February 27, 2025 • 41 mins
Overview:
Canadian Olympian and Paris-Roubaix winner Alison Jackson is one of the most dynamic and entertaining riders in the pro peloton. But inspiration to train and compete at her best doesn't always come easily. Learn what inspires Alison, what she does to find or create inspiration when it doesn't come naturally, and how you can draw on the same skills and techniques she uses to inspire yourself to greatness.
Topics Covered In This Episode:
- How the Olympics inspired Alison to start cycling
- Finding motivation in playfulness
- Motivating yourself to get started when you don't want to
- Finding the inspiration to train when the going gets hard
Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.
Guest Bio
Alison Jackson is one of the most recognizable Canadian professional cyclists, not only because wins races all over the world, but also because her dance moves have made her a social media sensation. She is a two-time Olympian, the first North American cyclist to win Paris-Roubaix, and multi-time Canadian National Champion. For 2025, she will race for the EF Education-Oatly Pro Cycling Team. Alison works with CTS Coach Adam Pulford.
More About Alison Jackson:
- IG: https://www.instagram.com/aliactionjackson/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aliactionjackson?lang=en
- FB: https://www.facebook.com/alisonactionjackson
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliACTIONjackso
- Team: https://efprocycling.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
From the team at CTS.
This is the Time Crunch Cyclistpodcast, our show dedicated to
answering your trainingquestions and providing
actionable advice to help youimprove your performance even if
you're strapped for time.
I'm your host, coach AdamPulford, and I'm one of the over
50 professional coaches whomake up the team at CTS.
In each episode, I draw on ourteam's collective knowledge,
(00:30):
other coaches and experts in thefield to provide you with the
practical ways to get the mostout of your training and
ultimately become the bestcyclist that you can be.
Now on to our show.
Now on to our show.
Welcome back, time Crunch fans.
I'm your host, coach AdamPulford, an inspired,
(00:57):
well-trained athlete.
It's tough to beat and tough tokeep down, and don't hear me
wrong on that.
Well-trained is a big part ofthat equation, but to be
inspired adds another level toyour training and racing and
life.
On this podcast, we focus a tonon the training side of things
most of the time, but todaywe're going to talk about the
(01:23):
other stuff, the mental side,how to overcome adversity and
how to get up when you're down.
We'll also talk about howinspiration plays a huge part,
or is the cornerstone of it all,when it comes to being an
athlete.
I'm here with no other than theinspiration guru, herself
winner of the Paris-RoubaixFEMME stage, winner of the
Vuelta España, multi-timenational champ from Canada and
(01:43):
two-time Olympian, miss AllisonJackson.
Allison, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
So for those who somehow may not know you, can
you tell us a little bit of whoyou are, where you're at and
maybe what team you ride for?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, yeah, maybe, what team you ride for?
Yeah, um, yeah, well, uh, Imean, I've been around for a few
years now.
I've put 10 years in the bag asa, as a pro cyclist, which is
nuts.
Uh, I am just as energizedabout this job and career as
when I started.
I love what I do.
(02:22):
Um, I love the people in placesand the chaos of the bike racing
and the chaos bit of lifestylethat's moving around, um, but
yeah, um, yeah, I uh have apretty, maybe extreme blend of
like really serious race sideand also really fun serious race
(02:50):
side and also really fun sillyside.
Um, that, yeah, I don't know,is seen very often in
professional sport on thecyclist side.
Um, but yeah, I really justlove what I do and I think if
you love what you do, um, you'regonna go far and have a long
career and come away with justlike a yeah, happiness from the
the journey of it.
So, yeah, I raced for this ismy second year now on ef
(03:12):
education.
Only the pink team in thepeloton.
Um, we got our new 2025 kitwith diamonds on it.
Um, graph always does like uhlike diamond encrusted diamond
encrusted.
It's in the thread.
Yeah, exactly.
Um, we also had the option toreplace all our teeth with
diamonds.
(03:32):
I said no, but uh, yeah, we'llsee if, uh, richard carapaz does
or not.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Oh man, Um well, perfect, Uh, I can't wait to see
the new kit.
And um, all jokes aside, yougrew up in an environment that
wasn't really all about bikeracing, right?
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, no, not at all.
I mean I, yeah small town,small farm town in rural Alberta
.
Uh, farmtown in rural Alberta,uh, yeah, I was back there for
the holidays and it's just yeah,full snow.
It's not really conducive tobike riding like.
When I grew up, what did I evensee cyclists out on the road?
No, um, was that ever somethingI aspired to be?
(04:19):
No, um.
And even now when I go back, um, I mean now I get to be called
hometown hero because some ofthe Olympic stuff, um, and even
now when I go back, um, I meannow I get to be called hometown
hero because some of the olympicstuff, um.
And even when the imperial bayactually, um, phil, found its
way over to my small town, but,yeah, on the farm, when I'm
there, I'm asked to do choresjust like everybody else.
(04:40):
I'm no hero.
Um, yeah, so it's quite, quitea different upbringing, um and
uh, and an interesting balanceto what my life is like now in
Europe.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Yeah, yeah, totally.
And the reason I bring that upand for our listeners, just full
disclaimer here uh, Alison isnot a time crunched cyclist, Um,
she has plenty of time to rideher bike and uh, but her, her
story, and the way, the way sheraces, like, like she said, she,
she, she's basically a dynamicduo within herself in those two
(05:15):
elements of, um, you know, beingvery focused and serious when
it comes to bike racing, uh,combined with uh, spinning up
that energy and being a littlewacky.
I want you to learn from thosetwo sides and inspiration is
that thread that kind of weavesthrough it.
So, Allison, let's talk aboutinspiration and, just in a
(05:36):
general term, for all athleteselite athletes, time crunch
athletes, anything in betweenwhat role do you think
inspiration plays in anyathlete's life?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
yeah, I think, you know, really is that that's like
why all the times we startsport.
Or, you know, like for me itwas the olympics I saw people
competing in the o and doingthings that were amazing and
like to think that, whoa,someone from Canada, someone
from some small town,saskatchewan, some other place,
(06:17):
that could go do something thatseems like so elite, that takes
so much time, skill, but theyaccomplish like great things,
like a gold medal, wow.
So I think, even like fromearly days, like being inspired
by athletes, uh that, yeah, honein such a skill, uh, that
doesn't either, doesn't happenoff the couch, um, yeah, I think
(06:39):
that's where, like most of useven like get into, like why do
we start something?
You know, it's like thatinspiring moment yeah, that
inspiring moment.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
And then it you know it weaves all over from uh,
motivation, drive, why do you dowhat you do?
And I did a podcast with anotherone of my athletes um uh,
heather fisher where we talkedabout knowing your and if you
know your why of why you'reracing, why you're at the,
you're you're towing the startline, why you're doing the VO
two intervals that you just wantto die during but if you know
(07:13):
your why, you'll get through it,you'll get through the hard
times.
And I think, in that way, whenyou're setting up goals for
yourself, if you're aself-coached athlete, or if you
have a coach, or if you have ateam director and people around
you and you're you're settingstuff up for the year, you have
to you.
First of all, those people haveto believe in you.
They have to, uh, make surethey're on that, that same train
(07:36):
of where you're going,otherwise either kick them off
or ask them.
Ask them why they don't believein that.
Right, and that's all part ofit too, and that kind of
polarity of how we inspire, howwe base it in kind of realistic
expectation.
We'll get there here in asecond, but that inspiration is,
it's almost like the corenucleus of I don't know the
(08:00):
quantum energy that spins up anathlete.
My weird analogy and opinion.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, that was a very sciencey take, but yes, Thank
you.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
So, allison, I mean, how does inspiration play a role
specifically in your life?
And then, second is, how do youget inspired?
I want to hear about, like, theprocess of how you get yourself
revved up and ready to go.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, you know what I think there are.
There are so many places tolook for inspiration, um, and
honestly, I find it everywhereand I think that's like I get.
I can get so energized,motivated, inspired in so many
ways.
Um, you know, yeah, I think myteammates like one of the best
(08:50):
things about having our teamcamp we are early season team
camp in November, like we've alljust sort of started.
But I see my teammates and like, oh, yeah, they're, they're
waking up early, they're,they're doing the core, they
they're, um, you know, havingthe full carb breakfast.
Um, they're, yeah, laying downto rest after, like they're
taking these things serious.
(09:10):
And I just think like, oh, wow,it is amazing that these humans
are choosing the way they livetheir lifestyle for this big
goal, that it's going to takeall these little things all year
long to make, you know, themajor goal happen.
