Episode 11: The art of Bringing the Competition with Cynthia Carson

Karey sits down with Cynthia Carson, ultra endurance cyclist.  They chat about all things bikes, racing, gear, food, highs and lows and best of all, Cynthia's experience in the Atlas Mountain Race, which she previously won this February, 2024. 

Check out Cynthia's website, socials, and more for an in depth look at her packing skills, tips for adventure riders and more!  As a talented content creator, Cynthia puts a lot of time and effort into her content in an effort to help folks like you!

Detours Podcast
Watt Wagon IG: @wattwagon
Watt Wagon Youtube
Watt Wagon Website

 
Here are some things to check out after you listen!

Atlas Mountain Race
Unbound Gravel
The Traka
Gravista (The race that Cynthia puts on)

Old Man Mountain Racks: Axle Rack

Transcript

The Art of Bringing the Competition with Cynthia Carson

Karey: [00:00:00] So we're going to get started. I have here on the pod today, Cynthia Carson, who is an amazing ultra adventurer woman she recently raced and one, the Atlas mountain race, which we'll talk about. Um, but I just wanted to welcome you aboard Cynthia.

So Thank you for being here.

Cynthia: Yeah, thanks for having me. It's a real treat.

Karey: Awesome! Yay! So one of the first things that I ask everybody is, um, is there anything recently? I mean, I know the race, the Atlas Mountain was not too long ago, but like, have you been on any type two fun adventures since then, either in your training or life? Yeah.

Cynthia: Yeah, I haven't really done that much actually in the last, like, three to four weeks since I finished, mostly because I'm still recovering, so I haven't really ridden my bike very much, which kind of feels really weird. Um, but it's nice, you know, I'm getting a little bit of a rest, um, [00:01:00] so that when I get back into it, I'm, I'm feeling good.

But, uh. No, I don't. I rode my bike on Saturday with some women and it was not Type-2 at all, but it was fun. So…

Karey: Good! Good. Yeah. I mean, we have to have that. stuff as well. Right?

Cynthia: A hundred percent being on the bike and having fun is what it's all about.

Karey: Exactly. Exactly. I feel like it fuels the fire for next time. And I think honestly, I think the resting part is kind of like Type-2 Fun for me anyway.  It's just like, this doesn't feel normal, but it's much needed. So anyway…so good for you.

Cynthia: Yeah, thank you. I know it's like I really want to get, be getting back into it, but, uh, my body has other plans, so…

Cynthia: Than, than ignore it, because I'll have to deal with it later if I don't deal with it now.

Karey: Very smart. Very smart. Good. Well, Cynthia, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Um, like it could be bike [00:02:00] stuff, non bike stuff, like whatever kind of brings us up to speed with where you are now.

Cynthia: Yeah, um, so, my, my name is Cynthia. I am from Virginia. I'm actually from Arlington, which is just outside of Washington, D. C. Um, but the last 10 years I've been living in Southern Virginia in a small town called Lexington. I just recently moved out of there. Um, I got divorced. So my life kind of changed and I left that place.

And, uh, I wouldn't say I really have a home now. Um, I'm in Bentonville, Arkansas for the next month and a half before I head to Spain for the Traca, which is my next big race that's coming up. But I guess a little bit about the type of bike riding I do, um, is I enjoy ultra endurance events. So I like to ride my bike for a really long time in really remote areas and often I experience sleep deprivation and it's a, uh, adventure, sometimes Type-5-Fun, but, um, I very much enjoy it and I love to race all over the world and be a tourist wherever I go.

But outside of racing, I still am really involved in bikes. In [00:03:00] my day to day life I am training full time. So I'm working with a coach on the orange seal collective. His name is Dennis and I started working with him a couple months ago prior to the season And that's been a really big change for me. A lot more structure in my life so I actually have somebody telling me to get out the door and ride.

Um, so that's good And then I put on a gravel race called Gravista. It's a gravel event in Buena Vista, Virginia in the Southwest corner. And, uh, it's in the Blue Ridge mountains. It's super beautiful, very challenging. It's May 11th. If anybody's listening and interested in signing up, there's still plenty of space, so please come on out.

And then I put a podcast on myself. Um, it's called Detours. It is about ultra cycling. And we aim to focus on women in the ultra cycling and endurance space. Um, so. What else do I do? I have a YouTube channel too, so that's, that takes up a lot of time, um, planning videos and making, uh, [00:04:00] content for that.

Um, and I also do some weddings occasionally for videography. So I'm, I'm a busy.

Karey: Okay. Definitely. So I was going to, I was going to mention that. I think I saw, um, on your Instagram, you know, you have all your, all your links and stuff there for what you do. Um, so the, the videography and the YouTube stuff, do you, is it you mostly that's put, putting those together and…

Cynthia: Yeah, so, um, occasionally I will have somebody help me, but my YouTube channel is still in the growth period. So I'm not really, I don't have a lot of money to spend to pay somebody else to do it.

Karey: You're like okay, well on this

Cynthia: I'm actually,

Karey: or I'm not riding going to be doing all these things, but then

Cynthia: a couple videos.

Karey: you're

like, really? Do I really want

it?

think it's kind of hard because

Cynthia: a lot of work to film and edit and do the planning and production. Uh, but.

I’d love be able to have somebody that, um, that helps me with it. Um, but yeah, I really enjoy it.

I do [00:05:00] adventure videos, but I also I spent a lot of time working on educational videos. So for people that want to try endurance events, maybe they want to know what I put on my bike or what I carry. I know I looked for those videos when I was first getting into it. So if I can do that for somebody else, um, so yeah…Anybody listening if you have suggestions on videos, please send them my way

Karey: That's so awesome. I mean, it definitely needs to be out there. And I think especially that's the one thing that I noticed, you know, I started adventure riding in 2016. And when I was getting, I mean, I had no idea what I was going, what I was getting into. And, at that point, it was like less of an “in” thing. And so, um, it was hard to find, uh, ideas and find, you know, especially for like a smaller bike or, you know, things like that. Um, it was all the dudes and, you know, you can learn from anybody, but coming from a woman, that's really, that's really super awesome. 

So I'll have to check some more of that stuff out. So yeah. Yeah.

Cynthia: Yeah, thanks. That was my main goal [00:06:00] as a woman. I felt like there wasn't, there was nobody, there are some women in the space now, but really I started about a year and a half ago and there was nobody really focusing on ultra endurance and there were very few that were women, just cycling content. Um, maybe there was like one or two big videos, but my channel, my goal is to try and put up a video once a week or once every other week, depending on how busy my season is.

It's really hard to train 30 hours a week and also record YouTube videos and edit them and all the other things that you have to do as an athlete these days. So, um, sometimes it's every other week. People don't realize that you're working a nine to five and you're, and you're also like riding more than 10 hours a week, I mean, there, there's a lot, there's very little left in the tank to be doing extra. Um, so yeah. And also props to all of the people listening that do, uh, ride more than 10 hours a week and work a normal 9 to 5.

[00:07:00] I get to sit on my couch and edit videos if I'm not riding, so I get a little bit of reprieve, but…

Karey: Exactly. Well, good for you! 

Let's get into…so when did you begin, like, have you always been an athlete of some sort? And then you kind of got into the adventure stuff. Like, how, how'd that come to be?

Cynthia: Ever since I was a kid, I have definitely been somebody that's gone for, um, sports. I've, you know, I played soccer. I grew up swimming. I spent my Saturdays and my mornings during the week at the pool. Um, that was like the highlight of my summers being with my pool friends and swim friends. And then, um, when I was in middle school, I started running.

