Ep 05: Kate Courtney is a World Champion, World Cup Overall Champion, and 2021 Olympic XCO Mountain Biking Hopeful
The world of women's cross country cycling is more exciting than ever and one of the reasons for this is the amazing Kate Courtney, who joins us on today's show! Kate is a world champion and was also crowned the overall world champion for the year of 2019 after a string of amazing results, and now her sights are set firmly on the Olympics in Tokyo, scheduled for later this year. As arguably the most exciting cyclist in the world at present, it is an honor to speak to Kate about her recent victories, current training regimen, and how she has managed the ups and downs of riding through the pandemic. We talk about indoor rides and her thoughts on the new technologies that make this more possible, engaging, and effective. We also get into the role of her family in motivating her and keeping her on track with her goals. Kate gives great insight into the life of a traveling competitor, talking about experiences of racing in Europe and the practices that have made these trips more manageable. We also discuss sports psychology and the importance of this aspect of preparation for the highest levels of athleticism, before our conversation turns to the important topic of more gender equality in cycling and beyond. We finish off this fascinating chat with some practical questions around training environments, bike choice, and the people that keep Kate inspired!
Key Points From This Episode:
Kate's 'double day' training routine that she did before this interview!
The low down on the boot camp in Malibu that Kate recently took part in.
The metrics that Kate pays attention to in real-time to stay on track.
Challenging and exciting climbs in Malibu; favorites and highlights.
How Kate has utilized indoor training practices and gear since the pandemic started.
The rescheduling of the Olympics and what the event might look like in Tokyo.
Kate's scheduling working up to the Olympics and managing races after long travel times.
Thoughts on the possibility of expanding the cross country cycling events at the Olympics.
The recent evolution of sports psychology and the big part this plays in Kate's training.
Learning to stay present and managing emotions during a big event.
Kate's powerful victory at the 2018 World Championship!
The issue of gender equality in sport; Kate's experience of difficulties and progress in this regard.
A new kind of feminism in sport and going beyond comparisons and dated attitudes.
Looking at Kate's current bike quiver; which bikes she uses for different rides.
Developing difficult technical skills outside of dedicated bike parks.
Kate's recommendations for great accounts to follow on Instagram!
Tweetables:
“This year, we worked really hard to make it happen and get down there, do it in a safe way and be able to be together and train together.” — @sparkleaddict [0:03:46]
“In training, you have to be really specific and deliberate and follow your training numbers and accomplish these workouts. But when you're racing, it's all bets are off, you go as deep and as hard and as long as you can go.” — @sparkleaddict [0:04:19]
“I'm really happy at home. And I think that plays a huge part as well, just having that environment where you can push and train and really get strong in the offseason has been big for me.” — @sparkleaddict [0:21:14]
“Mental toughness is a learned skill and it's something you can get better at and you can practice and you can develop all these tools so that when things happen, you have the right answer, you have the right tool and way to move forward.” — @sparkleaddict [0:24:51]