Latest / Find Your Edge: Training, Nutrition + Longevity for Endurance Athletes / Le Tour de Femme: Women, Cycling, Community & Supporting Women With Cancer Ep 158

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Le Tour de Femme: Women, Cycling, Community & Supporting Women With Cancer Ep 158 · Find Your Edge: Training, Nutrition + Longevity for Endurance Athletes

• 0:38
  Coach Carlie: All right, welcome back to the Find Your Edge podcast.
• 0:40
  Coach Carlie: I'm your host, as usual, Coach Chris Newport.
• 0:43
  Coach Carlie: And I have some special guests here from Lake Tour de Femme.
• 0:48
  Coach Carlie: And if you don't know what that is, you need to keep listening because its mission, the overall event is so amazing.
• 0:55
  Coach Carlie: So I've got two guests with me.
• 0:57
  Coach Carlie: Nisha, okay, Nisha, you're gonna have to pronounce your last name, but I will leave that to you and Catherine Davis.
• 1:03
  Coach Carlie: So welcome to the show, you guys.
• 1:05
  Coach Carlie: I'm so excited to have you.
• 1:06
  Coach Carlie: Thank you.
• 1:07
  Coach Carlie: We're happy to be able to be here.
• 1:08
  Coach Carlie: Yes.
• 1:09
  Coach Carlie: All right.
• 1:09
  Coach Carlie: So give us a little bit of your background.
• 1:13
  Coach Carlie: So, Catherine, I think it would be good to start with you.
• 1:16
  Coach Carlie: Okay.
• 1:17
  Coach Carlie: What about you and and what La Tour de Femme is?
• 1:20
  Coach Carlie: And then I think you'll be able to hopefully toss it over to Nisha.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, take it away.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_02: So I actually I uh La Tour de Femme actually started in 2006, and I was a first-time rider in 2009.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_02: I actually found out about it in a breast cancer support group because I was in the middle of chemotherapy.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_02: And uh as an avid cyclist, I thought, wow, this is great.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna ride it this year.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I wrote it right in the middle of chemotherapy in 2009.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_02: I'd never done an all-women's ride, and I thought I got there and I was just blown away by the support, the community.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it was just, it was just so special.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_02: And so that was the beginning for me.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_02: I was an avid rider every year.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_02: And then in 2022, I joined the board.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_02: In 2023, I became a co-director, and we moved the event to a more rural, um, less trafficked area, and um was a co-director until this year.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um when we um as a merry band of uh volunteers uh found our perfect partner in life, um, which is one of us who carries our same charity goal, and we um have given it students slow down with that because I think that was easily walked over.
• 2:43
  Coach Carlie: Yes.
• 2:44
  Coach Carlie: One of us.
• 2:45
  Coach Carlie: So like spell out, spell that out because it's just like, oh, one of us, you know.
• 2:50
  Coach Carlie: One of us, yeah.
• 2:51
  Coach Carlie: Yeah, it just so anyway, spell it out so that way people like really hammer that part home.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_02: So let me step back one more step, which is say La Tour de Femme has always had two goals.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_02: One was to support women who are going through cancer, and the second one was to empower women to explore the sport of cycling.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_02: And so one of us has been supporting women through female cancers from their beginning, and and they uh are so good at that.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_02: And so they are they were looking for a new event to add to their their group of events in this great fundraising uh mission that they have.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: And uh we uh were the lucky, you know, lucky to be able to be invited to be part of the one of us um organization.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: So as of this year, they are directing the event.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_02: Cool.
• 3:51
  Coach Carlie: So perfect segue to you, Nisha.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: So um, yeah, good morning.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Nisha Davensbeck, and I am the executive director of one of us.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: And one of us is literally the number one, OF, and then US.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_01: So many years ago when the organization started, it was started as one in nine.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: And so in 2011, one in nine was the statistic of you know, one in nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: And so when our founder was diagnosed and going through her treatment, that's kind of how they created the foundation and the organization.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_01: And so it was really the goal of like, we really need to market this one in nine statistic because we need our women to know like, find your nine, find your nine and make sure you're all getting your mammograms.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: And so it all kind of started with that and with Stephanie's diagnosis.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: And as she was going through her treatment, we realized that there were so many women that after their treatment did not have a ride home, they did not have a place to stay, um, they did not have transportation the next day.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_01: They didn't, you know, that it was it was this whole hustle and bustle of how are we getting them home at the end of the day?
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: And basically her and her husband were like, what do you mean they don't have a ride home?
