The Outdoor Edit: Raincoats, Shoulder Season + Motivation to Get Moving!
Hey everyone—
Hard to believe we're already most of the way through October—and I'm in shock that I've actually raced for two weekends in a row! I'm getting back in the swing of dressing for cold weather on and off the bike, and trying to make the most of the season... Whether that means getting out for hikes while the fall foliage is bananas, hopping on my cyclocross bike, enjoying finally getting to wear sweaters and boots again, or, to be honest, hitting the gym for some heavy lifting when it's rainy and gross out. It's been a good few weeks!
XO, Molly
PS: Respond to this email or hit me up on Instagram... I would love to hear from you all, what you're into, what you want to see more of, etc., so feel free to respond to this and let me know!
1 GET MOTIVATED
"As motivation, something that always stuck with me is to 'show up with a purpose.' You won’t get anywhere in this sport or life if you don’t show up (to school, to training, to a race…). that’s the first step, show up. The second step is to have purpose. Self-purpose to be exact. Create your goals; dream about them, write them down, work towards them everyday and you’ll find yourself a lot better for it!"
^That quote is from one of the Real Life Shred Girls, junior racer Carys Reid. She has even more great advice in her interview here, and I'd love it if a) you think about that quote for yourself, and b) you share it with another #ShredGirl in your life!
PS: If you love that, I recommend hopping on this month's Athletic Bookworms pick, The Motivation Manifesto by Brandan Burchard
2 SEEKING STORMS
I am obsessed with rain coats. When we lived in Europe last year, I only brought a light puffy coat and a rain coat, so that I was covered for all eventualities. If it rained, I was good to go. Temps dropped? I'd put the puffy under the raincoat, turning it into the perfect shell... Or, almost perfect. My raincoat last year was great, but it was a performance one, so it was pretty damn tight. But what about a raincoat for bike commutes, rainy grocery store walks, and just life in general? I love a fitted raincoat like the one I have from 7mesh, but it doesn't cover everyday stuff, and it's functional, but not overly stylish. (It is, however, super minimalist and I love it). ANYWAY. Chrome just released their women's Storm Seeker jacket (in black and bright blue) and I fell in love. It's big enough that I can easily fit a hoodie and a puffy coat underneath, but tapered enough that I don't feel bulky or like it's flapping everywhere. The style is really retro-cool, but there are tons of modern details that save it from being a straight-up #throwback. I freaking love it.
(Not the best picture, but this is with a puffy coat and hoodie underneath:)
Get it here
($250)
3 ARE YOU HANDLING SHOULDER SEASON?
Speaking of good rain gear... We had SNOW here yesterday morning. As in, the fluffy white stuff. Today, it's around 65 degrees and sunny. WTF, shoulder season? Over on Bicycling, I wrote a quick guide for cyclists on how to handle the hot-and-cold back-and-forth, from clothing to fueling to training: There are some great tips in there!.
4 BOOK GIVEAWAY!
We have two sets of "Fuel Your Ride" (by me!) and "80:20 Triathlon" by Matt Fitzgerald that we're handing out as prizes over on The Consummate Athlete Podcast, the athletically-inclined show that I host with my husband, coach Peter Glassford. All you need to do to enter to win the giveaway is head over to iTunes and rate + review the podcast, then send a screenshot to molly@theoutdooredit.com. Giveaway entries close Tuesday, October 25
Interested? Click here to book a consult.
5 TRAVEL HACKS FOR SHOWERS, BATHROOMS + WIFI
I am a moderate camper and OK #vanlife person, but I have a minor quarrel with people who make van travel look super-glam... There is almost never a place to poop. Or take a good, real shower. So, real talk over on TheOutdoorEdit.com site this week: My look at the best (sometimes surprising) stops for bathroom breaks, legit showers and wifi + office space, all without spending serious $$$ on a hotel or on coffee after coffee.
That's it for this week—if you found anything inspiring in here, do me a solid and forward to a friend!