Planning on tackling the BT700 (Ontario’s 700 kilometer Buttertart-oriented loop) or another bike-packing challenge this summer? It sounds minor right now, but a saddle sore or discomfort in your… well, in your nether regions can really mess up an otherwise fantastic experience or a …
Pull-ups have always been my measure of my current state of fitness. So, I’m re-posting this article because as we’re in self-isolation mode, I’m finding myself re-reverting to pull-ups as a way to push my fitness while staying inside and at home. View this …
We’re more than a week into self-quarantine and it’s been interesting to see how quickly we’ve adapted routines not just to being in the house, but to being home in general. In some ways, I was already heading towards this even before we had …
These are scary times and I know a lot of people who are going into self-quarantine because of travel, isolating due to illness, working remotely all of a sudden, or are simply practicing the very smart social distancing suggestion. That means a lot more …
I’ve been writing this on and off for the last very hectic 96 hours as we made our way from not being sure we’d get out of Spain to finally making it to the US and then getting back to Canada yesterday afternoon after …
Chasing sunshine and great training weather might sound amazing, but it comes with a cost: Between the travel itself and the disruption from your routines, it can sometimes be more beneficial to stay home. I love traveling and training in new places, and there …
OK, sure, on a calendar, January 1 is New Year’s. But really, from a more earthy standpoint, isn’t spring the start of the new year? For athletes, it’s often the start of serious training for the competitive season. (Plus, April 15 with taxes? Heck …
Recently, I realized that I am incredibly uncomfortable being uncomfortable. Not on the bike or the run—there, I can handle A LOT of discomfort. I’m talking about in my head, and specifically, when people have any kind of disagreement with me, or even fight …
Champion Systems, the crew who created my awesome Shred Girls kit, is doing a huge sale right now: 15% off entire custom orders until March 31, 2020. Whether you have a serious team or a few friends you ride with, this is the perfect …
I initially wrote this post back in January after a particularly bad bout of leg cramps. I deleted it twice, resurfaced it twice, and now, I’m hitting publish. It’s not my normal writing style, it’s a lot more personal and a lot less positive …
I got to have a bit of a flashback a few weeks ago when I hopped on a call with Derek Loudermilk of The Art of Adventure Podcast to talk about my newest book, “The Athlete’s Guide to Sponsorship.” Derek and I talked first back …
I am SO excited to let everyone know that book 2 of the Shred Girls series, Ali’s Rocky Ride, is now available for pre-order! It comes out this July and follows Ali’s adventures with Jen and Lindsay as they once again navigate the issues …
I loved talking all things Meditation and Essential Oils for Athletes with Laura Wilson, AKA the Happiness Nerd, on our latest episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast. Laura has become a good friend of mine in the last couple of years, but even still, I didn’t …
Most people know that Sonya Looney is one of my favorite humans—she’s a badass mountain biker and smart as hell when it comes to running her business, which includes her racing and her podcast, The Sonya Looney Show. And she recently had me on …
I’m so excited that Collingwood Today featured the How to Be Outside Speaker Series on their site! I talked to the awesome author, Maddie Johnson, last week about my hopes for the upcoming event (Get your tickets now!) and I’m so thrilled about how …
Everyone who’s been on this blog for a while knows how I’ve struggled with started any kind of meditation practice over the years. But finally, in the last few months, I’ve been able to do it on a daily basis, and I think a …
Valentine’s Day is this Friday and at the Consummate Athlete HQ, we wanted to extend a little challenge to our podcast listeners: Celebrating #ConsummateAthleteLove. Whether you’re in a relationship or grabbing a friend or family member, what we want everyone to do is spend …
I’m in an unfamiliar spot this month, and with a hectic schedule that’s making my usual healthy morning routines a bit more complicated. Last night, I was getting ready to crash after a long day of coaching and riding, and I realized that I’d …
At home, our kitchen is firmly in “OK” territory when it comes to how kitted out we are. We’re always evolving it, and one benefit to traveling and staying at a ton of different places is that it really helps you figure out what …
Last summer during the 2019 season, I had a pretty sporadic race calendar that had a pretty large hole for most of July in it, so after talking to my coach, we decided to do a couple of ‘race simulations.’ So during July and …
I talk about habits a lot, as you probably know, and one of the ones I really like diving into is sleep habits. It’s one of the ones that we dive into in our 7-day healthy habit kickstart, and I like it because it’s …
