights your deficiency of preparation very quickly, both physically nutrition and all kinds of things. **** - (): So I'm curious, you know, building off upon that, when did you start getting drawn into the more ultra distance cycling events? [00:08:40] - ():  Stefan Barth: Soon, soon after my first Ironman actually. And at that time I did like big bike packing trips as like base my training for Ironmans as well. So I, I always try to have one vacation in summer. **** - (): And be like three or four weeks with my bicycle and ride as many miles as possible to build a strong or a strong foundation for the Ironman training. And during that time, I noticed that there's a crazy race in America called the Race Across America. I think it was some time about 2013, probably, something like that. **** - (): When I heard the first time about this race across America and that there's an Austrian guy called Christoph Strasser, who's not living too far away from, from here who is really good at it. And I was like, okay, he's crossing the whole continent in 10 days. This is crazy. And that's what I want to do. **** - (): And yeah, that's, that's how I. Got drawn into this long distance cycling. And I think that actually kicked off here in Europe, quite a, uh, fascination for this sport in general, especially in Germany and Austria. And there popped up a little more and more 24 hour cycling events. And that was the beginning for me. **** - (): Then I started to, uh, to participate at these 24 hour events and yeah, just looked how, how much can I do or how long can I go in 24 hours? And then this evolved into supported races. So I did. A couple of races, ultra cycling races where I had my own support crew which is quite expensive and at the same time, more and more bike pack, bike packing events popped up here in Europe, like transcontinental and more and more smaller ones. **** - (): And yeah, then I switched. [00:10:36] - ():  Craig Dalton: You were talking about the transcontinental and some of these other. Ultra endurance road cycling events. How many days were those events taking? [00:10:46] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yeah, I think that the first, when I, when I started the smaller ones were two or three day rides. And my longest one was, uh, nine, nine days, one hour. **** - (): So this is a bit more than three and a half thousand kilometers. It's [00:11:04] - ():  Craig Dalton: always super interesting to me when you kind of transcend that single day racing format to multi day format, to just understand the mentality. And I know some of this is included in the book, but I think it's great background before we get there. **** - (): How do you handle kind of sleep along the way [00:11:22] - ():  Stefan Barth: in those events? Yeah. It's, it differs between like ultra cycling is not ultra cycling, but it's important to make this this to distinguish between how long, or is it a multi day race or is it just 24 hours? Because I think in, in a 24 hours, uh, race, at least for me, there's no difficulty and uh, no sleep at all. **** - (): So if you're doing a 24 hour race. it's okay to have a stop time about 15 to 20 minutes only. And in a 48 hour race, it's still works for me without sleep, but just if you are practiced at it and everything beyond 48 hours is where it gets really tough and where I think you just have to sleep. probably can go with a napping strategy. **** - (): It's way more fun if you sleep. And that's something I think that some people underestimate the first time just because it's possible to push through doesn't mean it's fun. And to cut off the sleeping time is a sure way to get rid of the fun. That's for sure. [00:12:32] - ():  Craig Dalton: As you were, as you were pursuing these new and different style races, were you able to find the resources you needed to understand how to train and prepare for them, or was it more trial and error along [00:12:45] - ():  Stefan Barth: the way? **** - (): It was a lot trial and error and yes, there was, I think nowadays it's easier 10, 10 years later, there's a lot of more content on the internet and you have podcasts that go into different topics of ultra cycling and you have bloggers that post a lot but still there's not too much scientific background of it and when I started, I tried a lot shit. **** - (): By trial and error, and I also tried to find people obviously who have done it before, uh, try to talk with them, connect with them on social media, and at the events, use the time to, to have a couple of words with them. But it was a very. Uh, sometimes frustrating way because you have to invest a lot of time and you could not be sure that you, yeah, you get a return on your investment because yeah, then you, you tried something out, uh, for example, nutrition and I had like one huge mistake I made. **** - (): When I tried to copy the nutrition, nutrition strategy of Christoph Strasser from his race cross America. And he had like some, I don't know if it's sponsored product, but like some fluid nutrition and he was always telling, okay, he drinks like 200 milliliters of this. Uh, fluid per hour and that works fine for him and I was, okay, if it works for him, I should try it as well. **** - (): And I did it during a race and this was probably really one of my biggest mistakes because I totally underestimated that he's. probably something like 40 pounds heavier than me because I'm quite short and he puts in a lot of more power. And I totally underestimated how this power and this body weight factor correspond on your nutrition needs. **** - (): And I drank way too much and I consumed way too much energy which ended. in me at the roadside feeling very, very sick. And yeah, I had to do a complete restart. So I, I did finish the race, but after lying in the ditch for, for, I don't know, 30, 40 minutes I had to, to To build in a period drinking only water, don't eating anything, and just have a complete reset for my body and my mind, and then I could start again. **** - (): But yeah, that's, that's the mistakes that I made on the road. And that's what the book is about, that not everybody has to lie in this ditch and make the same mistakes all over again. [00:15:31] - ():  Craig Dalton: You sort of alluded to this in your answer there, but if we go back to sort of what inspired you to write a book, I'm just curious how you would answer that question. [00:15:41] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yeah, it's at the beginning I was not planning on writing a book. So probably this is the most important part because when I started it was more like, okay. I. Okay. I had a lot of conversations and I have tried a lot of things and I wanted to write it down for myself first. So it was, was not planned to, to make a book out of it, but rather a compendium for myself for future events. **** - (): And also when I thought about starting a coaching business, business, this was like a blueprint for my clients. And then I started to talk to other athletes about what I had until that moment, and they were really, really interested in this whole topic and to have a compendium for how to best prepare for ultra cycling events. **** - (): And yeah, then I started thinking, okay, maybe I should look up into more and more papers and maybe I should add some, some new chapters to it. And at that time I started with the interview. So the book incorporates a couple of. Of interviewees or a couple of interviews I did with other athletes and I started with those who are my friends, obviously. **** - (): And we just sat at a table for, I think with Mati Koester, I sat for almost eight hours and we talked the whole day about what are topics that he's interested in. And then I used these, yeah, guideline or these topics that we discussed that day to go to other athletes, also to some, yeah, some very renowned athletes, and just to ask them about their, their experiences to in these topics. **** - (): And somehow the interest was. Yeah. Overwhelming. Because when I started, I started with people I know and at the end I talked to Lael Wilcox and at the beginning I would not, would not have thought that I will be talking to someone like Lael Wilcox about her racing experiences and be able to incorporate them into, into my book. **** - (): So yeah, it was a process and it almost took four years from the beginning of. When I started to write down the first sentences until I finished the book in German, it's almost four years. So it was probably a way longer than normal, normally an author would take to write one book. [00:18:11] - ():  Craig Dalton: Got it. Super interesting. **** - (): Obviously there's a lot of information about. Cycling training out there when you talk about maybe road racing or traditional mountain bike racing. And as we've mentioned, there hasn't been a lot documented about training for ultra cycling and bike packing. If there were a couple areas that you would highlight that are dramatically different from shorter races to longer races. [00:18:35] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yeah, we talked about one, which is like sleep, something that is completely unimportant for normal sports, or which is only important when you talk about recovery, but there's No need to cut sleep during doing races. And of course, nutrition is a big, big part because nutrition becomes even more important, the longer the races, also the whole part efficiency and how you sit on