Unbound, lab coats, and ChatCBD

This week is (almost) all about Unbound, which took place over the weekend. Sarah was commentating for the live broadcast and got to see firsthand just how wrecked the equipment and riders were by the mud and storms. Hannah was watching the live feed and witnessed another type of carnage in the comments section. They talk about how the race went down, where Sarah and a dead raccoon fit into it, and get uncharacteristically technical about the presence of 32” wheels and the dominance of the new Specialized Crux. But before all that, Hannah shares some exciting news about a DNA test she got (for her dog), provides an update on the influencer hiking the PCT, and the MRI she got in Albuquerque. 

This episode is sponsored by Thank Gravel It’s Friday and the Ride for Hope.  

Instagram: @talking.over.you

Transcript

0:02

Welcome to Talking Over You with Sarah Sturm and Hannah Sturm. Here we go. If you're gonna be an asshole, at least at least be funny. I thought it was a man coon. We need to have like a real athlete on here. It makes me consider different careers every time I have to pee in my chamois. I know you have so much to talk about. Um we have to do an ad read first. I know. We have to do an ad read, and then I want to get my shit in really fast. No, you should. And I should, because then we'll be full. Because we're gonna move on without you. Hi, good morning. Hi! Nope, not so much morning anymore. It's okay, I won't say anything about it. Sarah was late. And that's okay. I'm feeling pretty chill about it, actually. You are being really chill. I felt really bad. I had all the intentions of not being late, and Dylan even was there with me making the decisions. Juntos. And still, I was looking at your location. I texted Sarah and I was like, I'll probably leave at 9.45 this morning. I know, but it was like 9.45 and you were still in Mancos. Well, I always give you a buffer. I gave you a 15-minute buffer. Well, I didn't know that. Well, so then Sarah went on a hike, and so I got here at 10.45. And Sarah was like, We're five minutes away from the car, and then you were here in 30 minutes. We went five minutes. Well, I had to pee like four more times. Okay. Well, we made it. Here we are. Okay. Um, I'm gonna do our ad reads because they're exciting. Um, more exciting than listening to us bicker. Yeah. True. I still every time someone's like, I love the podcast, I'm like, Do you have siblings? And they're like, I have a sister, and I'm like, that's why. You know what it's like to fight. Um, okay, again this week, thank you so much to Thank Gravel It's Friday, also known as T G I F, and uh Ride the Ride for Hope. Um, they are two sponsors um and they have some really exciting things going on. Think Gravel It's Friday um is a riding group in the Boulder, Denver area, and they have a far out event. Well, they have two, it seems like, uh, two events, um, one on July 25th and one on August 29th called a far out event, um, which is a free gravel ride through the foothills of the Rockies starting in Boulder. Um, and it's aimed to give people an experience of a big event without the upfront monetary investment and all the hype and vibes are included. Um, just no huge cost, which is awesome because this if if you live in that area, I don't know why you wouldn't go check that out. Because or even if you live further away and you want to go check it out, seems like a weekend out of it. Yep. Go get a tattoo. In Boulder? Yeah, no, and it's like the Boulder Denver area. Okay. Um, but yeah, so they uh more information about that um is on their Instagram, which is Think Gravel. It's Friday. They have a really cute logo. And then excitingly, TGIF is also partnering with uh Ride for Hope to raise awareness and funds for mental health um to support initiatives in Colorado communities. Building community is the best way to combat isolation and loneliness. Yeah. Awesome. Heck yeah. Uh when is Ride for Hope? Okay, so then the Ride for Hope um is actually more of a bike packing adventure. Um, and it's over four days from Cleveland to Cincinnati, Ohio, roughly 340 miles of uh rails to trail um and path tra like bike path trails sounds freaking awesome. Um they camp each night packing um all of their camping gear and food on the bike, so self-supported. Um they have a 30-person cap this year, and they only, I mean, I'm sure they have fewer spots than last week. So they only had 20 last week. Um, and that is in Ohio, September 18th to the 21st. Um and that is the ride for hope. Um, but you can follow both of them, have clearer information than me spewing it at you on the on the pod. But Think Gravel, it's Friday is their Instagram handle and the ride for hope underscore. Um, and they'll have way more details um regarding the events and other awesome adventures that you can sign up for um and how to sign up for those things. So thank you. Yeah. Every once in a while I'm like, oh, it would be cool to ride bikes and stuff like this, where I'm like, okay, that would be a fun reason to get on the bikes. I'm not going to, but for no will. I know we talk about bike racing a ton on this pod. Well, not a ton. Enough. Not not that much, but okay, a little bit. Uh, but there's some really like there's so much else out there that doesn't have to do with race the race side of it. Um yeah, it's crazy. Like there's and honestly, like I've really been enjoying like getting to experience some of those pieces, a part of bike races for sure, but like without the stress of like worrying about like getting off my feet. But there's so so many. I'm like also I'm like, oh, August 29th, I wonder if I'll feel okay. No, by then you'll have a tiny itty bitty baby. You won't be good at all. You'll have a bitty baby, you won't feel good at all. I think you're gonna feel crazy. But yeah, maybe not a chance. A girl can hope. A girl can't ride for hope. All right. Okay, I have so so much, so I'll let whoa, I'll let you. I have a couple of updates. Um I'm so excited. Okay, so one for my birthday, Jeff. That's not what I'm excited about. Oh, what are you excited about? Uh, Apple. Well, that's what I was getting to. Give me a freaking second. Um, for my birthday, Jeff got me a DNA test for the dog, um, which I've wanted forever and just have never been like, oh, I have an extra hundred dollars. Immediately swabbed her mouth. Like, first thing, opened it and just like swabbed her mouth, sent it off. You have to wait a couple weeks. So we just got results back. I'm so curious. Okay, for people who don't know my dog, I'm so sorry. Um, she's like 40 pounds, little in black, tiny little ears. So very strange, very odd. I think really, really weird dogs, endearing way. Yeah. Like she's really low maintenance in some ways. She's super independent. She doesn't, she wants to be around people, but she also doesn't. She doesn't want to sit in your lap. Unless she gives. I remember when my friend Emily was over here, who's a dog person, and Emily was like, How should I be around Apple? And you were like, Yeah, she does give a lot of cues like she's about to bite. Like she does, like she just stares at you. Yeah, she just stares. She's like a little gargoyle. Yeah, fruit bat. Uh she's yeah. So I'm curious what you think her part fruit bat, part seal. Sarah, I literally, Jeff had like a pool with his family about like everyone was guessing what her breed was. I guessed I fruit, bat, and seal. Those were the things that I said. And Jeff was like a tabby cat and a panther, and like all the things. No, fruit bat and seal. His family was like a beagle and a and a lab. And I was like, oh my god, wrong. Okay, I don't think she's lab. Okay. But now I'm like, ugh, now that I say that, I feel like labs are in everything. But she has zero part of lab personality. Totally. Like none. Yep. Maybe the aloof. This is also, I literally said fruit bat seal, and then I said, I think she's part skipper key and not skipper. I didn't say skipper key. I said pipple and chihuahua. Um lab is also what I say. I think skipper key, chihuahua, uh maybe Italian Greyhound or Whippet. Great guesses. Really solid guesses. I'm trying to think if there's anything else. Okay, I'm gonna just tell you. Wait, maybe Sharpei. Okay. Incredible guesses. I'll start from the bottom. Like the lowest percentage. Yeah, I mean, there were some lower than this. I'll start at 20 people that are interested in this part, but let's get into it. You guys are gonna love this. I'm gonna start at 1%. We're going up from there. Mom and dad will be highly invest. I already told them. Um okay, 5%. We're starting at 5%. 5% lab. Fuck. I know. I thought she had 0% lab too. That part was disappointing, and that's the piece that Jeff is really clinging on to. Um, okay, so 5% lab, 6% Australian cattle dog. Don't worry, it jumps up a moment ago. Jesus, this is gonna be half the episode. 