And, uh, I mean, I get soinspired by even just seeing
them.
You know, sometimes in thediscipline there is joy and
(09:33):
sometimes in the disciplinethere's just discipline and both
sides I'm just, you know, youhave to be like wow, like wow,
they enjoy this so much.
Or just like wow, they're doingit because they know that
there's a reason to do it.
Um.
So for me, like having my teamand my teammates um inspire me
all the time, or and also likekeep me in check of like, oh, I
(09:55):
see them doing this and likewhat can I do?
Or, as well, you know, orthat's right, I, I'm keeping my
habits um good and I see that inthem and so, yeah, just that
inspiration.
I think I mean I've always,really I've always been inspired
by doing something legendary orsomething really extra, and I
(10:18):
mean that's in my personality, alittle bit to like be a little
bit extra.
A little bit to like, yeah, bea little bit extra.
Um, but I think I love thestory that comes out of it.
Um, I love just like pushingthe boundaries and just seeing,
like what is possible or whatyou can discover.
So I'm always really inspiredby people um, you know,
(10:42):
musicians, other people thatwhen they're really excellent at
what they do, even people wholike love bugs and biology and
they spend so much time learningand trying to understand, like
a real passion for something,even if it's totally different
than mine, I just I see thatpassion and that fires me up.
(11:02):
So, yeah, I really think youcan like look for inspiration in
everywhere, in so many cornersof life in this world.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
I fully agree with that, and I think, in order to
do that, you need to have youreyes open, you need to be aware
of that, right, right.
And I think too, in in thepursuit of, like inspiration and
the pursuit of, um, kind ofthat greatness, or honing you
know the greatness, honing yourcraft, um, you start to become
(11:34):
aware of that too, and then youcan see it in people, you can
see it in things, you can see itin processes, um, and.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
And then all of a sudden, it's like oh, it is
everywhere, right, and that, andthat leads to more inspiration,
right for yourself and beingcurious, because I I think for
me in my career, by beingcurious and oh, because I mean
cycling wasn't something Iwanted to do, but then finding
kind of a little bit pathwaythere and be like, oh, like what
(11:59):
if?
Or like what have I tried?
Or like, oh, this could beinteresting.
And if you close doors foryourself already by like closing
your curiosity, then I, yeah,you're closing off doors of
being inspired, or yeah, likepotentially a great story.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Yeah, no, I agree.
I think one thing to tease outthere too, is when you're saying
you, you know you get inspiredby your teammates and their
discipline and their work ethic,um, the culture right.
When you're around that, whenyou're around good people, when
you're around like-minded people, it inspires you to become
better yourself.
So iron sharpens iron in thatway and for anybody listening to
(12:42):
this it they could think ohgreat, well, you're a
professional athlete with a team, good for you, you have that,
but you need to learn from that.
But then, choosing to stay on,you know teams that have really
good culture and that fit bothpersonality and ambition and
goals.
I mean that's part of the gigtoo.
(13:11):
So I think, for anybodylistening here, start looking
for your teammates.
You know training partners, um,you know coworkers that support
your goofy, silly, hobbit ofthings uh, habit of things, not
Hobbit of things Um, and andalso like communicate with the
family, like get them on boardand and work together.
(13:32):
You know it's a two-way streetto.
You know carve out.
You know if you only have fivehours of training, maybe this
year you carve out an extra hourin the week or a morning on the
weekend where you can get yourtraining in, but again it's like
getting that team together toto help sharpen everybody, and I
think that's a really goodtakeaway from what she was just
talking about.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Yeah, even I had.
I had a roommate in the pastcouple of years that and she's
not a pro athlete, she has fulltime job, whatever but she was
so good, every day she alwaysdid this 20 minute workout and
she was so good, every day shealways did this 20 minute
workout and sometimes I'm like Ithink she's like more
disciplined than me because shenever missed it or she had this
like challenge with herself thatshe wanted to do like there's
(14:14):
like 100 push-ups every day andshe would do it like throughout
the day, like, and I was likethis girl is amazing, even
though I mean her okay, 20minutes or like maybe every day
I'm trying to make like a sixhour, four hour every day, um,
but I mean that doesn't matter,but it was like the intention or
the motivation and you see thatin someone else and that was so
(14:36):
inspiring and motivating to me,like doing well with what they
have you know.
So again, yeah, and if you can,for me that was so motivating
just having the person that waslike in my space all the time,
um, being really disciplined andmotivated, and that was really
inspiring for me just being likewell, I'm the professional
(14:57):
athlete, I better get my workoutin.
I can have discipline too.
So yeah, creating your teamaround you, for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Yeah, yeah.
So I mean all this is like goodpump up, you know vibes and
everything that we have going on, but the reality is it's like
everybody has some low times too.
So when the going gets shitty,when it's cold, it's raining,
you're like, oh, I don't reallywant to crash again today.
Or it's the cold dark of Canada.
Um what.
How do you stay inspired whenstuff's just going sideways?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah, again, there are so many stories out there.
You know, sometimes like, yeah,I've had where I had to do like
trainer workouts, like fourhours on the trainer, and like
sometimes it takes me a longtime to get like the motivation
to get on.
But what, what will I do?
Well, sometimes, um, I caninspire myself by myself, like
(15:54):
remember what you have done andthen like wow, if, like this
will translate to that and okay,like maybe that's the play, or
it's like reading a story, likemaybe it's out of it.
You know injury, and you have anexample, a story of like um, uh
, uh, hayman, uh, who he?
(16:17):
He was injured before before hewas on um perry ruby and he
just did so many trainerworkouts and then that was the
final year, or like he'd done heraced for like 11 years or
whatever, and then, um, yeah, hefinally won.
So then you're like, well, allof his training was like based
(16:38):
on the trainer, like he was somotivated, like there's a way
that you can like take injuryinto celebration or or whatever.
So I would just like, yeah,look for other stories, even if
it's like day by day.
You just like pick a new storythat you're just like wow, and
then you can take that feelingwith you, you know, on on the
bike or in the training yeah, no, that's, that's it, and I think
(16:58):
too in that way.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
I mean, I don't know if you remember if I shared this
with you, but remember theNiels van der Pol speed skating
dude that just won all themedals at the Olympics?
This is recently, it's like theprevious winter.
Anyway had this manifesto like62 page, because people were
like, how did you do it?
He's like I'll tell you how Idid it.
He's nordic, so he writes a 62page training program of
(17:23):
everything that he did and itblew up the internet for like a
hot minute and for us coaches,nerds in particular.
Like I read the whole thing andI was like this is brilliant
because it was down to the juicydetail of how he laid out his
training program, how he wouldlay out every session of it,
like every minute of everysession, like this guy's got it
(17:45):
dialed man, and for me that waslike inspiration of like.
As much as I maybe want to cutcorners here or there, whatever
it's like, this guy honed hiscraft.
He spent his whole life doingthis and he was famous for like
training for five days andtaking two days off in a row.
Essentially, he was so lonelyduring training that he shifted
(18:07):
his rest days to Saturday andSunday and then train like five
to eight hours a day, mondaythrough Friday, but he wanted to
hang out with his girlfriendand his friends on the weekend.
Olympic multi-time medalistyeah.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
I mean, I'm a big like preacher of you got to keep
it fun.
If you keep it fun you can dothe hard stuff.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Yeah, yeah, that's it for sure.
And I think too, like it's thatshift of mentality look for the
fun, look for the joy, and andalmost this is what I see in you
too.
First, when I'm watching you,say, on television, or kind of
read your body language andstuff, is when other people are
like whoa is me and oh, it'sreally shitty out.
(18:48):
Like the camera comes up on youand you're like cause, it's
just it.
It like softens the mood, itlightens things up.
You know what I mean.
And to make a joke or to to, to, to be able to like change that
just a little bit, it lightensup people around you as well,
(19:09):
you know, and so that's that'sone way of doing it.
I mean, of course, you have theboring things of like setting
personal goals and having rolemodels, and you know the team
dynamics and stuff that we'vetalked about super important.
But I think the ownership lieswithin the self in order to kind
of be that catalytic energy tojust change the mood when, when
(19:32):
it gets a little somber.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Totally yeah, and I love to do that.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
So how'd you learn it ?
I mean, was it family?
Was it you just watched a bunchof Saturday night live?
I mean, where, where does where?
Does that come from.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Well, I think, I mean I also I think why I'm I am
good at sport, uh, is because soI'm curious about it, but I'm
curious in a playful way andthen, in a playful way, you have
an openness to discover mayberight like tactics or a
different angle on how to besuccessful.