your bike, how it gets way more important because. **** - (): You develop more problems with your neck, with your shoulders, with your lower back than if you are just riding your bike for five or six hours. And also the training aspect is different. So it's not just about pushing your lactate threshold or your, your, or getting more power to the pedal because at the end, it's not necessarily the efflet. **** - (): With the most power or the best power to weight ratio that wins the races, but it's the one that has the best overall ability to ride the bike as long as possible. And with as few breaks as possible. So many questions are coming to mind on this. Oh, okay. So let's go give it a shot [00:19:53] - ():  Craig Dalton: to some of those a little bit one by one. **** - (): So we talked a little bit about sleep. Obviously. Most of us, we try to get eight hours of sleep a night when we're at home, try to do rides well rested every time in order to compete in some of these events. And in order to even maybe just do them, you need to be able to sleep outside. You need to be able to sleep on the go when you, maybe it's easiest if we talk about a four day long event, for example, what is a sleep strategy that Maybe someone newer to the sport could, could realize and approach. [00:20:30] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yeah. Yeah. At the beginning, I would always recommend to have like a longer sleeping break every night, something like maybe three hours or three hours sleeping time, which will translate into something like four or four and a half hours stopping time. And the important thing is to sleep cycles, you know, because your, your body or your mind, your brain goes through different sleep stages during the course of the night. **** - (): And I think a lot of people already heard this that it's. It's easier to wake up if your total sleeping time can be divided by 90 minutes. And this reflects those sleep cycles. It's easier to, or you have one, you have four, four sleep stages. And one of them is where you are sleeping really, really deep. **** - (): And if you wake up or if you get woken by your alarm clock or friends, whatever during this really deep sleep this will be very confusing and you can actually, if, if it is combined with the physical exhaustion it can happen that you wake up and you're feeling disoriented and you don't really know where am I, am I racing or what's going on? **** - (): So it's good to know your own. sleep cycles because they differ from this 90 minutes a little bit and they get like they get each time you go through them during the night they get a little bit longer so if you are trying to sleep three hours around three hours the for most people it's better to sleep for example three hours and 10 minutes which reduces already the risk of waking up from this deep sleep stage. **** - (): And then I would always recommend to have routines if you're going for four or five day ride. It's way easier to go to bed around the same time every evening and to wake up around the same time every morning. It's a little bit like in your everyday life. If you're working on shifts and Yeah, you have to, uh, some day you are waking up at 6am, sometimes you have to wake up at 10am, then it gets really, really hard to to be fit in the morning. **** - (): And during the event, it's the same, it's way easier to have a routine and also transfer this routine as or as much as possible to the whole cycling event. For example, also, it's a good idea to have your lunch break around the same time each, each day which makes life way easier, especially for [00:23:06] - ():  Craig Dalton: beginners. **** - (): I imagine so. One of the things I wanted to highlight, which I thought was interesting, you mentioned, you know, if you're intending for a three hour sleep, you probably need a four hour window of time. And as someone with a limited amount of bike packing experience, I can, I understand that because you need to get off the bike, you need to cool down. **** - (): You may need to change to get comfortable. You have to lay out your sleep gear, and then you have to do all that in reverse to get yourself back going. So it's interesting. To hear you highlight that, which makes sense as you've [00:23:38] - ():  Stefan Barth: said it. Yes. And that's also one, uh, very, very good advice. Which I learned from, from one of my interviewees because a lot of us, we are quite organized and we like, like it's structured. **** - (): And so a lot of people when they do their first bikepacking experiences and they have this sleep break. They like, they, uh, arranged their whole equipment so that after their sleep break, they can be moving as fast or, yeah, yeah, as fast as possible. So like you're already putting out the gear that you're needing after your sleep break and that oftentimes is a huge mistake actually, because if you push your, your, your limits a little bit, then you are already a bit sleep deprived, maybe, and you're a physical, like, physically completely exhausted when you have been writing for maybe 15 hours this day. **** - (): And then you are trying to make decisions before you go to sleep. And oftentimes you need way longer to make decisions. And then those decisions are Not always the best ones because after you wake up, you notice, ah, it's way colder than I expected, or I feel way colder because just my yeah, my, my heart rate is really, really slow after, after sleeping but I already packed my, my warm clothes. **** - (): at the complete, uh, yeah, the most down, downward, uh, in my, in my bike packing bags. And so it's a good, good advice to just grab your sleeping bag, grab your mattress or whatever you use, your BB bag, and just close your eyes. Try to fall asleep immediately. Don't forget to put your alarm clock, but, uh, do the whole equipment thing and arrangements. **** - (): You can do this all after you have slept and you will notice that you are way more alert, you are awake and you will make better decisions. The second [00:25:40] - ():  Craig Dalton: thing you mentioned to drill into was nutrition. And again, many of us have done gravel events, a hundred mile, maybe 200 mile. And we sort of know, Oh, we could get by with. **** - (): Sports nutrition all day long, how do, how do we need to think about it differently if we're extending to that example, four day event? [00:25:58] - ():  Stefan Barth: Also there's yeah, there's some parts are for nutrition. Some parts are the same like in normal cycling, especially. during training. So it's you have the same amounts of carbs per hour that you try to get in during your training rides, for example, so that you get the best physical adaptions. **** - (): But at the same time you need to plan ahead and think about what can you get during a bikepacking trip, because you are limited oftentimes to gas station food or. Uh, if you're doing races in remote places, like the Silk Road Mountain Race or the Atlas Mountain Race, uh, well, you have to eat what you can get there. **** - (): So it's always good advice to experiment a lot with nutrition so that you know, uh, which kind of food can I take down, which kind of food can I stomach. And what do I like probably because yeah, if you are used to going with sports nutrition or with sweets I don't know if you ever tried to, to survive on those sports nutrition gills and, uh, bars for, for eight hours. [00:27:07] - ():  Craig Dalton: Yeah, it does add up and you do get quite sick of them by the end of the day. [00:27:12] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yeah. And I think you get a feeling in your mouth that's like sticky and doesn't feel, feel very nice. So, yeah, it's good to know this in advance. And to experiment with other foods also with solid foods that you can buy like cheese or like sandwiches and like, uh, like rice and stuff like this if just to try it out and to learn, can you digest it? **** - (): Does it taste good for you during writing? So this, this would be like the first step to, to get a bit more experience with different kinds of foods. And then another part is like proteins. You need proteins on a longer ride, uh, even though you don't need them. During short rides, because your body is not, or it's, it's easier for your body to, to transform carbs into energy. **** - (): But during a four day ride, you also need proteins for your recovery periods, especially if you plan on sleeping three hours every night, because then your body actually has the time to recover a little bit [00:28:19] - ():  Craig Dalton: from day to day. Where, in your opinion, where is the cutoff point for needing protein? In your cycling nutrition in terms of hours, would you need it in a, in a, in a 15 hour day or does it not come into play until you're 24 hours? [00:28:34] - ():  Stefan Barth: That's a difficult question and I'm not sure if there's like scientific proof for when it gets beneficial. But I would always already included. If you go beyond those recommended durations for cycling, because like, if your ride is longer than five, six hours, this is already almost a little bit too long to build up endurance. **** - (): And if you stretch these, these timeframes, I think it's beneficial to add up some, some proteins as well. And definitely if you go beyond. beyond those 15 hours. And it's individual, you will probably notice it. For example, when I eat too, or when I limit myself to two carbs during