If you’re dealing with chronic injuries—or just feeling burnt out—this episode about whether or not to quit running will resonate with you. Dimity talks to Elise Wallace, an accomplished runner and triathlete, about being sidelined from running.
The duo talk about:
—how, after two-year break from running, Elise started with a 15-second run and worked up a half marathon;
—filling the void of running when you’re injured;
—the mental hurdle of separating past results from current reality; and
—how one pro runner’s perspective has helped Elise think about her next chapter.
Plus, Anne Hinrichs and Emily Fischer, the two Nordic skiers from the January 18th episode, update us on their Birkebeiner and Korteloppet finishes.
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Hearing Elise’s story has been has been an inspiration. She is so strong and has been through so much. Its hard to be sidelined from your passion and she has shown true grit and determination to make lemonade out of lemons.
Hi! This post is for Elise— I hope it gets to you before your first RR at Sea Otter!
Many years ago I was also an avid triathlete. In fact, I loved the bike portion of the sport so much that I decided to explore the sport of cycling. Sea Otter RR was my first bike racing event. While I’m sure your community has given you lots of advice on how to approach bike racing coming from an endurance background, I am so excited for you that I can’t help but chime in.
My (totally unsolicited) advice is to approach bike racing with the attitude that as a newbie you’re there to learn new skills and develop as an athlete. At Sea Otter, I knew I was strong on the bike, Therefore, I kinda thought I would just time trial away from the pack and podium. Initially, I was bored by the group’s slow pace. I remember thinking “what’s going on here, this isn’t hard enough”.Then BAM, someone initiated a very strong break and I was in a poor position. I wasn’t paying attention to the race dynamics and I wasn’t ready at the exact moment I needed to be ready. So yes, I did end up time trialing the entire thing (and put out some good power) but I didn’t place very well because the only skill I brought to the table was endurance.
With that being said, I was hooked. It was so hard, but not for the reasons I expected. I think that bike racing can be best described at playing chess while in an anaerobic state. There’s a lot more than meets that eye. The bike racing community (at least pre-pandemic) is a thriving community with enormously talented and supportive women. Joining a team is the best way to access that camaraderie. I live in the Bay Area and at the time there were newbie bike skills clinics and other resources to help me start figuring things out. For several years I raced at least 25x/year, sometimes 2-3x/weekend. I can tell you love competition and you love to dig deep, so this might be a good fit! I’ve never worked harder, learned more, or overcame so many fears. I sincerely hope that you have an incredible experience. There’s really a lot to love.
Best Wishes,
Stephanie HInes
Thank you, Stephanie! I’ll be sure Elise sees this!
Thanks Dimity! I have lots more to say about getting into bike racing, so if Elise wants to reach out directly she can reach me at steph.a.hines@gmail.com. :-) Steph