5 Things I Learned About Gravel from Alison Tetrick
Our Girls Gone Gravel podcast launched with Alison Tetrick. I didn't quite know what to expect from the conversation. I hoped to glean more insight into who she is as a person and gather some information that applies not just to an elite racer, but an everyday athlete like me. The conversation did not disappoint. Here are five things I learned from my conversation with Alison Tetrick.
Listen to the entire podcast here.
You need goals that make you excited
Alison shared that, at a certain point, she started to feel pressure from other people to participate in select events with an emphasis on her performance. She had to come to a place where she let go of the expectation she felt from others because she was losing her excitement for events. I think there's considerable value in putting a goal or event on your calendar, but when everyone around you starts talking about a particular event, it's easy to get caught up in that. You're the one who has to put the day-to-day work in to complete that goal. Make sure it's an event that makes you want to get up on the days that you don't feel like it.
Start lines are more important than finish lines
It takes courage to show up at the starting line. It means putting yourself out there. Often we look at people and think they aren't nervous at the starting line - after all, they are more prepared or a better cyclist than us, right? Wrong, everyone is nervous at the starting line. Everyone feels that sense of dread. Everyone wants to stay in their warm bed when the alarm goes off. Everyone has to find the courage within themselves to show up.
It's about conquering your day, not what place you finish
This is closely tied to the starting line but I think it leads you to a different mindset as you approach your day. This mindset leads us to be process-oriented rather than outcome-oriented. There's so much that we can't control related to the outcome, but we can control how we handle the process.
You need people around who will challenge you to show up and be the best version of yourself
Within this conversation, Alison talks about how much the gravel community has meant to her, especially in times that she started to dread racing. People like my podcast cohost, Kristi, would line up beside her, and together they would begin to pedal. I think finding a group of people who believe in you is so important. Ideally, you have a local cycling group that meets regularly. If you can't find anything in your area, consider starting one. We have also created a great online community in our private Facebook group and would love to have you join us.
Everybody walks sometimes.
We often have the idea that when you get to the pro or elite level, you never walk. For most of us everyday athletes, that puts pressure on us that says, I can't do it because I might have to walk (or be slow, or get a flat, etc.). Even the best athletes get off their bikes to push it up a hill sometimes. We can stop being so hard on ourselves and start showing up despite our fears. Not only was this episode full of wisdom, but it also offered lots of practical advice. I recommend you give it a listen.