a right, at some point, I will get a headache, I need some fats or some protein. **** - (): Otherwise, my body tells me, okay, this is this is just too restricted to carbohydrates. So if you notice something like this. it can be the solution to eat something with fats and proteins. And then there's also, especially with proteins, a huge difference between male and female athletes, because there's, yeah, like males are way more or it's It's, they are way more dependent on carbohydrates, on carbs during, during activity. **** - (): And female athletes, they are more dependent on carbs after the activity for recovery purposes. So female athletes, they also need a little bit more protein already during their [00:30:14] - ():  Craig Dalton: rides. And then on to the next subject of positioning, interesting that you highlight that as a key area of consideration. Can you talk through sort of some of the differences one might want to consider in their position as they go longer and longer in [00:30:29] - ():  Stefan Barth: duration? **** - (): Yes, because the longer the duration gets, the more efficient you need to be. Because if you can save only 10 Watts or every day for a writing time of maybe 16 hours each day you really save a lot and you really gain a lot of speed. And at the same time, you reduce your energy expenditure and energy expenditure is like one of the. **** - (): Key limiters in ultra cycling because it's simply it's, it's really, really difficult to get in enough energy for what you are burning. And so if you can. reach the same speed with less energy expenditure, this already is a huge, huge benefit. And so it's a good thing to have an aggressive position on your bike, actually in ultra cycling and not being too focused on comfort, because this is something many beginners Doing because bike fitters also are promoting this. **** - (): If you are going for longer rides, try to get your position on the bike, more comfortable. And my approach is a little bit different. Because I think you can you can have an aggressive position on your bike, which is at the same time, comfortable if you are putting the energy or the. Uh, time into your own flexibility, mobility and strength training, because most of the time the limiter and not the bike. **** - (): And so this is what I call efficiency in the book. Like the, the position on your bike is, is detrimental for your efficiency and you can gain a lot of efficiency by optimizing your. Own your own, uh, flexibility, mobility, and strength. [00:32:22] - ():  Craig Dalton: Yeah. I know you, you go into sort of great technical detail on how to improve your strength and flexibility and mobility. **** - (): And I would agree that those are critical elements for any cyclist, whether you're trying to get a more aggressive position or not, I can only speak to my own limitations, which are definitely hindered by the lack of mobility. And I spend a lot of energy these days, trying to increase my mobility to. **** - (): Have that all day long comfort because I, I don't currently have that right now in my Cycling. You know, as I go longer and longer, eventually my lower back's gonna start to hurt and it becomes quite a limiting factor in my own personal case. [00:33:01] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yeah, and I think cycling is like a limiting sports or a limiting type of sports because we have, we don't have a lot of different movements. **** - (): We only have one type of movement because the, the bike completely determines how your body moves. And so the body is limited to, to there's no rotational movement. There's no sideways movement. There's nothing more dimensional. This is only happening in one in one plane. And that triggers a lot of adaptations in our body that are not that good. **** - (): And in combination with a lot of jobs where we are sitting like eight hours in front of a desk. And then we go home and then we sit two hours on the roller or on the bike and actually we are only sitting. So there is a reason why cyclists chose a sports where you are sitting because we don't like to move too much. **** - (): So [00:34:00] - ():  Craig Dalton: is there any, is there any sort of silver bullet in terms of Mobility exercises that are your favorite go tos. [00:34:08] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yes, definitely. Because like the, the disadvantage of the bike giving you or limiting your, your mobility and your, your range of motion during, during riding is also kind of an advantage, at least from my coaching perspective, because you can be pretty sure that almost every cyclist has the same problems. **** - (): Because we all have exactly the same movement. If you compare this to other sports, like, like football or ice hockey or something like this, like there's a lot of potential. injuries and sources of injuries and because every athlete is moving in a different different way but cyclists they are all moving in the same way so we are having the same trouble and one of those troubles is that we are losing the flexibility in our posterior chain so like the the pedal stroke is highly dependent on your quads So this is where the power comes from. **** - (): So you get really, really strong, strong quads and your body, uh, needs to compensate this because the quads, they are, they are pulling at your, at your hips and at your pelvis. So you need the same amount of force at the back of, of your body at the posterior chain. And since we don't have strong backs of the legs, because this is just pulling up the pedal again, and this is like the recovery phase of the pedal stroke what your body does is it tightens the hamstrings. **** - (): Because tight is like the compromise you, if you, if you don't have, muscles, you get tight muscles just to have like this counterbalance to the very strong quads. So it's always the first part of a mobility flexibility training for cyclists is always. Gaining more flexibility in the, in the hamstrings, in the backs of the legs and afterwards strengthening these body parts that you have a counterbalance to, to the quads. **** - (): Interesting. [00:36:15] - ():  Craig Dalton: That's helpful. The final area you touched on, and I'm going to add an additional component to it. You, you talking about training and you were talking about how simple power to weight ratio, which may be the sort of the predominant metric in road cycling, Is not necessarily going to make or break your success as a ultra endurance cyclist. **** - (): So if you could talk a little bit about that, and then I would add on just a question around mindset. [00:36:45] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yes. So, I think a long distance cycling, it's more important to, to increase the capability to cycle at, or just a little bit below your threshold. So if you, if you started with. Maybe you can ride four hours at 50 percent of your threshold, then it would be a very, very good or a huge benefit. If you increase this, this, uh, capability to 60 or 65 percent of your threshold and your threshold can actually stay the same the whole season. **** - (): It does not necessarily need to, to go up all the time, but it's, it's very important that you, that you can sustain, uh, huge amounts of time. Near your threshold or that you that you can gain. Yeah, that you can push up those, those percentages. So this is what I tried to with my coaches most of the time in training to, to increase their ability to, to get to those 60 or 70 percent in a, in a 24 hour race. [00:37:50] - ():  Craig Dalton: And what kind of, uh, training efforts help to that end? [00:37:57] - ():  Stefan Barth: It's a lot of steady state writing. So a lot of writing a little bit below your threshold. But doing this for, for longer periods of time, for example, if you are looking in the typical, uh, training plans generated by Strava or by Swift, you will see a lot of, a lot of efforts, a lot of intervals that are lasting only a couple of minutes. **** - (): And I also, I'm a big fan of having those long intervals of training. 