Welcome back! I say that both to myself and to all of you that have followed along with my career and the written content I've shared over the years. It has been an exceptionally long time since I've shared anything in the longer format of a blog entry, and that probably speaks volumes about the state I've been in for the last couple of years. First I was quiet because my focus was elsewhere, then the silence became pressure-induced, and eventually, I drew inward as the Olympics took over. Now, I feel like I've healed and absorbed the last 24 months and a different version of myself has emerged; some combination of my "old self" and a "new me" that has me grounded in the present and excited for the future.
A lot has happened in my own recent history: I got married in the middle of the pandemic and moved across the country... I went to the Olympics, choked at the Olympics... later, was diagnosed with RED-S and began the long recovery process from that... signed with a new team and committed to an expanded competition schedule... and most recently, committed to pursuing a Master's of Sport Psychology starting this September. It feels that, after the extreme disappointment I experienced surrounding the Olympics, I've rebounded with a profound sense of freedom. My goals in sport and life have taken on a new level of robustness and are backed by an expanded perspective. It feels good.
Recently, I've found myself searching for deeper takes than social media scrolling can provide. I'm less interested in the bytes of information available in instagram posts, and more interested in engaging, thought-provoking newsletters, etc. So, I figured I'd bring back this blog. I'm looking forward to sharing the adventures of the new team (Maxxis Factory Racing), more information on my training approach, and the processes of improvement and goal pursuit.
In the coming days, I'll share some posts about the new team set up and the equipment we're riding, my race schedule for the year (and the reasoning for selecting the races I have), an update on the winter of work we've put in, and a look ahead at the season to come. Looking forward to bringing you all on this adventure!
Haley