My Wishes for Cyclists in 2020

By Mara Abbott
Olympian and CTS Contributing Editor

Each year since 2008, when I began working with my CTS Coach Dean Golich, I consider myself fortunate to be a part of this community. As we head through the holiday season and into 2020, these are my wishes for the rest of my CTS family in the new year:

May you breathe fresh air and move your body every day.

May you have enough intervals to challenge you, enough coffee-shop rides to keep your friendships strong, and at least one brilliant sunrise.

May every crash and injury come with a lesson, and may you have the patience and insight to learn that lesson the first time around.

And, may your bouts of road rash not exceed your current stash of Tegaderm.

May you find someone with whom you can share your dreams and goals, and may you take the risk of getting very honest about those with yourself.

May you reach the summit of at least one mountain.

May your flat tires come on days when it is above zero degrees, when you have a wide shoulder, and when you are not desperately late for a meeting.

If you don’t already, may you try bike commuting. And yoga.

May you ride through falling snow, but avoid unfortunately-placed patches of ice.

May you coast every once in a while.

May your broken chains and snapped derailleur cables happen within coasting distance of a bike shop, and may you exercise better bike maintenance habits than I do.

May you get permanent mud splatters across at least one jersey.

May you wear short socks, because those tall ones are going to give you genuinely terrible tan lines. Or else wear your sunscreen.

May you try something that might just be impossible.

May you always be able to find two gloves and your sunglasses when you are ready to head out on a ride.

May you eat more real food on the bike, but may you always have a gel nearby when you need it.

Or else a Snickers.

May your power numbers grow, but not so large that they consume you.

May all of your bib shorts stay sufficiently opaque, and may your wind jackets stay clear of your rear wheel.

May you find equal time and capacity to indulge yourself with an exquisitely long ride and an exquisitely lazy rest day.

May you find the value in both of those.

May you be willing to want something deeply, commit to it fully, and take the all-in risk of falling short.

Finally, may you have at least one ride this year in which you find yourself with a tailwind in both directions.