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like they got here, like how did they and they're like, well, no, they were just dropped off.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: And so she was like, Oh my gosh, we got to do something.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: Like this is ridiculous.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: And her oncologist basically was like, Stephanie, this happens every day.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: Like this is just, you know, it happens all the time.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so she was being treated at Chapel Hill, which is our state-supported hospital.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: So if you can get to Chapel Hill, you will not be denied treatment.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_01: So the goal when you are diagnosed and you are um at, you know, poverty or above or below is to get yourself to Chapel Hill so that you can be treated.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so, you know, all through all of the years of this and starting to support our patients, um, a little by little, we then added the gynecological cancers.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: And in 2016, and so we went from one in nine to one of us because we wanted to encompass all women's cancers.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's how the name one of us came about.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: So basically, our goal and our mission is to support these women as they're going through their treatments.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: So we are that direct financial import.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sorry, support.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: We are um paying their rent, their utilities, we are providing transportation, we are making sure that they have gas and grocery cars so that their home life and their family are also being taken care of and fed.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if their children need anything, childcare, um, all of these things fall under our umbrella of helping them so that they won't stop or forego their treatment.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, so it's, you know, it's such a community let me back up.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's a devastating diagnosis when you get um, you hear the words you have cancer, but then to add on top of that to already be in financial distress, you've just literally escalated your level of stress personally and at your home.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_01: So if we can take away that big factor so that you can focus on your treatments and getting better to be there for your family in the future, then that's what we're gonna do is we're we're gonna take that away from you so that you can focus.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_01: So um, and as of this year, we've helped over 6,000 women in their families and we're celebrating 15 years with Big Gala in November.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: But it but like Catherine said, we met this amazing group of people two years ago and just went and volunteered.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_01: We were at a rest stop, we took over the 62-mile rest stop and we had the best time.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: And then last year, as we had worked more and more with them, um, they let the crowd know after the ride that we were going to be taking it over because last year was 20 for them.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_01: It was such an amazing day, was so beautiful and 20 years, and you know, what an accomplishment.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: And so we were honored that they chose us to continue this journey and this event and this ride because it is absolutely beautiful to see all of these women come together and there's survivors out there, and there's women and their families, and it's just a beautiful day of support and like Catherine said, empowerment, like to let these women know you got this, like you can do this, and we're here with you and we're gonna do it together.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: So it's yeah, so we're excited.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: So this is our first one where we say we're nervous-sided because we're very nervous, but we're very excited.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: It's a little bit of pressure to you know keep the keep the um omission going.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but we're really excited and uh yeah, we yeah, we're just we're tickle.
• 8:39
  Coach Carlie: Yeah, I remember.
• 8:40
  Coach Carlie: And the woman who um connected all of us in order to do this podcast, she was like, I would rather organize a 400-person gala than this difficulty of organizing a ride.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_03: She's like, this is so hard.
• 8:55
  Coach Carlie: I'm like, no, it's so different.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_01: So it's very detail oriented oriented in a in a different way.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_01: So, like our gala that I've been doing for 10 years is a very well-old machine.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_01: Now, La Torre de Femme is a beautifully well-old machine from Catherine and her team.
• 9:12
  unknown: Yeah, yeah.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: But it is so it is such a different dynamic.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: The details and the we're learning so much, like so, so much.
• 9:25
  Coach Carlie: Yeah, yeah, so cool.
• 9:27
  Coach Carlie: And to be able to bring this to women who are perhaps new to cycling or like that's a big deal.
• 9:34
  Coach Carlie: Because if you don't know the first thing about riding a bike or you're brand new, like this is the place to come.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah, for sure.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_01: Because I certainly don't know anything about riding a bike, but I'm I'm gonna be there all day.
• 9:47
  Coach Carlie: You know you're gonna get roped in.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: It's happening.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: But Catherine has been my saving grace through all of this because I'll just text her and be like, what about this?
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: What about that?
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: Because she is a complete professional and she rides and she fundraises and she comes out and helps us set up and clean out.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's it's it's yes.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, she's she's my person.
• 10:09
  Coach Carlie: Yeah, I love that.
• 10:10
  Coach Carlie: Okay, so exciting that you guys are taking this over.
• 10:13
  Coach Carlie: I'm I'm uh I'm so happy for you and to get the support.
• 10:17
  Coach Carlie: So, Catherine, tell us a little bit about the day, like because it is.
• 10:22
  Coach Carlie: It's I I've ridden this ride many times, not in the new location, though, I will have to say.
• 10:28
  Coach Carlie: So that is gonna be fantastic.
• 10:30
  Coach Carlie: But like, I it's just a whole nother I all that comes when I think of La Tour de Femme.
• 10:36
  Coach Carlie: So if if anybody's watching on YouTube, this is literally my coaster.
