Ride Drop Offs with Confidence

It’s not as scary as it looks but does have some risk so start with smaller ditches or slopes. It can really help to try a drop you are comfortable on and use video to check how your position looks before and after the drop. If you can be in a good position before and after then often the drop will take care of itself!

With your video, check that you are able to stay centered (nose over stem approximately) with your arms and legs bent as you approach the drop and as you roll away. If you see your arms going straight or your hips being way back for an extended period of time that is a good sign you could be lower and wider (centered), and using the extension for just a brief moment as the bike rolls down the steep section to help keep your head (and body) upright.

Step by step for rolling down steep sections of trail

1. Assume your centered, low and wide, ‘ready position’. Resist the urge to get way back.
2. Approach with a little less speed, anticipating you will speed up as you go down the drop
3. When you get to the edge of the drop, forcefully push the front wheel down the slope, put the front wheel where you want it, while keeping your head up and focused on where you want to go.
4. As you approach the bottom use your body suspension to absorb the impact and re-gain your centered ready position.

Need Coaching Feedback?

Need more personalized help? book bike skills sessions with Peter here.

• The exciting weather and racing at Unbound 200 mile gravel race in 2026
• Trends in Gravel Cycling: teams, technology and, of course, lots about tires
• Gee’s interesting career from road racing to soigneur and back to elite level gravel racing for Specialized Factory
• Insight into Gee Schreurs training for Unbound and recovery after a big endurance event

💬 Have a question for a Future Episode? Submit it anonymously here

This Episode is Brought to You By:

🛠️ Try the Payable Add-On for your next event, project or order-form to get paid in a google form:  PayableApps.com/ATHLETE – No app fees for 6 months! 

Curious about becoming a Consummate Athlete Podcast Sponsor? Please Connect with us HERE

Listen to the Latest Consummate Athlete Podcast

🎧 Listen & subscribe in Your Favorite Podcast App: https://pod.link/1100471297

Show Notes For This Consummate Athlete Podcast

• Gee Schreurs on Instagram
• Consummate Athlete Phone Consultation
• Submit a question for a future episode with this anonymous form! 
• Launch of ‘Ragtag Best Friends Bicycle Club’ book by Marley Blonskey 
• Shred Girls BOOK 4 – Get your Copy Today!

Connect with Molly & Peter

• Subscribe to the Consummate Athlete Newsletter
• Books By Molly Hurford https://amzn.to/3bOztkN
• Follow The Consummate Athlete on Instagram and Facebook
• 🚴‍♂️ Ready to train smarter? 👉 consummateathlete.com/
• 💬 Have a question or Feedback for us? Submit it anonymously here

Similar Episodes and Posts to Check Out Next!

Katerina Nash, 

 Rebecca Rusch,

 Kate Courtney, 

Plan ahead for vacation in your training schedule

It’s easy to forget to inform your coach that you’re going on vacation, because you may not think about it messing with your training. Trust us, it almost always does. Letting your coach know when you’re going on vacation helps build a smarter training schedule, especially if you have a big race coming up.

On that note, ideally DO NOT plan a vacation within a week or two ahead of your A race for the season. It’s tough, we know, since summer schedules are hectic and that may be the only way to go on vacation. Just know that a vacation right ahead of the race—unless it’s a vacation specifically for training/tapering heading into the race and the family is on board with that—is not going to be ideal. It also takes a bit of fun out of vacation if you’re thinking about your big race, honestly.

In an ideal world, a vacation is the perfect way to celebrate your A race being finished (and a good way to apologize to your family for how focused you’ve been…)

Be realistic about your available training time

Often, clients we chat with see vacation as a chance to do big miles… until they get there are quickly remember that living in a hotel room or beach house isn’t as simple as they anticipated, and days are somehow more jam-packed than a 9 to 5!

We actually recommend thinking about the ‘worst case’/’lowest available time’ as you’re planning for your vacation, and if you get to add in some bonus miles, great. But if you don’t, at least you weren’t planning a 20 hour week and ended up with 7. The more flexible you can be with training, the happier you’ll be at the end of the trip.

Pre-plan some compromises

If you’re on vacation with the whole family and still want to train, it’s best to pre-plan your training with your spouse/partner/the grandparents who are along as handy babysitters so you can schedule out the times where you can sneak away. (You will also want to allow your partner to do the same, so plan on being the parent who goes to the aquarium with the kiddos if your spouse takes them to the beach earlier that day.)