I hesitate to even write a January letter from the editor/check in because let’s be honest, with my intense love of all things resolutions and our new (free!) habit guide email series, I feel like everything there is to say about January has already …
For 2020, I’ve started working with custom athletic clothing brand Champion System to create some wicked custom Shred Girls kit for me to shred on bikes and on trails in this season, and going through their custom design process was super interesting. I’ve never …
It’s a New Year, which means a lot of us are thinking really hard about Habit Change, resolutions, etc. And while yeah, there’s nothing magical about this time of year, it’s sometimes just enough of a kick in the ass to get you actually motivated to …
I do a lot of things: I write for a lot of different outlets, we have our podcast, I do some cycling coaching, I have the Shred Girls website and series, and at any given time, I’m working on at least one other book …
‘Tis the season for New Years Resolutions to get made, and then broken—largely due to poor planning and overzealous expectations… And that can happen at the grocery store, especially if your resolutions are training/eating/lifestyle oriented. We have a new 7-Day free Healthy Habits Kickstart …
April in Ontario can be a grim month, so let’s liven it up with this series of talks that will serve as the unofficial kickoff to the summer season. Rather than retreating to our sofas for another night of Netflix, or heading to the …
We’re super stoked about the newly revamped 7-Day Habit Kickstart Guide that can help you start 2020 (or anytime!) off on the right foot. This seven-day email series guides you through seven key habits that will put you on track for a healthier, athlete-friendly lifestyle… …
As 2020 is looming, I’ve been thinking a lot about resolutions, goals, intentions, and of course, my one-word resolution. You all know I love a good chance to reflect and reset, so no matter how corny this time of year is, I am here …
As the decade closes out, I’ve been hit with the realization that 2019 really feels like the year that I finally came into my athletic, and arguably, my professional, own. Now, I didn’t win any of the big ultra-marathons out there, and Shred Girls: …
In keeping with my decision to come back to my initial blogging routes, it’s time for the December check in! Consider it the ‘letter from the editor’ that goes in the front of magazines every month, if you will. Confession: I am on vacation …
Vacation gives me a lot of headspace to think—sure, it’s still a working vacation since when you’re freelance, you rarely press the full on ‘stop’ button, but being away from home without laundry, housework, any social stuff other than spending time with Peter, plus …
Trying to buy a gift for the cyclist in your life and coming up short? Cyclists have a lot of gear, yes, so it should be really easy to buy for them, right? Nope. The gear is so custom, so size and personal preference …
Like the other categories I’ve listed, I wanted to come up with options that were good for everyone—so I didn’t include specific gels or sports drink mixes, because I can say as endurance athletes, we rarely want you to buy us new flavors or …
Creativity calls to mind chaos, not routine. Splashing paint on walls, chain-smoking, you know the typical imagery. On the flip side, routine tends to sound… well, boring. It doesn’t sound overly motivating, while walking on the beach in another country has a much more …
“TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking” by Chris Anderson made its way onto my reading list a while ago and I finally made some time to dig into it in the last month. And OK, this isn’t strictly athletic. In fact, …
For the people who already buy all of the sport-specific gear that they could possibly need or want but are still super outdoorsy and active, what do you get them for a gift? A bottle of wine is kind of generic, tickets to the …
Peter and I were talking the other day about how much we miss the old blog-o-sphere days. We both had our own racing blogs (his; mine) and we both followed a ton of other racers blogs. It was triathletes like Maija and Marni who …
As a serious runner myself, I don’t like the idea of gifting apparel because between size, fit, and style, it’s really a personal decision on the runner’s part. It’s annoying to have someone give you gear with the best of intentions, only to realize …
A speaker series devoted to outdoor adventure, inspiration + motivation HOW TO BE OUTSIDE COLLINGWOOD, ON | APRIL 18, 2020 Come for an evening of motivating, inspirational talks around the different ways we can interact with the world outside, in one of …
AVAILABLE NOW! “The Athlete’s Guide to Sponsorship: An Athlete Entrepreneur’s Guide to Dreaming Big, Racing Smart & Creating a Reliable Brand for a Long, Successful Career” is Out in Paperback + Kindle Have you ever had an idea for a project that just wouldn’t go away? …
I’m all about spending money where it matters: On my health and wellness. And as an endurance athlete, the amount of gear I could purchase is staggering—and I’ll be honest, I love a great new pair of bib shorts or a cool new running …