• 10:40
  Coach Carlie: If anybody can see this, is La Tour de Femme coaster, and it's got these like cool little, you know, uh bicycle chain, and it's there's like kind of like a little swirly in the middle.
• 10:50
  Coach Carlie: And um, every time I I see carnations, I think of Lay Tour de Femme.
• 10:55
  Coach Carlie: Like, how cool is it that people I'm jumping ahead, but people they get a carnation.
• 11:00
  Coach Carlie: So, anyway, back us up, Catherine.
• 11:03
  Coach Carlie: What is the day like?
• 11:04
  Coach Carlie: What does it look like?
• 11:06
  Coach Carlie: Uh, what are the options?
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_02: So take it from the the uh the setup has changed quite a bit since you participated in Carrie.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the the biggest change is well, there are two really huge changes.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_02: One is our venue.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_02: So we moved to Rougemont to the Little River Regional Park, and we did that for two reasons.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_02: One to have quick access to rural, less trafficked roads, and secondly, to have access to single track trails because we now offer mountain biking.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, speak a new language, Catherine.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_02: But I don't I'm you know, I don't ride on the road, either I never have or not interested.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um we offer mountain biking now so that you can join and you can do that, or you can ride on the road.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_02: So the um the other really big change that we made is we did a staggered start.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_02: And that is because um of the community aspect that one of the just the super special sauce was being able to meet and greet people you might only see once a year and to catch up.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_02: And when we all left together, we came back at really different times.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_02: So we flipped it so that we uh have the longer riders start significantly sooner than the shorter courses, and that is so that everybody can come back and have lunch together, and we have live music, and it's uh really that meant to be a celebration of spending the day together.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, the other advantage to a staggered start is that you're starting with a smaller group of riders because riding out with a couple of hundred riders, if use is your first ride, can be a little bit overwhelming.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_02: And so riding in these riding out in smaller pods is just a little bit more comfortable and easier to manage.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: And one of the ways that we can we can do that so well is that we have uh a really special support team on the road, which are the blue knights, um, these just huge teddy bears on big bicycles, big, big motorbikes that can sort of go at 10 miles per hour with a big smile on their face.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_02: And they um they are there on all the routes to support, to support each and every rider.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_02: And um if you're looking through some of the pictures, you'll see that they even stop, they stop at intersections to make sure riders are getting through uh intersections along the route.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, they are there 100% to be an additional support to the riders.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we also have people who are bicycling along with riders and also at the end of every uh route that uh that make sure that everybody's being well taken care of.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_02: And of course, we have rest stops along the way to provide, to provide support and a break and nutrition um to keep everybody fueled and uh happy on their route.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_02: So, uh, and then they come back and they have uh whole cheering team and carnations to welcome them back, and uh then they can go and enjoy the live music and the catered meal, which continues to be a very popular uh Greek offering, and uh we are now still working, we are working with Med Delhi, who is our new uh caterer up closer to Rougemont.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_02: So uh very, very special day, and uh and that's all the road part.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_02: So on the mountain bike portion, it is is the same concept of having what are the options for cycling distance.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, thank you.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, mileage, thank you.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, we have um the 16, the 32, and the 62.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_02: 13, 32, and 62.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, yep, yep, and it's um and it is a little bit hilly, but um it's uh certainly it's beautiful and uh and it's doable, so it's absolutely worth the effort to uh to get out there and enjoy the roads.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 15:13
  Coach Carlie: Love that cool okay.
• 15:15
  Coach Carlie: Mountain biking, of course, you know.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_02: Speaking of my language now, so so little uh so Little River has a great single track trails.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_02: I also have a skill, a skills course uh that they've been working on, and um each uh we sort of have a beginner, intermediate, and advanced uh offer there where they um it's longer and harder depending upon what level, and they they're offering a clinic ahead of each group as well.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_02: So uh so no matter you know where you are, you can always learn something new, and they're gonna start with that and then uh get a chance to kind of start.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_02: So that's what I'm saying.
• 15:58
  Coach Carlie: So if you are intimidated by mountain biking, but you maybe don't want to ride on the road, or for whatever reason, there is a listen, you guys, I will tell you all the reasons to ride in the dirt, but that's nice.
• 16:10
  Coach Carlie: You can figure that out on your own when you get out there.
• 16:12
  Coach Carlie: But if you are like, I don't know about this, like that is totally the way to go.
• 16:16
  Coach Carlie: Get a little clinic beforehand, have some support.
• 16:19
  Coach Carlie: You're not just like randomly out there in the woods, you've got the script, and then you have great food at the end.