20 minutes sometimes, or even 25 minutes almost at your threshold. And that's a very good way to get better at, at riding near your threshold. Because your body gets very, very good at. Eliminating the lactate from your blood while pushing hard. **** - (): So you, you reduce the, the level of lactate that is building up in the, in the intervals. [00:38:54] - ():  Craig Dalton: Gotcha. So if you were out on a, on a training day for one of your athletes, would it be something like, you know, two or three 20 minute intervals at 65 percent of threshold with 10 minute break in between something like that? **** - (): Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yes, [00:39:10] - ():  Stefan Barth: but way more than 65 percent of threshold. It's more like 90 percent of threshold for 20 minutes then. Okay. So it's like, but it's a slow buildup. If you start with this kind of training and you are going maybe with eight minutes in each interval and do this three or four times, then you are, this is a good start. **** - (): And if you do this a couple of weeks. At some point this will, it will make, it will make, uh, like you put a, put, put a switch on and it will be, you will be able to go for 20 or 30 minute intervals. Yeah. [00:39:43] - ():  Craig Dalton: As you're thinking about for your athletes, these longer events and selfishly, I'm thinking about my own 200 mile or 360 kilometer aspirations this year, obviously in a lot of the training plans you might see, you might have a six hour training ride or an eight hour training ride. **** - (): These events are going to last longer than that. You know, it might be a 15 hour day for me and certainly for a 24 hour, four day event, you're talking about thousands of kilometers. How do you in training kind of build up to that capacity to continue on for these distances? [00:40:21] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yeah, you need to stretch the traditional cycling distances from time to time. **** - (): Because I like to I or I call this challenges. Because you you need to know how your body reacts to those long rides. They are not very efficient in building up endurance. Like I said earlier, there's like Five to six hours. If you are already a very good cyclist, maybe you even benefit from a seven hour endurance ride, but everything that is longer than that, just yeah, just you need more recovery time afterwards, but you don't get the physical adaptation or not more physical adaptation than from a four or five hour ride. **** - (): But in ultra cycling, we're also in what you are doing on the gravel bike, you need. Sometimes a ride that lasts 10 or 12 hours, just so that you know, okay, how will I feel when I'm really exhausted and how will I cope with nutrition? Will I be able to eat at the end? Because I think that's something probably, you know, it from your triathlon time eating gets difficult the longer you are, you're active. **** - (): So you really need to know. Okay, does the food that I can stomach after five hours, can I still stomach it after 10 hours? And how, how does my butt hurt after 10 hours? Because this will hurt different than after five hours. And it's good to know how this feels and how you can cope with it. And then you can, you can think about a strategy. **** - (): How you will, how you will tackle this problems during unbound. So yes, I incorporate rights that are longer than 10 hours from time to time, but limited. Not, it's not, it's no good if you do this every weekend. [00:42:14] - ():  Craig Dalton: A couple questions that came up after your last comment, Stefan, around training. So I remember from marathon training, like we'd only run 22 miles and we'd never run that full distance thinking you'll be able to get there on race day. **** - (): The second thing for my ultra marathon training was we would often do a long day on Saturday and then follow it up by a medium day on Sunday. And my understanding of that philosophy was, Hey, we can't beat you guys up and we can't have you running 35 mile days. Quite regularly, but we can do a 22 mile day on Saturday and a 15 mile day on Sunday to try to kind of make the body feel like it's done. **** - (): This long event. Does any of that track with the type of training that makes sense for ultra ultra cycling? [00:43:03] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yeah. [00:43:04] - ():  Craig Dalton: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And the final thing I want to touch on it. I mentioned it a bit earlier. It was just Sort of mindset. And I thought about this a lot as we were talking about sleeping and waking up from a three hour sleep, having to get your gear ready and get going again. I could just see in myself struggling to kind of. **** - (): Put, put pedal in front of pedal after, you know, just sleeping for three hours. So can you talk about the importance of mindset and maybe if there are any tips and tricks that one can learn to keep, keep pedaling forward? [00:43:40] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yes, definitely. Because you, you need to find like a sweet spot between recovery. And exhaustion during training. So, I also like to do those back to back sessions. For example, also with those long interval sessions we spoke of earlier, that I am doing, like, maybe on Friday, some really long and hard intervals, followed by a long ride on Saturday, followed by a short ride on Sunday, to build up this exhaustion over the weekend. **** - (): But still without compromising your recovery completely. So yeah, that's, that's a good way for, for those working athletes. [00:44:27] - ():  Craig Dalton: Interesting. I mean, it sounds like with all this, you know, preparation and doing the work leading up to your event is key. It's probably a trite thing to say, but I think that work for ultra cycling clearly is a lot longer than it is for shorter events. **** - (): Because I do think you need to prepare yourself mentally for All the intricacies around your sleep system and getting up and preparing the different types of nutritional needs, as you've, you've outlined and the, just a different mindset you need to go going into these events. [00:45:01] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yes, there's, there's a couple of, of little hacks that I, I like to include or that I included in the book. **** - (): Because when it comes to mindset. I have a little bit a different opinion than a lot of people out there, I think, because from my point of view, the mindset is a little bit overestimated when it comes to ultra cycling or some ultra adventures, whatever you call it. Because in the general public, it always comes down too much to the mindset. **** - (): And from my point of view, your base or your Your fundamentals are always a good physical condition and that's what you really need to finish those events. And of course you can finish an ultra cycling event or a bikepacking event just by mindset and by iron willpower. But this will mean that you will do sacrifices and maybe even sacrifice your health in. **** - (): in some situations. And I don't like that too much about this sports. And I don't like that in the general public people focus so much on this. So from my point of view, it's always more important to build up your physical capacity. And then mindset is important, of course, because like you said, you go out there and you will. **** - (): Have uncomfortable situations but then it's more, uh, willpower what you need. You need to like, you need small life hacks that will, that will keep you going. And I like to, to dig a little bit into how our brain works in these parts, because our brain is like still the same brain that we had thousands of years ago. **** - (): And it's divided into parts that are. focused on emotional fee or on emotions, on feelings. And you have parts in your brain that are focused on the rational thinking. There was a couple of tricks to better get those rational thinking parts in your brain working. And this will help you a lot in ultra cycling events because yeah, you will trigger a lot of those, those those feelings that are very ancient in, in humans and your brain will correspond. **** - (): With reactions that are also very ancient and those are oftentimes not the best, the best, uh, reactions. So it's important to, to keep rational and to keep your thinking going. So one life hack, for example, is very, very easy. And that's the, the stop button. You can visualize a stop button. Uh, once you notice that your thoughts are dysfunctional and this stop button or the sign like on the road sides on the highways, I'm not sure how they are looking in the US, but here in Europe, it's like a big red sign where in white there's written stop on it and just by visualizing this sign, which is a very, very easy picture to visualize. **** - (): You can, you can stop those emotional parts in your brain from taking over completely. And you gain a few seconds. And this is oftentimes enough to start rational thinking. And once you start rational thinking, you will notice that you, you are way better, you are better able to keep your willpower because you keep yourself in control. **** - (): Yeah. And it's, it's a difference between motivation and willpower. So like motivation is the thing that, uh, gets you going in the preparation and which is probably the, the reason why you signed up for the event and which is the reason why you are willing to put in all those training hours and then during the event itself, you need to Willpower, that's the thing that will bring you to the finish line. [00:49:00] - ():  Craig Dalton: Yeah, a hundred percent. I think Stefan, that's a good place to end it. I appreciate the time this evening calling in from Germany. Appreciate you taking the time and effort to document everything in this very thorough book on ultra cycling and bike packing. I think you did a great service to that community and the world. **** - (): We'll certainly put links to how to find the US version of the book in the show notes of this podcast. [00:49:25] - ():  Stefan Barth: Yeah, that's great. Thanks for your invitation, Craig. Cheers. [00:49:30] - ():  Craig Dalton: That's going to do it for this week's edition of the gravel ride podcast. Big, thanks to Stefan for joining the show. That's going to do it for this week's edition of the gravel ride podcast. Big, thanks to Stefan for joining the show. It's so fascinating for me to think about these ultra cycling events and the differences it would require in order to be successful there. **** - (): If you're interested and able to support the show. Ratings and reviews are hugely appreciated. Or if you want to contribute financially, please visit buy me a coffee.com/the gravel ride. Until next time here's to finding some dirt under your wheels.  

