This year has marked my transition from an off season worker (30-40hr/week)/athlete to a full time athlete. I entered the year with a little trepidation; would the lack of structure make being a disciplined athlete more difficult, would I be bored or lonely? On the other hand would I be silly to work for $10/hr when I am finally financially stable as a bike racer? It would mean giving up recovery time, ability to travel and sacrifice the quality of my workouts. What better year to try out the whole idea of recovery between work outs than the one leading into the Olympics after my best season ever?

So this fall I took the plunge. I didn’t spend September depressingly scanning the help wanted ads. Instead I travelled through four countries in foru weeks racing (Switzerland, Scotland, Slovenia and China) and in the process did a trip around the world. Sounds sweet eh!

For the last three years I have struggled with the idea of personally identifying as a bike racer, but never having this validated. Whether I was an office worker, waitress or lab tech, that title took precedence in others minds as it was my source of income; my contribution to a working society. But those jobs, although having their good moments, weren’t me. I was an athlete first.

Now I can make an honest claim to the title Pro Mtb racer. Sure when it comes to getting a mortgage my father was required as a guarantor, but I can provide for myself and contribute financially to my marriage as a bike racer. My husband says “it’s like you went back to school and finally got a job in your field”.

Gone are the worries that I will be bored with my spare time. What spare time? I quickly learned that the challenge is not do too much with my spare time so that I allow myself to recover. I wake up with my husband at 5:45am to start my work day and ensure I have some rest time between workouts on double workout days and often still feel like I’m short of time.

Some days I miss working outside of sport. I miss my old co-workers, their scant knowledge of the world of cycling, and the variety of my day. But when I can get out midday for a ride or ski I quickly forget those tinges of loss.

Like any job you have good days and bad days. When you have a bad day at a regular job you may blame it on fatigue, or lament not having more time. As a full time athlete if you have a bad workout it can ruin your day – you’re supposed to be able to give 100% and it has such a stronger tie to your life purpose. But over time you come to recognize that not every work day will go perfectly, and that fatigue is part of any job – and hopefully a bad day will make you faster the next time.

Working full time as an athlete is not the ideal life situation for everyone. Some riders will get faster, others slower and others remain the same, but for me this year, I feel it was a good choice. However, it has definitely highlighted the need for balance, focusing on goals, and keeping the whole picture visible in your mind.