A couple years ago, I wrote about returning to my pixie cut and why I suddenly felt 110% more like myself again. I wanted to come back to it now, almost two years later, because of everything I’ve written, it’s one that continually gets …
Here’s what you need to know if you’re hoping to tackle a fast-pack or shortened trip of any hiking loop for a couple of days, or specifically, if you’re heading to Western Uplands Backpacking Trail in Algonquin Provincial Park like we did earlier in the …
How to Pee in Bib Shorts: The Eternal Question. Or, at least, the eternal question when you first get in a pair and think, WTF?! If you haven’t swapped your bike shorts for a set of bibs, what are you waiting for? Bib shorts …
It is SO easy to not care about results when you’re doing well… Or, at least, to say you don’t care about results, and that you’re all about the process. I actually started drafting this article before I’d had a really crappy result (on …
I’m excited to introduce Shred Girls Coaching: one-on-one weekly coaching for girls ready to crush their cycling goals! I’m looking for a few motivated young athletes who may even already work with a local team and attend weekly practices with a coach, but are …
For $120, I couldn’t be happier with the Garmin Forerunner 35 running watch. I’ve had it for 3 months of heavy use now and I am not kind to electronics. If you ever want a review done by a non-tech person who has zero interest …
Everyone knows I love books by Chris McDougall—and Running with Sherman: The Donkey with the Heart of a Hero is no exception! You might have noticed that the last couple of months, I didn’t post any new Athletic Bookworm picks. I’m stepping back from doing that …
In case you missed it, last year, I did a huge list (with VERY specific details) around the Habits of Highly Effective Athlete. If you haven’t checked all of them out, now is the time to do it, as the offseason starts and you …
On our very last-minute fall hiking trip last weekend, I knew 2 things: I was going to be cold, and we did not necessarily have all the right gear. But I made do! I’ll talk all about the exact trip—74 kilometers of the Western …
I could not have been more excited to have run coach and badass MD and racer Megan Roche on the podcast last week! Megan has been on my must-interview list for ages, because she’s part of the dynamic duo behind The Happy Runner, one …
Can you maybe do something on how to organize your gear for cyclocross? I feel like my vehicle is a disaster and disorganized putting me into a panic before races to find stuff. Small storage bins, bags? Any hacks would be awesome. Thanks! As …
It is CYCLOCROSS SEASON, which means all everyone is talking about is what they’re going to wear (and ride) on race day. It’s a topic very near and dear to my heart because I am a total weenie in cold and wet conditions, which …
It’s really easy to think about having mental toughness and being resilient when everything is going well. But what I learned last week after failing in my FKT attempt of the La Cloche trail due to a severe error in navigation is that being …
My big goal for the season—the FKT on the 78-kilometer La Cloche Silhoutte Trail in Killarney Provincial Park—has come and gone, and no, I didn’t get it. In fact, we didn’t actually get around the full loop. So, with that in mind, I wanted …
I’m SUPER excited to be going back to one of my favorite places in the world to ride, Girona, Spain—and we want you to come with us! My husband, longtime cycling coach with SmartAthlete, Peter and I have put together a week-long women’s training …
That feeling when you go to a girl’s MTB camp in order to help out as a coach and end up leaving feeling like you just got schooled… As a very, very shy young woman, I didn’t go to a lot of summer camp-style …
As a runner, finding motivation to get out the door can be a daily struggle. I remember vividly the first runs I did when I was 19 and just getting started. I knew how many blocks I needed to run in order to do …
Getting into cyclocross this season? It’s one of my all-time favorite things. I’ve written the book on it (literally), raced at every level, traveled around the world for races (and met my Canadian husband at a CX race in China!), managed an elite team …
Hi, my name is Molly Hurford and when I was eight years old, I had an inbox and an outbox, a filing system for correspondence, and had read every book that the Hunterdon County Library had on organization. I love a good organizational/productivity book, …
This week’s episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast really covered A LOT of different nutrition concepts: fueling for Track, donut rides, charity rides + hydration. It was… a lot. But really, really fun to chat about, especially talking through things like a race where your time …
If there’s one thing I know, it is cyclocross, and the gear that you need for it. I’ve raced on super grassroots teams and solo, traveled the country for races in every type of climate, literally written the book on the sport, managed one …
Did you get a chance to read Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar for the August Athletic Bookworms Pick? I generally loved it and crammed through it in the first week of the month. Essentially, the book is about an unsolved case of how nine hikers …