• 16:25
  Coach Carlie: I mean, beats a power bar at any day of the week, you know.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_01: And I have to say, too, like at the rest stops, like you pull up and you can get off your bike, you can use the restroom.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_01: There's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: If you would need a little pickle juice or a little mustard for cramping, we've got that too.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_01: We've got waters, we've got soda.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: So we there's a lot to offer at each stop, too, because we want them to have that opportunity to refuel and you know, feel like they're like, oh, okay, I can do this.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: I can, I can, I'm gonna keep going.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, so um it's like you said, it's not just like a power bar and you keep on going and you throw some water back.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_01: Like you can actually like take a moment, take a breath, and then you know, regroup.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_01: So lots to offer the rest stops too.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_02: So and then churches are really yeah, and I forgot about mechanical support.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, the answer is yes.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_02: We have that, we'll have that on site, certainly, and then there'll be some mechanical support along the road and at the rest stops.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_02: So if you have any hiccups with your bike uh one way or the other, there'll be someone there to help you.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: And I do want to say something cool too.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't mean to cut you off, Chris.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: If you go ahead and check is that this year, when you go to do your packet pickup, you were partnering with Trek in North Raleigh, and they are allowing you to bring your bike and they're gonna do a complete overhaul of your bike before the ride so that you feel comfortable and you know probably say a checkover.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I wasn't saying not an overhaul.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, overhaul would require multiple days of getting in the shop.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_03: Anyway, six non-rider.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_03: Learning the language.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: Learning the language.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: It was the non-rider.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: This one.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but yes, so they were checkover, check over a checkover.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_01: They will do a checkover to make sure that you um your bike is good to go for the for the ride.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: And we're we're super thankful for them for doing that this year.
• 18:15
  Coach Carlie: Yeah, that's a big deal, especially if you're like, I really want to ride, but like this biking thing seems complicated and I don't know how it all works.
• 18:23
  Coach Carlie: And that's a great way to feel confident that all of your equipment is operating properly.
• 18:29
  Coach Carlie: Cause I don't pretend to be a mechanic.
• 18:31
  Coach Carlie: I can I know enough to be dangerous on a bicycle, but it's like getting in your car and never in like not knowing anything about your like let's fingers crossed it all work.
• 18:41
  Coach Carlie: Um, so and that's what a good mechanic will do.
• 18:45
  Coach Carlie: So that's awesome.
• 18:47
  Coach Carlie: Yeah, very thankful for them.
• 18:49
  Coach Carlie: So yeah.
• 18:50
  Coach Carlie: Um, speaking of Trek, you guys kind of have some like cool um uh let's see, is it an auction?
• 18:59
  Coach Carlie: It's a raffle.
• 19:00
  Coach Carlie: It's a raffle.
• 19:01
  Coach Carlie: Okay, you tell us more.
• 19:03
  Coach Carlie: Tell us.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_01: So there's two yeah, there's two raffles this year.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_01: One's really cool because one, as soon as you register, you're automatically entered into that raffle.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: So it is a free raffle.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: So we wanted everybody to be a part of something.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_01: And so whoever wins that raffle gets this beautiful primal jersey that they donated.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: And um Tofosi also donated um their breast cancer awareness um sunglasses, and so we've got that, and then Chris donated a um$300 um basically metabolic test, metal melabolic steep.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_01: So that is one whole raffle in itself, which is really cool because that is a stacked raffle and you don't have to do anything but register to ride.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_01: So we're very excited about that one.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: And then Trek has um agreed to partner with us again this year, and so they're providing a um beautiful.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_01: I won't even try to name what type of entry level entry level like a Demani.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, yeah, yeah.
• 20:06
  Coach Carlie: And by entry level, I'm air quoting here because like I mean, they're not like this, you know, the like little tinker aluminum bike that I got, you know, 25 years ago that was like, you know, uh I don't, it was like$300 or something ridiculous.
• 20:23
  Coach Carlie: Like, no, this is this is not that.
• 20:25
  Coach Carlie: This is the entry level, but it is not, this is not Walmart.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: No, definitely not.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_01: No, definitely not.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's it is beautiful.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, for someone who is not a rider, I was working with Nolan and he was like, How about this bike?
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, gosh, that's absolutely beautiful.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's very sleek um and very pretty.
• 20:42
  Coach Carlie: And um, yeah, and listen, it's all about how you look, also.
• 20:46
  Coach Carlie: Well, you know, like it's if you ride a sexy bike, you feel sexy.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_03: That's the thing.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_01: So I love it.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_01: So, yes, we're excited.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you do have to pay for those raffles, but also included in that raffle is Chris's weekend getaway at Lake Gaston, along with a$300 metabolic um testing.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_01: So, Chris, if you want to describe that weekend, that would be so cool for people to understand.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, I'm so glad you asked.