(20:07):
If you're too stuck in rules,then I, then it can get a bit
frustrating, or, yeah, you don'thave this like perspective on
like oh, what about this?
Or like um, and I really think,just like my yeah, I mean, I've
always done life by passion andeven when I race it's by heart,
(20:30):
um, but I really think, likekids, you know, when we learn
something, it's play and we playand we can play and be
successful.
And I think sometimes, when weturn adults or professionals, we
think we have to be serious tobe successful, but actually we
can be very successful withstill having that play in that
(21:00):
play.
If we keep that play, I think wewill have a longer career, a
longevity, because, um, it's notgetting tiresome or burdensome,
um, we're, we're still likebeing able to accept the joy and
being able to manage the stressand pressure that we have of
job and work and racing.
Yeah, so I think it's just likebeing able to keep that
(21:24):
playfulness and yeah, then beingable to like take soak in those
successes, but also not soak inthe successes, and then being
able to move on with that all inyour bones and being able to
also let like failures anddisappointments let it go, um,
and not have that sink in toomuch, cause you're you're able
to move on to the next thing andaccept a new, like adventure
(21:47):
and challenge.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Yeah, I on podcasts uh speeches I've given to groups
of people I say adults.
They forgot how to play.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
And then they need to play more.
When I do skill sessions on thebike with juniors, they're I
mean, it is very different thanadults.
Adults are standing there likethis and soaking in the
information and being a verygood athlete.
Juniors are like I'm going togo jump on this boulder and I'm
going to hop on, and then, oh, Icrashed in the grass, oh, I got
(22:29):
to pay attention.
I would say somewhere in themiddle, right, but what adults?
can learn is like take some timeto play Instead of just like
getting the time in, go hoparound on in the grass.
Go like just learn maybe howyour bike moves a little bit,
and then I mean there's a wholecascade of things.
But like just play, have a ridewhere you're just being playful
, yeah, being goofy and I thinkyou have to be brave to be bad
(22:53):
at something new.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
And when we adults we have found a niche that we're
where we're good and even ifwe've started athletics and
we're like, actually it'sbecause I'm good and I'm going
to get a coach, because I canget better, and then you don't
want to revert back to not beinggood at something, because
that's an awkward sort offeeling and as kids you're so
(23:15):
used to just like you have to bebad at something new and then
over time you will get better.
And I think we forget that asadults or we also just really
like the feeling of being good,and so we're not as open to be
bad at something as we learn.
And yeah, I think that's likemaybe in our mind.
We just have to, yeah, we haveto be brave, have the courage to
(23:38):
just to be bad and look a bitgoofy or silly as, like we learn
, but we'll get through that.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Yeah, totally so.
In my intro, you know, I alsosaid you know, an inspired,
well-trained athlete is, youknow, hard to beat, hard to keep
down.
Well-trained athlete is, youknow, hard to beat, hard to keep
down, and I, you know,well-trained as part of it, you
still need to do your training.
You can think all the positivethoughts, but unless you get her
done, you're not going to havethe fitness, you're not going to
have the routine.
So, that being said, allison,question to you is if a listener
(24:10):
right now is like, yeah, sure,she's an elite athlete, must be
nice, but sometimes I don't evenhave the inspiration to do my
75 minute interval sessionbecause it's cold, dark January.
I hate the trainer, like allthe reasons I have to do my
training.
I'm not inspired.
What do I?
Speaker 2 (24:29):
do now.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
What's your advice?
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Yeah, well, I mean, I have those moments as well.
And yeah, sometimes it's beingable to take a step back and
looking at the big picture and,you know, doing it just based
out of discipline, like, andyeah, it might not be pretty or
(24:58):
whatever, but just do.
Um, even sometimes when I'mlike, wow, I'm so tired, I'm
gonna do this workout, and I'myou know, I'm meant to do it at
threshold and all I can manageis tempo.
But for myself, I give myselfpositive feedback from that,
because I'm like good job, alice, you did something.
And like, you know thatconsistency and stuff is going
(25:18):
to build, um, you know compound.
Or like, oh, I'm supposed to dothree hours today and actually,
um, maybe I whatever came upand now I'm only going to be
able to do two.
But well, I did two and atleast like you're doing.
And I think then the next timethat comes around, or when
(25:39):
you're like, oh, I'm so tired, Ican't imagine doing this
workout.
But then you do it and you'relike, oh, actually I did it.
And then you're like, wow, okay, I'm going to keep that in mind
for next time.
Then, next time you come,you're like there's no way I'm
(26:02):
going to do this and you're likewell, maybe remember that last
time.
Okay, well, you know the useyourself as the inspiration.
Like you're you, you collectthese reference points that you
can use to help yourself infuture times.
Um, yeah, and sometimes it'sjust not pretty.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Yeah, straight, yeah, straight up, yeah.
And I think, too, like some ofthe advice I give to athletes is
um, take action before you letyour emotion dictate anything,
right?
So I feel it's like eh, here'sthe workout plan, let's just
start.
And two, was some of your, yourtraining some days?
Speaker 2 (26:31):
I'm like, okay, just go out, let it come to you, take
a nice long warmup and andbefore you hit the intervals,
then make the decision, use thewarm-up rule as you're bad yeah
and sometimes you open up rightyeah, sometimes I also I've had
to do like an hour and a halfwarm-up because it's like
sometimes it just like takeslong enough, where you get into
like a feel and then okay, mybody gets it, and then okay,
(26:52):
then we can try.
And then, oh, okay, well, okay,my body gets it, and then okay,
then we can try.
And then, oh, okay, well, maybeI'll just do like one of three.
Okay, well, maybe I can do twoof three.
Well, maybe I can do half ofthe third one.
Oh, I did the third one.
You know like just these littlelike mind games to like help
yourself get through, or likewe've had it before where even
(27:13):
both of us have been caught inthe winter, and it'll just be
like that little phone callwhile you're on the trainer
warming up, just to get overthat 20 minutes at first, like
20 minutes is the hardest, sojust like call the friend, catch
up, just get a few like goodfeeling, like social endorphins,
but until the physicalendorphins kick in, and then do
(27:34):
the workout.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
That's right, that's right, until the physical
endorphins kick in and then dodo the workout.
That's right, that's right.
I um a couple of differentoccasions I have called AJ when
I start my warmup and then weusually we usually talk for like
45, 60 minutes or so, and thenI like look down, I'm like oh
man, I'm almost done with myride.
This is awesome.
So yeah, good, good distractionfor sure.
So yeah, I guess in that way,you know, we're not saying if
(27:57):
you can dream it, you canachieve it.
There's more to that, right,like sure dream.
I think that's really important.
You have to let your mind, youknow, play and dance and go
places to get some of these likelegendary things, as AJ already
alluded to, like one of thethings that really inspires her
and motivates her is swinging,big swinging for the fence right
(28:20):
.
And sometimes, when she comeswith those goals, I'm like, hmm,
that's a pretty big goal.
But then we start to think andwork with people around her as
well as her team manager, herdirector, other teammates.
It's like how do we get thatdone Right?
Then we go through kind of thatdetailed line item thing of how
we're going to do this withinthe race, the progressive
(28:42):
buildups, all of these things,and really it comes back to
having the realisticexpectations and also the
aggressive but realistic,actionable goals, goals, and so
when you're dreaming upsomething big, cool, write it
down.
(29:02):
Then you want to work with goodpeople around you, you want to
work with your brain and youwant to figure out that process
of how to get there and the that.
That's what we call processgoals.
So in your dreaming process,allison, do you ever do you
constrict yourself?
Do you set a time and place todream Like where do the dreams
(29:25):
come from, where do the goalscome from?
And am I right in that you comeup with some pretty wacky shit
and then it's up to the rest ofus to help you get there?
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Yes, because I think when you dream your goals, you
can't put a ceiling on it.
You know there's a way whereyou can be practical, like this
makes sense.
Or like could I winParis-Roubaix again?
Probably Could I win the Tourde France.
Well, that might be like anextreme, but like, don't stop
yourself from the dreaming andthen see if you can create a
(29:57):
plan with, yeah, that yourexperts and and uh,
professionals to try to getthere.
But I think you have to like,um, you know, in order for a
canadian to have won perry ruby,no male or female in north
america has ever won this race.
You race.
No Canadian has ever won amonument.
Why would it be me?
(30:17):
Why not Sometimes in order tobe the first.