Last week on The Consummate Athlete Podcast, we talked with Juliet Elliott of Bikes-n-Stuff.com about how she races and rides EVERY type of bike. I admit, I’ve been following Juliet for years and love everything she does. She was one of the OG bloggers …
My book, “Saddle, Sore: Ride Comfortable, Ride Happy,” was the first guide to answer all of your embarrassing, awkward or just plain weird questions about the bike and how to make riding more comfortable, with less chafing, numbness, pain or skin issues like saddle …
Because who doesn’t love B2S? Seriously, back to school (despite not being in school) is one of my favorite times. I feel like it’s a holdover from adolescence when September was more like the New Year than January 1 ever was. I’ve said it …
This is a conversation I have CONSTANTLY with riding and running friends. Lady parts aren’t the only sensitive skin we deal with on the bike, and chafing isn’t the only issue we deal with on the run. Anyone else have some leg/shaving issues? (Hand up!) …
Do you have an athletic bucket list of dream races or far-off goals? I know most runners and cyclists have some kind of either in-their-head or written-out list of things that they’d love to do, but rarely are they organized or laid out in …
Last week on The Consummate Athlete Podcast, we tackled a few of my favorite questions: Retirement, Zones, Weight Loss, and Running while Riding. The first one, retirement, was interesting—we dive into the difference between healthy and race-ready, and some ways to reframe looking at leaving competitive …
Ahh, belated race reports! I wanted to jump in here and write about the Wildcat Ridge Romp 50K because a) the race is super well organized, especially for a very chill, grassroots race; b) it’s wicked fun; c) I had a great race and d) …
The 2019 Colorado Classic, August 22-25, is the only UCI standalone women’s stage race in North America; raising the bar with quadrupled prize purse, team stipends, live streaming and longer, more challenging routes RPM Events Group LLC, organizers of the Colorado Classic, will offer …
After all of our time on the road and in the air traveling for work and training (and a couple of vacations), I’ve put all of my best tips into one place—and added a bunch of new content in the last couple of months! …
In July, we read Range by David Epstein for the Athletic Bookworms (notes here!) and then we got to interview him on The Consummate Athlete Podcast, which was a total blast! I love when it works out where I like a book and actually like …
When it comes to life on the road, running is how I managed to stay sane and maintain fitness. Now, it’s my primary form of racing and the ultrarunning scene has been awesome. If you missed it before, the ‘What’s in Her Bag’ section …
We recently did another camping trip at Killarney Provincial Park Camping and hiked sections of the La Cloche Silhouette Trail. Normally, I do a TON of research about places we’re going, but the info on this area is weirdly sparse, so I wanted to …
“Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World” by David Epstein was this month’s pick for the Athletic Bookworms for a couple reasons, but the main one is because when this book came out, we had a dozen people recommend it because it’s exactly …
If you’re signed up for your first ultrarun, you can skip ahead a couple of steps by learning from other people’s mistakes… like I’m doing with my own! This weekend, I’m heading into my third 50K trail race down in NJ. The last two …
…Get ready for some beach reading, because this month, Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar is the August Athletic Bookworms Pick. I’m only kind of kidding about the beach reading. That’s why I bought it, the story intrigued me (as someone who once thought she’d minor …
One Day, I Will Pack Correctly For Camping. But until then, I will continue to write myself lists like this in a public forum so that I can maybe shame my brain into remembering that soap is a very important thing to pack. We …
The ‘What’s in Her Bag’ section is one of my favorite things to do each week. Each week, I’m featuring the everyday/gym/race day/sport-specific/food bag of an athlete that I love, or sharing what’s in my own bag. We started with my everyday bag, pro …
This week, we talk all things time-limited cyclocross training, how to be a healthy vegetarian, sticking to routines and dealing with major life shift and getting old on The Consummate Athlete Podcast. Holy moly, it’s a lot! But it’s a really fun episode for us …
Nicole Loher is a triathlete, runner, digital strategist, creative, all-around badass living in Brooklyn, NY. I stumbled across her a couple years ago, immediately got her on The Consummate Athlete Podcast to talk all things healthy living, routine-building and racing seriously while working seriously, …
In 10 years of racing and writing about triathlon, I’ve realized that even as you start to dial your swim, bike and run, there’s still a lot to learn about putting the three sports together. So, I’m putting together my favorite tips for a …
Last week, we were all about Athlete Anxiety with Psychologist Kathy Herzog on The Consummate Athlete Podcast—it’s an episode that I think is super important for every athlete to listen to, and even a great one for parents and partners of athletes to check …
