Laura King

Leading By Example

By InnerVoice

February 22^nd, 2019

Learning to slow down

Since my last InnerVoice, I married my love, Ted King, moved across the country to Vermont (a state of only 600k people), decided to leave my job and figured after all of that, why not buy a house on 10 acres with a pond and two barns? In my previous post, I must’ve been unknowingly foretelling myself advice for the future as I wrote about being someone who seeks to pursue growth and avoid stagnancy.

It would be hard to convey how terrifying each of those decisions was, and how long it took me to make some of them—well, not the marrying Ted part, but each decision led to so many pleasant surprises. If I had some advice for my Type-A self, it would’ve been to stop worrying about what ‘could happen’. Though it may still look like we live our lives at full gas all the time, we’ve embraced the Vermont pace and appreciate the beauty in slowing down. We experienced new friends drop everything and bring their entire family to help us move in, and neighbors who brought housewarming gifts. Those are the elements that have made Vermont feel like home very quickly and also had us taking notes about the type of friends we wish to be. Learning to slow down in this world where we are pushing and pushing for achievement has been a meaningful takeaway for me.

In terms of the bike, I fought the demons of a DNF at the Belgian Waffle Ride in 2017 to come back in 2018 and take 2nd place. Ted also took home 2nd place, and his face as I came across the finish line was one of my most favorite moments. The best feeling is having someone to share your joys and triumphs with, right along with the tough days too. One week later, we flew to Vermont to race Rasputitsa and also to scope the neighborhoods for where we wanted to settle come June. We arrived from San Diego’s 85-degree sweltering heat to a late April snowstorm. Walking down the street, Ted turned to look at me and tears were running down my face. The landscape was still barren and dead from winter, the colors grey, the air cold and I had feelings of panic that we had made a terrible decision to leave the temperate climate of California.

This is what misery looks like, I thought.

What a difference a few days can make. The sun came out, we experienced the community of New Englanders and their strong fitness despite a long winter. I laughed my way through the race’s icy roads, took a maple syrup shot, pushed my bike up the snowy Cyberia segment and crossed the finish running in the snow with my bike.

It was a blast, and maybe, just maybe, this new place wasn’t going to be so bad after all...

SBT GRVL

Having been acquainted with Mark Satkiewicz through the outdoor/cycling industry, when he called to talk about his vision for Steamboat Gravel (SBT GRVL) and explained the players involved, I knew that all cylinders were firing in terms of effort and momentum. In 2016, I took part in a Rapha Prestige race and some of it was on the very roads we’ll ride for SBT GRVL. The riding was spectacular, but my fondest memories were from the 120 gravel miles with three strong and fierce compatriots, Lentine Alexis, Kate Powlison and Pia Smith. We were the only female team to finish the full course and ended up beating many of the all-male teams. It’s THAT—that feeling of camaraderie, badassery, and toughness of fellow female riders that have really inspired me as an athlete. I’ll carry that with me through 140 miles of Steamboat’s terrain.

Steamboat Gravel is leading by example in terms of pushing for equal male-female participation. Cycling is still a male-dominated sport. We, as participants and riders, need to do our part so that the rising tide lifts those boats. The fact that Mark and his team reopened registration through the #SBTPARITY campaign to give more women a chance to participate is a testament to their commitment and vision of equal participation in the future.

Maybe gravel is the solution? It’s funny because an older cyclist in Vermont recently remarked to me “Gravel is a thing? That’s all we’ve ever been riding.” I loved that answer because though this a newer category of racing, it also has a roots feel—a return to the way things should be. What does that mean? It means inclusivity is key to the sport, it means appreciating our land, our views, and vistas, embracing adventure as a part of the journey and riding for a finish or to be competitive for a win. And after the race, it means having the opportunity to celebrate that finish with everyone in the event collectively in a festival-style atmosphere. Male or female, that is appealing, but where the intimidation factor can be a barrier, this is a compelling selling point.

The FUTURE IS FEMALE

I think it’s important to recognize that many brands and events are leading by example in terms of investing in women with the belief that it will continue to pay dividends. That’s not to mention that many consumers nowadays are looking to support companies with an ethos that they can believe in from a holistic perspective. Velocio Apparel builds and designs their line equally for men and women, Trek is putting their money where their mouth is by fully funding and operating a women’s World Tour team, and SRAM’s new ETAP AXS just launched and used the image of a strong woman for their main campaign. Gone are the days of a ‘pink it and shrink it’ mentality for women’s product development. The consumer is hungry for better. Any industry company that is not currently pushing in this direction is missing out on capturing the growth that is both here and that holds much more opportunity for the future.

It is going to take efforts in a multitude of areas for this to really come to fruition. We have NICA which is an incredible organization working to get #morekidsonbikes. I’ve guest coached at some of these practices, and the female contingent is still quite small, comparatively speaking. Female coaches can make an extraordinary impact on young females interested in the sport. Building on that, Little Bella’s, founded by Vermont’s Lea Davidson and her sister Sabra, have been leaders in paving the road for young females. And finally, women supporting women. The sport can be intimidating, and there are many barriers to entry that removing one can make an impact—so one “hello” at a race, invite to a group ride, finding an opportunity to pass down knowledge that someone taught you, connecting through a social media network (and hopefully also in real life): be bold, take the first step.

If it weren’t for bikes, I wouldn’t have made so many meaningful friendships in Vermont with ease. My first friendship came through a woman on Strava reaching out saying “I heard you moved to the area, if you’d like a trail guide, I’d be happy to show you around.” Another came from a local race where post-event she said, “I heard you moved down the road from me, we should ride sometime.” These are simple gestures but have made me so thankful for a common thread and has influenced me to reach out to others in the same way. These matter; each one does make a difference.

Rooted

Ted and I named our forthcoming gravel event “Rooted Vermont” because feeling “Rooted” has taken on new meaning as we settle into a new community. I’ve never been so excited to be a part of helping grow a community and being an active contributor to it. Putting down roots in a place has also made me really appreciate home, despite how awesome it has been and still is to travel and ride our bikes all over the world. I’ve been blessed to be in a position to pursue new creative avenues as I figure out what my career evolution looks like here in Vermont. I’m taking some new leaps, with the support of my husband and seeing what happens. Growing UnTapped is also a huge collective goal, and it’s been special to be in Vermont so we can be as committed as possible to that venture.

Who I want to be in the future follows the same theme—being present, less caught up in the busyness and stress of life and more available to invest in my friendships, community, and family around me. Friendships with deep roots are the most meaningful.

Stay tuned for more details on “Rooted VT: Return to Gravel” and its launch in March and event date of Aug 3, 2019. You can also follow the King family escapades on our Youtube channel and the #GroadtoKanza video series.