6% Australian cattle dog, 7% Dalmatian. Damn it, I almost said Dalmatian. Really? Yes, because Penny is part Dalmatian, and that's the only reason it was in my head. 9% pug. Oh my god, duh. That was I should have said that instead of Sharpay. And then it jumps up to 22% Chihuahua. Yes. Yep, which we knew, and 26%, which is the biggest percentage. Sharpay! That was so good. You're the only person. You were the only person who said Sharpay. I feel like I've won on pound. You did. You did. If you deserve to be on the podium, I am on the shirt at the punk podium. I just truly no one else has ever like a phone. Did you? No, I forgot. Like when she was a puppy, she had like a little wrinkly forehead and like still has tiny ears. And I really know my needs. She's just sitting over here and shaking. She's a shaky Sharpagan. Yeah. A charwawa? Like, what do we mean? Sharwaba. Oh, you have a sharwaba. Sharwaba. So now everything I'm like, like she'll take a shit and I'll be like, that's a sharpay poop. You can totally tell that that's a sharpay and sharp poop. Like, would you? I really want to do one for Norman. You have to. Were you dying when I just said Sharpay? Yes. I was absolutely like on the inside, I was like, you're kidding me. Good uh poker face. I'm so impressed, Sarah. Truly. Wow. Uh, you need to do it for Norman. That's my flavor of autism. That's why I was like, whoa. It the coolest thing. I'm actually surprised there's no like uh whip it or pipple. I was shocked because she's from Albuquerque, and like every dog there has some kind of bully breed in it. I think I'm mostly surprised that she's any part lab, but her coat is exactly like a lab coat. Yeah. Anyway. You have to do it for Norman. The coolest thing about it is just like. I feel like that we're doing this on a 13-year-old dog. Well, that's what I was gonna say. The coolest thing about it is having this dog that you've had for so many years and you feel like you know everything, and just to have another little like glimmer of information about them feels like really special and like a fun little surprise. I loved it so much. Yeah, I think that's great. It's the coolest. I actually was thinking about that when I was peeing with Apple in the bathroom with me. DNA tests. Uh I was like, oh, it's really funny. Because I was like, I really want to do one with Norman. And I was like, gosh, it's really funny we're doing it when they're so old. But I was like, oh, it it does give like it doesn't matter. And like anyone who's adopted a dog from like puppy or at all, a mutt. Um it's so cool. Everyone, like for the first like month, you know, tries to figure it out. What are you? And yeah, everyone asks, especially if they're little puppies, and you're like, I don't know. Whoa. And then you just get over it and you say it's a good dog. 100% good dog. Okay, I know I just want to be like quick with my updates on things. I have another update. Um, OnlyFans Hiker. Oh, PCT hiker. Oh no, did she drop out? Well, I don't know, I don't know, but she was okay. First of all, she doesn't say summitting a mountain, she says submitting. Oh no. And I know it's I it's gotta be rage bait. She's she's a rager and she's a master. She just is a baiter. Um, and she so anyway, she was trying to submit um Mount Whitney. And she's do you think she actually The number of times she said submit in the video talking about summiting a mountain makes it. Well, that one girl said specify a lot. Makes me feel like she's gotta know that what she's doing. She must. Anyway, um, she had to get Heli backed out. Did she bring the dildos with her? I imagine so. Uh I think norovirus is going around. Oh. And so I think she drank from, you know, she got norovirus and had to get um had to get Heli backed out, and so she didn't get to submit that mountain. But another another day. She did get to submit her bowels to the mountain, though. And probably everything else. But you should have you watched any of her videos yet? No, I haven't. You should. Her name is her name is Cameron with a K. Um, honestly, if you type in like PCT OnlyFans, I you're gonna find her. Great. Um, yeah, so hopefully she makes it back. We're sending our well wishes to Cameron. Cameron with a K. Cameron with a K. We're submitting. We're submitting our well wishes. Um okay, what other Oh, that's a good update. Yeah. There's a whole nother thing that I don't know if we'll have time to get into because I think it's a bigger thing, and I really want to talk about wow, I really want to talk about Unbound. Um, have you seen all the Patagonia and Patagonia? Yes. There's so much going on with that. The thing is the actual like drama, like the core of the drama, is so insanely boring because it is actually about trademark law. Right. So Patagonia the brand is in there's a like a there's a legal battle between yes, Patagonia the brand and Patagonia the drag queen. And it's really T T I E. And a lot of it is just like it's I just hate the way that our society deals with things it's about everything is broadcast, it's all well it's it's I'm so curious what you think. It's sort of both of their faults, in my opinion. Yeah, nope. I don't think they I don't think it's solid either way, but I honestly feel like we don't have all the information. Like we don't actually know. I've done a bit of a deep dive. I went fairly deep. Like I follow all these lawyers now. Right. Right. But but also like they are not privy to every single correspondence between the two. And I'm sort of like a part of me is on I it sounds like it's logo use mostly. I want you to pick a side. I know, I know. Well, I can't, I really can't because like part of me is like I love what Patty has done. Um, and I think that they and so Patagonia is a drag queen who like does a lot of like climate um activism and uh yeah, does a lot for the outdoors. Um and drag and drag, and it's awesome, and the LGBTQ community, like and and for that, I'm like team Patty, but also Patagonia does Patagonia activism and they're on the same team, which is the they are, they're just like two teammates that don't get along, which is a bummer. About and they're like they're sort of both the stars of the show, and they just need to settle this so people can move on and like still support both. I'm not gonna pick a side because I actually still really love what Patagonia does as a brand. Totally. And I also like what Hattie does as a brand. My understanding also a brand. My understanding of it, and and for people who like because we didn't give any context. Um but my understanding of it is that like with trademark law, if you don't enforce it with everyone, then you can't enforce it with anyone. And so like you have to like she was So explain briefly, because you're better at going shorter than I am. I'll try what the conflict is. So the conflict is that uh the trademark of Patagonia is going after Patty Gonia because she was using um like her name, which they said, like, hey, you can't use your name, it's too close to our brand. See on on but it's it's the merchandise, it's clothing. On swag. On clothing specifically. They were like, you can do other avenues, but you can't like sell clothing because it's part like it's in our um it's in our lane. And one of the things I did see, because like there are a lot of other drag queens that have like their names based off of like brands, like there's Jan Sport and there's Trixie Mattel, and there's like all these other ones, but they don't Trixie doesn't sell toys, Jan Sport doesn't sell backpacks, like they are picking different lanes to sell their merchandise stuff. And so with Patigonia, unfortunately, like you know, clothing is Patagonia's brand. And so the trademark piece there is that like that's infringement, and trademark infringement is important because that's what protects artists from like Sheen. What's that brand called? Sheen? Sheen like stealing their designs. Like, there's all this other now owns Everlane. No, don't tell me that. I've actually every millennial bitch. I don't want to know that I don't want to know that. Yeah, they bought them like two weeks ago. I wish I didn't know that information. Fucking bummer. Sorry. Sarah, sorry. Honestly, I'm let's just leave. I don't want to do the pants anymore. Those their pants fit me so well. Well, buy them now. Well, now I won't. Anyway, I just the whole it it's blowing up and now Patagonia and Patagonia, they're all post like it's all just this like internet war and people are saying it's good. It's good for their engagement. There's like tens of thousands of comments on these posts. Yeah. I just really love that my friend was the stunt double for Patagonia in one of her uh Instagram. Patagonia? Yeah. Really? Henry did what? Henry Nadell. Shout out. What did he what was he doing? He did like a thing around a pump track with her her huge wig and these like crazy boots. Like, yeah. Henry had to like wear the same outfit and like did this thing on like his mountain bike on the pump track and like did all these tricks, and he was like, and then I think, oh man, I wish I could find it. Actually, we'll we'll look for it because it's really cool. It's really funny. I love that. And that's really the moral of the story. Anyway, I'd be curious what other people are thinking about it. Actually, I'm also not like I could look on all of the I'm just choosing to still support both sides. Yeah, and I think this is I I it's like I kind of get it from like I I will never not support Patty Gonat Patty. Um, but it's like if two of your friends are beefing and you're like, I see both of your sides. Yeah, totally. And like I get it. I don't think anyone's gonna win on this. If you guys could just reconcile, it'd be awesome because so we can go back to having fun and caring about you know the climate. And and that'd be great. The climate. The climate. The climate. Anyway, okay, that's I feel like I got everything out that I wanted to get out. You're efficient. Yeah, done. Podcast over. If only you could do that. Oh, I did go get an MRI. Oh, yeah. Which I'll tell you about the results and stuff after that. You already have the results? Well, yeah, it was a pain to get it. I got the report and I because you got Timu MRI. No, actually, now I feel like I wanna radiology assist. Now I am gonna drop the name um for the third party thing because it totally worked. That was oh, that's the name's the one who like radiology assist I went through and that I paid. No, no, not at all. But like maybe Google it. Um the only notable thing about the MRI is that I had to take all of my piercings out, and that was such a huge pain. And then afterward, putting them in, I dropped this one down the sink. The expensive one. It's like solid gold. Did you find it? We did you have to take the trap out, and mom was like, we are so empowered. Look at us doing she took one PVC U shape pipe off. It was absolutely like gross was that trap thing? It actually wasn't too bad. Oh, it's good. I had to clean ours out when we bought this house. Was it super gross? Uh I still have the smell stuck in my nose. Gross. Well, now I have it stuck in my lip. But that was it. Okay, now I'm done. Oh my god. Wow, okay, so you were just at Unbound. Oh, yeah. That looked like a lot. It was a lot. How do you feel? I felt okay, honestly. Like, it wasn't until I would sit down. The the two the two worst things were um I just was so hot. I was so, so hot. Like there was one day, thank God, it was only hot. Friday was really when the sun was out, I was cooked. Like how hot was it? It was just really humid. Um, like 80 something. Like 74. Yeah, but it was really humid. Yeah. Um, and then I was actually like super nervous for it when I was like doing the field reporting for Saturday because I was like, if I'm in this feed zone and it's like cooking, yeah, I'm I'm cooked, truly. But thankfully it was a rainy year, which also made it like way more