Lael Wilcox is one of the best known names in women's cycling. She has won or set records on countless ultra endurance routes over the last ten years.I was so honored to get to sit down with Lael to chat about her plans for a 2024 Around The World record attempt, her women's rallies, what it's like being the recipient of so much criticism online, and much more. 

Our guest this week is ultra endurance cyclist and 2023 Colorado Trail women's champion Katya Rakhmatulina. Not only did she win the Colorado Trail race, Katya also set a new women's record at the race, which was her third bike packing race of the season. She also raced the Tour Divide this past June and finished closely behind friend of podcast Lael Wilcox, in just over 17 days. We hear what inspired Katya to go from bike touring for fun to racing with some of the best in the world, as well as how she biked from Michigan to California to get herself to graduate school, and what her plans are for next race season.You can follow Katya on Instagram @kat__yeaFollow us on Instagram:@girlsgonegravel @feisty_media Girls Gone Gravel Website:https://www.girlsgonegravel.com/ Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ Support our Partners:Try Bivo water bottles for yourself by going to drinkbivo.com and using the code DRINK_FEISTY for free ground and USPS shipping Get 10%+ off an ouraring at ouraring.com/feisty

In this episode Cynthia shares the behind the scenes of her iconic win. Badlands has made a name for itself as Europe's wildest gravel challenge — an unsupported ultracycling gravel: 800km +16.000m across the only deserts in Europe, the wild coast of Cabo de Gata and the highest Col in the continent, Pico Veleta at 3.396m. After finishing second behind Lael Wilcox in 2022, our very own co-host Cynthia was determined to improve on her performance from last year. And that she did, securing the win in under 48 hours and finishing 8th overall. Interested in racing Badlands next year? Check out Cynthia's "What Not To Do at Badlands" video on Youtube for valuable insights on how to prepare.As always, thanks for listening and be sure to follow us to stay in the loop on all future episodes:Detours on InstagramCynthia on Instagram Mel on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katya Rakhmatulina just won the 2023 Colorado Trail Race and set a new FKT in the process. With a time of 5d 1h 53m she beat the previous time of 6d 1h 34m set by Alexandera Houchin in 2019. Prior to this she placed Second at this years Tour Divide behind Lael Wilcox. For a full writeup please visit BikesorDeath.com, this episode is available to watch on our website as well.  New Patrons Spencer Snider Dan Perez Alexander Getty Join them won't you? Find out more at www.Patreon.com/BikesorDeath