I was able to run for the high school cross country team and I found endurance sports that way. I think my mom, uh, encouraged me a little bit. She knew that I was kind of a pain in the ass if I didn't exercise. So, um, my mom, my mom definitely helped me get into them. And I, I mean, I loved running. I loved the feeling and it made…it really empowered me as a [00:08:00] young, a young girl who, you know, I was very unsure.

I mean, I was, I was not shy, but I just was very awkward. You know, I was not, not who I am today for sure. Um, but I, I really enjoyed, I did, uh, uh, cross country and track and I tried rowing as well, um, which is endurance, but team, team aspect. Um, and then when I went to college, I wanted, I didn't, wasn't sure that I wanted to run varsity sports.

Um, I didn't think that for me, it was going to be. I thought it would be too much trying to do the academic and the varsity. So I found that there was a triathlon club at the university I went to, which is James Madison in Virginia. And for me, that seemed like an easy thing. I was like, I'm a runner and a swimmer. The easiest thing I can do is just pick up the bike. Um, little did I know it's not easy. That's the hardest part. Um, but yeah, I remember doing my first race. I, uh, I borrowed a bike and, you know, borrowed some shoes and clipped in [00:09:00] and God, it was a, it was a hot mess express, but, um, I was hooked immediately. And I spent about three years really focusing on triathlon.

And then, um, I saw and found that people liked racing bikes. Um, And I thought, you know, that looks really cool. I want to do that. There was also a cycling club at my school. So I kind of got involved with that crowd. Um, to this day, I'm still really good friends with a few people from my triathlon club team.

And they're also like racing at the top level of whatever sport they're doing. So, um, whether that's Ironman or, um, you know, olympic distance. Um, and actually one of my friends is looking to get into long distance gravel racing, which is cool. Um, so yeah, the world was small, but I, yeah, I got into road riding.

Um, I got into road racing. I did criteriums. I mean, it was basically head first. I dove right in. Um, my ex husband at the time, he and I were together and he got me into everything, took me around. We, you know, I learned a lot from him and that [00:10:00] was a super really valuable experience for me. Um, and then I raced a few UCI races.

I actually podiumed at like a random UCI 2. 2 or whatever the number was state, uh, race. Um, in a sprint finish, I got third or second. I can't remember. I know I'm like claim to fame, even though, no, it wasn’t a win.

Karey: What year was this?

Cynthia: 2017, maybe. 

Karey: Oh, okay, so a little bit after my stint…

Cynthia: Um, yeah, I was racing for, uh, the team that actually I was on for the longest amount of time at the time It was, um, Veloclassic, Stans No Tubes.And, um, then towards the end of those years, uh, after racing a ton of road, I just didn't want to lose any more skin or get crashed out by somebody else. Um, the team owner and I were like, We need to make this a gravel team kind of before it became popular. So we did that, we transitioned.

Um, and then I was able to race gravel for a couple of years. Um, so I was on that team and just [00:11:00] until this December for eight years. And, um, it was, I mean, such a wonderful experience, like eight to 10 women on the team, um, all different backgrounds. And I traveled all over the U S to race. And then in 2021 I think, yeah, I basically, the year after everything from COVID started opening up, we did Unbound, um, as a team. And I had actually done it in 2019 before COVID, when it was called Dirty Kanza. I did the 200. Um, yeah, and I, I, I had a really horrific experience,

Karey: Oh, no!

Cynthia: But I said I would never go back. I think I remember calling my ex and saying something like, never, ever, ever let me do this again. You know, I had, I had, I was just naive. I didn't know how to take salt or carry enough calories or eat on the bike. Like I just had no idea what I was doing. And um, so going back into it in 2021, I didn't want to do the 200 [00:12:00] because it was going to be like this who's who kind of vibe. And I don't remember if that was the first year of the lifetime Grand Prix, but I just wasn't interested in doing the 200.

And so my teammate at the time, Rachel, I asked her if she wanted to do the XL with me. And she was like, Yeah, she had done the 200 already twice and was like, you know what? Why not? So we both signed up for the XL and to train for it. I did, like a 250 mile race in Virginia. I think it was 250 miles with 25 000 feet of elevation gain.

Like it was a lot um and that was yeah, that was my first experience riding through the night and slowly, but surely I started getting more into it. So that was 2021. So I've, I've come quite far since then in the sport and I've really developed as an athlete in that way. Uh, but yeah, 2019 I'd said I'd never do anything more than, you know, I'd never do a 200 mile race again.

And now I'm doing races that are like four or five times the distance of that.

Karey: That's what they all say...

Cynthia: Yeah.

Karey: Never again. [00:13:00] And then…

Cynthia: Never again.

Karey: You’re signing up for another one…

Cynthia: Yeah, I wouldn't say now when I finish races, I never feel that way but it's because I've you know, I've prepared and my mental state is a lot different than it was when I signed up for the 200…

Karey: Oh my gosh. Well, cool. So you've been doing it for a few years, and it sounds like you've had a lot of growing experiences, right? First of all, I just want to say, whenyou won the Atlas mountain race, I was like, cause a couple of my friends and I have been eyeing it for awhile. It's a bucket list of ours. We've done a lot of, um, of the ultras but not a lot of racing so far. Um, and so it's like, that's like one of our goals. Probably we're aiming for like 2026, hopefully it's still around and going by then.

Cynthia: It will be yeah Mm

Karey: Anyway, so when I was watching the race and everything and watching, you know, tracking you and all the people or whatever, Checked you out a little bit on the social media and stuff like that.

And one of the things that I really, um, [00:14:00] love and admire about what you're doing with anything that you put out there is that you're really real about things. You talk about like the emotion of it and like that it's not all fun and games and you know, and all that stuff. So, um, I wanted to touch on the video or the the short film that you put out the Same, Same, but Different.

 As you get into kind of like, you know, you mentioned your training and, like mental fortitude and things like that, what motivated you to like put that out in the world? And because it's really beautifully done and I'd highly recommend it for anybody who's looking for a good, uh, short 30 minutes, like 30 minutes or 30 something minutes anyway. So can you talk a bit about that?

Cynthia: Yeah, I think you know, um in the last couple years even when I was gravel racing I always…Actually a little bit rewind back when I was a road racer, We were racing at the this like very intense level of the sport where you know You're doing one hour all-out and it's just so intense. I mean so is gravel racing and so is [00:15:00] ultra racing, but there's just this level of intensity. And it's hot and you're riding against other women in a field where you could crash and it's just really intense.

Um, and so even though I really loved the team I was on I think everybody experiences where there's like there can be some negative energy um and people like a little bit prickly. And for me that really affected me. Other people's emotions and other people's disposition was like something that just affects me. And so when I started racing gravel, I remember I did like one or two races and I thought like, you know, this is challenging, but why am I complaining?

I decided to show up to this race. I decided to be here. I want to race this. Why do I have a bad attitude about it? And I would notice that other people around me that had a bad attitude, it would make me feel like I, you know, was unhappy. And. When I decided that I would try [00:16:00] to to be more positive about things like instantly things started to just be better, you know I would even if I didn't do as well in the race I would still have more fun and that would in turn make things more fun More fun and basically that kind of notion of like I get to be here I am lucky is something that really harnessed like that that drive and desire to kind of change how I felt about racing and I think you can do whatever you put your mind to.

I know that people say that and it kind of sounds a little like, you know, whatever, you know, but it's really true. If you decide you wouldn't go ride 800 miles in the desert in Morocco, just think about it a lot, decide that you're going to do it and you can do it like, yeah, you got to train and yes, you have to worry about all the other little things, but for me. You know, I spend a lot of time thinking and visualizing doing something.

