Mi Duole Cycling Podcast

Join Cherell Jordin and Stuart Anderson as they spend an hour with professional cyclist Melisa Rollins for episode #38. 

Intro by Melisa's coach, Sarah Kaufman: Melisa was introduced to riding by her parents. You might be surprised to know that initially she hated it! It wasn’t until turning 18 and discovering how her work ethic rewarded her on the bike that she began to enjoy it. 

Melisa came to me for coaching in 2019, burned out from running and riding and with only a budding interest in racing. I recognized her willingness to work, and her coachability - a trait that encapsulates a lot of qualities, but to me largely means humble and curious. It took about a year to dig Melisa out of the hole she was in but after that, she really started to become the star on the bike that she is now. I have learned so much from coaching Melisa and, like everyone, I am so excited to see what else she can do. 

To date, some of her palmares include: wins at 2021 Chequamegon and Firecracker 50, 2021 PCP2P and Leadboat (Leadville and SBT) 2nd places, BWR 2020 5th. One thing to note here - as part of her Leadboat podium, she was 6th at Leadville. That may not sound like a huge result but the field this year was stacked - to date only 12 women have gone under eight hours at Leadville and six of them did it this year. Melisa was one of those six. 

Meet teammate Charles Smart!

Charles grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah and is the oldest of six kids. He went to East High School where he met the girl of his dreams, then graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in economics, and now has been working in finance ever since! Charles has always loved to bike. He has been road biking for years, even before it became popular amongst our generation. 

Three things Charles loves besides biking:

1. Family — He is an amazing husband and the best father to our 4 children (Charlie 9, Ellie 7, Ruby 4, Caroline 2). Everyone is happier when he is around!
2. Skiing — He loves skiing and has has taught our kids to enjoy the sport as well - he and the kids have already been up 3 times this season!
3. A good nap — He can fall asleep anytime/anywhere... he has been known to completely pass out sitting up while chaos erupts around him!

Charles is a beef jerky connoisseur, Mexican food is his favorite and he lives for our yearly trip to Newport Beach... For some reason he’s always in the market for a new bike and spends unnecessary amounts of time on KSL shopping.

Quote from Charles, "Sister kidnapped when I was 16 years old. That was life changing for my family. Biking became a form of therapy for me during that time. My mind would race to all sorts of potential bad/scary outcomes when my sister was gone. Going out on the bike I was either suffering too much to worry about other things or too focused to think about anything other than descending (more so on the mountain bike). This was hugely therapeutic to me and to this day is a big part of why riding a bike is so special to me. Although the life variables have changed. I’m a believer in trying to balance some structure with just riding. Might not be the smartest method, but cycling is therapeutic for me physically, mentally, and even spiritually. Group rides and structure rides solve different pieces of that puzzle in my life"

We met Paul when he did LOTOJA in 2020.  Paul raced the pro category and we had a little back and forth via text.  Our real connection comes through Hyland's.  Big team sponsor has brought us together on some projects and gratefully we get to spend 45 minutes with Paul talking about his life as an endurance athlete and coach. 

Paul has supported the cycling initiatives of Hyland’s Powered, including coaching their cycling teams at the 2021 Belgian Waffle Ride Series. Hyland’s is an official sponsor of the Belgian Waffle Ride Series and fielded teams for the 2021 BWRs around the country - including Cedar City. 

One of Thomas’s primary roles was be to prepare the Hyland’s teams for the 100+ grueling miles of racing on dirt, gravel, and road.

A legendary endurance athlete, Thomas is certainly qualified for this leadership role, having competed at the national level for 40 years, first as a runner and now as a cyclist. He won his first U.S. championship at 11 years old with a 4:55 mile and followed that up with a national high school title in 1987. 

For the last ten years, Thomas has focused on cycling, winning 12 more professional and state championships. His most recent wins include the 2020 Arizona State Hill Climb Championships, El Tour de Tucson Tandem 2019, and the Arizona State 40K Time Trial Championship.

https://www.outsidebusinessjournal.com/press-releases/bike-press-releases/hylands-doubles-down-on-cycling-adding-paul-thomas-to-the-hylands-powered-family/

All team updates...

Kyle has completed multiple Ironman events, half marathons, challenging century-length rides/races, grueling cycling stage races, CX mountain bike races, and other endurance events. He is taking his education, coaching background, and knowledge of strength training and applying the same science-backed principles and concepts to endurance sports with certifications from USA Cycling, USA Triathlon, IRONMAN, NICA, and the American College of Sports Medicine. He is constantly studying to be a better coach and athlete through continuing education and staying up to date on the latest research and training trends. 

Kyle has worked with everyone from beginners to elite athletes and is comfortable with all age groups. He loves helping adult athletes break through plateaus and achieve goals, and has a passion for coaching developing youth athletes - helping them grow their love for their sport while keeping in mind that junior athletes require a different approach to training than adult athletes.

WHY WHITE PINE ATHLETICS: I created White Pine Athletics because, as an athlete, I understood the necessity of being treated and trained like a unique individual, something I feel a lot of trainers and clubs forget. The idea was to start a company offering full-service training solutions focusing on the needs of each athlete, but also with a huge emphasis on mobility and injury prevention.

