LeadBoat Blog #3: Finding Balance

#LeadBoatStories Blog #3: Finding Balance

Two  days,  250 miles and nearly 20,000 feet of high altitude climbing. It’s an alchemy of the two of the most revered off-road road cycling events in North America. One of America’s toughest, grittiest mountain bike races followed by an equally challenging 144 mile gravel race.

For the 2020 Leadboat Challenge athlete, this is more than a test of mental and physical fortitude on the bike. For some of our athletes, just making it to the start line will be a victory.

For our third installment of the #LeadBoatStories blog, we took some time to speak with Myles Webster, a native Vermonter now in Providence, RI, and Kristin Carpenter of Durango, CO @kc.carpediem to get some insight to their background and how they will balance demanding careers in order to tackle the LeadBoat challenge on August 15 and 16. #sbtgrvl #LT100MTB #LeadBoatChallenge #LeadBoatStories #LeadBoat

Story #1, Myles Webster 

Myles is a 47 year old pediatrician with a successful and busy practice. He’s also a dad to three girls (yay #parity!). It’s not surprising that working to find balance is a priority. He started riding 10 years ago by commuting during his residency. His experience at the Irreverent Road Ride in Vermont has served as his training grounds, and more than likely helped him come to the conclusion that he has what it takes to finish 250 tough miles in two days

Myles plans on relying on Zwift to focus on higher intensity while coping with less than ideal riding conditions. He will also take advantage of the many gravel grinders in the North East. These will break up his indoor training, keep him focused, and provide fun to keep any burn-out at bay. Being as efficient as possible is key, and for Myles that means volume with double sessions when he can and sneaking in lunch MTB rides near work when it fits. He’s “Just kind of winging it. No training partners, no coach. No sponsors. Not many hills or dirt roads in Rhode Island sadly – but lots of coffee and double IPAs.” 

As a member of a primary care network of providers affiliated with Boston Children’s Hospital he hopes to get their media department to pick up his story and also the bigger movement to promote parity in sport (and life).

Spare time fun? Well, he does have some time, and when he does, he enjoys double IPAs, baking pizza and sourdough bread. 

Follow Myles as he shares his journey IG: @vtvelo Zwift: Myles Webster WWCC Strava: Myles Webster 

Story #2, Kristin Carpenter, CEO, Verde Brand Communications

Kristin Carpenter is the founder and CEO of Verde Brand Communications. And while that is definitely her paying gig, she’s also a mother of two teenagers. Her very busy and demanding schedule means finding places of release and ways to take care of herself. In the past decade, she’s turned to her bike. The bike has been a central part of her self-care and a vehicle of self exploration. The process of training and competing paired with the  camaraderie she has found in off-road cycling has transformed her life. She describes this community as “must-have” – like air and water. 

Balancing all of it means using the inspiration she’s found through training and competing to keep her inspired. It’s also where she finds herself the most creative – problem solving for work, family, friends, and Verde. 

Another facet of Kristin is that she’s discovered more and more of who she is through the sport. That realization has led to teaching and coaching. Her company’s podcast, Channel Mastery, has provided an amazing platform for Kristin to share and inspire. She feels very strongly that we are here to create expansion and serve. When she’s on the bike, she gets the creative downloads to fuel new ways to further this mission… To make her training time the most efficient, Kristin works with CTS’s coach Renee Eastman. Structure is key when life schedules are super busy.

“Leadboat will be the ultimate focus for this new level of my process in 2020! To say I’m stoked is the understatement of the year.”

Although a demanding career is definitely part of why Kristin is excited by the commitment LeadBoat is offering, she’s also very stoked about the parity this challenge is lending, and leading, in gravel cycling. 

“I loved the way SBT GRVL used their event as a vehicle for positive change when it came to parity in cycling. Equal prize purse, and the permission and invitation that occurred with the event when it reopened registration in Feb. 2019 to invite 200 more women to join…. It was amazing to see the before, during and now, the after, of this effort. I feel strongly that Leadboat is furthering that momentum! I’m incredibly grateful that I was chosen to do the event!”

Follow Kristin IG: @kc.carpediem Twitter: @kristinverdecmp