That's hard and you have todream big and be a bit crazy or
wild, even this film about thegirl in the sea.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Oh yeah, yes, we wanted to talk about that and
that didn't make it into theoutline, so let's talk about
that now.
Um, okay, so young woman in thesea I believe is the title of
it right and I watched it overholiday break, uh, with kristin
and her parents.
Her parents actually were theones that were like we need to
watch this and we're like, okay,we, I didn't know anything
(30:54):
about it.
We watched it and I'm like, ohyeah, I remember vaguely this
story and go allison, what didwe learn from it?
I mean that oh, I sent it to youand I was like watch this.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
And you're like already I've already have and I
was so inspired by this story,um, but also how, the character
who is the legend in the storyand she's the one that she's the
first woman, the first personto swim across the english
channel and but also all thebarriers of like, no, well one,
(31:27):
girls don't do swimming.
Like, oh, in, in australia theydid, but girl, you know, they
don't do swimming even they,whatever, they made it to the
olympics but then they weren'tallowed to train for three weeks
before then because the boyswere using the pool, like.
There's just so many thingsthat they had to overcome.
But I think what was so um itit.
(31:49):
But it wasn't her making thathappen for herself, it was
actually her mom who, right,would be, even in a decade or a
generation before her, thatwould have even less opportunity
.
But for her to see thatsomething could be possible,
we're going to push beyond someboundaries.
So she starts, she opens thepathway and then, and her sister
(32:10):
, her, this girl's older sister,gets accepted into, like the
swimming program which createsnow like a place that she can
dream to go to.
She gets it.
You know, she's like the secondone that's following that
pathway and it takes, like thosepeople before, to create an
(32:30):
environment and culture, to thensupport her to do something
outstanding and amazing.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Yeah, and to bring some context to that, this has
taken place like in the like1940s or something like that,
yeah.
Yeah, was in the twenties.
Yeah, um, german immigrants,new York city they be.
They become the sisters, becomeswimmers.
She is the first woman to um uhswim the English channel.
(32:57):
And there is um her coachsabotages her.
There's sabotage at theOlympics like one uh.
Paris Olympics, the first pairOlympics, um V I I, so eighth
Olympics.
Maybe, man, we're going to getbutchered for rambling on like
this, but the main message iswatch the movie young woman in
the in the sea, because theinspiration of like athletics,
(33:22):
overcoming adversity, women insport and in some of those like
crazy things that are kind ofstill occurring with the
suppression of like, notsupporting women and in the
equal opportunity and equal pay,I mean man it's an incredible
movie.
I'm glad we watched it.
I'm glad I sent it to you.
I'm glad you already watched iteven before it happened.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
But if you want some inspiration, that is one film
that everybody should watch yeahfor sure, and I think, like
what goes on to say, that youhave to dream bigger than what
you see is possible sometimes.
And that's where we I mean forwomen, that's where we grow
women's sports, where we see nowwhat's possible that we haven't
(34:04):
seen before.
And so I think when we setgoals, we have to have a realm
of that.
But I think for me, this year,what I did, I did an audit of my
life of 2024.
And basically I used my cameraroll to sort of remember, like,
what happened in all thesemonths and you see the ups and
downs of your life, because youhave to figure out.
(34:27):
You have to first see whereyou're at to know where you can
go, like where have you come andfirst see where you're at to
know where you can go, likewhere have you come, and then
where can you go.
Because if you don't know whereyou are right now, then I think
it's it's hard to like figureout the next steps or maybe even
see the trend of where it'spossible for you to go.
I think even when we look atsome of the goals that we set
(34:51):
for last year, you know if wereach them or not, but then, oh,
use those as stepping stones tobe like oh, actually now this
could be a goal, or how we canuse these things to rearrange
what is possible or what wewould need to do or change in
order to make that goal happen.
We would need to do or changein order to make that goal
(35:14):
happen.
Um so, and I thought that wasso fun.
Some things that I pulled out ofthat was like I saw all these
photos of me at bike races, evenbike like vuolta, great race
for me last year.
I was flying every day.
I always said to the team Ifeel amazing, I mean, I won, you
know, the first stage, thefirst grand tour stage that the
team had won yet.
Um, and but but you know what?
(35:34):
There's other races before that, like newsblood, so like
opening weekend in belgium.
That's kind of a nothing racefor me, like I don't have
particular memories of it, but Isee photos of it.
Yeah, it's muddy, it's whatever.
I'm smiling so big, like itlooks like.
I love bike racing and I waslike you know what, even in the
moments that aren't my highlightmoments of the year, I love
what I'm doing and that for mewas like a little check-in.
(35:57):
That was like you know what, Ilove it, whether I'm losing or
I'm winning, and I think that isa really powerful um, like
motivator or centering for me tobe like well, okay, I mean, in
the next years, yeah, I'm goingto keep bike racing because I
love it, I'm gonna enter um,that must have been really fun.
I'm gonna these other racesthat, even if they're not like
my key races of the year, I amlooking, I'm really looking
(36:21):
forward to them and performingin these races.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
So, um, yeah, figuring out where you come from
and then that helps you figureout where you, where you can go
next and where you can set yournext goals and and I mean that's
a really good summary point andI think, however you do it,
looking at your camera roll orlooking at the 900 hours of data
(36:44):
from training for Alison, forexample, and being able to
establish where you're at, whereyou want to go, where you've
been and that's how we determineuh, the, the plans, the
objectives, the goals and thethe a priority races for uh
athletes, athletes like Alison,athletes like that are on her
team, and then we work fromtheir strengths and weaknesses,
(37:05):
um, athlete phenotypes, the typeof rider that they are.
Alison's an all arounder, okay,and when what she was saying
before is like some of thoseclassics races, that's prime for
her.
She's an opportunistic rider.
She's super crafty.
If they make a super hilly Tourde France like, that's not her
jam as much, but then she canlook for good races within the
(37:27):
stage itself.
That's how we start to shore upthe strengths, weaknesses and
make those goals.
So, just a little bit behindthe scenes, work on there, but
use your camera roll to decide.
So to bring this thing home.
I think it's really important torecognize that inspiration, as
AJ said, inspiration can comefrom literally anywhere, and
(37:47):
it's not to say that we want tobecome robots and feel nothing.
We're humans, feeling andfeeling.
Every emotion is is rich.
You should feel that, however,you can take action.
You can take action and justlike starting to ride your bike
before you let the emotion takeover, okay.
Or you can, when it's just likeshitty all around, you can
(38:09):
crack a smile and be like youknow what I'm riding my bike, or
whatever comes to you is justlike.
Change the mood, change them.
Watch Alison racing, you'll.
You'll see it, okay.
So those, those are my summarypoints.
Alison, is there anything thatyou want to add?
Speaker 2 (38:24):
to that yeah, keep, be open to play, open to play,
be curious.
Uh, and then, and by beingcurious and being playful, I
think you'll find inspiration ina lot of different corners, um,
maybe in surprising people inand places that isn't you know.
(38:44):
You don't have to be inspiredby athletes to be an athlete.
You don't have to be inspiredby musicians to be a musician.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
You can find, you can see, um, a lot of like great
qualities in the people at homeand around you, um, and and use
that to inspire you for yourgoals and to do the hard things
yeah, and one thing that justpopped in my head right now is
like, as you're finding thatinspiration in that process is
(39:12):
like, get other good peoplearound you and I think, a good
training partner, you know goodpeople, like in that cultural
space, iron sharpens iron.
So like, get around good peopleand you'll, you'll get pumped
up with them.
I think that that's also superimportant.
So, alison, if people want toget pumped up from afar and they
want more AJ in their life,where, where do we find you?
(39:34):
Where on the socials?
Do you have a website, a radiotalk show?
I don't know?
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
We're working on that radio talk show.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
AM 1090.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
Just kidding, just kidding and every other episode
will be like a recap of theedmonton oilers nhl game.
Um, yeah, no, just.
I mean instagram is uh where Ipost all my best stuff.
Um that at alley action jackson.
So a-l-i action jackson.
(40:10):
Yeah, you'll find lots of funstuff there.
You can always post about whatnext races are coming up, also,
like the fun goofy side aroundracing.
If you want more of the reallyrace stuff, then yeah, the team
(40:30):
page is EF Education.
Oatley is the bike team.
So, yeah, follow us along,cheer us on, come meet us out at
the bike races and, um, yeah,bring some donuts.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Well, you heard it folks.
Uh, get to some bike races,bring some donuts and um follow
every, every inch of the way byfollowing the team and AJ on
Instagram.