WHY DID YOU BECOME A TRAINER/COACH: From day one, I have always been passionate about the sports I participate in, and I have always enjoyed watching others grow as athletes. By becoming a trainer, I have been able to help athletes grow to become more efficient, stronger, and healthier than they were before, and that is a great feeling. I get to help people become lifelong athletes by focusing not just on the strength but on mobility and technique to achieve maximum longevity.

https://whitepineathletics.com/kyle-mcfarland

USA Cycling Coach, Level 2

USA Triathlon Coach, Level 1

Ironman Certified Coach

NICA Accredited Coach

ACSM Certified Personal Trainer

Training Peaks Level 1 Accreditation

 

Spend an hour with Utah Cycling Events owner and manager, Dirk Cowley as he shares his thoughts about the Utah road racing climate and what he is doing to provide opportunities for better road racing events. He is also the Managing Partner at RaceDay Event Management. Dirk is prolific racer and has been for more than 30 years. Dirk earned the Stars and Stripes jersey as National Champion in the Masters 45-49 criterium. Dirk also travelled to the Masters World Championships in Tirol, Austria and finished fifth in the 116 km road race in the 45-49 year category. 

http://utahcyclingevents.com

https://www.road-results.com/racer/17169

Learn from one of the best - Plan7 Founder, Dave Harward as he teaches about some key elements to a successful winter training program.  We spend about an hour going over the basics behind getting started and how to make these off seasons months productive and fun. 

A successful spring and summer racing season hinges mainly on one thing—your winter cycling training plan. The type of work you put in right now to prepare for it will pay massive dividends in the future.
 
Did you catch that? I said the type of work you put in — not how much work you put in. For most cyclists, winter cycling means it’s time to buckle down on long-duration, high-volume base training. 

https://plan7coaching.com/houseofwatts

Eric Flynn has been a part of Holladay cycling for years.  His shop is right in the heart of Holladay servicing all types of bikes: mountain, XC and road.  Eric has been part of the Mi Duole family for years.  He is filled with honesty and integrity.  His service and skills come into play helping us keep our bikes running smooth.  Eric works hard and puts in the hours to care for our community.  We are honored to spend an hour talking about his story.

From Eric's website: 
"We focus and specialize on incredible service, maintenance and repair of any brand of bike. The bulk of the bikes you see when you step into our shop are the bikes of our customers. We do sell new bikes but our focus here is impeccable service and attention to detail when it comes to our service work.

When you pick your bike up from us we want you to know things have been done with the utmost care and precision. There is nothing worse than paying for a service and then come to find out things were hurried and important details have been overlooked."

http://flynncyclery.com

James lives with his wife, Sunny, and their five children in Utah. After breaking several Guinness World Records, James wondered if he had truly found his mental and physical limits. He knew there was more: 50 Ironmans, 50 States, 50 consecutive days. 
 
After accomplishing the fifty, James knew he wasn’t done yet. Over the next five years, he rode his mountain bike to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, ran 235 miles across Greece, competed in Xtreme Triathlons around the world, and raced the Xtri World Championship in Norway. He also competed in the T.V. World Premiere of The World’s Toughest Race – a ten-day adventure race through the back jungles of Fiji, and The Uberman, all leading up to his biggest project––Conquer One Hundred––racing a full-distance triathlon for 100 consecutive days, from March 1, 2021 – June 8, 2021. 140.6 miles a day, for 14 weeks, totally 14, 060 miles. 
 
James is now experiencing being the parent of four teenage girls and one son who is almost a teenager as well. After watching the documentary on Netflix for Operation Underground Railroad, he knew that he wanted to get involved. He contacted O.U.R. and was thrilled to create a partnership to raise money for the cause. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, and James is excited to get involved in freeing modern-day slaves, particularly teenagers and children.

https://www.ironcowboy.com/conquer-100/

Alison Tetrick is a cowgirl, a scientist, a storyteller, and a professional cyclist.

Growing up on a cattle ranch in California, Alison could dream as big as the boundless landscape. Being remote from the surrounding communities, she pursued excellence in her academics, solo sports, and was ingrained with a ranch life work ethic. Beginning tennis in high school, she used that and her Valedictorian status to earn a full scholarship to Abilene Christian University in Abilene, TX. She excelled in pursuing a B.S in Biochemistry with an emphasis in Molecular Biology and became a published scientific author in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Biochemistry for her research in cholesterol biosynthesis.

Alison’s scientific experience took her from Texas to Boston where she worked in a laboratory specializing in chemistry research and drug discovery and then on to the Bay Area where she currently resides in Petaluma, CA. Always seeking physical challenges to accentuate her professional career in biotechnology, she began triathlon winning her first races and qualifying for the 70.3 World Championships. Meanwhile, her Grandfather had become an avid cyclist in the later years of his life winning 17 USA Master’s National Championships and remarked that his granddaughter had the potential in the sport in which he could have unlocked decades earlier. Cycling was in her blood.