Even if you’re sans kids, pre-planning your big rides/runs is helpful—setting the expectations early regarding the time you’re spending together versus apart. Your partner might be expecting to go for long walks together in the afternoons, not hanging around the pool while you get in your long run.

Do the essentials early in the day

We talk about it for anytime, but vacations are even more fraught with ‘once the fay gets going, the schedule can change’ issues. Because of that, the 15 minute morning core/yoga/strength/jog becomes even more of a useful tool. Getting that quick win for the day in means that no matter what happens, you’ve done something and maintained training consistency.

If you do have a few key workouts that need to be done (i.e your A race is in 2 weeks and you have a couple final workouts on the schedule), try to get them in early in the day so you can get back to being in vacation mode.

Plan active family activities

Running around on the beach, playing frisbee with the kids, starting an epic splash fight in the pool, going on a family bike ride, getting surfing lessons—these may not be things that are on your training plan, but all movement is good movement! Consider setting up family challenges to see who can get the most steps in the day: Winner picks dinner, or the movie you’ll watch that night.

Focus on vacation benefits/what you can do

A chance to catch up on sleep, get your feet up, do some gentle yoga… Vacations can have plenty of athletic perks. Some hotels even have well-stocked gyms or classes that are included in your vacation package, and activities for kids so you can sneak in a workout guilt-free. Of course, there are downsides too, like if you’re in a situation where your healthy meal options are pretty limited.

There are plenty of things you can do to boost your overall wellness on vacation even in those situations: Making sure you’re drinking plenty of water along with those beachside margaritas, making it a goal to eat at least one fruit or vegetable with every meal.

Don’t forget to ENJOY your vacation

We see so many people panic about sneaking in rides/runs/strength while on vacation, and get so stressed about it that they end up forgetting to actually enjoy vacation at all. Even if it means you take a full week off and only do some morning core or yoga, we’ve found that if you actually are able to relax, destress, recover and spend good quality time with your loved ones, you come back more motivated and ready to train. Shoehorn training in, and you risk coming back grumpier and more tired than when you left!

• Whether to use Power, Heart Rate or Feeling to guide workouts
• Setting up your bike computer data screens for your best workout results
• Racing the short race as a good training experience
• Some ideas to help progress your bunny hops and getting air generally for adult cyclists

💬 Have a question for a Future Episode? Submit it anonymously here

This Episode is Brought to You By:

🛠️ Try the Payable Add-On for your next event, project or order-form to get paid in a google form:  PayableApps.com/ATHLETE – No app fees for 6 months! 

Curious about becoming a Consummate Athlete Podcast Sponsor? Please Connect with us HERE

Listen to the Latest Consummate Athlete Podcast

🎧 Listen & subscribe in Your Favorite Podcast App: https://pod.link/1100471297

Show Notes For This Consummate Athlete Podcast

• Consummate Athlete Phone Consultation
• Submit a question for a future episode with this anonymous form! 
• Camel Bak Chase Vest 
• Big water bottles are getting more popular
• ‘Ragtag Best Friends Bicycle Club’ book by Marley Blonskey 
• Shred Girls BOOK 4 – Get your Copy Today!
• Our Book ‘Becoming a Consummate Athlete’ 

Connect with Molly & Peter

• Subscribe to the Consummate Athlete Newsletter
• Books By Molly Hurford https://amzn.to/3bOztkN
• Follow The Consummate Athlete on Instagram and Facebook
• 🚴‍♂️ Ready to train smarter? 👉 consummateathlete.com/
• 💬 Have a question or Feedback for us? Submit it anonymously here

Similar Episodes and Posts to Check Out Next!

Frank Overton, 

 Dr. Erin Ayala 

Note: this is by NO means a comprehensive packing list, it’s more the “hmm” items that you might not think of. You can get a race day packing list from us right here!

The situation at Trans-Sylvania Epic, about 30 minutes from State College, Pennsylvania, was a bit unique: The race is centered around a Boy Scout camp, and we had a “rural cabin” setup. What we ended up doing was leaving our stuff in the cabin to keep it dry/secure and take advantage of the table so we could sit to work and charge phones, but we slept out in a tent. Breakfast and dinner were served in a mess hall, but no lunch. There were communal showers, and rural outhouses scattered around the campground, but real flush toilets in the mess hall and shower area.