FOMO-y for me because I was like, I love that. I love anyway. Um, so I was really like, I was like stopping to take photos with people, and I could see like on this part of my nose, like the beads of sweat. Like I just I was so, so sweaty. And then what uh I did a photo booth with training peaks. Thank you everyone who came by, and I'm so sorry I was so sweaty. Oh, you had to like hug people and like put your arm around. I was in the I I mean, I truly I was like, oh my god, there's gonna be like four people. There was it I was doing it for like an hour and a half. She's famous. I'm famous. It's fine. But I was so disgusting. And I've just, I'm sorry. Did anyone comment on it? No, everyone was so nice. Not the one guy's wife uh from Michigan, John, uh, shout out. I doubt he listens to the podcast. But his wife might, and she made me the best chocolate chip. She wasn't there. She sent him with a Ziploc baggie of chocolate chip cookies, her secret recipe. I did make Roscoe eat one before I ate one, though. Why? Just to make sure. Well, did you wait a while to see what was gonna happen? Or you just I did. Really? Yeah. No, I just I honestly just forgot. I was like, Do you want a cookie? And he's like, I should test these for you. Um, but I should use that excuse more often. Oh, I should probably test that for you. Yeah, totally. Give me a fucking cookie. Uh no, no, that we were just joking about that, but it they were so good. Damn. Um and then, oh, I did have a very funny encounter uh at the venue. I usually it was cool because usually I avoid I don't go to the venue at all. Like I'll do the like Garmin giveaway thing and the athlete like poster signing. It's the venue. What does that mean? Like the It's like the event space, like with all the tents and the vendors, like what we went to at uh Mid-South that where they were selling shirts and like it's just See, that's where I want to be. That's like it's so fun. It's so fun. It's shopping, it's super fun, it's really overwhelming when you're trying to get a good result um racing. So also hats off to Alexi, because he I would say is like probably the top finishing pro who also puts in some freaking time at the venue. And it's just exhausting, especially if it's hot and you want to see everybody and you do want to talk to people, but you're also like athlete mindset. I guarantee you, well, I know the off-road team doesn't, they do not go down to the venue at all. Anyway, so I was standing there chatting because it was fun. Um, and I was talking to a friend, and uh this this older couple walks by this uh guy and his wife, and probably like I don't know, in their 60s. And I think they told me that too, which is why I feel comfortable saying that. He listens to the podcast. Love it. But in passing, he didn't stop moving. He just goes, Remember to birth the placenta. What? And I'm talking to my friend who her wife just had a baby, and we were both standing there. Do some people forget? But I was laughing, and then the best part was that his wife, who's adorable, was like, I'm so sorry. And then and then they came back and took a photo with me later. And and he was like, he was like, you know, because some people, well, this, and he's correct. This is correct. I told him I was like, that is part of my plan. I I would like to birth the placenta. What instead of what? So the placenta, as you know, is attached to your uterus. Well, for those listening, okay. I didn't know this before I got pregnant. Your placenta is attached, and it's like this organ that you grow. To your uterus? Yeah. Okay, maybe I didn't know that. I thought it was attached to the baby. No, well, it is also attached to the baby via umbilical cords. So when you have the baby, it's still attached, they cut the baby, the umbilical off. Damn. Okay. So then uh they cut the umbilical cord. And uh occasionally, maybe, or sometimes this does happen. I'm not a medical person. I've also never given birth, so I don't know. They pull on the the umbilical cord to get the placenta to come out. Which sounds like and so he was saying, don't let them do that. Like let it let birth it, which I don't know what that means. So I'm just gonna let my do it. Is he a doctor? You know, I he has kids, is what he said. And he birthed them. Yeah, he did. Oh, okay, great. And so he birthed the placenta, also, got it. I honestly didn't want to ask too many questions because I'm just trying to avoid. I just thought it was so it was so funny. You're getting drive-by medical advice. Ride by drive by medical advice. It was really, really funny. Yeah. I I honestly was here for it. It just made me laugh so hard. And what a nice thing to think about when you're after you've just given birth. Uh-huh. I told him I was like, I'll think of you. Yeah. Amazing. It was really funny. Um, but yeah, it was great. It was it was full on. Like we got there. I'm so curious which parts, yeah, you want to talk about. Like what do you want to highlight? Because I feel like we could spend a lot of time like recapping, but I'm I'm curious what I will say, like, I mean, we got in and like um, I mean, I was excited to go. Um, and like I was just excited for, you know, the last like bike race weekend before I give birth and have a totally different life. Totally. Um and there were parts of it that were like really hard and sad for me. What parts? Well, it was hard, like it I'm less and less comfortable. And mainly like I'm really glad that I don't have to jam my body into a skin suit and do a photo shoot next to professional athletes again. Yeah. I that part I was like, I get it, and like I'm I was happy to do it, but it does take a lot of um willpower to not just be like, I really am so uncomfortable, I'm huge. Like I you look at maternity clothes and often they're pretty flowy, right? I feel like a skin suit is the complete opposite of it. A little uncomfortable, yeah, every part of it. Yeah, like the arms look uncomfortable. It's all it's just all really tight. Yeah. And like I just have a lot of um, I mean, I've also like experienced, I thought I had experienced that as an athlete before, and now actually having a very different body and a larger body than I'm comfortable with. Uh, I have a lot of respect for people who do go through life with larger bodies and are on bicycles. And I was talking to Marley, who runs all bodies on bikes, about that, and I was like, truly respectfully, like it it really is it's so much more impressive to me now being on the other side. Like, one, as a pro athlete, you have the privilege of time, you know, like you get to dedicate everything to finishing these bike races and doing the sport in a body that you know you get to have be whatever you want it to be. And that's not the case for everyone else. Yeah. And I was just like, I was just we got off the road, like it's a two-day drive for us. Like, we camped, and then like for some reason, this set like it's a six and a half hour drive to our camp spot, and then another six and a half or seven hour drive to Emporia. And by the end, I was like so over it. I just was so uncomfortable and like yeah, just needed to not be in the car. My leg, like the two biggest symptoms were like sweatiness and sensitivity to heat, but then also I'm just so swollen right now. Like I can feel it in my face, my feet and legs. Like, I just didn't even have your feet still look pretty right right now. They're they're fine. I did the squeezy legs. I didn't bring the squeezy legs for some reason, and I just should have. But we literally like Dylan dropped me off at the Rafa house on our way into town and was like, okay, like I had my bag packed ready for the shoot, and we got our switch out kit, which was really exciting to see, but like kind of a bummer because I'm like, oh, I don't get to race in my like matching kit and bike. Yeah, your bike was cute. You'll have cotton candy the whole thing. I mean, you'll get to use that stuff later, right? Or is that not how that works? It was just one size. I mean, I'm actually surprised that Rafa pulled it off. So good job, Rafa. Because like when we planned all of this, like I helped um I'm not gonna say I helped design the kit. It was really generous of them to say that I helped design the kit. I was just part of the like creative team that like helped shift creative in like towards the like more like personality filled, like 90s mountain biking side of things. That's what anyway. So as part of the creative team. Sorry, I I have to interrupt you for just a second. Please. We got kind of a it wasn't a negative comment, but I can't stop thinking about it on our uh Spotify. And now I it's all I can hear that we say like a lot. Oh, I did you see that? That it was like, and then like and then like, and they're making fun of us for saying like, and I'm just feel a little sensitive about that. Well, now I'm gonna make a goal to say like more, and that's the difference between us. Hey, just gotta move on. I can't. Oh, see, I just said it. I need to practice not saying like, and then I just was like, fuck it, you know, because it's just who we are. Anyway, so I'm so sorry that we say like a lot. I'm really glad that you brought that up. I'm sorry. Did you notice it a lot when I was saying my story? I really did. I really did. Well, you can't unhear it now. I can't. Anyway. See, you just don't, I don't, that's why I don't look at the comments. And that's smart. And that is and that's media trained. Well, this bitch is not media trained. We'll get you media trained. Anyway, um, that was a hard part for me. But then I also just needed some sleep, and my I just like truly was just so uncomfortable. Like, I it was everything I had. There was like at first, Rafa had planned this like longer ride, like a 20 or 30 kilometer ride, which is like, you know, 15, 20 miles. I think it was actually 27 miles, and everyone was like, Can we not yeah, tired? Yeah, yeah. They were like, We have this big anyway. Okay, so I want to hear about race day and comment because you were commentating again. Yes, and what so that was like yeah, well, you want to learn a crash course and not being sensitive with comments. Oh my god. I didn't see, I mean, luckily so you don't see them. The live feed comment stream was a mess. It was truly it was icky. It was icky, it was so bad and really distracting, honestly. I really hated it. I I mean, and I kept saying that towards