Despite the foray into triathlon, true riding to Alison still meant saddling up her horse to ride the trails of the Central Coast of California and it took some convincing from Grampy to race bicycles exclusively. A 6-month period that consisted of a few races, a call from the USA Cycling Talent ID, and joining the USA National Team, capitulated Alison into a career that both not almost ended her life, but also saved her life.

Finding the same sense of freedom on a bike that she had found with the wide-open spaces of the ranch, she uncovered what she needed to progress into one of the best elite women cyclists in the world. In 2014, she placed 3rd at the UCI World Championships in the Team Time Trial and won stages at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina and the BeNe Tour in Belgium. She represented the USA at the Pan American Games. She was ranked by the UCI, the global governing body for professional cycling, in the Top 10 professional racers in the world.

This successful career came hurtling down as a sequence of crashes that involved life flight helicopters, a traumatic brain injury (TBI), broken bones, hospital stays, months of rehabilitation, and side effects from the crashes that remain to this day led her to explore alternate outlets on the bike.

From the UCI World Tour, she began exploring all things gravel. She won her first gravel race at DK200, setting the current course record, and continued to become 3x Gravel Worlds Champion. In due course, Alison was crowned by event coordinators and the gravel community as the inaugural “Queen of Gravel”.

The TBI resulting from the crashes as a professional cyclist awakened her academic pursuits in the desire to understand the healing process of the brain. While continuing to race professionally and work as a consultant in biotechnology communications, she acquired her M.S. in Clinical Psychology.

Alison is dedicated to investing in the sport of cycling and serves on the Board of Directors of USA Cycling. You can find her all over the world enjoying life, riding bikes and inspiring. She maintains a career as a communications professional, specializing in biotechnology and the endurance sports industry. She was a pivotal part in the activation of the Amgen Tour of California, with her science, marketing, and cycling expertise. She is also the co-founder and CEO of Saga Ventures, LLC, a consulting firm based on curating meaningful community engagement and brand activation.

Be bold. Do work. Ride bikes.

"Better Yourself. Believe In Yourself" 

An accomplished businessman and lifelong athlete, Diaa Nour cofounded Ventum LLC in 2015 after successfully exiting the telecom sector. Ventum began as a passion project seeking to change the bike industry by introducing new aerodynamic technology and the first triathlon-specific bike. As CEO of Ventum, Diaa has grown the business from a humble startup in Miami to its current headquarters here in Utah. He’s led the development of the innovative NS1 road bike and recent introduction of the GS1 gravel bike.  

Diaa has traveled the world developing and being involved in sport, and truly lives and tests the product that his company builds and provides athletes around the world.  We have met Diaa as our team has become loving customers of Ventum bikes and have had the opportunity to try and true their product.  Over the last year as inventory has been difficult to get for today’s roadies and gravel racers, the Ventum Team has equipped the team with all our needs - every time!

 

LEADVILLE RACE REPORT from Jesse Loper and Dean Walker. This is it, the race of all races. One hundred miles across the high-altitude, extreme terrain of the Colorado Rockies, this event was created for only the most determined athletes. Starting at 10,152 feet and climbing to 12,424 feet. These two both competed and finished the race in 2021 and this podcast walks through their experience.

Spend an hour with Plan7 coaches Dave Harward and Breanne Harward as they dive into race day preparations.  Dave maps out what your final weeks before an event should look like and Breanne shares nutritional information to keep your levels topped off.

PLAN7 Endurance Coaching was founded in 2006 by accomplished road bike, mountain bike, cyclocross and distance running racer Dave Harward. He is a USA Cycling Level 1 (Elite) Certified Coach, a USA Cycling Certified MTB Coach, and a POSE Method of Running Certified Coach. Dave has extensive experience and background, having been trained as a BikeFit Systems Pro Fitter in addition to training as a Master Level Fit Technician with Body Geometry. Dave also co-founded the Utah High School Cycling League and served on the League Board as well as served as the course designer.

Breanne earned a BS in Biology a Masters degree (MS) in Nutrition and Sports Dietetics from the University of Utah. She is licensed as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and is also certified through the American Council on Exercise (ACE) in group fitness, personal training, and pilates. Breanne works hard to teach the science of food and how our bodies use nutrients as fuel to achieve optimal performance.

As a PLAN7 Endurance Coaching athlete, Breanne raced for the DNA Pro Cycling Team. Accolades include 2nd and 3rd place at USA Cycling Hill Climb National Championship 2016 and 2017, 3rd place podium at 2015 Tour of the Gila, top amateur finisher in the US Pro National road race 2014, and she was awarded Most aggressive Rider at Tour of Utah Women's Edition 2014. Breanne has had podium or top 10 finishes NRC and UCI races such as the Cascade Cycling Classic, Redlands Classic Stage Race, and Mt Hood Classic. She was the overall UCA points leader 2013, State TT and Hill climb champion 2013, 2014, and 2018. She was on the TTT team at World Championships in 2015 in and rode in many UCI races: Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche in France, Gatineau Gran Prix in Canada, Philly International Classic, U.S. Pro Challenge, Vuelta Ciclista El Salvador, and the Giro della Toscana. On gravel, Breanne has been on the podium at Crusher in the Tushar multiple years and won Rebecca's Private Idaho 2017. She now represents PLAN7 as a local rider and strives to develop women's racing in all disciplines as the women’s advocate for Trek SLC.  

