Getting to Know 3 Biking Olympians: Georgia Gould, Katerina Nash and Catherine Pendrel
Olympics fever is strong at FBG HQ these days. Between reading Kristen’s inspiring post and watching enough swimming time trials to think that maybe, just maybe, I could master the fly stroke, we’re summer Olympics obsessed. So when we had the chance to chat with three members of LUNA’s Pro team who are going to the Olympics this year for cross-country biking—Georgia Gould, Katerina Nash, Catherine Pendrel—we had questions. Oh, we had questions. Talk about a cool sport! For fun, we decided to ask them all the same questions about their training, best advice and what going to the Olympics means to them. Read on to be inspired—and get your Olympics fever running even hotter than it is now!
Georgia Gould is our home girl! (Literally, she’s repping the USA!)
Georgia Gould
Georgia Gould is the reigning USA cross-country mountain bike national champion.
What’s the most misunderstood thing about your sport? I guess the fact that some people really think we are jerks! One tough aspect of our sport is the conflict that exists between cyclists and motorists in some places. I train on the road a lot, and I have had people yell at me, throw things at me, honk and deliberately buzz me as they drive by. It’s a shame, I’m just out there doing my job!
What’s your training like? I train on a road bike and also on my mountain bike. I usually do longer rides (3 to 4 hours) in the late winter and spring and add shorter, higher intensity rides in the early summer. Once I am in full-on race season, I usually don’t have very much time to train—it’s just race and recover! In the fall and winter, I add some running into my training. Running allows me to stay mentally fresh (by the end of the season, I’m usually ready to hang up the bike for a bit), and it’s also a great way to maintain bone density.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Go easy on your easy days and hard on your hard days.
What’s the best piece of advice you can give to someone else? Listen to your body.
What does going to the Olympics mean to you? Going to the Olympics is an amazing experience. It is the culmination of years of hard work. It means that I have gotten to the very top of my sport; that I am one of the best in the world. Not only that, going to the Olympics is a rare chance to represent my country in front of the whole world. I am thrilled to have this opportunity, and I plan on making the most of it!