currently: may 2016

And, suddenly it’s the end of May. How did that happen?! Here’s what’s been up this month… 

biking

A lot. No running this month meant many, many hours in the saddle… just over 44, to be exact – and, all without power. It’s been interesting training by feel again, but it’s definitely helped me get more in tune with my body. That said, I’m ecstatic to have power again (and a shiny new tri bike!) this week! 

Here’s a look at all that riding in photos (sorry, no trainer pics because we can all agree that those are incredibly boring, right?!)… 

All that cycling – including one four-hour sweat fest on the trainer – resulted in some really smelly cycling shoes. Did you know you can throw ’em in the dishwasher? Works like a charm! 

listening to

Cheryl Strayed. I first read her book, Wild, while sailing in the Bahamas and not long after heard her speak at a luncheon in Minneapolis. Lucky me got hear her speak (and had a book signed!) again this past month at Confab. Her message focused on doing hard things, which make life less hard and more beautiful. I couldn’t agree more. Other takeaways: all of our stories are worth telling; the unexpected things are actually the things you need most; to keep going even when it hurts, one step at a time; and, to keep faith with what you can do. Wise woman. 

speaking at

Grand Performance women’s week. I’m a big fan of GP and everyone who works there – other than Nick, Lee the mechanic is the only person I trust with my bike – so when I heard about women’s week, I had to participate. So, lucky me got to speak to a small group of awesome women about triathlon and how I approach goal setting. After a fun chat + Q&A, we all learned how to quickly change a flat. Great tips, and pretty sure I could now change a flat in about five minutes! 

reading

A couple years ago as part of a 100-day challenge, I committed to reading for 20-30 minutes before bed. That fell by the wayside for awhile, but it’s back – both before bed and before Sunday morning long rides (the latter inspiration from Holly!). I’ve been into historical non-fiction lately and couldn’t put down The Girls of Atomic City. I learned so much about WWII – the premise of the book obviously (that an entire city, the majority staffed by badass + smart women, was created in Tennessee to help build the atomic bomb), but also a few other facts I apparently missed in high school history (Roosevelt died during the middle of it, and Germany surrendered before the war ended… how did I not remember either of these facts?! Would things have been different if Roosevelt hadn’t died?? Fascinating). 

I’m currently about 50 pages into Angela Duckworth’s new book, Grit, and you guys, this is a must-read. I’ve found find myself nodding in agreement nearly every page. Not only is Duckworth a fantastic storyteller, she’s also smart and incredibly determined (quitting a gig at McKinsey to teach?! Grit, for sure). She argues that while talent is important, effort is even more so. I couldn’t agree more. There’s power and magic in hard work, folks. More to come on this book, but in the meantime, read this column on grit and quitting by Duckworth.