www.plan7coaching.com

Dave Harward | Founder & Head Coach
Email: dave@plan7coaching.com
Phone: (801) 661.7988

Breanne Nalder | Nutrition Coach
Email: breanne@plan7coaching.com
Phone: (801) 550.0434

Banana Sushi Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rFaL4_-qaSpiK-bv26oHfCY1eOKbxfLT/view?usp=drivesdk

Brandon is a Paralympic Cycling National Team athlete who works for an accounting firm. In 2014, he dove into shallow waters at the beach and was left paralyzed from the chest down. Claiming ownership of his life with a spinal cord injury meant relearning all his daily activities from feeding himself to changing clothes and getting active again. He started using a handcycle for cardiovascular improvement and was immediately hooked. Brandon grew as an athlete and exactly three years after the accident, he was invited to join the US Paralympic Cycling Residence Program.

CAF has supported Brandon with competition travel and equipment costs over the years, helping him make huge strides in his athletic career and qualifying for his first world championships. Brandon is a two-time silver medalist at the 2019 Parapan American Games, silver medalist at the 2019 Paracycling World Championship, and earned multiple medals at the UCI World Cup and National Championships. Now he’s training full-time with the US Paralympic Cycling Team to bring home the gold from the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics.

We are grateful to spend an hour with Brandon Lyons and Kristie Boltz and talk about his journey.  Some important links: 

https://www.challengedathletes.org

http://support.challengedathletes.org/site/TR?px=1293395&fr_id=1760&pg=personal

Insider information from two Mi Duole legends: Paul Watson and Dave Sharp. These guys know how to navigate LOTOJA from training to nutrition to strategy to bathroom breaks. It takes so much to put everything together for this race and all that goes into preparing and riding but with the right mentor it's a little easier.  These two spend the year preparing for the big dance and share some of their most valuable tips for all us hacks. With 35 total races between the two of them hopefully you can find some nuggets to make the best worst day a little better.  

Meet the race director of LOTOJA - Brent Chambers!  

The LoToJa was started in 1983 by two Logan cyclists, David Bern, a student at Utah State University, and Jeff Keller,the owner of Sunrise Cyclery. The two men wanted a race that resembled the difficulty of a one-day European classic like Paris-Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders. LoToJa's first year featured seven cyclists racing 192 miles from Logan to a finish line in Jackson's town square. The winning time was just over nine hours by Bob VanSlyke.

Since then, LoToJa has grown into one of the nation’s premier amateur cycling races and continues to be a grueling test of one's physical and mental stamina. Many compete to win their respective category, while others just ride to cross the finish line. At 200+ miles, LoToJa is the longest one-day USAC-sanctioned bicycle race in the country. Cyclists must conquer three mountain passes as they pedal through the scenic terrain of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming en route to a finish line below the rugged Tetons at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

https://lotoja.com

Learn from "The General" - Erik Olson. He is always one of the first Mi Duoles that any new member of the team meets.  He is gracious and respectful.  He is a skilled racer and brilliant tactician.  He loves Mi Duole and has financially supported the team through his business for years.  Erik Olsen is known to the younger riders as “The General” for his powerful leadership inside the LOTOJA peloton.  Erik loves cycling and has done much to create a culture on the Duole team that we hope can be modeled for years and years.  He trains hard and races smart.  Erik is “all in” for this team and is a trusted friend and advocate for all we stand for. 

We first connected with Brian Trapp in 2019 through our association with Voler. The Mi Duole team has used Voler from the very beginning - that’s 1986. Brian, his family and Voler are all in San Luis Obispo, California. Some things that Voler excels at that I am sure we will get into: customer service, product innovation, gear quality and personal connection with there athletes. The brand knows how to engage with our team so we feel a great since of pride in wearing the Voler label.

Brian manages the look and feel of the brand. He is an expert in telling the story of the brand and creating that connection with Voler. Whether is it through his marketing and advertising efforts. Through the Zwift race series. Through the social media, website and email campaigns - they all tell the story of cycling and that is Brian’s work. He builds the Voler brand and manages how they grow, interact and develop.

Brian is in the sport also. I follow his personal social media and Strava accounts and love to see him get after it by himself and also with his kids. Nothing better than a 5:00am Saturday start time? I even told Brian after he rode one of the Voler Zwift races this past winter the he is Duole because he seems to live and breath the same kind of life we do here in SLC.

www.voler.com

These two guys are Mi Duole All-Stars!  Spend an hour listening to Andy Welch and Scott Miles tell their stories about climbing Mauna Kea and Mauna Moa. What was is like and how did they pull it off?  Both of these men are warriors and excel at all the sports they take on. They are the foundation of the suffering that takes place on the Mi Duole team. 

