BaseCamp athlete Shannon Scanlon shared her experience at the 2024 Gran Fondo National Championships in Frederick, Maryland.
On September 15, I stepped on the starting line of the Gran Fondo National Series in Frederick, MD, and set out to win the national championship jersey in my age group. This was my "A" race and my biggest goal of the race career. A stretch goal for me, one I wasn't sure I could accomplish, but I set myself up for success and controlled the control-ables.
Den surprised me with "Hazel," my new road bike, as an early birthday present. I hired Nathan Goates as my coach and trained with "no regrets," my mantra for the year. I competed in my "B" races for the season in Helen, GA, and Asheville, NC, to practice and learn race strategies. I set myself up for success; however, you can't control who will show up on race day and be your competition.
What I could control was how I measured success for that day. I researched my previous efforts on the course and set out to beat them. I checked them off with green check marks ✅ in my mind as I crossed the finish line of each time segment. I was a winner in my mind before I even found out the race results.
Carrie Jackson said, "We need to find victory in the pursuit of something and the fact that we pushed ourselves out of our comfort zone to go for it. Accomplishing the goal might be the icing on the cake, but it's not the cake. It's okay to believe. It's okay to dream big. It's okay to let yourself go for it."
The podium for me was the icing on the cake, but I discovered more this season about myself and the hard things I can accomplish. I RIDE to be able to roll around on the floor with my granddaughters, for community, and to see beautiful places on two wheels. I RACE to get the best out of myself, for the success in accomplishing a goal, and to inspire others to do the same. So believe, dream big, and go for it!
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