Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Catharine Pendrel:
I half joke that I stay thin because I eat so much, but i think there is some truth to it. My body knows it will always be fed so it doesn’t hold onto fat. The fact that I burn 1000-4000 calories a day from exercise helps too! I try to eat lots of fruit and veggies. My diet is not strict but balanced. I find the healthier I eat the more i crave healthy food too which helps.
During the off season i carry about 5 pounds more than in race season and when leaning down for racing I make sure I am getting 10-15g protein 5/day to maintain lean muscle mass. I fuel on rides of over 1.5hrs with about 100+cal/hour so that I stay on top of energy needs for better quality riding and recovery and am pretty much a slave to the refuelling within the 30 min post tough workout glycogen window.
Catharine Pendrel on WomenFitness: It’s great to see women fitness highlighting athletes and other strong, powerful accomplished women. Readers: Whatever you do, do it with confidence. You’ll never know what you are capable of if you do not try!
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding competitive mountain bike racing girls who all are your fans, they shall like to know from you, what they should do for their climb to ladder of success in field of competitive professional mountain bike racing?
Ms. Catharine Pendrel:
Set small goals that keep you motivated and feeling successful on your way to your bigger goals. Success takes time and a lot of practice. It’s hard to put a lot of hours into something that is no longer fun, so keep it fun!
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
How did you feel before and after your memorable win of world championship in cross-country mountain biking at Champery, Switzerland in 2011?
Ms. Catharine Pendrel:
Winning Worlds in 2011 was unbelievable. I had come so far as a rider since starting in 1997. I was coming off of an amazing season that had really challenged me to be my best and I felt confident I could have a strong race and maybe even win. As an athlete to achieve at that level is one of the best moments you can share with you family, coach and team, all the people that were part of making that moment possible.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You raced to victory at the world mountain bike championships 2014, your second career title, maintaining the lead after suffering a flat tire on the final lap, 21 seconds ahead of former world champion Irina Kalentieva of Russia. You had a 43-second lead when you had the flat tire, but a quick wheel change kept you in first place. Tell us about those precious, win defining moments of anxiety when you discovered a flat tire and did not lose focus and went on to win the title?
Ms. Catharine Pendrel:
It was a weird mix of complete calm and oh no! As a racer you run through that scenario in your mind a lot and what you would do, but hope you never have to deal with it. I knew I could definitely lose the race without a wheel change, but had a good chance to make a final surge after the change even if Irina overtook me. I had complete faith in my mechanic Dusty Labarr to do a quick change in the tech zone which kept me calm. Once in the tech zone, he handled the change while i made sure I was in a gear I could accelerate away in and in the head space to dig really deep. That late drama made the win all that much more rewarding…and relieving!
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