I’ve talked a lot about nuun electrolyte tables lately because as temps rise, I’m relying on the electrolytes more than ever… and I have a camping trip where we’ll be hiking and running a ton and filtering water as we go, and you know …
The ‘What’s in Her Bag’ section is admittedly, my new favorite thing to both write and to chat about with the rad women who’ve taken part in it so far. Each week, I’m featuring the everyday/gym/race day/sport-specific/food bag of an athlete that I love, …
Getting started in running? Here’s what I really, really wish I had known when I got started! If you’re not new to running, some of these may seem a little ‘duh,’ but a) that’s why they’re my Top 5, because they’re the most basic …
LOVED the Q&A episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast that we did last week—the last question about healthy vacations is always a favorite for me. I found talking about male versus female sports nutrition was a really interesting jumping off point for us, because while …
Weirdly, saddle sores come in all shapes and sizes and styles. So, let’s talk about if you have a saddle sore or something similar because, gross as it may seem, knowledge in this case is going to be power! How do I know if …
I LOVE Lori Nedescu, badass registered dietician at Hungry for Results + pro cyclist (and runner!). She’s one of my favorite Consummate Athlete Podcast guests (we’ve had her on twice already and a third episode is coming soon!) and she’s just a blast to …
For those of you in the cycling industry, Sea Otter in California is probably written with permanent marker on your calendar for April. But this year, Sea Otter came to Ontario for the first time—and right to our backyard in Collingwood! It was held …
I’ve talked to Stacy Sims, exercise physiologist, women’s sport and nutrition expert, heat adaptation genius and all-around badass so many times in the past few years and every single time, I come away with so much new information. This episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast …
I loved reading Deena Kastor’s memoir, Let Your Mind Run, as our Athletic Bookworm pick last fall, and I was listening to a podcast today on my long run that referred back to the mantra she wrote about in it that she often thought …
I’ve talked ad nauseam about the fact that the best/hardest habit I’ve ever established was my morning core and yoga routine. (I’ve tried other morning routines like running right away, but this is the one that makes the most sense for wherever you are …
“Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World” by David Epstein is this month’s pick for the Athletic Bookworms for a couple reasons, but the main one is because when this book came out, we had a dozen people recommend it because it’s exactly …
This month, The Athletic Bookworms read The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience by Jennifer Pharr Davis, about FKTs (fastest known times) and the setting thereof. I was psyched to read a book on this topic by a woman, …
Getting started in cycling? Here’s what I really, really wish I had known when I got started—maybe then I wouldn’t have spent the first 2 years riding in my gym shorts instead of finding comfortable bibs! If you’re not new to cycling, some of …
I turned 32 last week, which means I am officially firmly planted ‘in my 30s.’ For the last few years, I’ve tended to do some kind of birthday post, because I usually try to use this time each year as a mid-year reflection point …
Wondering what to do on your off day? STAY OFF THE BIKE! If you’re new to this site, you may or may not know that I wrote a book all about nether regions and the bike called ‘Saddle, Sore: Ride Comfortable, Ride Happy.’ The …
I decided I wanted to start doing a series of top-5 tips in the fields that I really find fascinating, and in topics that I’ve researched and written about extensively over the years. So, it makes sense to start with nutrition, since one of …
If you’re new to this site, you may or may not know that I wrote a book all about nether regions and the bike called ‘Saddle, Sore: Ride Comfortable, Ride Happy.’ The book was all about how to take care of yourself—from choosing the …
For me, getting through my first race and the book launch has led to a pretty big come-down the last couple of weeks. While I’m still plugging away at work and training, I definitely needed the time at home just coming back to some …
Over on Women’s Running, I’ve been writing a bit of fashion-related content lately… And one thing I wanted to start with was why and how it can actually matter to you as a runner. Sure, it doesn’t *really* matter what color you’re wearing if …
I kept seeing interviews and snippets from “The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience” by Jennifer Pharr Davis in magazines and on sites that I love all last month, so I grabbed the Kindle sample and dove in. I …
It’s almost summertime, which means HOORAY, you can get outside for your training… but as an athlete, there are a few things you might want to check before the summer heat (and your race season, if you’re a runner, cyclist or triathlete) really kicks …