• 21:17
  Coach Carlie: So um we have typically in the past done trathlon training camps.
• 21:23
  Coach Carlie: And this year, Carly and I, she's uh one of our coaches on our team.
• 21:28
  Coach Carlie: We were like, you know, we're we were riding along our athletes this spring during our trathlon training camp, going, you know what?
• 21:36
  Coach Carlie: It would be so great if we did this in the fall, but just for women and not just about training, like making it more of a retreat and not like a intense, you know, gotta do all the things camp.
• 21:48
  Coach Carlie: And well, here we are.
• 21:50
  Coach Carlie: So we we made it happen.
• 21:52
  Coach Carlie: It's gonna, this is gonna be our first time doing a women's only endurance athlete retreat, and it's limited to 10 women, and it's gonna be at least Gaston.
• 22:00
  Coach Carlie: Uh, and it's gonna be like a Thursday through Sunday, and they'll be fully supported by us.
• 22:06
  Coach Carlie: The only non-female who will be there is gonna be my husband, who is an amazing chef and uh yes, and he makes these amazing gourmet meals for all of us while we are uh adventuring and uh journaling and doing all kinds of supportive things for each other.
• 22:27
  Coach Carlie: So that is a thousand dollar value.
• 22:32
  Coach Carlie: Isn't that awesome?
• 22:33
  Coach Carlie: I'm so, so, so excited about this.
• 22:35
  Coach Carlie: Like Carly and I were literally like, oh, drive.
• 22:38
  Coach Carlie: Dreaming about it.
• 22:38
  Coach Carlie: Like, wouldn't that be so great?
• 22:40
  Coach Carlie: And so I'm excited to bring it to the world.
• 22:42
  Coach Carlie: And somebody who does this raffle will get that.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we're so excited.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, you not only do you want a bike, but you get this women's weekend away.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like there's nothing better than that.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I've I love my kids and I love my husband, but I love a weekend away.
• 22:59
  Coach Carlie: Self-care is is necessary.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: It is very necessary.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_01: It is very necessary.
• 23:05
  Coach Carlie: And I you ain't got to do any dishes, no diapers, no, no nothing.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, and I will back you up and say Lake Gaston is such a beautiful, um, peaceful environment.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_01: I've been going, my my parents have had a house there for 25 years.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_01: So it's my kid, my kids have had the blessing of growing up at the lake.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: But I I will say to have to be able to go there for a weekend and just kind of like you know, focus on you and the beauty around you is it's it's beautiful.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_01: You got you guys all have the best weekend.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: Cool.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_03: So so uh one thing we haven't talked about is the date.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_03: I know, like people are like, okay, I'm sold, but when is it?
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, right.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_02: So for the viewers who have done tour and a femme for a lot of years, has always been the second Saturday in October, and it is not, it's the first, the first Saturday in October, which is October 3rd.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_02: So if you're listening to this and you're super eager to sign up, that's your weekend.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_02: If for some reason you're looking at your calendar and you're like, oh, I can't do it, well, you can still participate.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_02: You can participate by being a virtual rider, and you could even just do this raffle that we've just talked about.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_02: You can still buy raffle tickets and participate with even if you can't even be at the event.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_02: So um there's there's still plenty of ways to participate, even if physically you can't be there.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_02: So um, so buy your raffle tickets, be a virtual rider, you know, uh put on your pink or a tour to film jersey if you have one from an older year and you know, ride uh, you know, ride where you are and uh you know, just just be you know, be with us in spirit if you can't be with us in person.
• 24:45
  Coach Carlie: Yes, because it really is a magical energy.
• 24:50
  Coach Carlie: It is unlike any other event I've done or been to.
• 24:56
  Coach Carlie: So, which is really, really cool.
• 25:00
  Coach Carlie: So um, and if you are not identifying as female, are there other ways that you can support?
• 25:09
  Coach Carlie: Yes.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, of course, absolutely.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_01: We love having family and friends out there supporting the riders before they leave when they come back.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, we absolutely love that.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_01: And we're, I mean, we're very privileged to say that our um marshals and our sweepers are full um this year.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's a really cool thing.
• 25:30
  Coach Carlie: But in in the future, if you know, if you are just to pause, like if somebody doesn't know what that means, it's that you are not the last rider.
• 25:40
  Coach Carlie: There is no such thing as last.
• 25:41
  Coach Carlie: Like, uh first of all, it's not a race, right?
• 25:44
  Coach Carlie: It's a right.
• 25:44
  Coach Carlie: Secondly, so many people are like, oh, but what if I'm slow or if I've never done this before?
• 25:50
  Coach Carlie: Like, am I gonna be left out in the dark?
• 25:52
  Coach Carlie: And um, you guys can reiterate, but the answer is no.