Allison, thank you for takingtime.
Thanks for joining us today andjust sharing some of your
knowledge and inspiration withour listeners.
I know everybody will soak itup and definitely benefit from
(41:05):
it.
Speaker 2 (41:06):
My pleasure always.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
Thanks for joining us on the time crunch cyclist
podcast.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
If you want even moreactionable training advice, head
over to train rightcombackslash newsletter and
subscribe to our free weeklypublication.
Each week you'll get in-depthtraining content that goes
beyond what we cover here on thepodcast.
That'll help you take yourtraining to the next level.
(41:33):
That's all for now.
Until next time, train hard,train smart, train right.
From the team at CTS.
This is the Time Crunch Cyclistpodcast, our show dedicated to
answering your trainingquestions and providing
actionable advice to help youimprove your performance even if
you're strapped for time.
I'm your host, coach AdamPulford, and I'm one of the over
50 professional coaches whomake up the team at CTS.
In each episode, I draw on ourteam's collective knowledge,
(00:30):
other coaches and experts in thefield to provide you with the
practical ways to get the mostout of your training and
ultimately become the bestcyclist that you can be.
Now on to our show.
Now on to our show.
Welcome back, time Crunch fans.
I'm your host, coach AdamPulford, an inspired,
(00:57):
well-trained athlete.
It's tough to beat and tough tokeep down, and don't hear me
wrong on that.
Well-trained is a big part ofthat equation, but to be
inspired adds another level toyour training and racing and
life.
On this podcast, we focus a tonon the training side of things
most of the time, but todaywe're going to talk about the
(01:23):
other stuff, the mental side,how to overcome adversity and
how to get up when you're down.
We'll also talk about howinspiration plays a huge part,
or is the cornerstone of it all,when it comes to being an
athlete.
I'm here with no other than theinspiration guru, herself
winner of the Paris-RoubaixFEMME stage, winner of the
Vuelta España, multi-timenational champ from Canada and
(01:43):
two-time Olympian, miss AllisonJackson.
Allison, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
So for those who somehow may not know you, can
you tell us a little bit of whoyou are, where you're at and
maybe what team you ride for?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, yeah, maybe, what team you ride for?
Yeah, um, yeah, well, uh, Imean, I've been around for a few
years now.
I've put 10 years in the bag asa, as a pro cyclist, which is
nuts.
Uh, I am just as energizedabout this job and career as
when I started.
I love what I do.
(02:22):
Um, I love the people in placesand the chaos of the bike racing
and the chaos bit of lifestylethat's moving around, um, but
yeah, um, yeah, I uh have apretty, maybe extreme blend of
like really serious race sideand also really fun serious race
(02:50):
side and also really fun sillyside.
Um, that, yeah, I don't know,is seen very often in
professional sport on thecyclist side.
Um, but yeah, I really justlove what I do and I think if
you love what you do, um, you'regonna go far and have a long
career and come away with justlike a yeah, happiness from the
the journey of it.
So, yeah, I raced for this ismy second year now on ef
(03:12):
education.
Only the pink team in thepeloton.
Um, we got our new 2025 kitwith diamonds on it.
Um, graph always does like uhlike diamond encrusted diamond
encrusted.
It's in the thread.
Yeah, exactly.
Um, we also had the option toreplace all our teeth with
diamonds.
(03:32):
I said no, but uh, yeah, we'llsee if, uh, richard carapaz does
or not.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Oh man, Um well, perfect, Uh, I can't wait to see
the new kit.
And um, all jokes aside, yougrew up in an environment that
wasn't really all about bikeracing, right?
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, no, not at all.
I mean I, yeah small town,small farm town in rural Alberta
.
Uh, farmtown in rural Alberta,uh, yeah, I was back there for
the holidays and it's just yeah,full snow.
It's not really conducive tobike riding like.
When I grew up, what did I evensee cyclists out on the road?
No, um, was that ever somethingI aspired to be?
(04:19):
No, um.
And even now when I go back, um, I mean now I get to be called
hometown hero because some ofthe Olympic stuff, um, and even
now when I go back, um, I meannow I get to be called hometown
hero because some of the olympicstuff, um.
And even when the imperial bayactually, um, phil, found its
way over to my small town, but,yeah, on the farm, when I'm
there, I'm asked to do choresjust like everybody else.
(04:40):
I'm no hero.
Um, yeah, so it's quite, quitea different upbringing, um and
uh, and an interesting balanceto what my life is like now in
Europe.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Yeah, yeah, totally.
And the reason I bring that upand for our listeners, just full
disclaimer here uh, Alison isnot a time crunched cyclist, Um,
she has plenty of time to rideher bike and uh, but her, her
story, and the way, the way sheraces, like, like she said, she,
she, she's basically a dynamicduo within herself in those two
(05:15):
elements of, um, you know, beingvery focused and serious when
it comes to bike racing, uh,combined with uh, spinning up
that energy and being a littlewacky.
I want you to learn from thosetwo sides and inspiration is
that thread that kind of weavesthrough it.
So, Allison, let's talk aboutinspiration and, just in a
(05:36):
general term, for all athleteselite athletes, time crunch
athletes, anything in betweenwhat role do you think
inspiration plays in anyathlete's life?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
yeah, I think, you know, really is that that's like
why all the times we startsport.
Or, you know, like for me itwas the olympics I saw people
competing in the o and doingthings that were amazing and
like to think that, whoa,someone from Canada, someone
from some small town,saskatchewan, some other place,
(06:17):
that could go do something thatseems like so elite, that takes
so much time, skill, but theyaccomplish like great things,
like a gold medal, wow.
So I think, even like fromearly days, like being inspired
by athletes, uh that, yeah, honein such a skill, uh, that
doesn't either, doesn't happenoff the couch, um, yeah, I think
(06:39):
that's where, like most of useven like get into, like why do
we start something?
You know, it's like thatinspiring moment yeah, that
inspiring moment.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
And then it you know it weaves all over from uh,
motivation, drive, why do you dowhat you do?
And I did a podcast with anotherone of my athletes um uh,
heather fisher where we talkedabout knowing your and if you
know your why of why you'reracing, why you're at the,
you're you're towing the startline, why you're doing the VO
two intervals that you just wantto die during but if you know
(07:13):
your why, you'll get through it,you'll get through the hard
times.
And I think, in that way, whenyou're setting up goals for
yourself, if you're aself-coached athlete, or if you
have a coach, or if you have ateam director and people around
you and you're you're settingstuff up for the year, you have
to you.
First of all, those people haveto believe in you.
They have to, uh, make surethey're on that, that same train
(07:36):
of where you're going,otherwise either kick them off
or ask them.
Ask them why they don't believein that.
Right, and that's all part ofit too, and that kind of
polarity of how we inspire, howwe base it in kind of realistic
expectation.
We'll get there here in asecond, but that inspiration is,
it's almost like the corenucleus of I don't know the
(08:00):
quantum energy that spins up anathlete.
My weird analogy and opinion.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, that was a very sciencey take, but yes, Thank
you.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
So, allison, I mean, how does inspiration play a role
specifically in your life?
And then, second is, how do youget inspired?
I want to hear about, like, theprocess of how you get yourself
revved up and ready to go.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, you know what I think there are.
There are so many places tolook for inspiration, um, and
honestly, I find it everywhereand I think that's like I get.
I can get so energized,motivated, inspired in so many
ways.
Um, you know, yeah, I think myteammates like one of the best
(08:50):
things about having our teamcamp we are early season team
camp in November, like we've alljust sort of started.
But I see my teammates and like, oh, yeah, they're, they're
waking up early, they're,they're doing the core, they
they're, um, you know, havingthe full carb breakfast.
Um, they're, yeah, laying downto rest after, like they're
taking these things serious.
(09:10):
And I just think like, oh, wow,it is amazing that these humans
are choosing the way they livetheir lifestyle for this big
goal, that it's going to takeall these little things all year
long to make, you know, themajor goal happen.
And, uh, I mean, I get soinspired by even just seeing
them.
You know, sometimes in thediscipline there is joy and
(09:33):
sometimes in the disciplinethere's just discipline and both
sides I'm just, you know, youhave to be like wow, like wow,
they enjoy this so much.
Or just like wow, they're doingit because they know that
there's a reason to do it.
Um.
So for me, like having my teamand my teammates um inspire me
all the time, or and also likekeep me in check of like, oh, I
(09:55):
see them doing this and likewhat can I do?
Or, as well, you know, orthat's right, I, I'm keeping my
habits um good and I see that inthem and so, yeah, just that
inspiration.