And once I decided [00:17:00] that I'm going to do something, I really, you know, I put energy into it and I keep the energy positive. Obviously we can't be on our A game all the time. So yeah, it's okay. Cracks may form, especially during a race when you're, you know, sleep deprived and stuff, but the mental fortitude that I've practiced and built over the last few years is probably my biggest strength in racing.

I think, yeah, I'm, I can ride my bike for a really long time and I can push past that mental and physical fatigue, but in my mind, I know that I can do it. And that's what gets me past all of it, I think it's, it's a muscle. It has to be trained and I w I do work on it. I spend time thinking about it.

I mean, we do rides and you know, I do a workout that's really, really hard and that's super challenging, it's just, it's, it's practice. I say practice makes prepared a lot of times. 

Karey: So [00:18:00] I teach little kids piano sometimes as like my side gig. And, um, I'm a musician that's like, first of all, what I'm doing, and now I'm doing a, like an administrative type job, which is very much different from the arts and stuff, but anyway, much different. But anyway, with that, that's exactly what I, because I always tell them, they always get so fixated on perfection and, um, Oh, it's not perfect. Oh, you know, and of course I would love them to be able to play something perfectly, quote unquote. But you know, I am just like, that's not our goal. You know, our goal is progress or our goal is, you know some, practice makes progress or practice makes whatever, but it's, the goal is not perfection, but to just learn and grow. And that's definitely, I totally live by that. Yeah. 

Oh, that's good. When you were with the footage and stuff that you captured in your film, same, same, but different. Was it weird? Are you, do you always have, like, cameras on you when you're getting ready or did it kind of change the vibe? And like, how, how was that for [00:19:00] you capturing those moments?

Cynthia: So when I did Unbound 350 in 2022, I won that year, And I met a photographer, videographer, who worked for one of the team's sponsors, Schwalbe, the tire company, and we became friends and then he was actually at my first multi-day ultra, Badlands, which is an ultra cycling event that's in Southern Spain. He was working for either Schwalbe, other athletes, or occasionally, if it worked out, some of my sponsors, um, at Badlands and then other races I've been to. So I have seen my videographer friend named Sebastian Samek, who created this film at almost every race I've done, basically. Um, and So we kind of have a unique relationship where he's been there [00:20:00] in some of my really, really low or hard moments.

Um, and I find him To be uh, either like he's very important to me But when i'm racing and when i'm doing things it's like he's not there actually Um, i'm really just focused on what i'm doing and and that goes for any videographer photographer like i'm doing something so I always say, I'm going to do me and you do you.

And, um, as long as you don't crash me out or get in my way, then I think we're going to have a good agreement here. Um, but, yeah, I think it's really important for media coverage to be Available whether it's through the race like at atlas mountain race they have their own media control cars and they provide media depending on how that works and So those photos and videos are available for people to see and it's important because It will grow the sport and I think [00:21:00] um There are plenty of people out there that when they see a camera, they're gonna smile You know, or they're going to fix their hair.

Um, for me, I just keep on doing what I'm doing. Occasionally, if, uh, if my braid is on the wrong side, I'll switch it over to the side where the camera is because it's a power braid. And I think it's really, you know, it's, it's, it's super important to show the power braid. Um, but most of the time I'm not even focused on the fact that there's a camera there.

I will, if they, after a couple minutes, if they're like in a car next to me, like I'll say like, hi. And I'll have a conversation with them. Um, but yeah, I'm not quite phased by, by the media and before the Badlands video, um, we're staying in a house with a bunch of friends and they all know Sebastian.

We call him Bosty. So, um, he's just a he's just a German guy who's quiet and sneaky with the camera. It doesn't really bother the vibe though. He's, and he's friends with all the ultra racers too. And a lot of the media crew that comes out to do these races [00:22:00] is also friends. So the, some of the photographers, um, basically they become friends because, again, they're in this situation where they're, they're, um, They're sleep deprived and they're experiencing, you know, fatigue because they've been traveling all night to find you in this one spot and then they see you and then they, you know, it's like, it's, you know, jubilation for them that they get to see you and document or they may miss you and then they may not be able to capture it.

And so for them, they have highs and lows and, you know, fatigue as well. But by the end, yeah, you, you develop good relationships with the media crew. Um, Whether they're working for you or working for another athlete and you see them on course, um, or they're working for the race. So it's a special bond that you make with these people.

Karey: Definitely. I've had only a few instances where there was like media and stuff, but, um, it does, make you realize how, like you said, there are ups and downs for them too. I mean, they're out there in the middle of the night, they're out there running around, trying to drive back roads or wherever they are to get to you. And [00:23:00] I've never really thought about it likethat. Well, props to them!

Cynthia: Yeah, honestly, they're probably more sleep deprived than we are. So, Ha ha ha ha haha.

Karey: Gosh... So speaking of sleep deprived, um, I mean, you mentioned it in, in that video that you, and I've a lot of ultra racers who, who do race through the night. Um, talk about this is the night is, is very lonely and it can be, sometimes people get in their very lowest during this time. Like, what have you found that helps you get through the night, on any given race or any given training ride? And that's my question, I guess too, is do in your training, just regular training, do you experience night rides? Like, do you put yourself through that or is it really only during races?

Cynthia: Only during races because sleep deprivation is not good for anybody. Um, so, you know, I think they say like, every time you skip a night of sleep, you might Like, lose a little bit of time off on your life.I'm not sure. Um, but I don't practice it, but I, would suggest to anybody who's [00:24:00] interested in riding a shorter race, at least spend a chunk of time riding at night.

So I've had friends that, you know, I suggest if you work on a, if you work five days a week on Friday, get off work and get on your bike and ride until 3 a. m. So you've done an eight hour ride and you practice riding in the night and you have your lights and you can test your charging and making sure that everything is set up if you're getting ready to do, um, to do an ultra.

I think riding through the night is something that Like if you're going to do Unbound XL, for example, you kind of have to ride through the night. You can sleep, but there is a time cut off and it's quite short. So, um, going into that, maybe try riding through the night, you know, with friends or something like that.

Um, so I don't practice it anymore because I know I can do it. Now, I'm starting to develop a better mental space about riding at night. At first, it was very challenging. I remember the first time I rode, I [00:25:00] think three, two and a half nights, uh, where I didn't sleep. So 62 hours I raced in, um, Chile at Across Andes.

And, uh, my, that was my first attempt at a multi day race where I didn't actually have a full sleep. I took some naps, so I would sleep five to 10 minutes on the side of the road. I just leave my helmet on and just lay down and sleep. Basically, you're so tired, you fall asleep. And then I would set an alarm, but, uh, you know, five to eight minutes later, your body has cooled down enough that you wake up cause you're cold.

So you just get back on your bike and, um, and you keep going. Um, so I know that if I need to not sleep, I can do it. I've done it enough times now that I don't need to practice, but in terms of, like, mental state, knowing that, um, I can do it is helpful and going through the night knowing that and in Morocco, it was five nights of 12 hours of darkness.

So half of the day of riding was in the dark. [00:26:00] I planned it out so that the first three hours of that time I was actually sleeping. So right as the sun was going down, I would sleep. Or close to it, you know, it's, it's the warmest part of the night. So, you can, if you need to sleep outside there in, um, in Morocco, depending on the year and the temperature.

But, I would, I would sleep and then, yeah, I would have nine hours of darkness. But, I've practiced, I've thought about it, I, I give myself some incentives.