Over the last 3 years, the Mi Duole Team has worked with Chris Mogridge as he’s developed his wheel company, Mercury Wheels. Chris is the Founder and CEO of Mercury Wheels and they are local to Utah. Based in Ogden, Mercury has provided ongoing products for large businesses such as Backcountry.com to teams, like Mi Duole. In 2020, the Mi Duole Team members that were riding Mercury had very good feedback, and in 2021, the wheels have become a top choice for many of our team members. Chris is a cyclist himself, he’s passionate about the industry and now that his business is growing (even into Europe).

https://mercurycycling.com

Alex Grant...We are grateful to connect with Alex and learn from all his years of experience in the cycling world. He is super wise and also willing to risk it for the biscuit! He shares some awesome nuggets with us about success on and off the bike.  Born in Richmond, VT in a small town about 20 miles from Burlington. Moved to Salt Lake City in 1998 for college and the snow.  Used to play lots of pond hockey as a kid. Loved to ski, snowboard and play soccer - he focused mostly on snowboarding through his late teens and 20’s. He started racing bikes in the late 1990s in New England.  Raced until he was 18 and then took a 4-5 year break to snowboard and travel.  In 2004 he picked it up again and got his pro license at the end of 2005.  He spends his days also managing Gear Rush:  A consignment shop that specializes in cycling and outdoor gear. They sell primarily on eBay and serve as an outlet for the local outdoor community to turn over their no longer needed gear to a new user. He has a beautiful family: two girls that are looking to be as adventurous has him! 

Connect with Alex: alexgrant411@gmail.com 

Meet one of the founding fathers of the Mi Duole team. Ed Chauner is an all-star Wasatch Adaptive Ski Instructor and a key member of the Snowbird community.  Ed has taught every type of student, with every type of need, and been able to develop goals and accomplishments with those that need it most.  Cycling and Skiing have always been a large part of Ed’s life.  He has raced bikes since 1985 and mountain bikes since 1988.  He also competed in two Mountain bike XC World Championships and one US Road National Championship.  Ed has authored mountain bike clinic books, as well as owned the Intermountain Cup Mountain Bike series which carries on today!  In 1978, Ed started teaching skiing at Snowbird, and has been on the ski patrol team there as well.  Ed is a WAS Tour guide which is a very tough level to attain.  It basically means that this guy can do anything anywhere, and likely kick your butt getting there!  If you follow Ed’s Strava page, you will find that many of his rides include taking others out that have a goal of riding a bike again or skiing again.  Ed makes this happen, and I don’t know how that big heart fits in that small frame of his!!  To this day, if Ed decides to compete in the Porcupine Hill Climb, he will win his age group by a long shot!  We are grateful to have a true legend on our cycling team and appreciate his mentorship that he has had with many of us!! Side note:  Ed most recently joined our toughest ride of the year “The Scott Miles Crusher” but he did it on his road bike  - just try riding your road bike up over Great Western to Park City in the dirt!

https://wasatchadaptivesports.org

Meet Sean Jager - he is a leader in every way. He has an incredible history in cycling with so much to learn from. There is nothing better than sharing a ride with Sean.  He shares his history, advice and LOTOAJ stories in this episode of the Mi Duole podcast.  

Sean's Cycling Advice: 

* Learn something from every cyclist you share the road/trail with.
I strive to spark a conversation with those I ride or race with for any significant amount of time. Not only does it help pass the miles, but I have learned valuable cycling skills & life lessons from so many people who I never would have met otherwise. Anything from shifting a gear down prior to standing so I don’t take someone out behind me, to Deep stuff that has helped me be a better husband, father and human being.


* Give more than you get from the sport.
I have received so much from cycling in the form of friendship, community, mental strength, purpose, health (mostly - haha) but most importantly- opportunity to serve others. This last LOTOJA was a prime example, I had very little of the fitness required to compete but plenty of reason to finish. Leaving Montpelier I met two guys, friends who took up the sport last season and made a goal to race LOTOJA together. They reminded me of my first one, full of excitement & energy and having no idea what to do with all of it. For the next few hours they picked my brain clean of stuff I had't thought of for years. It was a great experience for me to Give back.


* Empty the Tank and leave it all on the course.
There have been many times I have finished a race depleted, falling short of my goal or expectation. At times its a wake up call to train harder, or change up my routines, etc. Although I would prefer to have met or beat my goal times or placement, I still feel a sense of accomplishment and a path for improvement. I have also had the unfortunate experience of finishing a race knowing I had more to give and because I was either weak minded, lazy in tactics, or afraid of going too deep, I didn’t leave it all on the course. That’s a rough place to be. You leave a bit angry and disappointed. I would much rather know I gave it all than left something in the tank.

TJ Eisenhart, is one of the premier young pro cyclists from the USA. Born and raised in Lehi, UT he received his first road bike at age 11 and began competing in local races. He competed in his first USA National championship at age 12, bring home a silver medal in the Time Trial. He began racing in Europe for the USA national team at the age of 16. At age 18 he signed his first professional contract with BMC Devo Team where he raced extensively all over Europe. During this time he won the USA TT National Championship and represented the USA in two World Championships. Last year he joined the Holowesko/Citadel Racing Team. 