At Quebec Singletrack, the setup was fairly similar: There’s a dining hall, a large area outside for tents/vans/RVs (we’ll be in our van) and there are washrooms and showers on site.

Essentials:

1. Snacks: Even if meals are provided at stage races, there’s no limit to how hungry you may get. Basically assume that you’ll need at least one extra meal and snack per day in addition to your on-bike food. We always have plenty of easy-to-eat stuff, then our cooking setup that lets us make basic dishes.
2. Flip-flops and drainable shower container: You’re walking where a bunch of other sweaty athletes, some with athlete’s foot, others with other gross “stuff” are walking. You want flip flops when you shower. Trust me. And a drainable shower container for your shampoo, loofah, whatever, is a good way to keep bacteria at bay—stuff gets soggy in a shower bag, so you want somewhere it can dry out every day.
3. Latex gloves. We don’t use these when we’re home and a sink is easy to access, but for post race bike cleaning and repairs when you don’t have easy water access, having gloves that prevent your hands from getting cakes in grease is a huge help.
4. Pre-wet Wipes: for your bike and your body! I love degreasing wipes for getting grease off my bike, but I also make sure I have some baby wipes for quick post-stage cleanups when I can’t get to the shower right away. (Note: I don’t use these unless we’re living out of the van, since I prefer skipping the harsh chemicals/single use stuff when there’s a simple alternative.)
5. Sunscreen: Obvious, but don’t forget it, especially if you’re in a fairly remote location. At TSEpic, we’re out in the woods and it would be a bit of a drive to get anywhere, so we tried to not leave camp unless necessary.
6. Surge protector: Between a thunderstorm that knocked out power and sparked outlets to just having one outlet for 10 people, it was awesome having a surge protector so we could power everything at once. If you’re really roughing it, stay tuned, since I’m also looking into some of those portable solar generators for more rustic trips.
7. Books/e-reader! Stage races can mean a lot of free time, and if you’re used to surfing the web or watching TV, you may find yourself at a disadvantage at night. I love having my iPad since it lit up so as it got dark I could still read, and I use my public library’s digital lending obsessively. I also will pre-download a few movies from Netflix or Apple TV (it’s how we got hooked on Ted Lasso recently!) because sometimes, you just need to veg in a tent and watch a show. Definitely ask your local library about digital lending if you’re like me and travel a ton! It makes packing light easier, and saves a lot of money on overdue charges…
8. Sheet: even if it’s cold enough to be in your sleeping bag, having a sheet in there will make it feel a lot more like home. And if it’s ultra-hot, it’s nice to have something, even if you’re just sticking it on top of your nylon sleeping bag to avoid sticking to it. (This one actually goes into a sleeping bag!)
9. Comfy clothing for warm / cool conditions. Having truly comfortable clothing for cold or warm conditions makes a big difference. And it sounds weird, but expect to end up feeling puffy by the end of these races, since your body is getting more inflamed by the day. Opt for those larger size sweats! This also includes some kind of slipper situation, like my favorite North Face Booties or Glerup clogs. So nice to get out of tight shoes after a day on the bike!
10. Toilet paper: Do I really need to say more?

Extras:

1. Turkish towel: I love having one of these for chilly nights, but also to double as a skirt or wraparound top if I really need it. It’s cozier than a sweatshirt but doesn’t add a ton of bulk to your race bag. And you have a spare towel!
2. Rain boots: Even if there’s no rain in the forecast, it might happen. Regardless though, if you’re in a grassy area, it’s usually pretty dew-y out in the morning, and if you don’t have rain boots, your sandals/feet/sneakers/riding shoes are going to be soaked before you even make it to breakfast.
3. Detergent: Even if you don’t think you’ll be doing your own laundry, you never know what may happen, and being able to wash your clothes on the fly is always a good thing. Even getting a couple of travel-size packs before you leave and stashing them in your first aid or shower kit is a good move, if you’re trying to keep gear light.
4. Rice cooker/electric kettle/camp stove: Just something to warm up food/water. On chilly nights, it’s pretty awesome to settle into the tent with a cup of tea. Don’t forget the mug/bowl though! Again, while most stage races have a food setup, the more solo you can be, the better. Still eat the race food, but it’s nice to not be pacing angrily waiting for dinner or coffee in the morning!
5. Snacks (other than ride food): There are only so many bars you can eat. A break from them post-race is sort of amazing, and I was so happy to tortilla chips and avocados before dinner some days. Real food makes a big difference in how your stomach feels.
6. Can opener and eating utensils: Sure, there’s food there. But you never know when you’ll need that bonus can of beans that you brought with you, or need a midnight snack. Having your own eating utensils is a huge advantage when you’re starving post-stage and just want to eat that damn can of soup.
7. Fold-out chair/hammock: You race hard, you have a whole afternoon ahead of you before the dinner bell. Odds are you want to relax, and it’s a lot easier to do in a camp chair or portable hammock. I recommend the hammock for three reasons. A) It’s awesome. Obviously. B) Nylon hammocks are pretty inexpensive. C) In a pinch, it can double as an emergency blanket. I kept mine in my truck (you know, for hammock emergencies), and last year while truck camping for the Mont Sainte Anne World Cup, temperatures dropped like crazy overnight and I’m fairly certain I would have been hypothermic by morning if I hadn’t been wrapped up in that.
8. While it’s awesome to pack light, I also realized that it’s never a bad idea to have extra: gloves, socks, helmet, tires, glasses, toothbrush (you can be someone’s hero, or it’s there if you lose yours!), underwear, cycling shorts/jerseys… Basically, if you know you’re using it every day, don’t skimp on how much you bring.

Don’t bring:

1. That book you’ve been meaning to read for the past 5 years: You’re going to be exhausted. If you haven’t been psyched enough to read it yet, this will not be the week.
2. That new recovery drink formula you haven’t tried yet. You don’t want to be running for the outhouse at 2 a.m. or having issues during your training or racing.
3. Any clothing that you think you might one day wear. This is probably not that day, aim to use things you have tested in training (are you sensing a theme here?)

–

• The Unbound 2026 race
• key takeaways from the 3 athletes we coached at Unbound who Raced the Sun (and won!)
• A listener question about ‘why am I cramping’
• how to avoid cramps, how to make cramps less likely
• how to deal with cramps when they happen
• A recent case-study on a 92-year old sprinter

💬 Have a question for a Future Episode? Submit it anonymously here

This Episode is Brought to You By:

🛠️ Try the Payable Add-On for your next event, project or order-form to get paid in a google form:  PayableApps.com/ATHLETE – No app fees for 6 months! 

Curious about becoming a Consummate Athlete Podcast Sponsor? Please Connect with us HERE

Listen to the Latest Consummate Athlete Podcast

🎧 Listen & subscribe in Your Favorite Podcast App: https://pod.link/1100471297

Show Notes For This Consummate Athlete Podcast

• Consummate Athlete Phone Consultation
• Submit a question for a future episode with this anonymous form! 
• The Queen Stage Podcast –
• Camel Bak Chase Vest 
• Big water bottles are getting more popular
• Our Book ‘Becoming a Consummate Athlete’ 

Connect with Molly & Peter

• Subscribe to the Consummate Athlete Newsletter
• Books By Molly Hurford https://amzn.to/3bOztkN
• Follow The Consummate Athlete on Instagram and Facebook
• 🚴‍♂️ Ready to train smarter? 👉 consummateathlete.com/
• 💬 Have a question or Feedback for us? Submit it anonymously here

Similar Episodes and Posts to Check Out Next!

Marley Blonsky

Dr. Erin Ayala

Normand Richard

Know how much to push + when to let your racer quit

This is such a tricky tightrope for crew members to walk, whether it’s your kid, spouse, friend or teammate in the race. When I came in at 50 miles feeling chilled and in relatively rough shape, Peter jumped into action and bundled me up and tried to troubleshoot the next lap. When I came in the next lap in much rougher shape and still struggling to get warm, he went through a few options and ways we could try to troubleshoot again. But he also didn’t push me or bully me to get back on the course. It can be really challenging for a partner to figure out when a racer is truly done, and I think the general rule—which obviously will vary a bit person to person—is that you should offer ways to troubleshoot a situation where your racer wants to quit. But the decision is ultimately theirs.

Have that quitting discussion pre-race

Look, no amount of pre-race discussion will prepare you for in the moment. Your racer may say they want tough love and a push to get back out on course, but you won’t be able to gauge how they’ll actually feel in the race until they’re in it. So take this with a grain of salt, but it is helpful to know if your racer is the kind of person who wants/needs the tough love because they know they’ll hit a point where they want to quit even when they can keep going, or if your racer is confident that they know themselves well enough to know that if they want to pull the plug, that decision is legit and should be respected, not argued.