My mom and I read, uh, um, we read an audio book together. We have a book club. Um, and so we pick the book and then I'll listen to it and I will only listen to it at night. So I like, uh, can only, yeah, it's like a treat, for the nighttime. I have other things too, that I will do like certain foods. Like I'll save a food for a certain amount of time, or if I'm racing, I, this isn't necessarily about the night, but like, if I start in the morning. If the race is a morning start, because sometimes ultras will start in the evening, [00:27:00] um, I'll wait 12 hours to listen to music because I want to give myself an incentive.

So yeah, little things here and there.Yeah…

Karey: I mean that, I don't know. That's really cool to hear. And I didn't, I wouldn't have even thought of some of that stuff, but like, that's kind of how I am. Like I've been dabbling in, um, ultra running recently, which is, I never thought…I never thought I'd be running. But for the first X amount of miles, like, I don't listen to music. Or either, you know, not anything at all. And also helps me just kind of figure out what headspace I want to be in. And then when I really need it…but it's the same thing where if I start out with it, it's just like, you know, what is this doing for me? But yeah, that's a really good, really good tip.

Cynthia: Yeah, it becomes noise and you get kind of tired of the music So it's like why not just save it for when you actually need it.

Karey: A special time. I like the, I like the snack incentive too. I'm like, Ooh, what's going to be my snacks next time?

Cynthia: Very snack motivated!

Karey: Yeah, Me too. Well don't worry. We'll get to [00:28:00] that.

Cynthia: We'll get into it, okay.

Karey: Um, so what made you, so let's get into the Atlas now then a little bit, cause that's your most recent hurrah, just in February. What made you want to race this race and, like, tell me a little bit about your prep for getting into it.

Cynthia: Yeah, I think, Atlas Mountain Race is one of the big, big ones in the world of ultra cycling. It's an off road race and it's, uh, popular because it's kind of insane. The guy who puts it on, his name is Nelson Trees, and he also puts on the Silk Road Mountain Race and a new race that he put on last year, the Hellenic race, or Hellenic Mountain Race.

Anyway, his races are quite challenging. Very well known, um, and they are just. kind of held above the rest. I mean, there are a couple of harder ones that, you know, but they're just well known. So, um, I wanted to do one of quote-unquote, Nelson's races, and this one seemed to be the best to start with because the Silk Road is much longer.

I think it's twice the distance. And [00:29:00] I signed up last year in 2020. Three. Um, but my life kind of exploded and I got divorced, so I postponed it until this year. I knew for a long time I was gonna race it, um, and I, I had a bike ready and everything. 

In terms of preparation, this year is much different than previous years. I'm racing full time, so I'm doing all these other things, which also are like a huge part of my time, but I can, I can live off of the income that I'm making from bike sponsors this year, which is huge for me. So with that I have a sponsorship, through the brand Orange Seal and they do sealant for what you put inside your tires to make your tires tubeless And they're great.

They have a program that's for some of their top level athletes called the Orange Seal Academy And they have a coach. His name is Dennis van Vinden. Um, and he and I have been working together for about, actually maybe like five months at this point now, um, and so [00:30:00] we put our, you know, we put our experiences together.

Um, he as a coach and a professional road racer in the UCI world for over a decade. And then my experience in the ultra world and, um some of the athletes he's worked with and stuff. And, um, we put together a good training program and, you know, did a bunch of building and, you know, More structure because I'm kind of a lazy racer rider.

Like I will, I'm not a lazy racer, but like, if I, if it was me, I'd be like, ah, I don't need to ride today. I'll ride tomorrow. And then I'd say that for four days in a row and I wouldn't have ridden. So, um, just having somebody tell me what to do has been really nice. Um, even when the weather is crappy, if the weather is crappy and someone says, you know, today on your plan is this, then I'll go out rather than put it off until tomorrow.

So that was really helpful in preparation. I've probably felt more ready for Atlas than I felt for any other race that I've done just because I had really, I had done the work. I had done the training. I had done, um, countless things to [00:31:00] be ready. And I also have all these experiences from previous races that help lend into going into this one.

Um, so yeah, I just practice makes prepared in that way. I guess in terms of being prepared on the bike that I was riding, I was riding a hardtail and that that race could be done on a drop bar gravel bike. But it's not so fun and I like to ride fast on the downhills So I went with the hard tail and it it's it's just better in general for like you have a suspension fork. So Um, it's less taxing on your body uh, so I did it on the hardtail and I rode for…I don't know… a month and a half before exclusively on that bike so that I could get used to it Um, I've done other races before on that bike, so I knew it well, but just basically racing with the setup I was going to use before is what I do.

Oftentimes I'll ride with [00:32:00] a weighted bike for two or three weeks before. Um, actually with this one, I didn't do it as much. I went to Florida, um, because it was zero degrees in Arkansas. I went to Florida for a week before Before I kind of got ready to fly to Morocco my like last big week and it's flat there. So like having a heavy bike doesn't really matter. It doesn't make a difference. Um, so it was a little bit of an adjustment getting all that weight on the bike. Cause you know, you've got to carry everything you need for four, four or five days and also water, lots of water. So, um, I was carrying like five liters.

Karey: Okay.

Cynthia: Um, and then I also, well, I would carry five liters and then I could, I could hold, uh, eight liters if I needed. I have a, um, a mount on my fork on either side where I can hold, um, basically this mount, uh, goes into your through axle and it's by a company called old man mountain and it's actually a new thing. It's called the axle [00:33:00] pack. And so you put it through the through axle rather than putting it around your, your fork and, um, better weight distribution and better for your fork because it's. All that weight on your fork can be bad, um, and then I was able to put these two bottle cages that, um, can, they're like not really bottle cages, they're more like L shapes, but then you can put straps on. So I would carry one and a half liters on either side, those like plastic bottles that you can buy, um, I did that, but I only, only did it once or twice during the race, cause it's a lot of weight. Three liters of water on the front of your bike is very significant. And it changes the handling and it's just, it's not as fun.

So it's, it's more like this section is going to be 12 hours or more and it's going to be, you know, I'm going to run out of water, so I need to carry this extra water basically.

Karey: Yeah. I mean, there's just no other option sometimes. So I'll have to check out that attachment. I'm always looking, you know, here in Arizona, we're always, you know, doing theserides that are just…there's no water and coming from, you know, I,[00:34:00] I started in the Pacific Northwest, which we didn't ever have to really worry. Occasionally on the, like wedid the Oregon Timber trail a few years back and occasionally we had to get a little more cause it was like super long stretches in between, but yeah, in Arizona, it's a . Whole different world. So I'm like, I can, I think, I mean, I think I've carried like nine liters before, like, I mean, It's it's, so heavy and it's a little bit awkward, you know what I mean? 

Cynthia: hmm. Yeah. I don't like to wear a hydration pack on my back. For me, the weight. I mean, when you're racing ultras, you wouldn't think about this, but your body actually swells and you gain weight, you gain water weight. And so having layers on layers is really uncomfortable. So like, I have actually Taken my sports bra off during a race because it was too tight So now I wear a very loose sports bra while i'm racing because my body swells But if I wear a camelback or a hydropack like I like them for riding like mountain bikes and stuff But for long distance racing, I just can't do it It just irritates me too much and it's [00:35:00] like I would just throw it away I just like leave it in the woods somewhere like put a sign on it that said free because I didn't want to wear it anymore. 

Karey: Not as, um, constricting, but yeah, most all of the other water and that, that it's only like a liter and a half and all the other water I carry on my bike cause I can't, yeah, I can't, I also have like bad shoulder and whatever, but I'm like, no, I would throw it away. I would throw it too.

Cynthia: Okay.