I was lucky enough to hop on the Women in Sport and Exercise Academic Network (WISEAN) Podcast with host and founder of WISEAN Jackie Forsyth to talk about all things Shred Girls, as well as my background in writing books like Saddle, Sore: Ride …
My sister-in-law and I were chatting a while ago during one of the rare family functions that I was actually in town for. The conversation went something like this: “So, what are you up to these days?” -Her “I’m racing tomorrow, then Monday I’m …
I realized that it’s been almost 12 years now since I did my first triathlon / could consider myself a new triathlete. While I’m not planning to swim-bike-run this summer (though I never completely discount it because it’s hella fun), I did start thinking …
My sister and her best friend went to Ireland recently—it was Colleen’s first international trip, and while her bestie Vic is about as organized and compulsive as I am about travel stuff, it got me thinking (and imparting a lot of not-asked-for wisdom) for …
It’s been a big couple weeks for me—May kicked off with the North Face Endurance Challenge 50K Trail Race in Bear Mountain, NY, for me, just a couple days before the first book in the Shred Girls series came out with Random House and …
It’s finally here: “Shred Girls: Lindsay’s Joyride” is officially published and available! This morning I woke up and kind of felt a little surreal. Since Rodale Kids (now an imprint of Random House) picked up the Shred Girls series two years ago, it’s been …
With the launch of “Shred Girls: Lindsay’s Joyride” and my first race of the season this month, I needed a little confidence boost. Enter: “The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know” by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman. I think …
A few exciting Shred Girls notes… I know you’ve probably seen these if you follow Shred Girls on IG or follow me on there, but just in case… The pre-order for Shred Girls: Lindsay’s Joyride is open! The book is just the beginning of …
Just a reminder that over on recently-introduced The Outdoor Edit store, you can snag fun Shred Girls swag, plus a few fun/funnier tanks and caps! Just a note: Grabbing gear on here isn’t just hella stylish, it helps keep this site and …
We’ve been talking a lot on the podcast lately about identity as an athlete, topics like RED-S and racing weight, and how to be the happiest, speediest version of yourself—and I’ve talked a bit about my own personal takes on it, but I haven’t …
Peter and I were talking about the whole Marie Kondo Kon Mari concept and messing around with ways to evaluate our various ‘stuff’ the other day, and one of the ways we wanted to do it was forcing ourselves to wear every article of …
When it comes to your training, which matters more: routine or optimal training environment? A few months ago, I would have argued optimal training environment. Now, I’m not so sure. Today as we recorded an intro for this week’s podcast, I started ruminating a …
Super exciting news! The pre-order for Shred Girls: Lindsay’s Joyride is finally open! If you preorder the book and email me a copy of your receipt and we’ll send you a signed Shred Girls postcard plus some sweet Shred Girls stickers that can be …
“It’s not a sacrifice, it’s an investment.” -Ellen Noble My friends are freaking brilliant—and Ellen absolutely floored me with this very casually delivered quote one night during the ENCX Quest last week. I love talking about athletic identity and the psychology of why and …
Did I need another raincoat? Hell no. But I spotted this Women’s Co-op Cycles Rain Jacket in Cocoa on REI’s sale page for $30 down from $100 and fell in love. THAT COLOR!! (I know, it’s not black. Hey, I can break out of …
Can certain foods or a change in nutrition cure anxiety? Absolutely not. But… What I’m starting to realize more and more is that how we eat can absolutely change how we feel—and it’s not always about what we’re eating or drinking, part of it …
OK, time for something completely different for this month’s Athletic Bookworms! I love a good fictional novel, and this one just kept coming up in my searches—”Fitness Junkie: A Novel” by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza. Now, this might not be everyone’s cup of …
The Happy Runner: Love the Process, Get Faster, Run Longer by David and Megan Roche was March’s Athletic Bookworm pick and I have to say, it was a really fun, interesting read—the first half of the book is all about the mental side of …
I loved having Lori Nedescu, RD and pro cyclist, on the Consummate Athlete Podcast back in January so much that we decided we needed to have her back on to talk all things nutrition as we get into the racing season for most of us …
I LOVE sourdough bread. It’s super tasty, and for some reason, something about the whole fermentation / no yeast thing is just so fascinating to me. My amazing friend Karlee Gendron gave me a sourdough starter last summer, and after a few terrible tries …
You all know that I loved The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo, and it’s sparked a lot of joy in my life in recent years. I’ve decluttered the crap out of my gear closet, …
