Goal(s) for 2023:

I’ve been 4th at Unbound both times I’ve raced… 🙂

What's your favorite Strava segment?

Buckeye Roubaix

What’s your favorite quote and where did you first hear it?

“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” - Voltaire.

First heard it in either The Guide to the Good Life by William Braxton Irvine or The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday.

As a recovering perfectionist in multiple aspects of my life, it’s a really valuable reminder that movement towards want we want or who we want to be adds up and it’s better to keep making those movements than never starting. We aren’t all so lucky to reach old age and be healthy in old age and it’s important to take advantage of the time you have and live true to your values while you are here.

Who is your favorite author and what is their best work? 

Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard changed the path of my life. It was a required reading in a marketing class in college and made me realize I wasn’t destined for a traditional corporate office job like many of my peers, even if I didn’t find my path for a few more years. I didn’t have the exposure to entrepreneurship and it opened up my eyes to how a values-driven business is possible. I remember interviewing my senior year for a Pepsi/Gatorade/Tropicana/Quaker Oats job and they asked why I wanted to work there and I just couldn’t lie… I couldn't care less. I went on to graduate in 2010 in the midst of the Great Recession, took the first job I could so I could get health insurance and worked super hard to pay off my student loans and figure out how to move closer to what I wanted.

How did you get started in your sport?

After burning out on soccer my senior year of high school, I tried to become a “normal college student” and then immediately started looking for a new sport. I meant to do triathlon, but the president had graduated and no one had taken the helm. After a couple failed attempts, I finally, nervously, showed up on a collegiate group ride, was immediately dropped in 100m but one of the riders stayed back with me and convinced me to join the team. Women are worth the same number of points for the collegiate circuit, so they guys were always recruiting women and they were eager to show them the ropes. It really was a huge gift to learn in that uplifting space and got me hooked.

What’s the worst advice you’ve ever gotten? 

When I was starting, it was a sign of strength to consume the least amount of fuel on rides as possible, especially food. I'm really glad we are past that phase and that we have lots of studies to support how important fueling is.  

Describe your first bike.

I had one of those original Gary Fischer kid’s MTBs. I didn’t get the pink, I got the chrome. I didn’t ride bikes after that until I got to college.

What's the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you?

I’ve definitely been through some crazy stuff. Having a mechanical failure and hitchhiking in Germany before smart phones, not knowing my address or having a shared language and figuring out how to get home. The insane insurance and court process after cut-and-dry being hit by a negligent driver. The weird fires you put out putting on an event like FoCo Fondo.

The craziest thing, that was more like 8 crazy things in a row was after Big Sugar last year when Zack and I were driving home to make a flight for a vacation. The winds were strong that day but got insane between two exits. I was literally looking up wind maps and we were deciding to stop for the day to let the wind die down or head north if it was better when the trailer flipped. Zack caught it and turned it upright on a guardrail. We then crawled to the next exit, re-righted everything, found the closest hotel that takes dogs and while I was on the phone with the hotel, Zack screams fire as the trailer is just lit up. He got our new, yet-to-be-released bikes out of there while I was on the phone with 911.

With the wind it was stressful with a potential for grass fire, and the propane on the front of the trailer that could blow up the truck. We lost everything in there minus the bikes, and since the truck didn’t blow up, we had our laptops and wallets still. Harley, our dog was a total gem through the whole thing. Zack and I have a lot of very stressful shared experiences through the years, and as far as handling it goes, it’s just one thing at a time. After we wrapped up with emergency services, we went to Walmart to buy a change of clothes, dog food, and toothbrushes. The ‘97 F250 wouldn’t start because the fuse broke and we didn’t have the right size to replace it. That was probably the only point at which we both lost it a little. We did make it back the next day, about 16 hours before our flight….it was really easy to unpack. You can be damned sure I squeezed in the time to mail the fire and police department some whiskey and we did still make the vacation.

What is your proudest sporting moment?

2nd at Stage 1 in Colorado Classic 2019. A couple days before the 2018 event is when I was hit by the driver. It was almost the 1 year anniversary to the day. Chloe Dygert was off the front but I played my cards right, caused a break, and then jumped early for the sprint which had a few turns and won the field sprint. It was a time stamp for me on my journey over the past year. I was still dealing with his insurance and never got to share my story and experience on the internet.

What is your most memorable meal? 

I love to travel with Zack and unpack the history of the places I get to go to. We are both adventurous eaters, so we’re both all about trying all the local specialties.

Tell us about your pet(s). 

Harley: 9 years old and some sort of Aussie/German shepherd reservation mix. The last two seasons she’s traveled with us to a lot of races and is just a dream. She’s also extremely soft…maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline.

Finish this sentence: “The world would be a better place if….”

We committed to learning about others' experiences without judgment and in relation to history.

When I’m not riding/running or otherwise crushing it in my sport, you’ll find me:

I’ve been a chronic entrepreneur, even though I didn’t recognize that for years. I’ve run a pro women’s crit at the finish line of the Colorado Men’s Pro Challenge, started a local women’s club (Fort Follies), ran a training center for cyclists with Zack, ran a coffee roaster with my dad, and most recently developed the Bike Sports brand and co-own and run FoCo Fondo. I love having that little microcosm to create a special space.

Also, cooking with all our CSA Veggies, baking (and eating) bread, and hanging out with friends and family!