Karey: So, so then can you talk a little bit about, um,  Like one of the things I, and a lot of people I know, especially being on the bike, like your hands and stuff will suffer a lot. And I think on my gravel bike specifically like drop bars, I actually get more cause I'm a little bit more forward and I got a bike fit, amazing, do it. It's totally worth the money, but even with that,  and I feel really good about my fitter and about the fit I have,  I still get some of that hand numbness and I've even experienced pain. Do you do you experience that at all or any [00:36:00] other things that you had to kind of just either push through or address?

Cynthia: So for this, I had not necessarily hand numbness while racing. I just lost a lot of strength in my hands. So by the third day I was having a hard time unzipping my bike bags, getting things out of my bike bags. My hands just didn't work. like, like, just imagine like the claw in the thing where you're a kid and it goes down and it reaches and like grabs the, the bunny. I like, I, I, I could not grab the bunny. I, was the claw. That was like giving everyone a, um, a run for their money because, you know, basically they didn't work. And, um, so I, I just struggled through the race with it and I, I, I didn't have any pain. I just couldn't do much. And, and in the end it was fine. I mean, I, I got through it.

I remember having to repack my bags a couple times. Um, and that was a struggle, but. [00:37:00] It happens, you know, so I guess it's a hazard of the job is what people what people say about it I don't know. Um, but afterwards I can I still actually i'm three and a half weeks out. I still Don't have full grip strength back So buttoning up my pants is challenging.

Um, zipping up my jerseys is challenging.  It's challenging. Thankfully, I can actually use my hands enough to like cut vegetables. But at first I was like, I don't even think I can use a knife right now without hurting myself. Like, uh, it's a, it's super challenging. Um, but I also experienced numbness a couple days after the race, which is what I've had before. And it's what a lot of people who do ultras experience is that your nerves are slow to respond. So I, uh, It would say three or four days after the end of your event is when you start to experience numbness, and it takes four to six weeks for it to heal. So depending on how severe it is. I am almost four weeks out and I'm [00:38:00] almost back to full feeling.

I could not feel my entire pinky or ring finger into my hand for probably two and a half to three weeks. And just in the last couple of days, I've started to. feel everything except the tips of my fingers. So I'm close. I'm close to it. Um, but it means I need to just continue to not really ride very much, which is frustrating because I want to ride my bike again and I need to be, you know, I, I want to be training. I don't need to be, I mean, I, I could be training right now, but, um, if I am not healed up a hundred percent, then I got to deal with it later.

Karey: Yep, exactly. Yeah. I mean, better to nip it now. Yeah. Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one that experiences that It's….

Cynthia: Totally. so many people. The

Karey: like, the run of the mill. And like you said, it's the taking care of yourself afterwards, you know, getting the, you [00:39:00] know, while you're recovering, you know, the nutrition that you need, the heal, body work that you need, all that stuff is I think just as important as the training. Um, so can you, can you talk a little bit about like The terrain and stuff of like, what was, what was your experience out on this? And was it harder than you envisioned? You know, cause I feel like knowing his races and it's like top notch, top tier, like difficult, who's going to be there, that kind of thing. Like, did it beat your expectations or…

Cynthia: Rao is really beautiful. The rocks there are crazy. I know that sounds hilarious, but The rocks are so different everywhere. They change. I mean it felt like I was on mars sometimes then you would go down into Like a gorge and you'd be like in an oasis and there's like green trees everywhere and like palm trees and things. So it was really beautiful. I mean I spent a lot of time racing in the dark, which is kind of a bummer because you miss some of those really [00:40:00] pretty things But I did see a lot of things in the daytime. So I had a really wonderful experience. Then, I mean, part of the reason why I want to race is to experience the landscape of a new area and, and also experience the people and what maybe the food is like, um, I would say the food in Morocco is interesting.

They have, um, they eat a lot of omelets and they also eat a lot of tagine. And tagine is basically like meat and vegetable mixture that they cook in these ceramic pots that are like flat and then the lid looks like a hat um, and they'll put that on some some sort of fire or a way to cook it so that takes a little bit longer So if you're racing and you're trying to get to the finish as fast as possible You may not have time to get the tagine at every stop, but omelets are a lot faster So I ate a ton of omelets Um, I really, you know, ate a bunch of random foods.

Um, I try to remember the foods and I do like a little bit of a report on my [00:41:00] Instagram about what it is that I've eaten. Um, but you know, when you're racing for almost five days, it's, you know, it's a lot of food, um, to remember. Um, but the, yeah, the landscape is super unique. It's really wonderful.

It changes a lot. And then you end up on the ocean and that is just like. Oh my god, it's so cool. I mean ending at the beach Basically, I could see the ocean from um good ways on the route and then um, Yeah, the culture there is really wonderful. The people of morocco are so hospitable and kind I had just yeah an amazing experience in terms of nelson's races it Uh, I would say was actually a lot easier than I was expecting.

Um, I think I think you become numb. I become numb to the severity of things. So I used to have trouble riding when it was eight hours of darkness at night. And now I'm like, 12 hours is fine. [00:42:00] Whatever. It's no big deal. And I think the more that you do something, the less, crazy, severe, intense. It may seem to me. So to other people, it looks insane, but I'm like, well, it wasn't that bad. It really was fine. Um, I'm like, if this is what everyone's saying in Nelson's races are really crazy and hard, then I'll be fine in his other races. Like I was, I was terrified to do this road, the Silk Road mountain race that's in Kyrgyzstan in August. And now I'm like, I wonder if I could do it this year. Can I fit into my schedule? So, uh, um, I can't, unfortunately. I have a much bigger race coming up, than that one that I'll have to be recovering from for a long time as well. But, uh, but yeah, I would say, you know, it's like I'm numb to the pain. I don't know. I'm numb to the craziness.

Karey: No, it does. It happens. It, it, it's all, it's all in perspective. I feel like, we usually do. like a shakedown ride, at least one, I mean more than one, but one that's really just , This pushes the limit [00:43:00] of like, like before the actual event, because I always feel like if I do that and it's really just miserable, a type three, four fun. Then when I get to the actual event, even if it's really hard, it's like, well, this isn't anything, the suffering that I just did the day….

Cynthia: Definitely. Yeah. it's it's good to do. Yeah. You prep your brain, you prep your brain and your legs too. Mm

Karey: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Oh my God. so so going back to the food, were you nervous at all about like getting sick or like, or, and, or do you deal with any dietary restrictions or cause I know like, you know, that's hard for some people, especially racing out of the country.

Cynthia: hmm. I was worried about getting sick. I was careful. I drank only bottled water. Nobody drinks water from the sink. Um, so I drank only bottled water and, I didn't have any salad, which often is rinsed with non bottled water, so I was very careful. , I was careful with what I ate. And I am a vegetarian, [00:44:00] so I think honestly that helps me. I think some people will eat meat, and, I'm not saying that the meat was bad, but somehow they'll end up getting sick. Um, and there were a handful of men and a few women actually that I knew that did get sick, um, prior to the race. Um, part of arriving five days early is so that you can kind of like zhuzh that out and kind of get used to the food and, you know, whatever is there.

I mean, I usually drink a lot of yogurt when I first get there because it kind of gives you that like, Cultures of, of the food and stuff like that. Um, so I was very lucky not to have any issues with eating, um, or like being sick, but I was nervous about it. And I was nervous about the food during the race because of the resupplies are few and far between in Morocco. There's not as many. I mean, there were still a good number and there were more than I thought. Um, they give you, Nelson gives you a list of resupply locations [00:45:00] in the race manual. And so you can save those to your, you know, I have my own little spreadsheet that I make about like locations that you want to go to during the race. I have them saved in my ride with gps app where I have them like pinpointed Um, so I download the map for offline on my phone and I pull up ride with gps when I get into a town and I can find the resupply, a lot of it's on the route, but still just knowing if there was more that's helpful.