• 25:55
  unknown: Yeah.
• 25:56
  Coach Carlie: So yeah, yeah, and that's what these course marshals do, which is so cool.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, is very, very cool.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_01: And we have them for every single um level and and distance.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_01: And it is a beautiful thing that they are there to ride with you, cheer you on, support you um, and and get you through as well.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_01: And um, we allow for the sweepers, they are um they are all men.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_01: And then for the um Marshalls, you could be a man or a woman, depending if you like you just want to go out and support and not ride.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_01: You could, you know, we welcome them both.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_01: So um, but yeah, but I were but we're already full.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so please, please, please keep that in mind for next year, but also too, just come out because it's like Catherine said, there's an awesome the food from Med Delhi is absolutely delicious.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_01: And then one block over comes and they perform in the afternoon, and then we do raffles and um there's a playground for children, you know, so there's this vast area and out there after the ride when people are coming in.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, epic uh physical therapy bus is gonna be out there.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_01: So they're gonna be out there educating people on you know your post-ride, your pre-ride stretching, you know, things like that, physical therapy.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_01: They're gonna be out there.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we've got uh River Mill Cycling.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_01: So there's gonna be people that are gonna be out there too that vendors you can just kind of mill around and learn and talk and um you know, come get some fun swag.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_02: Speaking of swag, oh here, let me have a drink of water.
• 27:19
  Coach Carlie: Oh, very nice.
• 27:22
  Coach Carlie: Yeah, I mean yes, decked out.
• 27:25
  Coach Carlie: Like I love I lovely Tortofam's logo, it's so great.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_02: So the swag is still happening.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_02: Swag is still happening.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, all those fundraising raising incentives are still there, and uh it just makes it the joy and joy of uh, you know, it's such a great cause, and then you get great souvenirs from from uh fundraising at every level.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, yeah.
• 27:45
  Coach Carlie: Yeah.
• 27:45
  Coach Carlie: So what is um if people sign up, is there a minimum amount that they're that's necessary to fundraise?
• 27:51
  Coach Carlie: Like, tell us a little bit about that.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: Catherine, you want to do that or you want me to do it?
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, why don't you do that actually?
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_01: So there you could do like the minimum amount is like$50.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_01: And so you could do that, but you don't have to fundraise at all.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_01: We don't want people to feel like they have to fundraise.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_01: You don't.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_01: That is just a pure personal.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of people are touched by cancer in so many ways, and they're like, yes, we want to give back.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_01: So they go and they fundraise and um, but you do have the different levels.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_01: I unfortunately do not have the memorized, but they when you go to our link and register, you on that page you get to see all the fundraising levels.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_01: But I do know that the the prizes that you get are um the first one is a beautiful stemless wine glass that has the Latour logo on one side and has the one of us logo on the other.
• 28:39
  Coach Carlie: Show it again, Catherine.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_01: Her coffee mug.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_01: Isn't that great?
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_01: I love that logo.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_01: It's so beautiful, yes.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so um, so you do you can do the stemless wine glass, and then as you work your way up, you will um get some defeat socks.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yep.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_01: So you will also uh you could earn Tavosi sunglasses.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um also there's a hat this year.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_01: Our hats are orange.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_01: The colors this year are pink and orange, um, and it's 21 years, so we're cheersing to 21 years of La Tour de Fan.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um so yeah, so we've got a lot of pink and orange going on this year.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_01: You have a white hoodie um that you can um win or earn.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_01: And then the logo is pink and orange this year, and then you start getting into um, you know, the kit, the the biker pants and the um biker shirt.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and so, and those were designed by I love Catherine's smile right now.
• 29:34
  Coach Carlie: Nisha, we are gonna school you on some.
• 29:36
  Coach Carlie: I'm not saying it right.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'm not saying it right.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_02: You know what this is what I what I what I love so much about this is that that um we have we have we really want uh all kinds of riders to come and feel comfortable at the end of the year.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_02: If you call it biker pants, exactly we will still love you.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_02: And you show up with a with a t-shirt and some shorts and some runners to ride your bike, that I mean we we love you.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_02: We are so happy you're here.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_02: I entertain a entertainment version of your podcast.
• 30:04
  Coach Carlie: I think it is, I mean, I I think it's interesting that you guys have the um, I I love those um motorbike um like sort of like escorts, you know, and that those two languages, cyclists and motorbikes, you know, if you just say bikes in general, but then nobody knows really what you're talking about unless you're like deeply embedded in those communities.
• 30:24
  Coach Carlie: But some of the language can be interesting to like kind of, you know, they would never say I have bike shorts on.
• 30:30
  Coach Carlie: We would not say we have bike pants on, but now you know, right?