Respect how much they want to know post-race

I admit, after leaving Ancaster this weekend, I really, really didn’t want to know how the race was going. I knew that once I warmed up, from the coziness of the van, I would start to think about ‘what if’ if I wasn’t careful, and I have a pretty strict ‘no what ifs’ policy. And if I started to skim results and find out what was going on in the race, I knew I would end up feeling crappy about it. So, I stopped looking at the race results until enough time had passed that I could without feeling stressy about it.

Enforce the no what ifs policy

Speaking of what ifs… for you and the person racing, it’s time to stop with the quantum physics ‘in a different world’ mentalities. If there was something you could learn from the race, that’s great—make a note. But don’t beat yourself or your racer up with ‘if only…’ or ‘what if…’ because it didn’t happen. We’ve talked a lot now about what we would do if that race had been one where just getting to the finish line was the goal, or if it had been a national championship or some other race like that. How would we handle those conditions next time? That is a good question, but doing the ‘if only we had…’ and playing out different scenarios that could have happened doesn’t help anyone.

Celebrate the small wins

We talked this week on the podcast about training and the process really being the part of the goal that matters the most. Remind your person of that fact: Did they train appropriately for the event? Did they show up ready? Did they have a great lap or two in the race? What little pieces can you celebrate? It’s not always easy to find a silver lining, but we do need to find the pieces that are worth shouting out!

Remind them that racing doesn’t define them

If your racer is caught in a bit of a shame spiral post-race, this is understandable. It’s easy to start questioning why a race went badly, to start feeling bad about your fitness/mental toughness/planning/whatever. And to some extent, it can be helpful if it informs your next race / training going forward. But remind your racer that one bad day of racing doesn’t reflect on them as an athlete or a person. It’s just one day.

Don’t ascribe your emotions onto them

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not tell them how they shouldn’t feel. I have a lot of amazing people in my life that I love very much, but I’ve had a few texts (and one call from my dad) come in that are phrased as “I know you’re probably feeling really bad about quitting” or “I know you’re probably questioning XYZ…” These are well-intentioned, and also utterly unhelpful. The funny thing is that I wasn’t feeling bad about quitting or questioning my fitness/mental toughness/whatever. But getting those messages made me feel bad that I wasn’t feeling bad. (“Am I even an athlete if I don’t feel bad about this? Should I feel bad?”) Just don’t put feelings in an athlete’s mouth—maybe that’s how you would have felt, but it’s not necessarily how they feel.

Try to get them to pause before planning the next thing… whatever it is

Friends don’t let friends panic-register for races because a race doesn’t go well. It’s tempting to immediately get back on the horse and try again—but urge your person to take a few days before committing to the next thing (or quitting the sport altogether).

• Molly’s race and DNF at Sulphur Sprin
• 3 things to consider before a big race like Unbound 200 mile gravel coming up this weekend
• Brief preview around Unbound week and weather
• Listener mailbag/ feedback from the ‘what not to do on race day’ episode last week

💬 Have a question for a Future Episode? Submit it anonymously here

This Episode is Brought to You By:

🛠️ Try the Payable Add-On for your next event, project or order-form to get paid in a google form:  PayableApps.com/ATHLETE – No app fees for 6 months! 

Curious about becoming a Consummate Athlete Podcast Sponsor? Please Connect with us HERE

Listen to the Latest Consummate Athlete Podcast

🎧 Listen & subscribe in Your Favorite Podcast App: https://pod.link/1100471297

Show Notes For This Consummate Athlete Podcast

• Consummate Athlete Phone Consultation
• Submit a question for a future episode with this anonymous form! 
• ‘what not to do on race day’ episode last week
• supporting partner at a big race – post
• Queenstage womens cycling podcast

Connect with Molly & Peter

• Subscribe to the Consummate Athlete Newsletter
• Books By Molly Hurford https://amzn.to/3bOztkN
• Follow The Consummate Athlete on Instagram and Facebook
• 🚴‍♂️ Ready to train smarter? 👉 consummateathlete.com/
• 💬 Have a question or Feedback for us? Submit it anonymously here

Similar Episodes and Posts to Check Out Next!