everything. Everything, everyone live for that all of it. Why? I don't know. I think they're just like I truly you want me to psychoanalyze. Yes. Um, I think that's where we fit in. Yeah. I I really do think the people that make these nasty, nasty comments about bike racers, about people doing their jobs who are putting a lot of time and effort into the sport in whatever way they're doing it. Um, I think the ones that are really making those horrible comments are just so deeply unhappy of course with themselves. And like it's it is a form of projection. And so every time I see a nasty comment like that, I'm like, well, I've learned something about you. I mean, absolutely. That is totally true. I did dip in at one point and I like I forgot that there was the I mean, truly, like you can't think about it when you're when you're doing that. But I just was like, I uh when I got back to the studio and was kind of like taking a break, um, like because we only had three uh people on at a time, which was really nice to like give each other breaks. Yeah, I was like going down and watching um with the rest of the media team, like watching the comments come in, and I was like, oh my god. And then I was like, Well, I might as well just participate a little bit. Did you? Yeah, and I was like, I I was texting uh Lenny, Holy Spirit of Gravel, too, and I was like, girl, we need you in here. For real. And she was like, I'm busy because she was there with another brand doing content, and she was out in the field as well. And so I was like, Well, I'll take over for now. And I just was like, I'm I'm like honestly, like really disappointed because I'm so bored with these comments. And then I was, I was like, This is these are uninteresting. Like, it's just uninteresting stuff. And our rule if you're gonna be mean, at least be funny. And nobody was funny, no one was funny, and I that was what I was thinking. I was like, well, no, this is just like mean without any without anything fun behind it, you know. I think I said that at one point, and then someone was like, keep your day job, and I was like, Thank you. I will, I'm doing it. I was like, I'm literally getting paid to do this. Um this is my job. I know, and I was like, no, not funny enough. Someone was like, honestly, you chiming in has been the funniest part of the day. And I was like, that's not good. Yeah, it was, and I did see one funny thing, and they were like, I stopped looking at the comments since the girl fell in the puddle, which was the seal. I see, I I missed a lot of it. Who I missed a lot of it because I was working, but what? Uh well, we have a little treat at the end of this episode, and maybe it might be depending on how many get back to us, we'll either tack them in at the end of this episode or make a bonus. Um, but I request I've heard a couple of very funny stories, mostly from other, like, because I was just chatting with the pros after um, and one from a photographer. Okay. Uh, they're sending me their voice notes of a little of funny moments from the race. But Cecile, I texted and I was like, hey, do can you send me your funny story? I was like, it doesn't have to be about the puddle, but it was this viral moment. And Cecile is so if you don't follow Cecile Lejeune on Instagram, if you're a fan of cycling, she's so fantastic, she's so creative. She does these really cute, creative reels and like honestly, like really informative as well. Like she she makes like being kind of a bike dork like really fun and appealing and in not a try-hard way at all. It's really impressive. She's just like a very I should. Oh, you should. She's really, she's great. She's like, she speaks French fluently. She's French and British, I think. Okay. She lives here. Um, but she had she got fourth last year, third or fourth. Anyway, um shh, so she was a favorite of the race, so everyone was watching, and she's an incredibly strong racer. And at one point they're all together, the lead group. There's like six of them, and they go through this puddle. Um, this huge I mean, you saw the conditions, Unbound. Unbound 200, Unbound weekend last weekend was crazy, crazy rainy. If you this is a this is a gravel bike race. Should we add some more context? Let me go back. And I'll get to the Cecile story. I'm gonna keep you on the edge of your seat. Wow. I'm but for those of you who don't follow gravel racing, which is totally fine and are listening to this podcast for some reason. Uh Unbound. Welcome to my side. Yeah. Unbound is, I would say, the biggest race for any pure gravel racer. Um, there was 6,000 people who did it this year. Um, they had like anyway, it's 200, there's different distances, but the the primary event I would say is the 200 mile. And it started as this gritty, like just group ride through starting in Emporia, Kansas, and going 200 miles. They would stop at gas stations and they would just try to finish 200 miles. Um, and it has now turned into the biggest off-road race in the world, which is pretty crazy. Oh wow, I didn't realize it was in the world, yeah. And it's really, it's really international now. Like there's tons of athletes that come in um from all over the world. So it's cool. Super cool. Big puddle. Big puddle. So Cecile, and there's, you know, it's uh tornado season in Kansas, as we know from the Wizard of Oz. Um what that means is every now and then they have these like heinously muddy years because we're you're racing off like you're racing on they're called MMR roads, minimum maintenance roads. And anytime you see that sign and it's a little bit rainy out, you know you're gonna be walking or riding slowly. So it was like this crazy muddy year, and they they went in through this huge puddle. Um, and you're also in a group with people, so you're riding like inches behind someone else's wheel, and some someone must have slowed down, or there could have been some like you can't see through the water, you're not taking your time, you're racing full race pace, and Cecile tipped over into this really deep puddle, like it went over her shoulders, and then she gets back up, and the camera guy, there's this amazing shot of her looking over her shoulder and just made eye contact with the like it was kind of like stink eye. I saw it totally. And she was like on her Instagram, she's like, it's less resting bitch face and more resting French face. It's incredible, but anyway, I'll let her tell her I haven't listened to the to it yet. And then Payson is a really funny one. Wow. Um, uh Pita, who's uh this Australian racer who's so funny. She came over and was just talking shit. Like from Hunger Game? Kind of. She was talking shit on her uh boyfriend Dylan Johnson, who's uh bonk bros. So much about him in the comments. So I told What is YouTube? It's YouTube. So all of these people. Dylan Johnson is a YouTuber, and he gets a lot, you know what? Dylan has a really, really tough role in the sport of cycling, in the sport of professional cycling. Because he's he's been in the Lifetime Grand Prix, he didn't make it in this year. Um, but he's he actually I did watch one of his YouTubes two or three years ago about aerosocks. He just is like king of all the dorks, like truly, and I would be one of them. Um, you're not. Well, you're a dork in a different way, but you don't give a fuck about aerosocks. No, I watched this whole video and I texted him. I was like, honestly, this is the first time in my life I've I've considered racing with aerosocks because of your stupid video. And then I was looking at everyone's muddy ass socks and I was like, yeah, that doesn't matter. But anyway, he has this really successful YouTube channel. Yeah. But then because he's, you know, found something that he's good at and does a good job at it, it then gives all these people apparently uh the right to just rake him over the coals, and that is YouTube. Yeah, people nuts. It is nuts. And that makes a lot more sense as to like why the like if he is kind of this window in or a door into the sport for like people who aren't interested in cycling or aren't aren't part of the culture, and then get into it through this YouTube channel, and then like they're the people in the comments, and so like, yeah, there was so much about him, positive, negative, all over the place. But it makes sense that like he brought in a lot of those, or his YouTube channel brought in a lot of those people watching and commenting. Because I was I told her the same thing. I was like, there were more comments, they were like, We're like Vanderpool, if he raced this, he would kill it. Okay, cool comment. Yes, that's stupid. You know, it was my yeah, there was, I mean, we could just like I like sure, maybe, but like d keep that like you are a waste of like whatever percentage of water in our AI world that it took to put that on the internet. The the ones that really pissed me off were when you were doing an interview um for the men, and I don't remember, I'm sorry, I don't know anyone's names. Um, but there were two guys that you were interviewing, and they were like sit one of them was sitting on the other one's lap. The comments were awful. Disgusting. Yeah, they were awful. And I thought it was like a really nice moment. Yeah. I thought it was so sweet. It was. I was here for also, it made my job really easy because I was like, great, I don't have to like wait and have this awkward pause on the live stream for then someone to go wrangle Matt who got second. Yeah, no, I people are anyway, blah blah blah. Enough on the live stream because like they don't. Honestly, it was such a small part of my day. Totally. But but for people watching at home, it's a bigger part of their day. You know, like they that is the input that they are receiving. I think I think Lifetime will have to figure out a better way. Well, I was talking to a friend who's like normally a broadcast is just on the television. It was Lily. Oh yeah, duh. Yeah, Lily who does the pot she was like she was also just like disgusted by the comments and was like, yeah, if I mean for me, it's like I don't I get to choose. I mean, you can't hide them, but then it's just like it is it's like the same thing with scrolling on TikTok. You like want to see them coming in and like what's happening. It's a moderator might be a nice thing. I think they're yeah, they're gonna have to figure that out. They might need to do something just to but