Chrome is getting back into women’s clothing (THANK GOD BECAUSE I NEED A NEW PASHA MERINO HOODIE) and I give them credit, they’re doing it really methodically, versus rushing to get a huge lineup out so people can applaud. They’re actually being really thoughtful …
Last week on The Consummate Athlete Podcast, we talked with amazing sports psychologist Danelle Kabush about a HUGELY IMPORTANT TOPIC: Body image as athletes, and the ins and outs of RED-S, formerly known as the female athlete triad. The big thing with RED-S is …
I was one of those people who did exactly what Chris McDougall hoped people wouldn’t do: after reading Born to Run, I a) signed up for a trail marathon that was happening 8 days from the day I signed up, and b) switched to …
Klean Athlete’s whey protein is making me a very happy, recovered athlete right now. You all know — especially if you read Fuel Your Ride — that I’m a huge fan of eating real, whole foods. But… I’m also on the road a lot, …
Introvert travel is tricky. I’m definitely on the introvert side of the spectrum, meaning my energy mainly comes from time alone, which makes our life on the road really freaking hard sometimes—especially when you consider that most of our travel is with people, coaching …
Hi, I’m Molly Hurford and I am un-coach-able. Or, at least, I was. (This is said with full and complete apologies to all of my former coaches. I mean it when I say, it’s not you, it’s me.) A few months ago, I was …
The Happy Runner: Love the Process, Get Faster, Run Longer by David and Megan Roche is March’s Athletic Bookworm pick, and like David is all the time, I am FREAKING STOKED. We just had him on the Consummate Athlete Podcast, and it was honestly …
For athletes on a budget, host housing can make or break a season. In fact, let’s consider the numbers: if you have a host house in say, Athens, Georgia, for winter training, you’re saving potentially thousands of dollars in rent, electricity bills, internet, and …
Smartwatches for runners: Sounds sort of obvious, but I feel like I’m forever asking a runner what she’s using and the answer is NEVER the same. Let’s start with why I want a smartwatch vs a straight-up running watch: I am NOT a tracking/logging …
“The cup metaphor suggests that pain occurs when all of the stressors/loads in our lives exceed the space in our cup. When we overflow we have pain.” -Greg Lehman A while back, we had chiropractor and pain expert Greg Lehman on The Consummate Athlete …
I finally am running / hiking long enough distances to necessitate a run pack again, and I freaking love the Osprey run vest lineup—their commitment to women’s-specific fits is really impressive across all their lines. For the last couple months, I’ve been dealing with …
If you’ve been keeping up with the Athletic Bookworms, you know that this month, we’re reading (and cooking) with Shalene Flanigan and Elyse Kopeky in their awesome new cookbook, RUN FAST. COOK FAST. EAT SLOW. The authors were kind enough to provide one of their …
Let’s start with this basic premise: Cycling doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. As a cyclist for the past decade, I had years to learn my way around dealing with my “chamois area” while on the bike—and off the bike! And I’ve met plenty of …
The new trend in the wellness industry right now seems to be articles and podcasts and IG posts all about perfectionist tendencies and how they’re holding us back. And I think that might be true for, say, 15% of people. The other 85% of …
I have a flight to Spain coming up in a couple of weeks and I re-stumbled across a piece over on Thrillist about the unwritten rules of flying that I freaking loved… And of course, reading it made me think of a few rules …
This month, we started the year with a bit of inspiration mixed with a bit of holy $hit I never want to do that by reading North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail by Scott Jurek and Jenny Jurek. Scott is an ultrarunner who’s …
OK, I know: a cookbook for the Athletic Bookworms read for February, WTF? I had the same thought when I first got Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow.: Quick-Fix Recipes for Hangry Athletes by Shalane Flanagan out of the library a couple weeks ago. I …
As I keep packing and unpacking, I notice more and more patterns. Lately, I’ve been realizing that of everything I own, I turn to the same few pieces of clothing for 99% of situations, so I wanted to put together a full current list. …
I’ve been on the road for most of the last 10 years, and I’ve been a professional writer/journalist/now podcaster for that stretch of time as well. I’ve written all of my books (most recently, Shred Girls) from a wide array of AirBNBs, hotels and …
Over on Gear Junkie, I’m talking about the most useful piece of gear that an endurance athlete can buy for under $2: a lacrosse ball. It’s small, packable, cheap as hell, and can provide the most satisfying, painful massage ever. Since we fly a …
December was a serious recharge month for us… The first one we’ve taken in probably a decade, now that I think about it. We went on an actual vacation to Santa Teresa in Costa Rica, where we opted to NOT go on copious amounts …
