Catch up with the Shred Girls!
Let's catch up!
Thanks for taking the time to check out Shred Girls. Here's what's been going on last month:
See you soon!
-Molly (& Lindsay, Ali and Jen)
Excerpts:
How to Deal with the Comparison Trap as a Shred Girl
The comparison trap and being an athlete—the two kind of go hand in hand, and can be really tough to navigate. I was writing this article on How to Help Your Athletes Fight the Culture of Comparison for TrueSport a couple of months back, and as I was, I couldn’t believe how much of it applied to the Shred Girls I know in real life. That’s because when you want to be good at something, in this case, riding bikes, you should surround yourself with great influences—strong women (and men) and other girls that really push you to try new things, to bring your A game, and to do things you didn’t think you were capable of doing. That’s awesome—but it can sometimes make you feel kind of crappy when you’re not immediately as good as someone else. Or you see a girl crushing it in BMX, but you’re racing cyclocross. It’s super easy to get caught in the comparison trap as an athlete—we are literally scored and timed based on our ability, so how could we *not* get caught up? But getting down on yourself because someone else is crushing it doesn’t help you or anyone else! “Competition itself is neutral, neither good or bad. It’s what we make of it. You need to help athletes define success in competition, which may not be winning,” says Frank L. Smoll, author of “Self-esteem and children’s reactions to youth sport coaching behaviors.” So, that’s something a parent or coach can help you with, but it’s something I want you to think about yourself—what does success mean to you in cycling? What does it really look like? Is it nailing a jump in a practice ride, mastering a wheelie, getting on the podium in a race, or getting a few watts faster on a local hill climb? I find for me, when I’m feeling down on myself and comparing myself to others, it’s usually because I don’t have my own goal in mind (or even know what my own goal is) and I get confused and think someone else’s goal should be my goal, or that I’m not doing enough. But really, how can you apply this to yourself? Let’s use an example: How am I defining success for me? For example, my goal is to ride a certain local mountain bike trail near my house without needing to unclip and put a foot down. When I step back and think about my own goal—riding that trail—I realize that I have NO reason to be comparing myself and feeling bad because another girl is over in California doing a big-volume road biking camp right now. Her success there has absolutely NOTHING to do with me cruising down that trail. In fact, even if that girl was riding the trail that I set my goal on, it still would have NOTHING to do with my own goal. What does have to do with my goal? Me, setting time to actually ride that trail. Me, practicing my wheel lifts on the curb in our parking lot so I can tackle that rock garden. Me, taking care of my bike so it can handle whatever is on the trail ahead of me. Me, doing my yoga and my core work to get stronger. Me, eating healthy meals and not getting sick and getting enough sleep. My goals are all about me—I’m the one who can them happen, and me wasting time feeling like I’m ‘less’ than someone else isn’t going to get me down that trail any faster! Pssst… if you need help with setting a goal, check out this article, A Quick Guide to Goal-Setting: Learn the ABCs! Now get out there and be proud of the work that you’re putting in and know that it’s enough—no matter what anyone else is doing… and share this article with someone who needs it!
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Come Train in Tucson in March with Ellen Noble (+ Some Great Shred Girls!)
Just wanted to let everyone know that the Ellen Noble Quest camp applications are open now through the end of January for her annual training camp. This year, we’ll be in Tucson, AZ, from March 22 through 29. Ellen, along with myself (Molly Hurford, Shred Girls author, cycling coach, etc.) and Peter Glassford (SmartAthlete cycling coach) will be spending a week with the girls focusing on base miles, good habits, core + yoga, tasty but healthy food + so much more! All the details and the application can be found right here.
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NICA—And Maddie + Nadine—Have GriT!!!