• 30:34
  Coach Carlie: No, I know it's so great.
• 30:36
  Coach Carlie: And Nisha I'm not making fun, it's just oh my no, it with any sport, you just have like the lingo and um and and now you guys know what to say before you go out to the tour defense.
• 30:47
  Coach Carlie: You've been like, May I have my bike, my bike.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_03: I love it.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_03: So good.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_01: So and then and I will say the jersey this year is so beautiful.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, an original member of uh Latour, uh Barbara Yarborough, designed it.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_01: She designs them every year, and and we finally this year we were like, Could you please sign the jersey?
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: Because it's absolutely beautiful.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_01: So we got her to sign her to sign right on the neck, but it is but they're beautiful, she did an incredible job.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, so you have your matching kit.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, you have your matching.
• 31:21
  Coach Carlie: Very nice.
• 31:21
  Coach Carlie: I know.
• 31:22
  Coach Carlie: Why do we chose that word?
• 31:23
  Coach Carlie: I don't know.
• 31:24
  Coach Carlie: I don't know.
• 31:24
  Coach Carlie: I don't know.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_02: So I should I should clarify, Ron's sister actually designed all of the jerseys up until last year, and Barbara has been excited to give it a go.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_02: And she is uh she has carried the torch beautifully.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_02: It she is an outstanding job.
• 31:43
  Coach Carlie: Yeah, Ron and his sister are very creative.
• 31:46
  Coach Carlie: Yes, they are.
• 31:47
  Coach Carlie: That's because that was his logo, right?
• 31:48
  Coach Carlie: I think I'm pretty sure he did that.
• 31:50
  Coach Carlie: Yeah, they did it together the first video when they were putting it together.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, dang.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_01: So they just the carnation.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they just changed the color of the carnation each year, and that I think that's so beautiful.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 32:02
  Coach Carlie: Yeah, so cool.
• 32:04
  Coach Carlie: All right, is there anything we miss we're missing?
• 32:06
  Coach Carlie: We got the location, the date, the distances, the fundraising prizes, the raffle, um, more about one of us, the background of Letour to Femme.
• 32:16
  Coach Carlie: Did you miss anything?
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_01: And you're gonna provide the link for them if they would like to register, right?
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, of course.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_01: Of course.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, and you can go to that link and you can register.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you can register to volunteer.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we we still need some volunteers the day of.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_01: That's another um way that um the gentlemen can come out, or family members or anything like that can come out and they can support by um volunteering that day.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_01: So we have options.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_01: You can go down to the bottom and it's volunteer or register.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and either way, we would love to have you out there.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_01: Volunteers get a beautiful t-shirt.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so that is provided with them and of course lunch as well.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, so we still have some volunteer options.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_01: And then um when you go to the website and register, we've tried to make it very simple and easy.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, whether you want to fundraise or you don't want to fundraise, or if you want to be a cycler or a mountain biker, all the options are there.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, so we've tried to make it super simple.
• 33:09
  SPEAKER_01: Make it easy, yeah.
• 33:11
  Coach Carlie: Um is there someone taking photographs at this event?
• 33:17
  Coach Carlie: Maybe possibly.
• 33:19
  Coach Carlie: I actually get to ride this year.
• 33:21
  Coach Carlie: Do you get to ride?
• 33:22
  unknown: Okay.
• 33:23
  Coach Carlie: I say that because Catherine is an amazing photographer.
• 33:27
  Coach Carlie: So you're getting to ride.
• 33:29
  Coach Carlie: But uh do you feel like you're always like taking pictures anyway, no matter what you're doing?
• 33:33
  Coach Carlie: I don't know.
• 33:34
  Coach Carlie: I I'm not in that brain.
• 33:35
  Coach Carlie: Like my photography is terrible.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_02: We all we all are photographers because we have phones in our hands.
• 33:41
  SPEAKER_03: But true.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_02: But for sure, for me, because I I I do it for a living, it is different whether I have what I would call a working camera in my hand or or my phone.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_02: But um, but yes, it's uh it's uh collecting collecting memories no matter how you do it, is really important.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_02: And uh we certainly um love for our riders to be collecting memories and sharing them with us because that every picture is a is a good memory.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_02: So yes, yeah.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_01: And we are working on having a photographer out there, we just haven't confirmed that yet because it would be, you know, we are so excited that she is riding this year.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, some of the volunteers from years past and the original members are going to be out there writing and volunteering too.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_01: So we're excited that they get this opportunity to be more than just on the outside, they get to be on the inside and writing it and feeling it and experiencing it because they haven't gotten to do that in a while.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_01: So we're we're really excited to have them out there to ride.