This is a weird area of expertise for me, but if you’ve ever heard me on a rant, you know I am obsessed with the perfect merino wool hoodie. Merino wool is great for travelers because it doesn’t stretch, it wicks sweat, it doesn’t …
Ready to get motivated to chase a big scary goal this year? Enter this month’s super-inspirational (but also fun-to-read and running-oriented) Athletic Bookworm pick. I wanted to take a break from the uber-motivational self-development genre and go more memoir to start the year on …
Planning to start a New Year – New You type of diet? Probably push pause for half a second. I know a ton of people are super into intermittent fasting right now, because second to maybe the keto diet, it’s one of the big …
This month’s Athletic Bookworms was similar to November’s choice, The Motivation Manifesto: Not 100% athlete oriented, but a lot of lessons that we can take from it with our training (and, of course, in our everyday lives). This one was The ONE Thing: The …
Our recent trip to Costa Rica, to a small beach town called Santa Teresa, was absolutely awesome. Would 110% do again, and we honestly might next year. Because we had such a great time, though, I had the idea to write this piece about …
Over the years, I’ve found a few brands that produce products that can stand the test of time, and I was thinking about this the other day as I tromped through the snow to town and realizing that my Outdoor Research women’s snow pants …
I’m guessing most of you reading this know who cyclocross superstar and all-around badass Ellen Noble is, so in a lot of ways, she needs no introduction. She’s one of my closest friends, and I can’t believe it took us so long to get …
A year and a half ago, I started talking about a new project I was working on: The Shred Girls book series and website, dedicated to getting more young girls onto bikes and feeling confident. It took hold: I had originally planned to self-publish …
As an athlete, I have wildly varying views on blood testing and tracking. On one hand, eat well, sleep more, train smart = 95% of the battle. But it turns out, there are things that can be going on with our bodies that we …
This month’s Athletic Bookworms pick is one that I chose because in December, the tendency — at least for me — is to write a laundry list of New Year’s Resolutions that’s so extensive that the odds of me keeping them is slim to …
If you have a cold, does that mean you should crash on the couch, or still head out for your run or yoga class? If you do enough crunches, will you end up with a six-pack? Will lifting heavy weight make you super swole? …
In this episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast, we’re really zooming in on one key element of the year that a lot of athletes miss: a proper, thoughtful look at how the last year went. After all, what’s the point of season goals or …
“Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is THE book on flow state that you always hear about in other books, on podcasts, and in Instagram quotes. So, I wanted to go to the actual source and see WTF he actually says …
Winter can be tough as an athlete. The upcoming 2019 season seems SO far away, but it’s really not… This is the time for recovering as needed, then starting to grow your base up again. It’s about working on good habits, not going too …
I know I’m a little late to the Gift Guide game here on The Outdoor Edit but it’s been a roller-coaster of a month on here and in life. So, without further ado, a few of the things I’m giving as gifts this year …
As life feels a little Hunger Games-y and/or you’re stuck inside and need something to do other than ride the trainer, we’re bringing you a different kind of podcast—all about Archery, Precision & Form with Mackenzie Kieborz, who definitely qualifies as a Consummate Athlete …
I’m sure this isn’t the first article like this that you’ve read, but if you’re like me and had a goal race for the season cancelled, you’re probably reading quite a few stories like this to figure out how to retool your entire season …
We’re home and talking about all things Maintenance Training on the latest Consummate Athlete Podcast episode. Also covered: Fueling 50miles and what we think of the Game Changers movie. While it’s not super fun talking about what to do when your races are all …
Join us on Zoom and on Facebook Live and @MollyJHurford’s Instagram Live on April 18, 2020 at 8PM for a 90-minute preview of what’s coming at the How To Be Outside Speaker Series when we can all congregate in real life in Fall 2020. (If you …
Over on Bicycling, I wrote about what the cycling pros are doing to handle coronavirus-mandated lockdowns in places like Girona, Spain. It’s hard to believe that as little as 10 days ago, we were all riding outside there and everything felt normal in the …
Fasted running is a hot-button issue. On one hand, it may be beneficial… but not really for fat-loss. It’s about utilizing fat stores, but not the way you may think. And doing it right can be seriously challenging, in that it’s hard to go …
We just had sports dietitian Gemma Sampson on The Consummate Athlete Podcast—and in person, we had her cooking and chatting at our women’s gravel camp we just finished hosting. This is one of my favorite nutrition episodes because we go from pretty broad topics …