Because like, what if one of them is closed? Because sometimes they randomly close. Like one time I was at one, and I got food, it closed, and then two other riders came past. And, and they were like, where's the place? And I was like, well, they just were here. They just closed. Um, and they knocked on the door and so they opened it again, but because there was no other resupply in that, in that area, that was like the one place.

Um, so, but, um, but yeah, I was definitely nervous about resupply. I hate eggs. I don't like eggs. So that was, uh, well, you know, I, I trained, I literally ate [00:46:00] eggs leading up to the race because I knew I was going to have to be eating them during the race. And I wanted to make sure that I was like, okay with it. Um, so yeah, egg omelet training.

Karey: I mean, it's important like, yeah, you can't just like go into something and not have your stomach be, you know, it's your gut biome control. I mean, it controls so much between that and your brain. It's like, it's amazing how much it affects. And yeah, you just got to train. I, you know, it's funny that you meant a salad thing. So I, this was not a bike adventure, but I was in China quite a few years ago for work. And, um, and I knew not to, you know, don't brush your teeth. With water, you know, use bottled water. Don't, you know, only drink bottled water. And then I was at like a convention and I went to get food. And by the time I got there, like almost all the vendors were closed and like all that was left was like this one with like, you know, a salad with some sort of meat on top or whatever. And I went to dig in, my coworker was like,

Cynthia: Don't eat it! 

Karey: [00:47:00] I think about these things, but it's such a good point. like, yeah, but well, I'm glad that you didn't have any issues with that.

Cynthia: What I usually do is when I'm traveling, um, somewhere where I'm not sure I actually bring a salad with me. So that when I get there or like if I've been on the plane at the end of the flight I'll eat a salad because you need greens And you need that for your digestive track and everything Um, but or like I'll bring a sandwich that has salad in it with me. Um, Because I don't know when the next time i'll have a salad I do bring like green powder to race with and use the week before the race. Just make sure i'm Like, getting my Whatever vitamins that. You need um but Yeah, it's, it's a crapshoot. 

Karey: So for, for this year for the Atlas, how many women started?

Cynthia: I think 20 women started, I think 25 were signed up, or 26 maybe. Um, so, I don't remember how many finished. I think there might have been only [00:48:00] one DNF. Um, but I can't remember. Yeah, women are usually, uh, You know, mostly they push through, um, a lot, you'll see a lot more. Well, the, and it just, there's more men racing so there are obviously going to be more men that DNF, um, or have issues cause there's just more of them.

Karey: sure. Okay. Yeah. Um, how, how close were you in the race for women?

Cynthia: So the beginning of the race was actually really competitive. There was a tight group of five. We were racing against each other as it, as it got further into the race. It was just me and this woman who ended up coming in second place, Natalie Baillon. And we were together racing kind of back and forth for the first 48 hours. And then after that point, um, I think checkpoint three actually it might have been a little bit past 48, but the third checkpoint the last checkpoint basically Um was the last time I saw her into I guess [00:49:00] this it was the fourth night…maybe the third night it all runs together.

 And then she kind of, I think she fell back a little bit. She reported being sick. Um, so, you know, dealing with illness happens in a race, you know, you've got to be super careful, like don't eat, don't eat the lettuce and also like make sure you're sleeping in a place that, um, you know, don't sleep too high.

If you're up high, you know, the elevation can cause issues and stuff. So having, you know, taking care of yourself, I know that that, that can be a challenge. And so she reported being sick, um, you know, 24 to 38 hours in and then she kind of I think took a rest and then After that point I was in the lead till the end, but the third, fourth, and fifth place women or second, third, fourth, uh, women were all really close for a while.

Um, and, uh, actually it was fun to hear from [00:50:00] Natalie. I, I, we interviewed her on the podcast, uh, Detours that will come out sometime in the next week or two. Um, but yeah, She, she mentioned something like, you know, she was feeling kind of meh, and then the women behind her were close, and she was like, basically like, oh, hell no, and I was like, yes, a woman after my own heart, you know, so, um, she came in second, and then, uh, we had an American in thirds, Hannah Simon.

And then Jana Macsha from Germany in fourth. And then I believe Marion Dwiznik, uh, from Germany as well in fifth. I think that was the final breakdown. Um, so yeah, it was a, it was a good race, um, very competitive women's field. And that's really exciting when, when I'm actually actively and we're all competing against each other. Like the act of a race is really fun.  

Karey: Yeah. I mean, it's exciting to see that grow because that's not, you know, it's not what used to happen. And so I think it'll continue to grow. [00:51:00] You know, I think going back to, you mentioned something about how like media presence of that can help grow the sport. And I think that it is important to capture, cause that's one of the things that I really loved about the Atlas mountain is how they, and they, don't just interview, so if it's not just the people who are in the lead, it's people, you know, they. They. come in contact with anybody who's out there and who they come across. And there's racing and it really is inspiring and be able to almost like be a part of the race from not being in the race And, um, it's amazing. And I'm like, we need more of this because I think it's very daunting, no matter what kind of racing kind of ultra adventuring and for whatever reason, all a bunch of reasons, especially for women. Um, and so to see that and like to see other women out there, I think is, is, amazing and we gotta keep doing it. Good job for them.

Cynthia: Amen to that. Yeah, I think media coverage. They did a great job at Atlas and Nelson and his team are trying to step up their game I think they [00:52:00] did a really good job at Atlas and I know that Hellenic and Silk Road will be just as good or better because they've done it now one time where they've really focused on it and I, I think they can definitely see that it made a difference and, um, we'll see how that affects ultra racing going forward. But there are a few other race organizations that are working on media and have good media coverage. and I think the more media coverage. that we have and see is the better, you know, it's, it's good for everybody who is. Fan of the sport. it's also good for people who are trying to make it more of their profession, like myself. So having that media coverage and that attention is super important. It helps me, you know, show the sponsors like, look, you know, here's this and things like that. So yeah, the media coverage and attention is very important. I think to get more people in the sport, more women in the sport and more attention on the sport itself.

Uh, gone are the days where. You know, you're, you're like, Oh, [00:53:00] we don't, we don't want, you know, we don't want to see people out on the course with cameras and stuff like, You're just gatekeeping in that way. Um, I think the race director gets to make the choice on what they want and how they want. And so if you're going to bring a media team, the race director is either going to say yes or no, or they may, you know, have policies and you have to follow those policies.

Uh, but yeah, more, the more media out there, the better. I don't think we're going to see a point where there's too much media because the races are long and they're remote. And so I don't think we're going to run into anything like that. Um, I don't think we'll see helicopters like they do at the Tour de France, but, um, I think we'll see, you know, more coming out media wise.

Karey: Yeah, definitely. Oh, that's good. So let's get into just a little bit. Um, your high or low lowest points of the race.

Cynthia: I think my highest point was probably on the last day I was doing, I was in a low spot at that point. I was close to the finish, but I wasn't [00:54:00] that close to the finish. I probably still had two hours left and, uh, I was dragging and I finally found a resupply location. It had been at least 12 hours or maybe like 10 and I was close to out of water. And, I had food, but I didn't want to eat any of the food, Um, so when I stopped, I went inside, and at the same time, the race photographer, uh, was there, and, one of the race photographers, and so he was kind of documenting my stop, and, The shopkeeper invited me in to have tea with him. And so we had a they do tea there.