yeah, I was so I thought it was interesting and what I you know appreciated for my own experience of Unbound. If I had just gone as an athlete, um, I definitely would have tried to do the 50 mile because like the ride instead. Sorry, what I'm trying to say is the fact that I had a job to do made it like I had less FOMO about the race. Like I still experienced the like adrenaline. I got to like, I mean, my call time was 4 45 in the morning, although actually it got changed till just the start. So that was really nice. So I, you know, I still had like the full sure, my day looked really different. Like I wasn't prepping bottles and like I didn't have any of the nerves, which was really I mean, I got a little bit nervous about like Okay, I have to. You don't get nervous about the live about the commentating? I mean, I do for a second, but then once you're going, you're in it. It's just, it's just like bike racing. You did a great job. Oh, thank you. You did a a you're very good at it. All of the commentators are so good. It yeah, it was true. It was really fun. I really enjoyed it. I honestly had such an enjoyable day. That's like it was it was a little actually it was a little bit scary to be out there when the lightning was coming in because I told my camera guy. So here's how it works. Like the whole uh I got there on a Wednesday and the race is on Saturday. I had three meetings to like prepare all of us. We had like a pre-record or like a live show, the leado that we had. I did not watch that. That one's uh mom's mom did. Um what did mom say? Oh, she said I did a good job. Well, she's your mom, I know. Um, yeah, and I honestly it went a lot smoother than I think the C out. There's just a lot, like you have to hit certain cues that like that's a little more scripted because we have like a very short period of time and you have to jam a lot in. And there's like there's a full-on broadcast team. So like a professional group that comes in and they have like think about what it takes to capture that would give me 200. I mean, there's so many people involved. I know that just makes me uh but I just want to I want to tell like I you wish you could explain to these people watching on you like they don't give a fuck. Hey bro, how do you think uh we get that many camera angles? And like, how do you think we know so much about like the racer who like literally you cannot tell if they are a man or a woman or what team they are on, especially during the city? Especially from the front because it was covered in mud. Everyone, everyone. I know I misgendered somebody, and that was like the thing that I feel really, really bad. Literally, but I went back and forth. I was like, it's so and so, no, it's a dude, no, it's so-and-so. Like you could and I was in person, I was in the feed zone. Um, I only got one lady that was like, You said that this person was this person, and I'm not gonna go into it. And I was like, I know, and I feel really bad. And then I I I did actually explain myself. I usually, it was just a direct message, and I was like, I feel terrible because I don't want any negative anything to come from that, but literally, like when they were coming through aid too, there was no way of telling if it were men, like groups of men or women. And then after the main groups came through, the women, the lead women were so fast that they were catching a lot of the men. And so you would see like four dudes come through, and then like one guy, and then like the lead women came through, and then it was like, dude, dude, girl, dude, girl, dude, girl. And you couldn't tell what teams they were on because in their front it was literally just mud, everyone was team mud, and so I could just tell from like size, and this woman was really, really tall, and so I thought it was this woman, Clara, who's on the the Rafa team, and then I was like, Oh no, they passed me, and I thought that she was a man because she was taller. Literally, it's a split second, and then I was like, Oh no, it's a woman, and I didn't know who she was because guess what? She was a European like road and track pro, like this amazing woman who I've now learned a lot about, and now I know. Oh my gosh. I mean, yeah, you really couldn't see who anyone like I don't know how you guys were even identifying anyone correctly. I could tell from the studio the people that I've raced and ridden with based on their riding form. And that is somebody uh chemo is that who he who by the way, I was talking to dad last night. He was like, Yeah, they all did incredible. What's the guy's name? Oz. And I was like, basically, he's basically like Oz. Chemo. Chemo. That's who he was trying to remember his name. How did you know that he meant chemo from Oz? Uh I don't know, because it was dad. And I feel like he also was talking about chat CBD. I was like, oh no, I was using chat THC. So we have fans only. Yeah. Chat CBD. So yeah, he called them Oz. Um, but anyway, he said something about like knowing who somebody was because of the like their stride or the way that they like their pedal strip. That's the bike version of that. Yeah. Anyway, blah, blah, blah. Really hard to tell who it was. I know. I just was like, oh God, I felt real that was the one thing that I was like really bummed. But when I'm in the field, um I don't have like we got like this booklet of notes. So you know what number you couldn't see anyone's numbers. No, you couldn't even see their kit. Okay, you know what I've been doing? This is kind of embarrassing. Um, but maybe somebody who's listening can help me figure out what I'm trying to think of. All of their faces caked with so much mud look like a character from something, and I can't. No, I know what you're talking about. I cannot figure it out. Maybe if you look at the picture I took of Payson, it'll change it. I love that one. The one where you pick a panda bear. No, I have before he wiped his face. It wasn't Keegan. It was, I mean, it wasn't Payson. I think it was Keegan, because there was something about like the like blue eyes or whatever, but like with all of this mud, and there's a character from something. I was sitting there googling character with mud on face. Was it like a Marvel character? That's what I looked up superhero with mud on face. I and I still haven't found it because I wanted to be able to say they look exactly like this, and I I cannot but I have this like image in my head, but it wasn't it wasn't a cartoon. It was definitely like a like live action or I don't know, it was like an act. There's like a movie or a show, and somebody had like a bunch of shit on their face. I don't know if it was actual poop, but it was it was mud or something, and like little tiny eyes poking through. Oh my god. And I am struggling, and that's what every single person looked like, and it was cracking me up. Everyone looked disgusting. Don't even try and Google it. You're not gonna find out. I'm not, I'm not. Um, I'm just I'm just looking at my notes. Everyone's one of my favorite things from when you were doing interviews was I can't remember who you told, but you're like, ew, your ear looks disgusting. It was Matt. Everyone took her contact out in front of me, and I was like, I'm gonna throw up. I wrote it down in the line that it made me laugh out loud listening to that. You go going in the interview, going, if you take that contact out, I'm gonna throw up. And she did. She was like flung it on the ground. But then I was what? I mean, poor Paige. Uh, I texted her afterwards. She's fine, she's a medical professional, but she had so much mud that her, I mean, she already had like kind of infected looking, like goopy eyes. When she I'm shitsu and I was like, I know you just had an amazing race, but I was like, ooh, Paige, uh-oh, your eyes. Please don't hug me. No, no, no. Like, there's definitely some. Yeah. Did you hear shitsu eyes? She had like goopy eyes, like you know, like small dog eyeballs where they have like the tears. Everyone came through Shitsu eyes. Shih Tzu eyes. Everyone looked it looked brutal. And seeing everyone finish, I was like, damn, I missed a good year. That's when I was like kind of FOMOing. Really? That's the piece you had FOMO about? Shih Tzu eyes. Shitsu eyes came. Oh bummer. No, it looked really, really hard. It just looked hard, and that's so fun for me. I love that. And that's so weird. Somebody was talking to me about uh asking me if you were like nervous about childbirth, and I was like, I think she's a freak, and I think she's kind of looking forward to it because she likes to suffer. I don't know, I'm not totally sure. I'm nervous about the unknown, sure. And there is a lot of like medical stuff, yeah. But I'm scared about that. But but like the actual pain part of it. No. I'm actually looking forward to I know I have never come close to knowing that pain. Yeah. And I'm excited. Wait, I just wanted you to hear, and and I'm excited. What was the and I'm excited? Excited for to experience pain. And that's fucking insane. You're like one of those people that like hangs from meat hooks. No a masochist. There's something wrong with you. Well, no, I'm I'm not excited for it. I just I know like You're excited to see what your body can do? I'm just excited to see what my body can do, and I'm I'm curious. I'm just curious about what it I feel like it'll it'll be painful and I'll be like, cool, I'm no longer curious. Got it. It hurts really bad. Couchy, get this out. Yeah. I'm not excited for it to last as long as it could potentially last. Because at least this is, you know, this was a 10-hour race. I mean, some people's labor is 10 hours or less. On the short side. I yeah, that's it's gonna be so much. So many things. Um I can't wait to hear your race report after you have a baby. Okay, I will say I think that um I like I felt this after uh Traka this year. I mean, I felt this years ago. I think I think we've reached the the peak of bike check uh content. Do you know what I'm saying when I Yeah, the people talking people, all of us, present company included. You had to do a bike check? Every race you have to do a bike check. I get it from the sp listen, I understand what what we're referencing is a social media post. People snap a picture of their bike on all levels. It can either be like some people just do it with their iPhone and they just throw it up against a wall and then talk about everything that