Today, I wanted to share a story and some info on one of my all-time favorite causes, NICA’s GRiT program. If you’re trying to find a holiday present for someone who loves bikes, consider making a donation in their name! It’s easy and a great way to support getting more kids on bikes, and especially more girls on bikes! NICA was sharing a story of two rad Shred Girls from Wisconsin in a recent video and I wanted to share it with all of you as well. (PS: Make sure you’re signed up for the Shred Girls Newsletter for the Shred Girls Christmas bonus story coming out soon!) Meet Maddie and Nadine Brunner, twin sisters in the Wisconsin League who have embraced GRiT as a way to ride, have fun and make friends. Maddie has lived her entire life without her left hand, but her family has NEVER let that impede Maddie and has worked to enable Maddie to participate in activities just like any other kid. After a chance meeting with Muskego Team Head Coach Mike Seiler on their local trails, Maddie and Nadine were introduced to the NICA Community. Nadine was eager to join, however Maddie was reluctant at first due to her slightly different riding style because of her prosthetic. Enter Wisconsin’s GRiT Program — at the first race of the year, both Maddie and Nadine participated in the GRiT ride prior to the race and had a blast. During the GRiT ride Maddie was treated just like a “normal” kid – which meant the world to her. This season Maddie enthusiastically participated in all the GRiT events and cheered on Nadine and her teammates at the races. Maddie’s riding has improved exponentially and her family has helped her find a new prosthetic to make riding more comfortable. More about the GRiT program: In 2018 NICA launched its GRiT (Girls Riding Together) Program to increase recruitment and retention of female student-athletes with one of its short-term goals to bring female participation across NICA to 33% by 2023 and ultimately reach 50/50 participation in the sport. GRiT recognizes the need to get more girls on bikes and is designed to empower female student-athlete’s to make their mark, on or off the bike. GRiT’s mission is to provide fair treatment, equal access, opportunity, advancement and elimination of barriers to encourage participation for all. Through female-only riding and social activities including non-competitive race weekend rides, camps and clinics, GRiT activities promote fun, teach skills, promote awareness of mountain biking and build community. The mission of NICA’s GRiT program is to provide fair treatment, equal access, opportunity, advancement and elimination of barriers to encourage participation for all. They need support to continue to enable student-athletes like Maddie and Nadine to have fun and welcoming experiences in mountain biking through NICA programs like GRiT. You can find out more and donate to NICA here.
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NICA’s Juliet Breit is a MTBing, Cross-Country Running, Power-Lifting Shred Girl IRL
This is the fifth of many interviews from the Pennsylvania MTB NICA League’s amazing GRiT (Girls Riding Together) camp that they hosted this summer in PA. I was lucky enough to go and got a chance to meet so many incredible girls with fantastic advice to share (like our first girl from the camp, Madeline Clancy and most recently, Izzy Weinberg.). Another favorite of mine was 15-year-old Juliet Breit of Durham County Composite, who also does power-lifting in addition to shredding on the mountain bike! What sports do you do? Mountain biking, of course. But I also do power lifting and cross country running. What got you into it? Cross-country was just through school, my mom and dad convinced me to sign up. This is my second year and I love it. Power lifting, my mom has been doing it for three years and she was doing the class and I was doing winter track, but I didn’t like it, so I decided to try power-lifting last February and I loved it. Favorite power-lift? My first favorite is squats. My second favorite is bench press—I can bench press 80 pounds, and I can squat 160 and deadlift 185 pounds. How did you get into mountain biking? In seventh grade, my school started a team and sent out an email. My dad thought, we like biking, we should check it out. So we went to the interest meeting and the first ride and it was so much fun. We loved it, so I did that for 7th and 8th grade. But then in 9th grade, my dad created our own team for the county since I couldn’t stay on the elementary school team. What made you love it? It was just fun. It was an individual sport so you could push yourself, but you were still in a team environment. View this post on Instagram How far could you skid this cardboard? The @pamtbrace GRiT camp has some amazing skills tests for the girls and I LOVE this one! #moregirlsonbikes #shredgirls @nationalmtb A post shared by Shred Girls (@shred.girls) on Aug 26, 2019 at 5:26am PDT How has power-lifting helped with cycling? I started lifting right around when a season for mountain biking started, so I didn’t really notice a difference right away. But I’m hoping next year I’ll see more of a change. Mentally though, it’s made me feel more confident and powerful, knowing that I can do these higher-weight lifts. So then I think, ‘I can definitely do that on the bike.’ It’s been a real confidence boost. Best part of riding? I don’t love technical stuff, which is what a lot of it is, but I love a flow trail, coasting through the woods. RELATED: NICA’s GRiT Girls Know How to Shred! Meet Sarah Howard Hardest part of riding? I feel so awkward riding over roots! I just can’t figure out how to get over them sometimes—especially the slippery ones! Best advice? Just try it, even if you don’t think you’ll be able to do it. Believe in yourself. The emotional side of mountain biking is such a huge part, and if you can believe in yourself you can probably do anything! Proudest moment? I was behind this girl who I had been behind in races most of the season. I finally got ahead of her in a race and I was so excited that I could stay in that position. RELATED: NICA’s GRiT Girls Know How to Shred! Meet Molly Weitzman View this post on Instagram The most hypnotic video you’ll watch all day—and a great way to practice slow speed bike skills! Grab a couple of #Shredgirls and give it a try! #moregirlsonbikes A post shared by Shred Girls (@shred.girls) on Aug 27, 2019 at 5:12am PDT Best moment at GRiT Camp? I would say just playing the bike games with everyone, it’s been so much fun! I love circle of death. [see above video.] And I love just going on rides with the girls and stopping to chat. Goals in cycling? I’m just really hoping to push myself this season, and put a lot of my focus into mountain biking. Because I do so many sports, it can be hard to figure out how much effort to put into each one. So I really want to put all of my attention into mountain biking and focus on that and really push myself. Know a Shred Girl IRL? Nominate her to be featured on the site here!