He is now the cofounder of Imaginary Collective. They are a gravel and mountain bike team focused on promoting the pure joy of being on the bike. BUT before TJ ever started riding a bike he began his love for art. He has journeyed through various mediums and loves experimenting in colors and style. His art is ever changing, expressing his love of life and personality. TJ’s art is collected in private collections around the world. 

https://imaginarycollectiveshop.com

TJ's podcast “The Next Stage” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-stage/id1514231439

Let's get on the same page for being safe out on the road and in groups. Can you really trust the wheel of the rider in front of you? Safety on the road is a big concern for us moving into 2021 and in this episode we dive into how the group can stay safe. Suggestions from some very experienced riders as well as over 40 different submissions results to s survey we sent out to the team. Lots of great information that everyone can learn from.  

Thanks for all those that helped create a great episode and let's all commit to being safe in 2021. 

Some topics discussed: 

PREDICTABLE 

OBEY THE LAW

HAND SIGNALS 

HALF WHEELED 

STANDING 

BE PREPARED / BIKE MAINTENANCE 

CARS

COURTESY 

SNOT

LIGHTS 

DESCENTS 

Dan Mill specializes in getting athletes in a position to win - literally.  He is a movement specialist and physical therapist who owns the Performance Rehab Clinic. Dan has completed 7 full Ironman events, multiple LOTOJAs and specializes in finding ways to keep cyclist healthy.  He is passionate about making sure athletes make the right choice when faced with injuries. In this episode he shares tips and tricks for staying healthy. He talks about getting the right fit, balancing different types of training and why cyclists can be the most unfit fit athletes out there. Dan is smart.  He is also willing to share and be apart of solutions for athletes. He has been around athletes and injuries his whole life and is willing to be a resource for everyone listening. 

Don't forget, "Sitting is the new smoking." 

(801) 938-9234 Call Dan 
Website: http://www.prcpt.net

Mike Hanseen, manager of Hangar 15 Bicycles in Millcreek, is one of the pillars of the Salt Lake City bicycle community. Mike has been in the bike industry for forty years, having owned Millcreek Bicycles for twenty-five years. He was also a National-level competitive cyclist. Mi Duole is connected to Mike is so many ways, but the biggest is that he has sold Chip all his bikes for the past 15 years!  They have an incredible relationship.

In this episode Mike talks about his own professional career as a cyclist.  He shares his history of becoming a shop owner and fitter.  Mike hits us with some great advice when you decide to get your bike fit.  You need a bike fit!  We repeat - get FIT!  Mike is the best in the business.  

Mike Hanseen can be reached at the Hangar 15 location in Millcreek, Utah at (801) 278-1500.

A.L.S. is a nasty diagnosis. They gave Creighton Rider 3-5 years to live and told him there was no cure or effective treatment.  Worse, he knew nearly nothing about it. In 2008 life seemed to be spiraling out of control for he and his young family. He did not want to except this death sentence, but gradually the truth sunk in and was left a pretty bleak future.  Running from adversity was not a great solution, especially when he realized that the world was going to move on with or without him. 

Spend an hour with Matt and Creighton Rider as they share their story about A.L.S.  Matt is a faithful Mi Duole team mate and opens up about making the most of life, having empathy for others, learning adaptability and letting things go.  

Creighton shared this powerful quote in the podcast, Alexander Graham Bell once said: “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” He has learned to live by this philosophy. 

We hope you enjoy Episode 11 and learn to love the Rider family like we do! 

If you know anything about Park City's, Point 2 Point than you know the phrase "I Did It". If you finish you get to say it, you get to wear it and you get to brag about it for life. Every year for the past 13 year about 350 racers toe the line at Point 2 Point. On Labor Day Weekend, endurance MTB riders drop in on some of the best singletrack Park City, Utah has to offer. Whether you’re someone who rides the trails regularly, or you’re an out-of-towner, the Park City Point 2 Point is guaranteed to please.

In this episode we spend an hour with Point 2 Point race director, Jay Burke. Jay lives in PC, is an incredible outdoors athlete himself having raced mtb, Cyclocross, enduro, and gravel. He is a ski guide for Ski Utah’s Interconnect as well. Jay is also a touring guide in the backcountry of the Wasatch Mountains. Jay is the epitome of a perfect Race Director for such an event as Park City Point to Point!

Also announced in this episode: The Duole Crown.  In the same calendar year complete The Crusher in the Tuscher, Point 2 Point and LOTOJA. Complete these three events in the same calendar year and earn your place amongst the Mi Duole greats. Prove your willingness to say “I’m suffering” by finished the Duole Crown. 

Spend an hour with Mi Duole LEGENDS: Chris Peterson and Geno Smith. Title of the podcast comes from Geno Smith's pace line mantra:  Pace line mantra that will win friends and influence people and likely prevent you and others from cheese grating the asphalt

• My group riding form will instill trust and will not cause harm.
• I'll hold my line.
• I won't overlap wheels.
• I will brake smoothly.
• I won't create gaps and will work to close them.
• When it's my turn in front, I will control the urge to surge.
• I'll happily take my share of pulls but will pull off before I fade.
• I'll call out debris, turns, and stops.
• I'll keep an eye out for stragglers and help bring them up.
• If I get dropped, I won't release a string of profanity, at least not audibly.
• I'll have a few jokes and a smile to share, especially when the hurt is there.
• And, finally, I'll open food packets at the back of the line.