Our guest this week is ultra endurance cyclist and 2023 Colorado Trail women's champion Katya Rakhmatulina. Not only did she win the Colorado Trail race, Katya also set a new women's record at the race, which was her third bike packing race of the season. She also raced the Tour Divide this past June and finished closely behind friend of podcast Lael Wilcox, in just over 17 days. We hear what inspired Katya to go from bike touring for fun to racing with some of the best in the world, as well as how she biked from Michigan to California to get herself to graduate school, and what her plans are for next race season.You can follow Katya on Instagram @kat__yeaFollow us on Instagram:@girlsgonegravel @feisty_media Girls Gone Gravel Website:https://www.girlsgonegravel.com/ Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code GRAVEL at Aminoco.com/GRAVEL to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code GIRLSGONEGRAVEL at https://www.previnex.com/ JoJé: Use code FEISTY for 20% off one time purchases and subscriptions at jojebar.com Get 30% off with the code GIRLSGONEGRAVEL at fiercehazel.com/discount/girlsgonegravel

The queen of ultra-endurance cycling returns to the show to talk about her punishing experience at this year's Tour Divide, her upcoming stab at the Colorado Trail race, and her plan to race around the world, which she devised while riding several thousand miles to the start of the Tour Divide. After setting countless course records on bikepacking routes around the world, Lael is focusing all her energy on racing this year. Following her grueling experience on the Tour Divide that saw her coughing up blood, vomiting for weeks, and struggling to breathe, she's preparing to complete the Triple Crown, which consists of the Tour Divide, the Colorado Trail race, and the Arizona Trail race. Lael tells Payson about working with a coach this year for the first time, her potential route for racing around the world next year, and why she and her wife Rugile Kaladyte, a visual journalist, haven't been producing as many media projects about her riding lately. Payson also chats with Rue about what it was like following Lael's Tour Divide race from afar, and how she plans to spend the rest of the season. Our full episode with Rue from 2021 can be found here: #127 Rugile Kaladyte, photojournalist and videographerInstagram: @theadventurestache

The podcast is about gravel bikes, adventure biking, bikepacking, bike camping, or just playing bikes. UPDATE: As I was recording 222 Ted King ended up scratching after a brief hospital visit. Check out his Instagram for all the details: https://www.instagram.com/iamtedking/ Let's look at how to follow the 2023 Tour Divide by dotwatching. Bikepacking.com link: https://bikepacking.com/tracker/2023-tour-divide-tracker/ Dotwatcher.cc link: https://dotwatcher.cc/race/tour-divide-2023 Packing for the Tour Divide with Lael Wilcox: https://youtu.be/hXvpCLeSQrw We have some great discount codes to share… On either the Salt Stick website OR the JoJé website when you reach checkout use the code ‘LOVEYABYE' for 20% off all items. Over at CutawayUSA use the discount code GTD20 to take 20% off your order. If you are in the market for a new hydration pack check out Orange Mud and use the discount code FF23RAINES to take 15% off your order. These discount codes and links will be in the show notes https://saltstick.com/ https://jojebar.com/ http://cutawayusa.com http://orangemud.com

On the eve of Tour Divide, I thought it would be wise to talk to the friendliest character in bikepacking, Lael Wilcox. We caught up with Lael on her ride TO THE START of the Tour Divide, as she rides from Tucson, Arizona to Banff, Alberta, Canada. There are loads of questions on my mind as it seems like this event is intentionally cryptic. For example, the Tour Divide is a ride along the Continental Divide Trail... which is also called the Great Divide... which starts in Banff... unless you consider the start in Jasper, Alberta... and the route usually stays the same... but sometimes changes year to year? I'll be relying on Athletic Greens to seek daily nutrition thanks to AG1 all throughout my ride. If you're interested in trying Athletic Greens visit www.drinkAG1.com/tedking to get on the fast track to simplified nutrition!

Episode 86 with CYCLING WARRIOR Luis Luz and how to NEVER GIVE UP! "I am searching for a feeling of happiness" Luis Luz So this episode is with my dear friend and brother Luis Luz is about cycling and races, but Luis is giving some great advice and tips about how to persevere, how to never give up, how being dedicated and committed to something you're passionate about, will get you very far in life! We speak about how does training work, Luis's trainer and dear friend Pinela, how he trains on his own, how much he trains and what hos training schedule looks like. We also discuss what happens to him mentally, spiritually and emotionally when he is racing and what's keep him going. This is such a GO FOR YOUR FREAKING LIFE AND NEVER GIVE UP episode I am super proud of and a MUST LISTEN, even if cycling isn't your thang! Check it out, share and leave a review! Find Luis here: @l.c.luz Shout out to his trainer and dear friend @ricardopinelaSHOW NOTES: The race Luis will be starting TOMORROW! In South West Germany and France: http://mittelgebirgeclassique.cc ⇔ 1060 km | ⇑ 22.740m | Τime limit: 114h You can follow his every move! Here: https://www.followmychallenge.com/live/mc23/This is the book about ACT in sport: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55843087 LUIS'S CYCLE HEROINS: Emily Chappel - https://www.instagram.com/emilyofchappell - her book about the Transcontinental Race https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46260674-where-there-s-a-will Lael Wilcox - https://www.laelwilcox.net Juliana Bühring - http://julianabuhring.comTHE RACES HE HAS DONE: - Heading southwest, Portugal - https://www.finisterra.cc/heading-southwest/ - 2 Volcano Sprint, Italy - https://www.twovolcanosprint.com The race that first inspired him: - Transcontinental Race - https://www.transcontinental.cc