It's a mint tea It's a very special cultural thing for them and they invited me in to have tea And so we sat um, the shopkeeper took a selfie with me and we ate local bread Uh, that was amazing like they make they make bread there, but they gave me the special stuff and it was so good I mean it fueled me basically to the finish line And it was just a really really wonderful experience.

Um You Shortly after that, when I, when I was in the shop, I actually bought an apple and [00:55:00] I put it in my pocket to eat later. I was like the first produce I had found in four or five days, basically. And I stopped about 10 minutes later to adjust something on my bike. And while I was stopped, two donkeys came up just in the middle of, well, I wasn't really in the middle of nowhere, there were houses. Um, so I was, I was riding along the coast on these, you know, these coastal towns basically. Um, and they don't do the beach like we do here. It's not, you know, it's rugged and they don't really care about it. But there are these towns along it.

And so these donkeys were just out, no people around. And they came up to me and they started nibbling on my hand like I went to pet it. One of them and I was like, oh my gosh, I have an apple. I wonder if it would eat the apple Sad the fact that I would be giving up this apple the only produce I've had in days, but I thought you know what? This is cool So I I stuck the apple out to feed the donkey and it the first donkey kind of like didn't wasn't interested but the other donkey literally went to town and I had the apple it ate around the whole [00:56:00] apple, like, like a, a human would basically. Um, and, uh, at the same time that I was stopped, the photographer again had come past me.

And so he was able to document the, the, the donkeys eating the apple out of my hand. I literally thought I was hallucinating. I was like, is this actually happening? Am I really feeding a donkey right now? Like five days into a race, I feel like I might be going crazy. Um, that was my high, both of those together.

They were very close to each other. Um, And then at the low, I would say on the first full day, I was climbing up, basically we were having to do a hike a bike section, and it was hot and The sun was beating down on me and it was so hard and Natalie, who was finished in second, she came past me like I was going backwards and I was just having such a hard time.

And at that point, I mean, I didn't realize it, but I hadn't eaten enough and I was probably too sleep deprived to be as strong as I [00:57:00] wanted to be. Um, so I finally got up and over. I went down. I was like, thank God I'm done with that section. And then I had to go up another section to hike a bike. And I was trying to talk to my mom on the phone, but the service wasn't very good.

And I just had a breakdown. And I had to sit on the side of the trail and just sob. Like a very ugly cry of just like Basically, I was bonked, sleep deprived, and just, I had gotten past. And it was really challenging for me. Um That was a hard moment. That was a really challenging spot, but I figured it out I got myself moving and grooving.

Um, and then I didn't have any moments that were that low During the race. I was able to stay above I knew while I was sitting there I needed to eat so I also had a snack too. Um, usually in an ultra if you're not feeling very good. It's probably because you haven't had enough food. And then if you eat and you're still not feeling good, it's probably because you haven't slept enough.It's like one of the two or both.

Karey: Totally. Oh my gosh. That's, I [00:58:00] mean, we've been there. I've been there. Yeah. I'm always like, if it, yeah, if nothing else solves it put food in it and see what happens. 

Cynthia: Yep, see what happens…

Karey: What good stories!  Awesome. Um, so is there anything…obviously with, with your ultras, you're probably packing pretty light as far as racing goes. We won't go into like everything you pack, cause I know that like on your website and stuff like that, you have like what you packed and what your bike looked like, especially for the, um, the mountain race, but then at the Atlas, but then also, you know, other stuff. So you go into that, which is really great, cause I'm all about gear. But is there anything specific that you bring that is more of like a comfort item that's like you could totally do without, but you would just love having it with you.

Cynthia: Yeah, I would say, um, I bring a pillow, uh, if I'm gonna sleep. So, a lot of people don't bring a pillow. For me, it's so small. It's worth the extra size. Um, I guess this time I brought a long sleeve jersey instead of arm [00:59:00] warmers because like I mentioned earlier your body swells and the band at the top of your arm becomes really uncomfortable and so I started doing the long sleeve merino wool jersey from Velocio and it has made a huge difference in terms of like, just like an extra layer for racing. But I don't need it, I could just use arm warmers. But, uh, yeah, I think that's probably that and the pillow are two things that, like, I don't necessarily need to carry, but I, I'm happy that I do carry it. I don't carry anything else, like, frivolous. Um, I guess I carry AirPods, uh, Oh, sometimes I carry a, camera, so like a GoPro type thing. It's, it's actually the one I use as a DJI brand. But, um, yeah, sometimes I'll carry it. I try and make content while racing and a lot of times I epically fail. But, uh, but yeah, I will carry a camera occasionally. I didn't for Atlas because I just did not have any space. My, I was, I was [01:00:00] maxed out.

Karey: Okay. Yeah, that's cool. I'm excited to look more at your gear on your website, just to see. I'm always looking for new ideas.

Cynthia: I love to make those videos about what I'm carrying because I remember when I was really first trying to figure out what to carry, I scoured the internet, I watched every possible video I could find, and now I, I don't even ask anybody else what they're carrying because I know it works for me, but So, many people need somewhere to start, so, and like, I love to find little things where I'm like, I just found this new, um, external battery pack that's, um, It's like magnetic and it goes to the back of my phone. So now I don't have to use a cord and plug my phone in to the external battery pack. I am like the little things like I'm like, this is, this is smart. So sharing that stuff with people online I think is great.

Karey: Totally. I love it. Yeah, I'm always all ears and especially, but like you said exactly what  works for me. so as far as like how I pack my bike, I'm like, I know exactly where things need to go. And like, it's just a floats my boat. [01:01:00] It's like one of the. The joys of the Type-1-Fun of adventuring. 

Oh my gosh, that's so awesome. Um, are there any tips that you would give, like, , let's say for me get, you know, if I wanted to do that race, this race specifically, like the Atlas, what did you learn? Like what tips would you have?

Cynthia: There are so many… um, I would say if you were interested in going to do Atlas, Watch as many videos as you can about it. Learn about it. Um, eat eggs before. Um, I would just say that, like, be open to the experience. The first time I slept, I needed to sleep inside. I wanted to sleep inside and I, um, I was at a shop and the last, that was the last shop for many, many miles.

And so I asked the shopkeeper if he knew a place I could sleep and he let me sleep in his house. And I took a shower out of a bucket in their washroom. And, you know, I'm not saying that that's something I wouldn't do, but [01:02:00] I, I, just was open to what could have happened. And, um, I mean, I think that's how it is with ultra racing. You just never know what you're going to find. Um, so yeah, be open to it and be ready for the experience and, and accept whatever is happening. I mean, like obviously if it's unsafe, then, you know, that's a whole different story. 

Um, I think the thing about Morocco that a lot of people. will indicate and say is that women may not feel safe there. Um, I would wholeheartedly disagree. I never felt unsafe at all the whole time I was racing or the whole time I was there. I didn't change what I was wearing. I wore lycra. I wore spandex the whole time. Everything, you know, um, so I didn't have any bad experiences. I know that people in the past have, but I mean, you can have a bad experience as a woman in a, in a, in a busy city. In the U.S. Like it's, it's possible. So, um, yeah, I would just say like, be aware that it's, that it could happen. And, um, going into the race, you know, [01:03:00] we learn a term that, um, basically means like, shame on you if somebody were to approach us. Um, but I never had to use it. And no other women during the race had any bad experiences this year either. 

Karey: That's good to know. Yeah. That's always something that we have to consider. Yeah, especially women and especially abroad. Well, that's good. That's really good to hear.Love that. I love that.

Cynthia: Yeah. If you're, anyone's listening, you should try Atlas. It's a really great race. And if you're really interested in that. but seems like a lot, there's plenty of other races in the U.S, and in the world that you can go and race that. are a lot shorter and more manageable.