Chris Peterson exemplifies in every way what we hope the team looks too.  For that reason he was the first recipient of the Mi Duole Yellow Jersey.  This jersey, which represents leadership, example, team work, courage, strength is gifted to Duole’s who in the eyes of the team have earned them.  Much like the coveted “Yellow Jersey” it can’t be bought.  His team has said of him, “Chris Peterson has been a faithful member of Mi Duole for years.  He is first to team rides.  He is crazy enough to ride the White Rim twice in a single day.  He is a friend to all.  He loves bikes and loves sharing biking with others even more.  He is constantly happy, upbeat and encouraging to all those who know him, but most importantly he can suffer!”  Like a true Duole, he is the living embodiment of “I suffer.”

Along with Chris Peterson, Geno Smith managed and carried the Mi Duole Team.  The name “GENO” was always known as the King Pin of Mi Duole.  Geno has always had a passion for mountain biking, and living in the mecca of trails, up in Park City, Geno has spent a lot of time in the dirt.  Therefore, Geno is an accomplished and decorated (race wins) in mountain biking.  Even to this day, Geno is on the most recent leaderboard for one of the faster times on the Park City Point to Point race. He set the tone for some of us younger riders who are now becoming older riders, and that’s the beauty of Mi Duole.

Meet Plan7 coach Breanne Nalder Haward! She spends this hour sharing the top 5 biggest mistakes cyclists are making with their nutrition and hydration.  Get ready to hear her wisdom behind: No More Cheat Days! 

Breanne earned a BS in Biology a Masters degree (MS) in Nutrition and Sports Dietetics from the University of Utah. She is licensed as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and is also certified through the American Council on Exercise (ACE) in group fitness, personal training, and pilates.

As a PLAN7 Endurance Coaching athlete, Breanne raced for the DNA Pro Cycling Team. Accolades include 2nd and 3rd place at USA Cycling Hill Climb National Championship 2016 and 2017, 3rd place podium at 2015 Tour of the Gila, top amateur finisher in the US Pro National road race 2014, and she was awarded Most aggressive Rider at Tour of Utah Women's Edition 2014. Breanne has had podium or top 10 finishes in NRC and UCI races such as the Cascade Cycling Classic, Redlands Classic Stage Race, and Mt Hood Classic. She was the overall UCA points leader 2013, State TT and Hill climb champion 2013, 2014, and 2018. She was on the TTT team at World Championships in 2015 and rode in many UCI races: Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche in France, Gatineau Grand Prix in Canada, Philly International Classic, U.S. Pro Challenge, Vuelta Ciclista El Salvador, and the Giro della Toscana. On gravel, Breanne has been on the podium at Crusher in the Tushar multiple years and won Rebecca's Private Idaho 2017. She now represents PLAN7 as a local rider and strives to develop women's racing in all disciplines as the women’s advocate for Trek SLC.  

Teaching proper fueling for sport is her main passion, and she practices what she preaches! Life also includes a new baby girl. 

Plan7 website: https://plan7coaching.com 

Breanne Email: Email: breanne@plan7coaching.com

Phone: (801) 550.0434

 

 

Guts, Grit & Ironman. Ironman Class 101 shared by Janie Bowen and Taylor Cannon. War stories. Podiums. Training. Balance. In this episode you will be introduced to two Mi Duole team mates who are filled with guts, grit and passion. That passion took them into the world of Ironman. Both have completed multiple full length Ironman events. 

Taylor grew up very active in sports. He played high school football, basketball and Rugby at the University of Utah. He then turned to running after he got married.  He ran his first marathon in 2006 and has since then run over 20 marathons.  He has qualified for the Boston marathon a multiple times and ran Boston in 2015.  His fastest marathon time was 2:52 in St. George in 2016. He ran 2- ultras (50 milers) and then decided to move onto different goals. 

He turned to the ironman world in 2011 with St George Full ironman. He has done 4 full Ironman's, 9 half-Ironman's, and a few other triathlons.  Since learning to love cycling through Ironman he has done the Ultimate challenge, multiple centuries, and LOTOJA 3x.  

Meet Janie Bowen...At the age of 5 Janie was diagnosed with a vision robbing autoimmune eye disease that has led to ~6 eye surgery including a lens replacement in her right eye. She has received steroid injections straight into her eyes more than 100 times. At the age of 13 she was involved in a terrible boating accident requiring her to be life flighted from Lake Powell. She had pins put in her hip to fix a spiral fracture of her femur. She had her hip replaced at the age of 20 because of necrosis from her femur fracture. Janie didn’t allow health struggles to define her life. In high school she excelled in swimming winning the 200 IM 5A state championship. Janie started doing triathlon in 2017 starting with 1/2 Ironman in Santa Cruz. She had since completed 3 full Ironman races as well as countless 1/2 Ironman races. She raced and got on the podium in her first LOTOJA after joining the team in 2019. She worked for 6 years as a nurse primarily in the pediatric ER, adult ER, Pediatric ICU, and NICU. She then went back to school and became a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwife. In September she gave birth  to her beautiful baby (Blue).

Step in and get ready to be inspired by these two incredible athletes. 

