Do the Thing, and Go Overthink Something Else
Rooted MTB Festival Weekend Recap with Trish and Jen
I've got another two-parter for you this week, because every time I go to a women's outdoor event I get SO STOKED.
In today's first installment, Trish and Jen are back together on the road, and you know what that means - we did something awesome and we feel the need to tell everyone about it!
Back in July, we trekked all the way across Mass and New York to the lovely hamlet of Bemus Point to attend the Rooted Mountain Bike Festival, put on by friend of the pod Heather Kinal. Back when I’d interviewed Heather, I got all in a fan girl lather and committed to going to the Festival before I even looked at a map. But then I did, and instead of bailing I decided to take the 9+ hour ride as an extra challenge, and try to get Trishy to come with me. Ta da!!
Anyway, there are many, many takeaways from this conversation - Trish was ON HER GAME! So I hope you’ll get all the way to the end (despite the sometimes crappy audio), but in case you don’t, here are my top 3:
Even when you have the best intentions, it’s normal to not live up to them - Trish and I thought we’d bike a ton after our awesome Vertical experience last fall, and we didn’t, so we went into this weekend basically cold. And you know what, it didn’t freaking matter.
Life is always, and will always be, busy. You can’t always put yourself a distant second (or worse) to everyone and everything else in your life. If you need it, you need to make time for it.
Do the thing, and go overthink something else. You’ll have to listen in to see where that precious nugget came from.
Yes, it was the kind of event where someone you didn’t know would hand you a homemade jello shot. And you would take it. No wonder Trish was on her game.
Come back tomorrow for part two - you’ll actually get to hear from some other fabulous women from Rooted, who brought completely different perspectives to the event (and in one case, even brought her 60-something year old mom with her so she could learn drops! Yes, you read that right!)
A few links (more tomorrow!):
WNYMBA (Western New York Mountain Biking Association)
Ride Cosmic Dirt (the apparel company Heather co-founded with Ashley Duffus-Jambor)
Kickstand Culture (awesome Renee’s shop)
And if you’re now convinced that a women-centered outdoor event is something you (and maybe your mom) have to be part of RIGHT.THIS.SECOND, come on over to Guidesgonewild.com/Camp to learn more about our first ever End of Summer Camp Weekend we will be hosting September 23-25, at Evans Notch Lodge in Gilead, Maine.
I'll be joined by yet another fabulous friend of the pod, 'Tall' Ashley Leedberg of Two Loons Guide Service, who will school us on all things paddle, take us on an excursion at a nearby lake so we can peep on the critters and colors, and later on, even lead us in some arts and crafts - because by the way, she’s an amazingly talented artist and crafter. Why should the kids have all the fun, amiright?!? Hope to see you there!