• 34:33
  Coach Carlie: Very cool.
• 34:34
  Coach Carlie: Okay, so where is the specific link?
• 34:36
  Coach Carlie: And we'll make sure to to link to it below.
• 34:38
  Coach Carlie: But um, if you Google La Tour de Femme, you're gonna come up not with the actual La Tour de Femme, most likely, because you know, there's this whole uh Le Tour de France Femme, and that's probably gonna come up first.
• 34:55
  Coach Carlie: Uh, you y'all will probably be in there, but what's the actual link?
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_01: It is laTourdefemme.org.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_01: Cool.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's in a if you type that in, it will literally pop up and you cannot miss it because the whole front page is pink and orange.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, absolutely.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_01: So you can go to the one of us site as well and it will be under our events.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_01: But you to get your direct and fastest way to the um to sign up and register is laTourdefemme.org.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so and what's really cool is that if you are new to this, we still have the history of the ride on there too.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_01: So you can kind of you know scroll through the tabs and learn all about it and see the history and you know, learn more of and see pictures from years past.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_01: And our sponsors are on there.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_01: We have Duke and UNC this year that are both came in as$5,000 sponsors, which is huge for us.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_01: So we're super excited about that.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Emerge Ortho, we have some great, great, great sponsors.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_01: So you'll get to see them as well.
• 35:50
  unknown: Very cool.
• 35:51
  Coach Carlie: So I always like to ask guests if there's one thing that people take away.
• 35:57
  Coach Carlie: And granted, we were really talking about the event, but um, the very first part of our conversation I thought was just so beautiful.
• 36:04
  Coach Carlie: So if there's anything that you, and we'll go to each of you, want listeners to take away, what would that be?
• 36:13
  Coach Carlie: I'm gonna tag in Catherine first.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_02: Well, um, I love riding my bicycle and I ride for joy.
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_02: And sometimes I ride really fast, and sometimes I ride really slow, and and it is it is a mind, body, and spiritual experience for me.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_02: And I love sharing it with people, especially other ladies.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, and that part of uh this event is just a special thought is being able to share the joy of being able to bicycle and bicycle together.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_02: So um, and being able to do that and support a great cause and support your fellow women is just the it's just the cherry on top.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_02: Love it.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, what about you?
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_01: I would have to say that for me as um a nonprofit side of it and and a non-writer, I'd say that, you know, just come out, just experience the day.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_01: It is so beautiful.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_01: It is emotional.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_01: There are there are tears of joy, there are tears of survival.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, there are just, you know, it is absolutely beautiful to watch a community of women come together and maybe you know them and maybe you don't, but by the end of the day, you do.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_01: And guys have created something so incredible and so beautiful that, you know, you just can't take that away.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_01: And that one of us, you know, if you go to our website, it says that you are never alone.
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, for Latour's tagline to be no one rides alone, like the two of us together, it was just perfect because that's the whole goal.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_01: Is we don't ever want a woman to feel that she is alone, no matter if you're battling cancer or not battling cancer.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we you have a tribe and you have a village, and you know, the one of us village is to take care of women as they're going through um their cancer treatments and and their journey and we want to financially support them, but then it becomes an emotional journey and it becomes, you know, so much more.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we've we love and adore our patients so much.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, to have survivors and writers and supporters out there too, you guys just FYI survivors get their special bib, you know, you get your very own bib.
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's just it is a beautiful experience.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_01: And I hope that, you know, if you started writing last month or if you've been writing for 30 years, you know, try it.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_01: Just come out and try it.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's so fun and it's a beautiful day for a beautiful cause.
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_01: And uh it's just yeah, we hope you come in and come out and experience it.
• 38:49
  Coach Carlie: Love it.
• 38:50
  Coach Carlie: Ladies from Les Tour de Femme, thank you so much for coming on the Find Your Edge podcast.
• 38:58
  Coach Carlie: I hope to see everyone out there, and uh, because we will have a tent out there.
• 39:04
  Coach Carlie: Um, Carly will be there too, and I think she's either a sweeper or a course martial.
• 39:08
  Coach Carlie: She's one or the other.
• 39:09
  Coach Carlie: So you may or may not see her.
• 39:12
  Coach Carlie: Um, but our tent will be out there and our energy will be out there, and I am so excited for this event, and I hope it goes super smoothly.
• 39:21
  Coach Carlie: So thank you for all for putting on this event and being part of the women's cycling community because it truly is magical, not only what you're doing in the moment of just being able to ride your bike and have fun, but also for women's lives when they're experiencing something so devastating.
• 39:41
  Coach Carlie: Right.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you for having us today.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_03: This was so fun.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_03: All right, bye guys.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_03: Bye.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.