they're running for the race. Um, and then all the way up to the pro level where you have a professional photographer come to wherever you're staying, or like you have to organize a specific photo shoot with your photographer, and then you have to like your mechanic has to clean everything perfectly, and then they take a photo, send it to you, and then your pre-race post has to be uh, you know, about your I mean it doesn't have to be, but oftentimes it's like here are my feelings, and this is what I'm running, or somewhere in between all of that. And it's just a lot, it's a lot of bike checks, and honestly, unless you have something really, really interesting, it's all pretty much the same. Yeah, and also And I know it's not just like I know I'm not a super technical person. Write in, please tell us in the comments if anyone would care. I mean, but it seems like people care. The other comment that came up no fewer than a gazillion times in the live stream was all about the crux. Oh, it was an insane day for that crux. Because it basically everyone who wrote it swept the podium. That's wild. It was that much faster. I guess you don't know. You're like, honestly, for me it's slower. This is truly not an ad for specialized, uh, but I am, I will preface with I am also a paid specialized racer. Yeah. And I have not ridden any other brand of modern gravel bike. Um, so you take that information, and I'm going to give you this. As someone who is pregnant and nearing 30 pounds over my normal weight, I can say, riding it on the dirt and on the asphalt, when I put power into the pedals, it very quickly moves the bike forward in a way that has is very different from other bikes, other gravel bikes that I've raced. Crazy. Uh-huh. I cannot, I really like it. You know, descending stability, but I'm also like 30 pounds heavier, and everything does. You're sticky. You're sticky. So um, I mean, you know, I was texting Sophia as not as like a sponsored athlete, like she would have said if there was a downside, but I was like, hey, I'm just curious, like what your experience is because at being in your normal body. And she had she was like, it's insane. Whoa. Another thing that I had a question about, what's Scott 32? Great question. That came up a lot. So I don't know what that means. Cam Jones, the guy who won last year, uh, the like surprise dark horse win, which I really was I was really hoping a dark horse was gonna win the men and the women's race. Yeah. And that didn't happen. We might be done with those days. Cam won last year, uh, just surprised everyone. And he's uh he races for a bike company called Scott. Okay. And there's this new trend in the bike industry that I think is stupid, but I also understand it. There's a new wheel size on the mountain bike scene and now on the gravel scene. And normally on the mountain bike scene, the biggest wheel is a 29-inch wheel. Now it's a 32-inch wheel. How many inches high are you? Four. I feel about four inches high and seven inches wide. Yeah, no, and sorry, seven feet wide is what I meant to say. Um so then now on the gravel side of things, the 32-inch, the Scott was like the big brand that came out with a 32-inch wheel. Um and I will never know, like, I don't think they'll be able to make it in a size small. Like it anyone under a size 50, because Cam isn't Cam isn't short, and he looked he looked like he was like his proportions looked like my bike. Like every time I do a bike check post, uh people always ask what size my wheels are. And they're standard 700 C wheels. Just because they look small or bigger on you? They look bigger on my bike, because my frames are so small, and that's what Cam's bike looked like. Like this little tiny frame with these huge wheels. So everyone was really excited to see like what how do you do how to I mean he did great. Like the thing is like, do I think the crux is fast? Yeah, totally. Um, do I think that that is why Mass and Matt and Sophia and G and Keegan did so well? Potentially. No, but like who knows? Like it's so hard to play, maybe it's so hard to know. Like, I will say this. I think the biggest thing at this race was your tire choice versus your tire clearance for the mud. So if you made choice if your bike allowed for bigger tires and you had better mud clearing ability with a bigger tire, I think you had a better day. Damn. But also, I think you had to have a chain guide and like you had to have like, you know, I saw a video of somebody putting his chain on his bike while he was riding it. Yeah, that's insane. You have to- I don't know what that's crazy. It looked crazy to me, but all of it looks crazy to me. It's so hard to put a chain on in general and then not do that while it's moving and not catch your fingers in it and cause a crash and severe damage to your fingers. Don't try that, people. It didn't even look that cool. No, it did look kind of cool. I mean, it I would love to be able to have long enough arms to reach down the chain. Yeah, could barely get a bottle out. Um, oh, there was a funny moment. So, so my job, my day looked like okay, I got there for the start. I got to see the start. I was gonna like basically be ready if someone had like sometimes like you'll get a flat tire on the start line, and it's really stressful. Like your mechanic has to come in and like start out the day with a flat? Sometimes it happens. I had to do that at Leadville one year. How's that happen? It could be so many different things. Some Dylan was like, I'm done. You know what? I'm not even gonna start. Yeah, it's really stressful. Like uh Kenny had to do that to someone two years ago, like next to me, and I was like holding their anyway. So I was like gonna be there in case there was a moment like that. So I watched the start. Um, and then my job was going and finding my cameraman because I was like assigned Ed shout out, who is a very interesting character, and then Bryn is following me for the our series that we're doing. Let's give that a little shout out. Yeah. Uh okay, yeah, because I we are largely. Okay. Well, should I talk about it now or should I continue my story? I don't know. It's not that interesting of a story. Well, it's kind of funny. Um well, anyway, so Bryn, Bryn was following me all week. Um, and Bryn is a professional photographer and videographer, and we're making a documentary series about my pregnancy uh following each trimester. So including the fourth trimester. And yes, we know there are three, but there's actually four, um, which is postpartum. Yeah. So uh and that's called is called uh reroute or reroute, depending on who you are and how you pronounce it, apparently. Um, and that will God, uh, that'll be on YouTube. Great. Please only leave nice comments. And if they're mean, they better be funny. Yep. That's the rule. Uh, but that episode one will launch in a few days. June 4th, right? Yeah, Thursday. Yeah. Yes. So uh cool. I can't wait. Yeah, I'm I'm also excited. I haven't seen episode one, but I know that she'll do a good job. So she was filming for what will be episode three, because I'm currently in my third trimester. Um, but so I was driving these two, you know, camera operators around in the car. Uh, we get to the studio and they're like, okay, you guys go to aid two, and I find my camera guy, meet him, and like he his job is basically to follow me around and like my schedule with the production team that we have gone over with four different meetings of how that all flows together, when they can break to me, blah, blah, blah. So then we get to aid two, and my job is to basically like find some interesting content to talk about if there's like, you know, a lull in the racing, which, you know, there kind of was, but I like chose to like interview like two of the bigger teams. I would have loved to like interview some of the like smaller teams that were there, like people like Jenna Reinhart, her husband, somehow made it to each aid station. And this is what you don't see. Okay, what is even crazier, and I'm pretty sure that they're doing a documentary series on the photo video crew side of this race. I was just gonna say, you know what would be a really good documentary? I think Shammy Butter is also producing it because like Roscoe was like interviewing for it after. But this year they introduced a third aid station, which is cool for the racers, but really, really challenging for people that are like solo supporting an athlete because there was such little time to drive. I mean, Dylan did Dylan and Anna um drove 180 miles on race day and Norman on race day. He they stopped, they were able because they were only feeding men, they didn't have to wait for like the women to come through. But like, I think if you did both, it would have been impossible. Like you couldn't have made it because like the women started 15 minutes after the men. Anyway, it's it was really impressive like what these crews do, and like being in the feed zone and watching this stuff happen in real time, I was like, whoa. It's it is just at like as a bike racer, I get nervous coming into the feed zone. Yeah, and as a support staff, they also do. I can assure you, it was chaotic. I saw people tripping over wheel sets, I saw buckets flying, I saw a guy accidentally put his foot through someone's wheel. Like it is because you have racers like speeding through this thing, and also the feed zone was over a mile long. Oh, wow. So, like, team specialized was at the very beginning, and so you have those people pulling over and maybe crossing over like think about a huge Peloton coming through. Because it's not like in the Tour de France, where like you can just be on the side of the road with bottles at any time and they have like 17 different stops, like you have to make your stop, especially at a muddy year, because like the then the distance between aid two and eight, like they were then gone for another 80 miles before they saw support again. So if you have a slow leak in your tire, you're getting like a new wheel, like it is so stressful. And I was like standing there commentating, like I missed all of your infield comment comment commentations. My comment my common potatoing. Yeah, it was it was really hard to watch uh this girl who races for Rafa, Nicole. She I watched her on the live stream because like we also have that like in the field. Yeah, she crashed so hard. I did see that. And when I saw