This episode and team are gratefully brought to you by our friends at Hanagar 15 Cycles.  All our thanks go out to Mike Hanseen (master bike fitter) and his crew for taking care of the Mi Duole team.  

 

Jon Olson wears our Yellow Jersey.  He is a leader of this team and group in every way.  Look to Jon for both advice, example and friendship.  He is the man!  

He has become the epitome of what is called "a come back story”.  Jon was nominated to wear the yellow jersey because of the transformation that has taken place not only in his life, but the transformation that has taken place with his mind, body, and attitude.  Watching him transform himself over the years has really shed a lot of strength and power to others.  His attitude and commitment not only on the bike, but off the bike is inspiring.  This podcast explores a bit of Jon's story.  

Jon is a true Duole. Enough said. Loves to suffer but also loves to take the time to get to know any newcomer to join a ride. He has shown over the years he is a leader by example.

Welcome to the Mi Duole podcast.  This episode and team are gratefully brought to you by our friends at Hanagar 15.  All our thanks go out to Mike Hanseen (master bike fitter) and his crew for taking care of the Mi Duole team.  

Each of us needs a coach in the various roles and responsibilities we play in life. Someone from the outside to see the things we are missing.  Coaches can keep you accountable and on task. Doug Brower found coach Sarah Kaufman during the summer of 2019 - this podcast explores their history.  Doug and Sarah share how their relationship started and what changes a coach can implement in an athlete's training schedule. It's 40:00 minutes of coaching 101.   

Sarah also spends some time sharing her top 3 tips for the winter of 2020-2021: 

1) Not too much and not too little - this depends entirely on the athlete. Some people take the winter off (mistake). Some people do too much (also mistake) and are burnt by spring. It’s my job to know who will do what and use that to bring out the best in them. A break at some point is needed.

2) If you are time crunched, focus on tempo and sweet spot. If you have time (and climate) long hours. 

3) Address body composition and lingering injuries, aches, and pains.

Connect with Coach Sarah: 

Getting started on Zwift has a BIG learning curve.  Lot of gear.  Lots of tech.  Lots of sweat.  It has taken us a couple years to get things moving on Zwift as a team and now it feels like we don't even have an off season.  When the weather gets cold and riding outside stops we just move inside and start pretending to ride together.  The purpose of this episode is to familiarize the team with Zwift and share some tips, tricks, and advice on how to make your experience 100%.

Also get ready for the new VOLER RACE SERIES starting Tuesday, January 19th thru February 16th. Guest Ride Leaders each week including Lauren Stephens with TIBCO, Payson McElveen with Orange Seal Offroad Team, and Victoria Rainbolt with Voler Factory Racing. Prizes and swag each evening including discount TNR Endurance Tee for all your Zwifting sessions.

Links discussed on the pod: 

DESK

FAN

Having stood on the podium of 15 of his 18 LOTOJAs Dave Sharp knows a thing or two about this sport, but mostly he is a mentor. Willing to share, coach and teach the younger generation of riders coming up through the ranks, Dave is always willing to share his years of experience. Don’t be fooled though - Sharp can lay down the hurt. It usually starts on that hill right before Affleck Park on the way up Big Mountain. He stands up out of the saddle and puts down a pace that most will roll their eyes at. His Mi Duole teammates said of him in his nominations, “He leads by example and is a true friend to those who follow. He is caring and kind. He is fiery and competitive.” On a side note, Sharp was also the team member to nominate another teammate to receive the honor of wearing a jersey.

Connect with Profile Perform 

Kits and gear are almost sacred to a cyclist.  This team prides themselves on what they wear, how they look and design of our team gear. In this episode we discuss the history of the Mi Duole "Yellow Jersey".  We talk about the design of our gear and how it changes. We share some thoughts on kit standards and we end with some suggestions for what to buy from the team store.  

Teammates in need...
Morten Pedersen
Todd Wahl 

The Mi Duole Cycling Team was established in 1984 and is one of the longest established road cycling clubs in Utah. Team members are mainly rooted on the east bench of Salt Lake City, and most team rides take place in one of the four canyons connected to the valley: Emigration Canyon, Mill Creek Canyon, Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon.

The team name is “Mi Duole”, which translates from Italian to mean “I ache” or “I’m suffering.” The name has molded the team’s culture over the years as it takes pride in epic training rides consisting of most or all the major climbs around the Salt Lake Valley.

Mi Duole Cycling is committed to developing the sport of cycling and cultivating a positive lifestyle. Each year we organize several cycling events in the community and also support a variety of charities.

The purposes of the Mi Duole Cycling are to provide a consistent group of skilled riding partners and camaraderie for long weekend rides and mid-week training; to provide opportunities to race and / or participate in organized rides as a team; to share wisdom and experience to riders of all abilities; and to train and push each rider to become better while having fun.

LOTOJA continues to be a huge part of what makes Mi Duole who we are. Many founding members of the team have participated in 20+ LOTOJA events. In 2019 the team had over 45 members race the event with many placing in the top 10 of their categories.

Mi Duole conducts regular weekly training rides throughout the week. Details about our weekly rides and the routes are sent through our weekly email newsletter and team GroupMe messenage. Also check out our "2020 Membership" section of the website for details on team events.