Challenging solo trips can be immensely rewarding. Just ask competitive bikepackers, who ride grueling courses through the backcountry carrying everything they need to survive. Completing these multiday journeys requires embracing solitude; in fact, for many riders, that's the appeal. This week we present an episode from the talented team at Radiolab that features one of the stars of the sport, Lael Wilcox, plus an everyday athlete who latched onto bikepacking at what was already the loneliest moment in her life. The Outside Podcast is made possible by Outside+ subscribers. Learn about the many benefits of a subscription and sign up now at outsideonline.com/podplus.

Cat Jaffee didn't necessarily think of herself as someone who loved being alone. But then, the pandemic hit. And she got diagnosed with cancer. Actually, those two things happened on the exact same day, at the exact same hour. In the shadow of that nightmarish timing, Cat found her way to a sport that celebrated the solitude that was forced on her, and taught her how to not only embrace self-reliance, but to love it.  This sport is called competitive bikepacking. And in these competitions, riders have to bring everything they need to complete epic bike rides totally by themselves. They pack all the supplies they think they'll need to survive, and have to refuse some of the simplest, subtlest, most intangible boosts that exist in our world. But a leader has emerged in this sport. Her name is Lael Wilcox, and she's a total rockstar in the world of competitive bikepacking. She's broken all kinds of records. And also, some rules. Most recently, on this one ride she did across the entire state of Arizona. We set out to find out what it means — for Cat, for Lael, and for any of us — to endure incredibly hard things, totally alone. The answer is on the course, in our bodies, and hidden in that mysterious place between us and the people we care about. Special thanks to Anna Haslock, Nico Sandi, Michael Fryar, Moab Public Radio, Nichole Baker and Payson McElveen for sharing their studio with us, and The Ratavist, for letting us use the audio of Lael's ride across Arizona. You can watch the original video here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HOk0MmgFwE). EPISODE CREDITS This episode was reported by - Cat Jaffee and Rachael CusickProduced by -  Rachael Cusick with help from Pat WaltersOriginal music and sound design by Jeremy Bloom with mixing help from - Arianne WackFact-checking by - Emily KriegerEdited by Pat Walters CITATIONS: Videos: You can watch Lael's you can watch Lael's ride across Arizona here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HOk0MmgFwE). And see the next season of racing by following along on TrackLeaders.com (http://trackleaders.com/) Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)! Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today. Radiolab is on YouTube! Catch up with new episodes and hear classics from our archive. Plus, find other cool things we did in the past — like miniseries, music videos, short films and animations, behind-the-scenes features, Radiolab live shows, and more. Take a look, explore and subscribe! Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org. Leadership support for Radiolab's science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.  

This week I'm speaking with Stefan Barth, Coach at SBU Coaching and Author of Ultracycling & Bikepacking.Stefan is an entrepreneur who started his coaching business after being dissatisfied with his path. His coaching business is unique as he takes a whole-body approach to training his athletes. As a Medical Fitness Coach, he can pay particular attention to athletes' physical imbalances and problem areas and quickly relieve acute tension and pain symptoms via personal training and acupressure. As an author, Stefan wanted to write a scientifically based book about the physiology of ultra-distance cycling. Dissatisfied with the response he received from publishers, he created his own company to self-publish his book. It's a wealth of information, sharing insights from athletes like our very own, Meaghan Hackinen. Stefan also gathered insights from athletes such as Christoph Strasser, Lael Wilcox, James M. Hayden, Jenny Tough and many more.Stefan has started a Kick Starter Campaign in order to get the book translated into English. Please chip in and help Stefan. He has already raised over $6,000 but has a ways to go. You can find the link to the campaign in the show notes.This was a great chat that I'm sure you'll enjoy. We touch on a lot of topics from nutrition to physiology to motivation. There are a ton of takeaways in here, so enjoy.Save 15% at Redshift Sports when you use the code MB40Save 50% off your first month of coaching at Cycling 101 when you use the code MB40 at checkout.Save 25% at Dynamic Cyclist when you use the promo code MB40 at checkout.Visit Rollingdale CycleThanks to Ottalaus Inc. for their support.Thanks to Spandex Panda for their support.Thanks to Lakeside Bikes in Invermere for supporting me!

Sara welcomes Ultra-endurance bike rider and racer, Lael Wilcox, to discuss her unconventional success in ultra racing and the joy of making people (ok, mostly men) think, "How is this even possible?!" In 2016, she won the Trans Am Bike Race outright, making her the first female to do so. The Trans Am is the premier self-supported road race across the United States, traversing over 4200 miles. She discusses:The exhilaration of winning outrightHer strategy and logistics for winning such a grueling eventThe power of beating the boys - "A Win for Womankind"A woman's capacity for resilience and gritWhat it was like being constantly doubted and questionedHandling the physical and mental aspects of pain and how she made friends with itLael also runs Tucson GRIT and Anchorage GRIT (girls riding into tomorrow), a cycling mentorship program, for girls ages 11-13. They ride together for six weeks, with a build-up to a camp-out ride. Her true passion? Getting more girls and women to “give it a go.” She shares her advice with parents of young girls, and even older women who want to achieve their own epic adventures.Find mentors and start small. Do things that will build your confidence. Then, before you know it, you'll be riding across the country in jean shorts beating the boys across the line. Lael is a keynote speaker at the 2022 Women's Performance Summit - it's a talk you won't want to miss. Episode and Sponsor ResourcesInside Tracker - 20% the entire Inside Tracker store at https://info.insidetracker.com/feisty Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code PERFORMANCE at https://www.previnex.com/ Lael Wilcox InstagramLiveFeisty.com - the Home of Live Feisty MediaSupport all of Live Feisty Podcast PartnersSign up for the Women's Performance Newsletter to receive weekly articles, sales, and more! https://livefeisty.com/newsletters/