Megan Roche, 

Dr. Erin Ayala , 

Dr. Scott Frey

I’ve realized that when I’m on the athlete side of the spectrum, I’m not great at asking for what I actually could use in the moment, so I wanted to reverse-engineer the day and make a list! We’ve also had our share of issues with this as we’ve navigated athlete/partner life and our relationship over the years. It’s become even trickier with DW along in most cases, and I know that the situation is even wilder when kids are added to the mix.

So, for any partners looking to be supportive, I thought I’d share a few ideas—and these are true for any race, whether it’s a local 5K or mountain bike race or a 100-miler or 24-hour race.

And with that in mind… Note that this isn’t a must-do, or a “if you don’t do these things, you’re a bad partner.” This is just mean to be helpful if you’re hoping to support your partner but this is their first adventure, or you’re simply hoping to make their day smooth. In some cases, for parents in particular, the best way you can help may simply be being in charge of the kiddos at home while your partner goes off on their adventure with friends.

PS: If you’re the athlete and are reading this, make sure you’ve also read our article about finding/”managing” your support crew right here: Finding Your Athletic Support Crew

It’s all about pre-race communication

We talk about this A TON on the podcast when it comes to planning your season, but step 1 to being/having a supportive partner is getting on the same page about your goals, and what those goals look like in reality. We recently had this come up while talking about Quebec Singletrack, which Peter is racing and I’m supporting. I hadn’t realized that part of the race is that each day is a remote start/finish, and while there are buses to take racers to the start/finish spots, Peter was planning on us driving to each so that his day could be done sooner and start smoother. This was partially so that I would then be able to go do my run, but I admit, when he first said it, my response was less than thrilled. But he’s supported me through so many races, and if this race is a goal for him (it is), then I want to do everything I can to make sure he has a great day. Ultimately, it’s all good—and I’m really glad we had that talk months before the race rather than it coming up on race day! We had a similar situation come up as we prepped for me to race the Leadville Marathon—Peter didn’t realize he’d be able to crew at one aid station, but it will be possible, so that changes the lens of what I need from him that day. So step one: get clear on travel plans, race dates and the expectations for race day.

ABS (Always Bring Snacks)

I wasn’t expecting to have a couple of bonus water/snack stops when I did that solo 100K, but Peter still had a full array of snacks and water with him when he came back to meet me at the 80KM mark and a few other stops on the way. I didn’t really need anything, but if I had, it would have made my day. Snacks for afterwards were also extremely helpful. Basically, ensure that when your partner sees you, they aren’t heading into hangry territory. A bag of chips, a Snickers and a Coke on hand can completely change how the day feels.

Bring the kiddos or pup to cheer, but be respectful of your partner’s goals

The best thing that happened to me during my run was that Peter brought DW to a few spots to cheer me on. But he kept DW on a leash and didn’t let him take off with me! I could see this applying to kids as well: It could be really motivating to see your kids cheering you on, maybe holding signs, but it could really throw off your rhythm if they want to talk to you and run with you and want hugs. So tread lightly here—support is great, but don’t turn it into a family gathering mid-adventure (unless that’s part of the plan all along)!

Take photos

Especially in events that aren’t exactly big with race photographers (ultra-endurance races and any FKT-ish attempts), having a few photos is just so damn nice.

Help with the post-adventure breakdown

I had tears in my eyes the morning after my big run when we got home and I realized that Peter had brought in my duffel bag, unloaded my gross sweaty gear, and already tossed it in the wash. It probably took him all of 2 minutes to do, but I was exhausted and stiff, and all I wanted to do was shower and then lay on the couch. I would have left my duffel bag out in the van and had to deal with it in the morning, and it weirdly meant a lot that I didn’t have to.

Make a dinner plan

Even if you’re not usually the one on dinner duty, have a plan in place for whatever meal is happening when they finish. It may or may not get eaten, but it will be noted (I only wanted a protein shake after my run, but the pizza Peter brought to the finish was deeply appreciated). This is going to be a big thing with a stage race like QSE that involves camping and remote start/finishes—making sure that I have the van equipped with the post-race food he needs is one major way I can help him have a good race week.

Listen

Honestly, the nicest thing that Peter has done for me is simply listening to my endless recount of how things went and what I learned and how things felt. I am very sure he’s damn sick of hearing about it, but he’s been letting me ramble. Your support matters hugely to your athlete, and a big part of that is just listening to them.