Karey: Definitely. Yeah, Oh my gosh. Um, so speaking of that, it sounds like you have some things on the horizon this year, what have you got coming up?

Cynthia: Yeah, so I'm headed to Girona in the end of April for the Traca, which is basically like the Unbound of Europe. And this year they have a 300 mile [01:04:00] or 350 mile race. So a little short for me, but it'll be fun. I'm excited. Uh, my coach Dennis lives in Girona, so I'll get to experience, um, some preriding him and just have that experience in Girona, which, you, know, I'm very much looking forward to.

And then, actually, right when I get back, I have to go home and put on Gravista, so I'll race my bike and then put a bike race on immediately after, and I'll have about a month, um, in the U. S. and I'll head to, to, Europe for, for, uh, training and prep and a few like media events, before  head to to France for the start of the Transcontinental which is a cross country or cross continent race from France to Istanbul Turkey It's about 22 to 2500 miles depending on, on how you do it. It's a self route. So you, um, you stop at four different checkpoints along the way and in and out of the checkpoints are [01:05:00] set. But in between those, you create your own route. So it's going to be my first self route. And uh, It's going to be pretty crazy. It's a long one for me, more road than, than off road.

But I think depending on how it goes, there are a lot of routes you can take that are actually shorter in distance that have gravel on them. So just picking like, you know, one is going to be easier because it's road, but it's much longer. So I'm trying to decide. 

Karey: Oh, cool. Will you use gravel bike. for that? Or like just your…

Cynthia: Yeah. Originally I was thinking about a road bike. Um, I am sponsored and work with 3T and they make a Strada, which is the road bike and it can hold up to 30 C tires. And I think I will want bigger than that because I'll be riding for so long. Just being able to have wider tires will be better for my hands and the position on the gravel bike that they have, which is called the, The 3T Exploro, [01:06:00] it will be probably more it will be more comfortable over a long term and that way I can ride wider tires, um, because I'll probably ride some gravel. Some, I'll probably ride a lot of gravel.

Karey: like, if the option's there, then why not? Oh, well, that's exciting. And so that's, what month was that in

Cynthia: That's in July, um, so it'll probably go right into the beginning of August.

Karey: Oh, okay. Gotcha. And then anything after that? Yeah,

Cynthia: If it took me three or four weeks to heal up from this race in Morocco, I'm sure it will probably take about the same or more for the transcontinental. So I'm not really planning anything, but, um, we'll see. I might go back to Chile and do Across Andes because it's in a new location this year, different route than the last time I did it two years ago.

Um. There's a race in Portugal I'm thinking about doing in September. I don't know. I just, uh, just [01:07:00] figure it out later. I'm a, I'll figure it out kind of person. So I've got these two plans on the horizon. And then after that, we'll see.

Karey: Perfect. Oh, well, that sounds very exciting. I'm excited for you.

Cynthia: Thank you! Thanks

Karey: Definitely. So just ending up do you have in general, like, you know, as you were getting into this, , like three main tips that you can give the ladies, especially for, like, getting out there?

Cynthia: One, believe in yourself. I think that's the biggest thing. If you believe in yourself, you can do it. If you don't believe in yourself, find a friend who does believe in you and do it together. Uh, riding with other people is way more fun and way more enjoyable. And you can, a lot, a lot of times go farther because you. have that company. Um, so try and find a friend to do any sort of long distance riding with. If you're interested in just like trying bike packing, you don't have to go far. You can go to the park 20 miles away [01:08:00] and, um, bike pack. you could, you know, if you don't have the bags, you could tell somebody to meet you at the park or, or a location with a car and, and you can camp and then ride back home. 

Um, So yeah, starting out simple and making a plan before you go is my. My best suggestion for getting into like bike packing. Um, and then if you're interested in getting into ultra racing, practice riding in the nighttime, like I mentioned earlier.

 And my biggest one, I think I tell a lot of people is that whether you're doing ultra racing or whether you're doing triathlons or whether you're doing anything, if you're exercising, A lot of people under fuel and it's so important to fuel your body um Even if you're riding and you're not like crazy breaking a sweat or doing a crazy workout If you're riding for more than an hour and 15 minutes You have to fuel if you're riding for an hour and a half your body runs out of the the fuel storage And if you don't eat You will bonk bonking. Most [01:09:00] people know what that is, but basically it means that you've, you've run out of energy and you, your battery starts to die. So make sure you're fueling. Your body needs it. And, uh, if you get home from a ride and you're hungry, you've under fueled basically. So whether that's a three hour ride, an hour and a half ride or five out five days.

Karey: So speaking of that, okay. Last question. What is your favorite snack when you're adventuring?

Cynthia: I'm a Croiss.... Okay, well, it's hard to pick, but my number one is croissants. A fresh croissant with chocolate in it or something like that. Ugh, to die for. I also love gummies, but I'm pretty particular. I don't like Haribo. I think they're too chewy. I mean, they're too hard. Your jaw gets tired of chewing those kinds of gummies. Um, so my best, or my favorite gummies are from Trader Joe's, usually. Um, this, yeah, they've got really good gummies and they usually are not as. [01:10:00] Bad for you. Like they're, they're still not good for you. But there are more, there are more like real sugar. Whereas like I think a lot of the gummies you buy like the lifesaver gummies are just like straight corn syrup and the Trader Joe's ones are maybe a little less, tapioca starch maybe and stuff like that. 

Karey: Okay. Awesome. Yummy. That's good to know.

Cynthia: Yeah. Give them a try.

Karey: Makes me want to go get a croissant or something…

Cynthia: Hmm. I know, me too, actually.

Karey: All right. Thank you so much for being here. Oh, let's, let's plug your sponsors. You've mentioned a couple of them, and then also maybe your social media. 

Cynthia: Sure. Yeah, so most people know me on the internet as WattWagon, so Watt, W A T T underscore wagon. Um, I'm also on YouTube as WattWagon. And, um, the sponsors that I have this year are, I'm working with 3T for bikes. Orange Seal is sealant for my tires. The tires I use are from Schwalbe. Um, I've been working with Schwalbe for many years and they're really great, for sunglasses and helmets. I'm working with [01:11:00] pock and clothing is Velocio, which I love if you need bibs that you want to go to the bathroom in Use use the the Fly Free bibs from Velocio there. They are definitely worth the money, 100 percent.  I I literally would not be able to use another clothing brand while ultra racing because not many make a fly-free or you know, like a bib where you can actually pull it down in the back, and pee when the bibs are on,

Um, and let's see, I'm working with Ride With GPS, they're great for navigation. Fizik, I'm working with Fizik, um, the Whitewater Center out of Charlotte, which is a, um like an outdoor center they do whitewater there, but they have a bunch of other programs. It's kind of like a kid's dream but they have adult programs and stuff as well and…Oh, Bike Tires Direct is an online reseller of bicycle tires and also plenty of things are coming out They're kind of on the same level as something like maybe Competitive Cyclist, so if you need to buy any bike related stuff, you [01:12:00] can, um, you can find them there.

Cynthia: And Silca, they do all kinds of fun parts and, you know, if you've heard of the craze about, uh, waxing chains, they're definitely, like, leading the charge in that. So, um, yeah, a lot of really great brands that have supported me, um, you know, Previously and going forward into this year.

Um, so yeah, if you want to find any more information about Them or any of the crazy stuff i'm doing just find me online instagram Also, WattWagon.cc so you can find me on my website. So, yeah…

Karey: Awesome! So much. fun having you and we'll look forward to, um, following you on all your, on all your adventures this year!

Cynthia: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thanks. for chatting.