I think I mean I've always,really I've always been inspired
by doing something legendary orsomething really extra, and I
(10:18):
mean that's in my personality, alittle bit to like be a little
bit extra.
A little bit to like, yeah, bea little bit extra.
Um, but I think I love thestory that comes out of it.
Um, I love just like pushingthe boundaries and just seeing,
like what is possible or whatyou can discover.
So I'm always really inspiredby people um, you know,
(10:42):
musicians, other people thatwhen they're really excellent at
what they do, even people wholike love bugs and biology and
they spend so much time learningand trying to understand, like
a real passion for something,even if it's totally different
than mine, I just I see thatpassion and that fires me up.
(11:02):
So, yeah, I really think youcan like look for inspiration in
everywhere, in so many cornersof life in this world.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
I fully agree with that, and I think, in order to
do that, you need to have youreyes open, you need to be aware
of that, right, right.
And I think too, in in thepursuit of, like inspiration and
the pursuit of, um, kind ofthat greatness, or honing you
know the greatness, honing yourcraft, um, you start to become
(11:34):
aware of that too, and then youcan see it in people, you can
see it in things, you can see itin processes, um, and.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
And then all of a sudden, it's like oh, it is
everywhere, right, and that, andthat leads to more inspiration,
right for yourself and beingcurious, because I I think for
me in my career, by beingcurious and oh, because I mean
cycling wasn't something Iwanted to do, but then finding
kind of a little bit pathwaythere and be like, oh, like what
(11:59):
if?
Or like what have I tried?
Or like, oh, this could beinteresting.
And if you close doors foryourself already by like closing
your curiosity, then I, yeah,you're closing off doors of
being inspired, or yeah, likepotentially a great story.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Yeah, no, I agree.
I think one thing to tease outthere too, is when you're saying
you, you know you get inspiredby your teammates and their
discipline and their work ethic,um, the culture right.
When you're around that, whenyou're around good people, when
you're around like-minded people, it inspires you to become
better yourself.
So iron sharpens iron in thatway and for anybody listening to
(12:42):
this it they could think ohgreat, well, you're a
professional athlete with a team, good for you, you have that,
but you need to learn from that.
But then, choosing to stay on,you know teams that have really
good culture and that fit bothpersonality and ambition and
goals.
I mean that's part of the gigtoo.
(13:11):
So I think, for anybodylistening here, start looking
for your teammates.
You know training partners, um,you know coworkers that support
your goofy, silly, hobbit ofthings uh, habit of things, not
Hobbit of things Um, and andalso like communicate with the
family, like get them on boardand and work together.
(13:32):
You know it's a two-way streetto.
You know carve out.
You know if you only have fivehours of training, maybe this
year you carve out an extra hourin the week or a morning on the
weekend where you can get yourtraining in, but again it's like
getting that team together toto help sharpen everybody, and I
think that's a really goodtakeaway from what she was just
talking about.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Yeah, even I had.
I had a roommate in the pastcouple of years that and she's
not a pro athlete, she has fulltime job, whatever but she was
so good, every day she alwaysdid this 20 minute workout and
she was so good, every day shealways did this 20 minute
workout and sometimes I'm like Ithink she's like more
disciplined than me because shenever missed it or she had this
like challenge with herself thatshe wanted to do like there's
(14:14):
like 100 push-ups every day andshe would do it like throughout
the day, like, and I was likethis girl is amazing, even
though I mean her okay, 20minutes or like maybe every day
I'm trying to make like a sixhour, four hour every day, um,
but I mean that doesn't matter,but it was like the intention or
the motivation and you see thatin someone else and that was so
(14:36):
inspiring and motivating to me,like doing well with what they
have you know.
So again, yeah, and if you can,for me that was so motivating
just having the person that waslike in my space all the time,
um, being really disciplined andmotivated, and that was really
inspiring for me just being likewell, I'm the professional
(14:57):
athlete, I better get my workoutin.
I can have discipline too.
So yeah, creating your teamaround you, for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Yeah, yeah.
So I mean all this is like goodpump up, you know vibes and
everything that we have going on, but the reality is it's like
everybody has some low times too.
So when the going gets shitty,when it's cold, it's raining,
you're like, oh, I don't reallywant to crash again today.
Or it's the cold dark of Canada.
Um what.
How do you stay inspired whenstuff's just going sideways?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah, again, there are so many stories out there.
You know, sometimes like, yeah,I've had where I had to do like
trainer workouts, like fourhours on the trainer, and like
sometimes it takes me a longtime to get like the motivation
to get on.
But what, what will I do?
Well, sometimes, um, I caninspire myself by myself, like
(15:54):
remember what you have done andthen like wow, if, like this
will translate to that and okay,like maybe that's the play, or
it's like reading a story, likemaybe it's out of it.
You know injury, and you have anexample, a story of like um, uh
, uh, hayman, uh, who he?
(16:17):
He was injured before before hewas on um perry ruby and he
just did so many trainerworkouts and then that was the
final year, or like he'd done heraced for like 11 years or
whatever, and then, um, yeah, hefinally won.
So then you're like, well, allof his training was like based
(16:38):
on the trainer, like he was somotivated, like there's a way
that you can like take injuryinto celebration or or whatever.
So I would just like, yeah,look for other stories, even if
it's like day by day.
You just like pick a new storythat you're just like wow, and
then you can take that feelingwith you, you know, on on the
bike or in the training yeah, no, that's, that's it, and I think
(16:58):
too in that way.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
I mean, I don't know if you remember if I shared this
with you, but remember theNiels van der Pol speed skating
dude that just won all themedals at the Olympics?
This is recently, it's like theprevious winter.
Anyway had this manifesto like62 page, because people were
like, how did you do it?
He's like I'll tell you how Idid it.
He's nordic, so he writes a 62page training program of
(17:23):
everything that he did and itblew up the internet for like a
hot minute and for us coaches,nerds in particular.
Like I read the whole thing andI was like this is brilliant
because it was down to the juicydetail of how he laid out his
training program, how he wouldlay out every session of it,
like every minute of everysession, like this guy's got it
(17:45):
dialed man, and for me that waslike inspiration of like.
As much as I maybe want to cutcorners here or there, whatever
it's like, this guy honed hiscraft.
He spent his whole life doingthis and he was famous for like
training for five days andtaking two days off in a row.
Essentially, he was so lonelyduring training that he shifted
(18:07):
his rest days to Saturday andSunday and then train like five
to eight hours a day, mondaythrough Friday, but he wanted to
hang out with his girlfriendand his friends on the weekend.
Olympic multi-time medalistyeah.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
I mean, I'm a big like preacher of you got to keep
it fun.
If you keep it fun you can dothe hard stuff.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Yeah, yeah, that's it for sure.
And I think too, like it's thatshift of mentality look for the
fun, look for the joy, and andalmost this is what I see in you
too.
First, when I'm watching you,say, on television, or kind of
read your body language andstuff, is when other people are
like whoa is me and oh, it'sreally shitty out.
(18:48):
Like the camera comes up on youand you're like cause, it's
just it.
It like softens the mood, itlightens things up.
You know what I mean.
And to make a joke or to to, to, to be able to like change that
just a little bit, it lightensup people around you as well,
(19:09):
you know, and so that's that'sone way of doing it.
I mean, of course, you have theboring things of like setting
personal goals and having rolemodels, and you know the team
dynamics and stuff that we'vetalked about super important.
But I think the ownership lieswithin the self in order to kind
of be that catalytic energy tojust change the mood when, when
(19:32):
it gets a little somber.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Totally yeah, and I love to do that.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
So how'd you learn it ?
I mean, was it family?
Was it you just watched a bunchof Saturday night live?
I mean, where, where does where?
Does that come from.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Well, I think, I mean I also I think why I'm I am
good at sport, uh, is because soI'm curious about it, but I'm
curious in a playful way andthen, in a playful way, you have
an openness to discover mayberight like tactics or a
different angle on how to besuccessful.
(20:07):
If you're too stuck in rules,then I, then it can get a bit
frustrating, or, yeah, you don'thave this like perspective on
like oh, what about this?
Or like um, and I really think,just like my yeah, I mean, I've
always done life by passion andeven when I race it's by heart,
(20:30):
um, but I really think, likekids, you know, when we learn
something, it's play and we playand we can play and be
successful.
And I think sometimes, when weturn adults or professionals, we
think we have to be serious tobe successful, but actually we
can be very successful withstill having that play in that
(21:00):
play.