her, and she and I before she had dropped out of Traka, she didn't race rule of three, she lives in Girona, she's an Australian racer. She was like, she told me at the photo shoot, she was like, I really struggle with like being mentally tough. And I was like, okay, your goal for this, like we had a whole conversation. I was like, finish unbound. I was like, she, I mean, she's capable of a podium for sure, but sometimes that can keep you from getting a good result. Because if you're not, and that's what happened to her mentally at at Traka, she was like not in the where she needed to be, and she just was like, I shut down and I was like, I get it. I was like, your goal for this, I was like, It's gonna be epic no matter what. Like, Unbound is just like that. And I was like, just push through that moment that you're like, fuck this, I'm out, or like it's pain. It's easier when you're in the like the mix, you know? It's the hard moments are when you're not. Yeah. And sh when I watched her crash, I was like, damn it. She was having such a good day. She was like in the lead. And then and she crashed so hard. And so she had so like every like her whole left and left arm and left leg was just so bloody and like so gnarly. And then I'm standing there doing the live commentary, and she comes into the aid and she stops at the Rafa guys, and I'm watching her like take her, like she like she finally was taking a second, and like they were straightening her bars and assessing, and you know that that like oh my god, I just wanted to like cry for her. Like she didn't cry, but I was like, I just was like wanting to cheer for, and then I finally had to because I was like, Nicole, you you have to look commentated. Keep going. I was like, make just make it to aid three, and she did end up, I was like, it's just those little small goals. Yeah. Um, and then Danny, um But what did she what'd she end up doing? Well, she so her bars got straightened. She took a lot of time, like she waited for like over a minute, and Danny actually came up and in that time, Shrewsbury, and they're both on the Rafa team, different bike sponsors. But I was like, ride together. I was like, Nicole, just ride with Danny, like work together, like motivate each other. And you know, like once you like have ridden and trained with someone, like it's so much more motivating. And so I like we watched them like ride off. Like the Rafa team was able to like get her nutrition dialed in, they cleaned her bike. She like, I mean, she was bummed and in a lot of pain. Did she finish? I don't think I she made it to aid three, but I think before then she was like her power was starting to like diminish, and like Danny ended up having a great day. She like rode from like 30th place to like ninth. Oh, yeah. And did she get the wild card? She got number one wild card. That's awesome. I haven't checked the rest of the wild cards because I'm really nervous if Michaela got it or not. And I've been too nervous to look. Do you want to look? Maybe. Anyway, that was a note, like that was a really hard moment to like not cheer. Yeah. Which you didn't did in fact cheer. That was a really hard moment, and I just still did it. But I think like I did, I did get some feedback from people that they like appreciated. I mean, whatever. I think you just have to do what works for you. Um, I also want to ask you questions about um the wheel swap. She's in fifth. She's tried for fifth. Is there another wildcard thing coming up, or was that it? Or the wild cards. Okay, so wild card, the wild card spots. I'm pretty sure because I dropped out, there's four in women's. Okay. But they're only showing the top three. So Danny Shrewsbury um was in is in first for the wild card, then Jenna Reinhard, um, then Charlotte Clark, then Hannah Shell got in for fourth, and then Michaela is fifth ahead of uh Jennifer Tave. Um and then yeah, a bunch didn't finish. Crazy. Yeah. Um wait, can I ask you about the the wheel swap stuff with Oh, so emotional. Was it? So another that was like the first emotional moment for me was watching Nicole. Like, I mean, we were standing this close, and I'm like telling the people what I'm seeing. Yeah. Um, oh, I also have to do a shout out to Ricky Raccoon, Ricky the raccoon. I missed that part too. Mom must have caught that. She said something about a raccoon. What happened? I'm like, my job was to explain like what being in the aid station and being out there felt like. And they like, so my camera guy does these signs. Like, he like this is like wrap it up, or this is like keep, keep talking, like you're still alive. Okay because what he's listening to is like the whole broadcast team that are who is in charge of like cutting to camera one, three, four, whatever. So he's he's getting cues and he's giving cues. He's giving me cues because I had to take my earpiece out because I like can't my level of ADD is not that flavor. If I can, if I can hear myself talking, I'm out. It's like trying to talk to someone on the phone and you can hear them. Yeah. Um, but anyway, so he's like, okay, keep rolling. We've been we've already been live for I don't know, five minutes, which was way longer than Sea Otter. And I was like, I wanted to wait until some more pro women came through. Like the leaders had already come through. And I was like, okay, now that we have some time between these groups before the second group of women come in, like this is what I'm experiencing, like, this is what it feels like to be in the aid two in real time, like the weather. We talked about the chopper, like the noise. And then I'm like, you know, it's it is still like unbound gravel out here. And I was like, I'm standing next to a dead raccoon carcass in the middle, and like it was like this gnarled like raccoon. And I was like describing the smell. I was like, and it, you know, if you see me at the end of this with the raccoon hat on, that's why really that's funny. Damn, I'm sorry I missed them and it really started raining at the end, and I felt like and I said this, I was like, I feel like one of those weathermen that's on camera that's like the heavy stuff isn't coming down for quite some time now, and it was just like lightning behind me. Like, get out of there. I'm so sorry I missed those. I wanted to just like I let me be so clear. I'm only watching because you're on it. Um, and so like whenever like I would just try and like catch up to or like try and find the spots where like okay, Sarah's talking, so I get to hear what she's but I couldn't, it was it was a long broadcast. It was like almost half a million people watched this year. What? It was a lot. Okay, so tell me about the other emotional thing with the wheel swap. Okay, so at one point in this race, uh Mad's or his name is actually pronounced M Mess, but it's spelled M A D S. Okay. Um, so Mess is the specialized rider who won. And Keegan has won the race before and was definitely one of the favorites and their teammates, and they're off the front together. Yeah. And um I was sort of rooting for Keegan just because he's had such a crummy year and like start to his season on a new team, team specialized, blah, blah, blah. They're off the front together. They have like a five-minute gap to uh two other riders, another specialized rider and a Panormal rider behind them. And uh Mess gets a flat. So they're the two of them stop on the side of the road because they're team, they're actual teammates, like not just like you know, pals. Pals. Uh so they're fixing his flat, and we walk like we're watching in the studio. Mess put like eight plugs in, he told me. Like it was a slice down his tire, and there the rocks out there are so sharp. So he sliced his tire, and you see both of them trying to air it up, and it's just like staying flat. And then we're watching, and then we see them start taking the wheel off, and we're like, oh no, they're gonna have to put a tube in. But no, they were swapping wheels. So Keegan gave him his wheel, and in that moment, what happened well, what I was uh expecting happened did, and it wasn't Mess saying, Hey, give me your wheel, it was Keegan saying, Here's my wheel, and yeah, what I feel like you can't ask for a wheel, you can only be given a wheel. No, you can ask, people probably would. Really? Yeah, Hannah, this is professional sport. Yeah, but it's professional sport for both of the people, yeah. But yeah, totally, but it kind of yes. I mean, I think there's there's some assholes out there that would that are like I'm better than you, I'm gonna be able to do it. You're feeling better, like, give me your wheel. But anyway, they yeah, sure. Okay. But I I think that like where those two were, Keegan was like, he, I mean, he said on the interview afterwards he was like, I burned so many matches catching back up. Um, that he was like, and the goal, I mean, I'm sure that they were sent incentivized as a team. Yeah, so this is my actual question about it. So, like, yeah, he gave him the wheel and Mess Mads, what's his Mads ended up winning. But like, it's not just this one race and like the prize purse for that, it's also the entire Grand Prix, which is also another huge prize. Like, how do they so how do they work with the money side of things? Well, Keegan essentially gave up his grand prix placement too, right? That's what I know, yeah. But like, which I doubt that can work out. I mean specialized in the background is like, okay, I see that you just did like no a good deed that we're gonna reward that. I mean, they could potentially, but probably not. The goal, the goal of any big bike brand, like specialized, like Trek, like Giant, like Scott, and most of them, the goal is to get that bicycle. They don't give a shit about I mean they they do care about the racer, but like I'm just saying, like from a marketing and branding perspective, the goal is to get your bike across the line first, so you can talk about so your sponsors can talk about it, blah blah blah. So they're from the independent person, so it's really challenging. I mean, because it's not a team sport, it it's not, it's not. Well, I mean, I kind of I experienced a little bit of that, like when uh on a very different level, well, no, not that's not true at all. Like the year that I led G out in the sprint for the finish, um, it was sort of me saying, like, I I believed in G's ability to to win more than my in the sprint, yeah, more