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Looking for the Next Step in Cycling? “The Athlete’s Guide to Sponsorship” is Out Now!
Shred Girls come in all shapes, sizes, and styles, and have all kinds of different goals. Some of you may love riding your bike and hanging out with friends, with no desire to compete. That’s awesome. Some of you may be super-competitive and hope to go pro one day. That’s also awesome! If you fall into that second category and dream of being a pro racer one day, you might want to check out my latest book: The Athlete’s Guide to Sponsorship! So you want to be a pro athlete? Fantastic. But … How do you do it? You put in the training hours, you start doing well at races, and then a big team or company just hands you a suitcase full of money, right? Sadly, it’s not quite that simple. There are thousands of amazing athletes all over the world who can’t make a living at their sport. By the time you shell out cash for the gear, the race entries, the travel, the lodging, the food, the massages, the gear you need after you break/wear out the first set, it’s freaking expensive to be a pro.That means you need to hustle and find a team that can actually pay you living wage, figure out a job that you can work while pursuing your sport, or cobble together enough sponsorships to keep you afloat.This book will teach you how to do that, from finding the right brands to approach to developing a racer resume and website to cultivating your own personal brand identity through your social media, real life and racing. If you want a thriving career in sport, this book is for you. (And yes—even if you’re a teen racer living at home and still rely on your parents to drive you to races, you’re at the perfect time to start thinking about this stuff!) I’m really excited about this book and the few girls who’ve already gotten it have all said they learned a ton, from how to structure a rider resume to how to reach out to sponsors to how to find more state and provincial-level opportunities! 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 in Paperback + Kindle Get it here
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A Very Shred Girls Christmas: Free Shred Girls Holiday Short Story + A Shop Coupon Code!
Shred Girls! The holiday season is officially here, and at Shred Girls HQ we’re busy getting ready. We have gift guides coming out for the Shred Girls in your life (check them out here), and we wanted to bring you two special things this season: A 10% off coupon code for the Shred Girls Store Use the code SHREDGIRLS for 10% off all Shred Girls clothing + accessories (books and plans not included). And of course, all proceeds from the store go directly into keeping this site running and bringing you tons of content throughout the year, so whenever you shop, you’re helping spread information and inspiration to Shred Girls worldwide. The site doesn’t have ads and author Molly Hurford spends a lot of her own time and money keeping this site running, doing book talks and hosting girl’s rides around North America, so every little bit helps. Shop Here A Shred Girls Holiday Story While we wait patiently for the second Shred Girls book to come out next summer, I wanted to give the Shred Girls a Christmas to remember with a fun short story about Christmas wishes for Ali, Jen and Lindsay. To get it, make sure you’re signed up for the Shred Girls Monthly Newsletter, and I’ll be sending it out as a PDF on December 20. So if you buy your Shred Girl something from the store or another bike-related gift, you can print out the story and give it to her along with her other gifts! Hint: I just added these super cute Shred Girls bracelets to the store, and they make a perfect present for the Shred Girl in your life. (And you can use the coupon code for 10% off!) Subscribe to the Newsletter Here * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name
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