If we keep that play, I think wewill have a longer career, a
longevity, because, um, it's notgetting tiresome or burdensome,
um, we're, we're still likebeing able to accept the joy and
being able to manage the stressand pressure that we have of
job and work and racing.
Yeah, so I think it's just likebeing able to keep that
(21:24):
playfulness and yeah, then beingable to like take soak in those
successes, but also not soak inthe successes, and then being
able to move on with that all inyour bones and being able to
also let like failures anddisappointments let it go, um,
and not have that sink in toomuch, cause you're you're able
to move on to the next thing andaccept a new, like adventure
(21:47):
and challenge.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Yeah, I on podcasts uh speeches I've given to groups
of people I say adults.
They forgot how to play.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
And then they need to play more.
When I do skill sessions on thebike with juniors, they're I
mean, it is very different thanadults.
Adults are standing there likethis and soaking in the
information and being a verygood athlete.
Juniors are like I'm going togo jump on this boulder and I'm
going to hop on, and then, oh, Icrashed in the grass, oh, I got
(22:29):
to pay attention.
I would say somewhere in themiddle, right, but what adults?
can learn is like take some timeto play Instead of just like
getting the time in, go hoparound on in the grass.
Go like just learn maybe howyour bike moves a little bit,
and then I mean there's a wholecascade of things.
But like just play, have a ridewhere you're just being playful
, yeah, being goofy and I thinkyou have to be brave to be bad
(22:53):
at something new.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
And when we adults we have found a niche that we're
where we're good and even ifwe've started athletics and
we're like, actually it'sbecause I'm good and I'm going
to get a coach, because I canget better, and then you don't
want to revert back to not beinggood at something, because
that's an awkward sort offeeling and as kids you're so
(23:15):
used to just like you have to bebad at something new and then
over time you will get better.
And I think we forget that asadults or we also just really
like the feeling of being good,and so we're not as open to be
bad at something as we learn.
And yeah, I think that's likemaybe in our mind.
We just have to, yeah, we haveto be brave, have the courage to
(23:38):
just to be bad and look a bitgoofy or silly as, like we learn
, but we'll get through that.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Yeah, totally so.
In my intro, you know, I alsosaid you know, an inspired,
well-trained athlete is, youknow, hard to beat, hard to keep
down.
Well-trained athlete is, youknow, hard to beat, hard to keep
down, and I, you know,well-trained as part of it, you
still need to do your training.
You can think all the positivethoughts, but unless you get her
done, you're not going to havethe fitness, you're not going to
have the routine.
So, that being said, allison,question to you is if a listener
(24:10):
right now is like, yeah, sure,she's an elite athlete, must be
nice, but sometimes I don't evenhave the inspiration to do my
75 minute interval sessionbecause it's cold, dark January.
I hate the trainer, like allthe reasons I have to do my
training.
I'm not inspired.
What do I?
Speaker 2 (24:29):
do now.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
What's your advice?
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Yeah, well, I mean, I have those moments as well.
And yeah, sometimes it's beingable to take a step back and
looking at the big picture and,you know, doing it just based
out of discipline, like, andyeah, it might not be pretty or
(24:58):
whatever, but just do.
Um, even sometimes when I'mlike, wow, I'm so tired, I'm
gonna do this workout, and I'myou know, I'm meant to do it at
threshold and all I can manageis tempo.
But for myself, I give myselfpositive feedback from that,
because I'm like good job, alice, you did something.
And like, you know thatconsistency and stuff is going
(25:18):
to build, um, you know compound.
Or like, oh, I'm supposed to dothree hours today and actually,
um, maybe I whatever came upand now I'm only going to be
able to do two.
But well, I did two and atleast like you're doing.
And I think then the next timethat comes around, or when
(25:39):
you're like, oh, I'm so tired, Ican't imagine doing this
workout.
But then you do it and you'relike, oh, actually I did it.
And then you're like, wow, okay, I'm going to keep that in mind
for next time.
Then, next time you come,you're like there's no way I'm
(26:02):
going to do this and you're likewell, maybe remember that last
time.
Okay, well, you know the useyourself as the inspiration.
Like you're you, you collectthese reference points that you
can use to help yourself infuture times.
Um, yeah, and sometimes it'sjust not pretty.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Yeah, straight, yeah, straight up, yeah.
And I think, too, like some ofthe advice I give to athletes is
um, take action before you letyour emotion dictate anything,
right?
So I feel it's like eh, here'sthe workout plan, let's just
start.
And two, was some of your, yourtraining some days?
Speaker 2 (26:31):
I'm like, okay, just go out, let it come to you, take
a nice long warmup and andbefore you hit the intervals,
then make the decision, use thewarm-up rule as you're bad yeah
and sometimes you open up rightyeah, sometimes I also I've had
to do like an hour and a halfwarm-up because it's like
sometimes it just like takeslong enough, where you get into
like a feel and then okay, mybody gets it, and then okay,
(26:52):
then we can try.
And then, oh, okay, well, okay,my body gets it, and then okay,
then we can try.
And then, oh, okay, well, maybeI'll just do like one of three.
Okay, well, maybe I can do twoof three.
Well, maybe I can do half ofthe third one.
Oh, I did the third one.
You know like just these littlelike mind games to like help
yourself get through, or likewe've had it before where even
(27:13):
both of us have been caught inthe winter, and it'll just be
like that little phone callwhile you're on the trainer
warming up, just to get overthat 20 minutes at first, like
20 minutes is the hardest, sojust like call the friend, catch
up, just get a few like goodfeeling, like social endorphins,
but until the physicalendorphins kick in, and then do
(27:34):
the workout.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
That's right, that's right, until the physical
endorphins kick in and then dodo the workout.
That's right, that's right.
I um a couple of differentoccasions I have called AJ when
I start my warmup and then weusually we usually talk for like
45, 60 minutes or so, and thenI like look down, I'm like oh
man, I'm almost done with myride.
This is awesome.
So yeah, good, good distractionfor sure.
So yeah, I guess in that way,you know, we're not saying if
(27:57):
you can dream it, you canachieve it.
There's more to that, right,like sure dream.
I think that's really important.
You have to let your mind, youknow, play and dance and go
places to get some of these likelegendary things, as AJ already
alluded to, like one of thethings that really inspires her
and motivates her is swinging,big swinging for the fence right
(28:20):
.
And sometimes, when she comeswith those goals, I'm like, hmm,
that's a pretty big goal.
But then we start to think andwork with people around her as
well as her team manager, herdirector, other teammates.
It's like how do we get thatdone Right?
Then we go through kind of thatdetailed line item thing of how
we're going to do this withinthe race, the progressive
(28:42):
buildups, all of these things,and really it comes back to
having the realisticexpectations and also the
aggressive but realistic,actionable goals, goals, and so
when you're dreaming upsomething big, cool, write it
down.
(29:02):
Then you want to work with goodpeople around you, you want to
work with your brain and youwant to figure out that process
of how to get there and the that.
That's what we call processgoals.
So in your dreaming process,allison, do you ever do you
constrict yourself?
Do you set a time and place todream Like where do the dreams
(29:25):
come from, where do the goalscome from?
And am I right in that you comeup with some pretty wacky shit
and then it's up to the rest ofus to help you get there?
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Yes, because I think when you dream your goals, you
can't put a ceiling on it.
You know there's a way whereyou can be practical, like this
makes sense.
Or like could I winParis-Roubaix again?
Probably Could I win the Tourde France.
Well, that might be like anextreme, but like, don't stop
yourself from the dreaming andthen see if you can create a
(29:57):
plan with, yeah, that yourexperts and and uh,
professionals to try to getthere.
But I think you have to like,um, you know, in order for a
canadian to have won perry ruby,no male or female in north
america has ever won this race.
You race.
No Canadian has ever won amonument.
Why would it be me?
(30:17):
Why not Sometimes in order tobe the first.
That's hard and you have todream big and be a bit crazy or
wild, even this film about thegirl in the sea.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Oh yeah, yes, we wanted to talk about that and
that didn't make it into theoutline, so let's talk about
that now.
Um, okay, so young woman in thesea I believe is the title of
it right and I watched it overholiday break, uh, with kristin
and her parents.
Her parents actually were theones that were like we need to
watch this and we're like, okay,we, I didn't know anything
(30:54):
about it.
We watched it and I'm like, ohyeah, I remember vaguely this
story and go allison, what didwe learn from it?