On this bonus episode, Kathryn is chatting about all things Iceland with Lael Wilcox, Brooke Goudy, Lynnee Jacks and Maria Ögn Guðmundsdóttir. This summer they will all be taking part in the Westfjords Way Challenge, a 5-day stage race in the Westfjords of Iceland that will cover 595 miles over some of the country's most remote and beautiful landscape. Lynnee is the co-director of the Westfjords Way Challenge, she wants everyone to know that it is more than just a race; the event is about meaningful interaction with the people and places you will encounter along the way. Lynnee and her organizing team have also made a commitment to equity on the start line, and they are holding 50% or all registrations for women. Maria is a local rider and gives her insider scoop on the event, and what else you can do while you are there. She discusses with Brooke and Lael how to prepare for the race, from training to mindset. The three encourage all women to give it a try, even if you feel like it might be out of your comfort zone - you'll likely discover a community of like-minded women along the way!Toe learn more or register for the event go to: https://cyclingwestfjords.com/wfwc/ Follow the event on Instagram @cyclingwestfjords **Support the Girls Gone Gravel Podcast**InsideTracker: Get 20% off at insidetracker.com/feisty. Coalition Snow: Learn about Coalition Snow's Far Out trips at https://www.coalitionsnow.com/pages/far-outSaltStick: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off all items on SaltStick.comMentioned in this episode:Inside Tracker - September 2022This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podsights - https://podsights.com/privacyChartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Instagram: ndy_podcast  Best Shorts to Train In: https://www.thehviii.com/collections/goat-training-shorts Video of Podcast:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz-3Al1WFD9-ZVYsWL0k8B2MceAqCesRX Lael Wilcox I've been playing around a lot with endurance and [bike] riding lately and she is kinda the master of it. She is an Ultra-endurance bike rider and racer and a true adventurer who has seen the world in a unique and beautiful way through riding. There is something special about exploring the self and realizing you are in control of your life and your experiences. I hope you all get as much of this one as I did. Let's gooooo!!! Sponsors: HVIII - Code NDY 10% off Habit - Code NDY 10% off Onnit - Onnit.com/mattvincent 10% off Oregon Originals - Code NDY 10% off Stay Classy Meats - Code NDY 10% off Nutrition Solutions - Code NDY $20 off Cold Plunge - Code NDY to save Daily Destroyer - team training and programming https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/brand/Matt%20Vincent?attrib=445833-pod Core Medical Group - http://coremedicalgrp.com/matt Sunlighten Saunas - https://www.sunlighten.com/?leadsource=Matt-Vincent&utm_source=Matt-Vincent&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=Matt-Vincent

Rapha presents Life in the Peloton! Lael Wilcox is an American Ultra-distance cyclist and one of the absolute legends of the discipline. She is the record holder for some of the sport's most famous races, such as the 2,475 mile Tour Divide and the 4,400 mile Trans Am Bike Race (If you don't fancy the math – that's roughly 4000km and 7000km!) - and that's against both men and women.  ... Ultra-distance racing is an intriguing and new side of cycling that I have only started to discover in the last couple of years. Lael was the perfect person to explain and dive into the interesting intricacies of this kind of racing. I had a great laugh at the stories from Lael's many adventures and we went into the details of how she manages her equipment, her preparation, and even what she prefers to listen to on those long nights alone on the bike. She explained perfectly how the sport works, and the key differences between the types of events, either supported or self-supported.  I also wanted to know what makes Lael, and so many other women excel at Ultra-distance races. It was really interesting to hear her take on why women are so competitive and to hear her recount her excitement when she first started overtaking the men (passing them while they slept in hotels on the route, and then sleeping under a hedge for two hours to drop them all the next morning!) This chat also came at a great time for me, as I was in my final preparations for my own long-distance adventure riding 1,250km from my home in Lancefield, just outside of Melbourne, to the Road World Championships in Wollongong in five days. (Stay tuned for my On the Road to the Worlds episode in 2 weeks time).  For now though, sit back, relax and enjoy this one. Lael was a fantastic person to chat all things Ultra-distance and more and I really enjoyed recording this one. Cheers, Mitch Listen Listen & subscribe to this series on the Life in the Peloton website, at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Stitcher, Youtube or your favourite pod app.  Show Notes Check out more of Lael's adventures: Tour Divide – Rapha Gone Racing – https://www.rapha.cc/es/en/stories/lael-wilcox Arizona Trail 2022 – https://youtu.be/4HOk0MmgFwE . . . This episode is brought to you by Rapha, makers of the world's finest cycling clothing & accessories and the worlds largest cycling club, RCC. Find out more about Rapha: their kit, their club, their events and awesome clubhouses at rapha.cc. . . . Merch Talking Luft and Official LITP casquettes are back in stock. Shop now! Shop LITP casual Merch anytime online at our store. From casual caps to mugs, logo tees, sweaters and much more.. Keep in touch Find all our episodes, LITP news and merch on our website www.lifeinthepeloton.com Listen on all good podcast apps, and now on Youtube. Follow us on socials: Instagram: @lifeinthepeloton Twitter: @lifeinthepelo

Recently Sofiane sent me an DM that said, "Hey Patrick, what's your take on Lael's Arizona fkt? I'd be happy to discuss it on the Podcast". Instead of answering his question, I just scheduled an interview and answered his question on the podcast. Going into this conversation I had no idea what his thoughts were, but he was already on my list of people I wanted to talk to and I know him to be a thoughtful person who cares deeply for this sport and community. Not surprisingly Sofiane had an important message and some valuable insights as a top athlete in our sport who has dealt personally with media as well. There are very few people who have been doing this long enough to be exposed to every manor of race environment as Sofiane, because of that he is in a unique position to share thoughts from a personal perspective. Maybe most important is the love and passion he has for this sport as evidenced by his thoughtful and honest approach to our conversation. I'm a big fan of listening to as many perspectives as possible on issues like this. There is a lot to consider as we evolve as a sport and it's important to be able to have these discussions. I appreciate Sofiane for taking the time to chat and I hope it adds value to the larger conversation surrounding self supported events. EPISODE SPONSORS Athletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. If you'd like to support these episodes our Tip Jar is open!