Mountain Views, By a “Lady”
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therapy
holographic nail polish chakra necklace earrings with black cats hanging by one paw happy hour San Diego office chair with 5 inches of memory foam (my toes don’t reach the floor) purple hair throw pillows shaped like succulents Hawaii climbing rope called a hummingbird copay reading pillows with cell phone pockets $100 ballet ticket lox…
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Change the Channel
I first heard this phrase used by Taylor Swift in her Miss Americana documentary on Netflix. She’s in the car being driven somewhere, and she’s describing what she does with her mind when she begins to think negative thoughts about herself. When dark thoughts start to creep in that are unhealthy, she says “we’re just…
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Confidence vs. Swagger
I wish I could say that as an mtb late-comer, I discovered that I have an inner Jill Kintner that doesn’t think twice before hucking her meat and riding all the sketch gnar at warp speed like it’s a bike path. I wish I discovered I am the girl in the helmet who looks at…
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It’s Fall. Harry is Here.
[This post has no spider photos, but it does have an optional soundtrack.] My default road rides take me through downtown San Jose toward Alum Rock Park and the hillsides beneath Mount Hamilton. For a girl who loves to climb–on a bike, on rocks, you name it–it’s a much better route than the default loop…
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10 Years Ago I Had Six-Pack Abs. I Don’t Miss Them.
Content warning: discussion of body image, weight, and disordered eating relating to sport. If you’ve hung out with me on the trails or climbed with me in the past couple years, at some point I’ve probably talked your ear off about eating. My eating habits have changed dramatically for the better in the past 7…
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Reviews: Leatt Airflex Ultra Lite Knee Guard, Troy Lee Speed Elbow Sleeves
My dear friend Emily, who is an amazing rider, taught me a few years ago that elbow pads and knee pads are like bravery sleeves for mountain biking. Ever since then I’ve put on my pads when I am not having a confident day or when I know I want to try to send rocks,…
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Goals, being vulnerable
Yesterday while driving to our weekly team mtb ride at Skeggs, I listened to Ellen Noble’s latest episode on her podcast “This One’s for You” where she interviews Hilary Swirlbul, an Olympian nordic skier who recently retired from professional competition at the age of 25. This was just a few weeks ago in relation to…
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Sally McRae’s book: Choose Strong
Mercifully, I have about a week left before I need to start prepping for Fall term teaching, so I have been trying to finish up my summer pleasure reading list. Sally McRae’s book Choose Strong: The Choice That Changes Everything was on my radar because I follow her Instagram account yellowrunner, and I also recently…
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How I record and repeat trail rides
Note: I originally wrote this post for Girls Rock, with whom I like to guide women’s intermediate-ish rides in Santa Cruz. I get a lot of requests for how riders new to the area can repeat the ride, especially in UCSC, where trail finding is cryptic and trails outside of Wilder are unmarked. One thing…
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Hello, friend!
I started this project after years of searching the web for the documented experiences of and reviews by regular (i.e., not sponsored champions) women mountain athletes. As a very experienced (read: 20+ years) rock climber and an always stoked but less experienced biker, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I know what I know…
Mountain Lady Views 