Fast Talk, ep. 93: Balancing sport and life, with Brent Bookwalter
b"Hello and welcome to Fast Talk! I'm your host Chris Case. Today we have a great episode in store for you, with someone you\\u2019ve heard from many times before on Fast Talk. Today, we\\u2019re finally joined by Brent Bookwalter of the Mitchelton-Scott WorldTour team, a man of both wisdom and humility, for a full conversation on balancing life and sport. \\n\\nWhat do pros know about that balance, you ask? \\u201cThey\\u2019re pampered!\\u201d you\\u2019re probably thinking. Well, not exactly true. The life of a pro cyclist is not as glamorous as you might think. We\\u2019ll discuss that misconception, but we\\u2019ll spend the majority of our conversation learning the many ways in which Brent has learned to balance training and racing with being a good husband, a soon-to-be-father, a son and friend, and a gran fondo promoter, among many other things. Through the years of racing both at the neo-pro level through to the WorldTour, Brent has dealt with limited time\\u2014sometimes well, sometimes not so well\\u2014which has forced him to prioritize his life in myriad ways. And it\\u2019s those tips that apply to all of us. \\n\\n The high level of physical and mental performance that is demanded of pro athletes while they also strive to maintain healthy relationships and interests outside of their career, means that they have been forced to master \\u201clife-balance.\\u201d \\n\\nWhile we don\\u2019t all deal with the issues related to pro cyclists\\u2019 in our own lives, there are common themes about self-care, spending time on relationships, knowing your personal limits, and working to keep your passions alive that we can all relate to. \\n\\nToday, along with Brent, we spoke to long-time pro and coach Katie Compton, as well as two of our favorite coaches and soon-to-be Fast Labs podcast hosts, Grant Holicky and Colby Pearce. \\n\\nIf you didn't catch it yet, we released our first bonus podcast last week. That\\u2019s right, Fast Talk is now a weekly podcast. Coach Connor and I were able to answer a few of your questions, one related to overtraining and burn-out\\u2014not-interchangeable terms, thank you Dr. Seiler for the correction\\u2014and one related to physiological testing. \\n\\nIf you have a question for us you can either write us at Fasttalk@fastlabs.com OR, as you may have heard by now, we have a number setup for you to call \\u2013 it's 719-800-2112 . Leave a voicemail with your question. If we can hear you loud and clear in the message, we may include the recording in the show. \\n\\nNow, bust out your balance board, brush up on your communication skills, it\\u2019s time to compartmentalize. Let\\u2019s make you fast!"