Congratulate

Like listening, this is such a big thing. If you’re not prone to big displays of emotion, it might be tough—I know my dad is always super proud of me, for example, and he’s at every finish line he can make it to, but after the race is done, he’s more on the ‘how you can improve’ versus ‘I’m so proud’ bandwagon. It’s just his style. But honestly, just saying, ‘I’m so proud of you’ really hits deep.

If you’re the athlete…

I have a couple of suggestions for how you can make things easier on yourself and your partner

Write out your schedule

In as much detail as possible, including anything he or she needs to do, i.e pickups and dropoffs. The more specific you make this, the less likely you are to end up in a fight about when you needed to be out the door. If needed, provide route maps. Share your location. I thought I was super specific back when I was managing a cyclocross team, or planning that 100K. But it was NOTHING compared to the pages after pages I had ready to go for my first 100-miler. And ICYMI, NOT having that list 100% dialed in was also the downfall of my QMT race last summer.

Print this out. Do not assume you will have cell coverage to open a doc on your phone.

Lay out what exactly would make your day good.

Don’t make your partner be a mind-reader. What I’ve realized is that most partners want to be supportive, and are super stoked for your success… but they just don’t really know what it is that you need. I don’t need flowers (or want them, to be honest) but I do want a cold drink, and I really want to just lay down with the dog and chill. For parents, this is a huge thing to discuss! I know a lot of women I run with have small children at home, and I know on race days, it makes a big difference if they’ve already discussed that in the afternoon post-race, they also get time to nap and recover, and aren’t immediately expected to be back to family time. Flip side, some of them LOVE doing something with the whole family after, like hitting the beach. You may not realize that all you need to do is ask for what you want! This may mean hiring a sitter or asking grandparents to help out, or it may mean that after you finish your run or ride, you’re driving home solo and you just know that you’ll stop at Starbucks or Dairy Queen or wherever on the way home and enjoy some solitude before walking in the door. (And remember, if you’re hoping your partner will extend these courtesies to you, make sure you also support their goals!)

We worked with the company to develop templates for different uses, like team registrations, jersey sales, and donation drives, but we also use the Payable Addon for Google Forms ourselves because it’s simple, affordable, and does exactly what we need without the bloat or fees that eat into what we’re trying to build.

Why We Use Payable

Over the years we’ve hosted cycling camps, skills clinics, book talks, and worked with clubs on everything from event logistics to sponsorships. We’ve watched coaches, athletes, and organizers get frustrated with bloated software that charges 5-10% on top of credit card fees. For a small coaching business or small clubs, that math doesn’t work. The extra cost either gets passed to participants or the organizer’s margin shrinks until it’s not worth doing anymore.

Payable was created it to solve exactly this problem. Google Forms makes it easy to collect information, but they don’t handle payments. Payable bridges that gap without the overhead of enterprise tools built for companies that don’t exist yet.

We started using it for one-off jersey orders for our coaching clients. Now, we also use it to route all of our services into one handy form we can share with athletes who want to work with us. They use the link to signup for multiple services and choose the right option for them. It’s the tool we recommend to other coaches and one we have put in place with our local MTB club. Payable Forms is a great option for those who are just getting started and don’t want to deal with expensive platforms or complex integrations. If you’re testing the waters of selling a digital or physical product, collecting donations for a nonprofit, or you are starting a simple club and don’t want to mess around with a website, this is a fantastic easy option.

For us, we like that we can have a one-stop shop for service payments: whether you’re interested in a training plan, booking a coaching call, joining one of our bike skills clinics, or signing up for ongoing coaching, we put together one form that collects everything we need and lets you pay securely. Try Our Services Form and feel free to poke around: You can explore what we offer without committing to anything. If you have questions about which option fits your goals feel free to book a call and we can chat about your training (or about Payable Forms!)

What Else You Can Do with Our Payable Google Form?

The beauty of this setup is flexibility. You can use the same form to:

• Sign up for a training plan tailored to your event and schedule
• Book a coaching call to discuss your goals
• Register for a live bike skills lessons (or three! )
• Join our ongoing coaching program

All of it happens in one place, with one payment, one form, no surprise fees. You fill it out, submit your info and payment, and we get back to you.

Try Our Services Form if you want to try out a Payable Form and/or to book a service with Consummate Athlete!

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