than mine. And what Keegan was saying was he assessed his body, he knew what was to come. Like, Mess has to do a you know four-hour time trial alone. And like in that moment, I don't think Keegan was thinking about the Grand Prix. Well, sure. Because that's not that even though, yes, it's a lot of money that he I mean, I but I guess it's not as much money as you get from a contract with specialized and like making that move was probably just like a really smart I mean it I don't know if I mean I don't know. I should have asked him if he was thinking about the Grand Prix. Ideally, I don't know if people are doing this be out of the goodness of their hearts, but like you know, there's a lot of really complicated, and that's why like I was watching this in real time. And Keegan's one of my friends, like I don't know Mess at all. I mean, he seems like a super nice guy, he's obviously incredibly strong. Yeah, he just doubled up Traka 360 and Unbound 200 now, winning both, which is what Koro did last year, which is no small feat. Um, but I felt for Keegan in that moment because like, yeah, it yes, for a professional athlete, he made the right choice. But then there was all this other drama too. So when they were taking the wheel swap, when they did the wheel swap, um, and then you know, Keegan sees mess off, he starts riding, and Keegan's like putting the wheel back on, the cassette fell off of the wheel, and they lost this like tiny he lost this tiny little spring, um, the like ratchet thing. Anyway, uh he didn't know because it's those this like teeny little part, puts the wheel on, gets the tube in, gets I mean, he wasted like what 10 minutes there trying to do this, starts riding, couldn't like couldn't ride, had to go back and look for this part in the dirt and like sealant and like everything, and ended up finding it again. And like someone, like a guy in like a Penske truck had like driven past and was watching the whole thing and like saw it fall and then like found it. So then when Keegan rode back, he like gave it to him. Okay. And anyway, oh my god. But it what I was gonna say is like in that moment, like I Keegan made the right choice and he knows he did. Um, but it's fucking heartbreaking, yeah. Like it just like it's such a hard part of the sport. I yeah, I get that. As somebody who doesn't really care about results so much, but cares more about like um people and like the characters and like you know, how you show up. I'm like, wow, that is good on him. It it was, yeah, good on him for sure. Also, he had kind of a crazy race, so like he had that happen, was way off. Matt ended up in second place, which is also insane that he like was able to like have that result because Matt is always sort of the guy, the workhorse, like making sure like Keegan and Mass get to the line first and gets the bike across the line. So for Matt, and that was his best result. Um but then Keegan drops back into the main group and then is the main driver of this like big group that ends up catching like all these other guys, like Cam and like it was all spread out. So Keegan, like all those guys had passed him when he was flatted. He then catches all of them and is in this huge group of people and then out sprints all of them at the end to get fifth. That's pretty cool. Or fourth to get fourth or fifth, whatever. Anyway. Wow, good job. That's wild. Oh, and then like also like you have like this incredibly professionalized sport, but you're still in the middle of Kansas for 200 miles, and like before the lead men came through the the second feed, they're on open roads. Like there are people who live in ranches on this road, and you had this like the most clapped out, like old Camry that had like panels like taped onto it, like just tootling through the fucking aid station ahead of you know, the lead moto is behind them. Oh god, and it's just like ins. And this year was less insane because the pros had their own feed zone. It wasn't even like the normal chaotic feed zone with like everybody. Wow, and it does sound fun. It was it really it really was. Do you have any other like things from it that you want to I think I covered a lot of it? I mean, I saw I saw like a lot of the support. I mean, it is it's just like it is so insane the level of support that like winning unbound takes. Totally. Like it it doesn't really support like yes, the Crux 5 is like an amazing bike. I mean, I you know, it is a cool bike. Um, but I think even more so, like the resources uh like those who have the most resources win. Yeah. I mean the level, and it's not just special, it's like specialized canyon, like these big teams are investing a lot, like they have full crews in each aid station. A lot of money in bikes. Yeah, it is. That's what it looks like. So I'm curious though. So like normally it's interesting. The woman, Christy Moan, who started she she helped start Unbound, like back in the day, uh, before it sold to lifetime. She was telling me uh that the years that it's muddy, they actually have more finishers than the years that it's not muddy. More complainers, for sure. Sure. Sure. She was like, I get more emails. Yeah, you did have me, I forgot that you had me go and look up all the numbers and see um like the entries to finishers for each category. So I looked up elite men and the percentage of people who finish. Because I people have dropped who dropped out. I I looked up people who dropped out, um, women, elite women, and then just like general 200. Yeah. I'm curious what your guess is. Well, I'm I was really curious. We have a lot of curiosity today. So curious. Um, also sorry, this is gonna be a longer episode. And I have to go to therapy pretty soon. Okay, so we should uh okay. We're rap, we're wrapping soon then. Um I felt like I saw a lot more pros drop out than normal. Okay. Um are you asking me like men or women? Sure. I feel like there were more men that dropped out. Okay, so of the general 200. Oh, but I I feel like more of the general gen pop finished the race than the pros. All right. 18% dropped out from the pro the general gen pop. Of the elite women, 29% dropped out. Yeah. Of the elite men, 31% dropped out. That's a lot. Yeah, it seems like a lot. Nailed it. So you were in fact correct. Yeah. That was a lot of math for for that. I will say my last, my last piece, and like I get it, like stuff happens out there. I'm just like a I will drag my carcass across the line. Your little raccoon carcass. My Ricky Raccoon. Ricky's finishing that race. That's Rocky, but that's okay. Oh, I said Ricky. The classic Beatles song, Ricky Raccoon. Sorry, this episode wasn't as like I just was like really excited to like talk about the race. Because it was, I mean, it was really cool to see it from a different perspective. Totally. Muddy little shihtzu eyes. That's gross. Everyone, I and I really I want somebody to find the that character covered in. Okay, please call in. Because it's making me crazy. I it's embarrassing how many times I've tried to Google it. And I'm really proud, I'm really proud of Jen Pop there for finishing. That doesn't surprise me at all. Like, I think if I go back and forth because I'm like, I get it. I get why, like, you know, as a pro racer, you have races coming up and like 200 miles is a long. Yep. But I also like there's this other side of me that I'm like, if you're getting paid to be out there, finish the race. If you're just dropping out for like ego, and I get it, like I had to drop last year because of a concussion. That wasn't because of ego. No, I know, I know, but it's like it is a hard it is a hard decision. Yeah, I understand. But like, oh man, it sucks to drop out of a race. Yeah, if your bike is broken, you don't have any, you know, like Payson finishing, like his chain. Anyway, blah blah blah. We're gonna hear from uh the funny stories, hopefully. I think there's like three or four people that I've asked um to send me their voice memos. So we might have to make it a bonus episode because this one's so long. I think we should. Um, but sorry if you're not into bike racing, we just talked a lot about that's okay. You got to hear all of the fun stuff at the beginning. Like my little Sharpe. Yeah, mostly what's just over here tootin' up a storm. Gross. It's been pretty disgusting. Um I've moved into I now go twice, I go every other week to the doctor. I don't get another ultrasound unless something's wrong, which is crazy. Uh huh. Unless I request one. Okay. Um and uh we have to figure out how to build our studio in the backyard. And also a nursery or something that looks any resembling anything that's gonna take care of a baby. Like there's like nothing in your house that looks like it's ready for a baby. Nope. Nothing, not a fucking thing. It's crazy. I like walked into the room that is eventually maybe gonna be a nursery and was like, I think we're sitting in it now. Oh, okay. Uh yeah, I just was like, oh, there's still nothing set up. We still got nothing. Yep. It's still nothing. Oh, there's a mattress on the floor. Yeah, for your baby. Just roll around. Yeah. I guess I haven't hit that nest. No, our nesting is building the studio in the backyard. And that makes sense for you. Yeah, your studio for the baby. Yep. Your baby shed? My baby shed. Some people have a she shed, we have a baby shed. Um, okay, well, thank you again to our sponsors, TGIF, Thank Gravel It's Friday, and ride with hope. Um, if you're curious about what those things are, please listen to the beginning of this podcast. Um, but they're they're two awesome groups. You can follow them on Instagram. Uh, Think Gravel It's Friday is a ride group outside of the Boulder Denver area. They organize different rides. They have a couple far out events coming up. Um, and Ride for Hope is an amazing group that aims to spread awareness and support for mental health through community and riding bikes, which is great. They also have a longer like bikepacking event. And to learn more about those dates and how to sign up, follow their Instagram and/or look at the show notes andor listen to the beginning of this podcast because this is a very long episode. Also, thank you to with pace productions and Lily for making this episode happen. Sorry, it's so long. Is it really long? No, it's it's like 15 minutes longer than our normal. I started out not hungry and now I'm really hungry. Okay, let's wrap it up. Okay. Bye bye.