Being a pro. It’s the highest honor in a sport indicating you are the master of your sport. You worked really hard to get there, it was your goal ever since the day you started racing and after all the blood, sweat, crashes, humbling experiences, elating victories, and hard striving, you’ve made it.
I’ve been racing in the “pro” category in mountain biking for, let’s see… I don’t even know, I think like 5 or 6 years now. It was such a great feeling when I got my first pro license in the mail. I got to race with the best women in the country and the world. What an honor!!
However, I’m a realist. There are other things involved with being a “pro” that you may or may not have considered. We know the bright side of it. But what about the other realities? Mind you, these are NOT complaints, but it gives you a fuller picture.
I’ll tell you… getting sick is a way bigger deal when you have to race your bike and the pressure is on. You skirt around taking antibiotics, you get sick easier because your immune system is compromised from the training, you travel more exposing you to a wider range of bacteria and viruses, and once you get sick, it can have tremendous setbacks. When I get sick, it makes me wish I didn’t race bikes because it wouldn’t be as stressful of a situation, and ironically, that stress probably depresses the immune system even further.
Travel. You travel. A lot. It sounds like the rock star life. It’s fun to see new places, meet new people all the time, and have a very dynamic weekly life. I’ve had a desk job as a solar engineer, I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum. Between racing and my job, I’m gone about 50% of the time. I feel incredibly lucky for all the experiences I have had, but there are trade-offs just like anything else. It’s hard on friendships, relationships, and you get really tired. Live like a rock star? No thanks… rock stars don’t even get to go home in between! It’s difficult when traveling to different time zones. Your central nervous system gets confused and sometimes you simply can’t perform.
Little things can become big things. You want to go to that concert? Sorry, you’ll be at a race. If you want to take a class in something where you pay in advance, forget it, you won’t be around enough. Monthly memberships? Well, you might get your money’s worth but probably not because you won’t be home.
Other sports? You can do them in the off-season. You CAN do them during your race season too, but if you do them too much, it takes away from the bike. This is something I really struggle with because I love doing a variety of activities, but the bulk of it is very bike-centric (I LOVE MOUNTAIN BIKING!) but when I’m doing the other things, I have to consider who it’ll effect my riding. I am nervous to ski a lot in the winter because what if I get hurt? Etc. etc.
Food for thought. I absolutely LOVE what I do and I wouldn’t change it for anything, but I think it’s good to have a more well-rounded view of it.