I mean that oh, I sent it to youand I was like watch this.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
And you're like already I've already have and I
was so inspired by this story,um, but also how, the character
who is the legend in the storyand she's the one that she's the
first woman, the first personto swim across the english
channel and but also all thebarriers of like, no, well one,
(31:27):
girls don't do swimming.
Like, oh, in, in australia theydid, but girl, you know, they
don't do swimming even they,whatever, they made it to the
olympics but then they weren'tallowed to train for three weeks
before then because the boyswere using the pool, like.
There's just so many thingsthat they had to overcome.
But I think what was so um itit.
(31:49):
But it wasn't her making thathappen for herself, it was
actually her mom who, right,would be, even in a decade or a
generation before her, thatwould have even less opportunity
.
But for her to see thatsomething could be possible,
we're going to push beyond someboundaries.
So she starts, she opens thepathway and then, and her sister
(32:10):
, her, this girl's older sister,gets accepted into, like the
swimming program which createsnow like a place that she can
dream to go to.
She gets it.
You know, she's like the secondone that's following that
pathway and it takes, like thosepeople before, to create an
(32:30):
environment and culture, to thensupport her to do something
outstanding and amazing.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Yeah, and to bring some context to that, this has
taken place like in the like1940s or something like that,
yeah.
Yeah, was in the twenties.
Yeah, um, german immigrants,new York city they be.
They become the sisters, becomeswimmers.
She is the first woman to um uhswim the English channel.
(32:57):
And there is um her coachsabotages her.
There's sabotage at theOlympics like one uh.
Paris Olympics, the first pairOlympics, um V I I, so eighth
Olympics.
Maybe, man, we're going to getbutchered for rambling on like
this, but the main message iswatch the movie young woman in
the in the sea, because theinspiration of like athletics,
(33:22):
overcoming adversity, women insport and in some of those like
crazy things that are kind ofstill occurring with the
suppression of like, notsupporting women and in the
equal opportunity and equal pay,I mean man it's an incredible
movie.
I'm glad we watched it.
I'm glad I sent it to you.
I'm glad you already watched iteven before it happened.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
But if you want some inspiration, that is one film
that everybody should watch yeahfor sure, and I think, like
what goes on to say, that youhave to dream bigger than what
you see is possible sometimes.
And that's where we I mean forwomen, that's where we grow
women's sports, where we see nowwhat's possible that we haven't
(34:04):
seen before.
And so I think when we setgoals, we have to have a realm
of that.
But I think for me, this year,what I did, I did an audit of my
life of 2024.
And basically I used my cameraroll to sort of remember, like,
what happened in all thesemonths and you see the ups and
downs of your life, because youhave to figure out.
(34:27):
You have to first see whereyou're at to know where you can
go, like where have you come andfirst see where you're at to
know where you can go, likewhere have you come, and then
where can you go.
Because if you don't know whereyou are right now, then I think
it's it's hard to like figureout the next steps or maybe even
see the trend of where it'spossible for you to go.
I think even when we look atsome of the goals that we set
(34:51):
for last year, you know if wereach them or not, but then, oh,
use those as stepping stones tobe like oh, actually now this
could be a goal, or how we canuse these things to rearrange
what is possible or what wewould need to do or change in
order to make that goal happen.
We would need to do or changein order to make that goal
(35:14):
happen.
Um so, and I thought that wasso fun.
Some things that I pulled out ofthat was like I saw all these
photos of me at bike races, evenbike like vuolta, great race
for me last year.
I was flying every day.
I always said to the team Ifeel amazing, I mean, I won, you
know, the first stage, thefirst grand tour stage that the
team had won yet.
Um, and but but you know what?
(35:34):
There's other races before that, like newsblood, so like
opening weekend in belgium.
That's kind of a nothing racefor me, like I don't have
particular memories of it, but Isee photos of it.
Yeah, it's muddy, it's whatever.
I'm smiling so big, like itlooks like.
I love bike racing and I waslike you know what, even in the
moments that aren't my highlightmoments of the year, I love
what I'm doing and that for mewas like a little check-in.
(35:57):
That was like you know what, Ilove it, whether I'm losing or
I'm winning, and I think that isa really powerful um, like
motivator or centering for me tobe like well, okay, I mean, in
the next years, yeah, I'm goingto keep bike racing because I
love it, I'm gonna enter um,that must have been really fun.
I'm gonna these other racesthat, even if they're not like
my key races of the year, I amlooking, I'm really looking
(36:21):
forward to them and performingin these races.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
So, um, yeah, figuring out where you come from
and then that helps you figureout where you, where you can go
next and where you can set yournext goals and and I mean that's
a really good summary point andI think, however you do it,
looking at your camera roll orlooking at the 900 hours of data
(36:44):
from training for Alison, forexample, and being able to
establish where you're at, whereyou want to go, where you've
been and that's how we determineuh, the, the plans, the
objectives, the goals and thethe a priority races for uh
athletes, athletes like Alison,athletes like that are on her
team, and then we work fromtheir strengths and weaknesses,
(37:05):
um, athlete phenotypes, the typeof rider that they are.
Alison's an all arounder, okay,and when what she was saying
before is like some of thoseclassics races, that's prime for
her.
She's an opportunistic rider.
She's super crafty.
If they make a super hilly Tourde France like, that's not her
jam as much, but then she canlook for good races within the
(37:27):
stage itself.
That's how we start to shore upthe strengths, weaknesses and
make those goals.
So, just a little bit behindthe scenes, work on there, but
use your camera roll to decide.
So to bring this thing home.
I think it's really important torecognize that inspiration, as
AJ said, inspiration can comefrom literally anywhere, and
(37:47):
it's not to say that we want tobecome robots and feel nothing.
We're humans, feeling andfeeling.
Every emotion is is rich.
You should feel that, however,you can take action.
You can take action and justlike starting to ride your bike
before you let the emotion takeover, okay.
Or you can, when it's just likeshitty all around, you can
(38:09):
crack a smile and be like youknow what I'm riding my bike, or
whatever comes to you is justlike.
Change the mood, change them.
Watch Alison racing, you'll.
You'll see it, okay.
So those, those are my summarypoints.
Alison, is there anything thatyou want to add?
Speaker 2 (38:24):
to that yeah, keep, be open to play, open to play,
be curious.
Uh, and then, and by beingcurious and being playful, I
think you'll find inspiration ina lot of different corners, um,
maybe in surprising people inand places that isn't you know.
(38:44):
You don't have to be inspiredby athletes to be an athlete.
You don't have to be inspiredby musicians to be a musician.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
You can find, you can see, um, a lot of like great
qualities in the people at homeand around you, um, and and use
that to inspire you for yourgoals and to do the hard things
yeah, and one thing that justpopped in my head right now is
like, as you're finding thatinspiration in that process is
(39:12):
like, get other good peoplearound you and I think, a good
training partner, you know goodpeople, like in that cultural
space, iron sharpens iron.
So like, get around good peopleand you'll, you'll get pumped
up with them.
I think that that's also superimportant.
So, alison, if people want toget pumped up from afar and they
want more AJ in their life,where, where do we find you?
(39:34):
Where on the socials?
Do you have a website, a radiotalk show?
I don't know?
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
We're working on that radio talk show.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
AM 1090.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
Just kidding, just kidding and every other episode
will be like a recap of theedmonton oilers nhl game.
Um, yeah, no, just.
I mean instagram is uh where Ipost all my best stuff.
Um that at alley action jackson.
So a-l-i action jackson.
(40:10):
Yeah, you'll find lots of funstuff there.
You can always post about whatnext races are coming up, also,
like the fun goofy side aroundracing.
If you want more of the reallyrace stuff, then yeah, the team
(40:30):
page is EF Education.
Oatley is the bike team.
So, yeah, follow us along,cheer us on, come meet us out at
the bike races and, um, yeah,bring some donuts.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Well, you heard it folks.
Uh, get to some bike races,bring some donuts and um follow
every, every inch of the way byfollowing the team and AJ on
Instagram.
Allison, thank you for takingtime.
Thanks for joining us today andjust sharing some of your
knowledge and inspiration withour listeners.
I know everybody will soak itup and definitely benefit from
(41:05):
it.
Speaker 2 (41:06):
My pleasure always.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
Thanks for joining us on the time crunch cyclist
podcast.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
If you want even moreactionable training advice, head
over to train rightcombackslash newsletter and
subscribe to our free weeklypublication.
Each week you'll get in-depthtraining content that goes
beyond what we cover here on thepodcast.
That'll help you take yourtraining to the next level.
(41:33):
That's all for now.
Until next time, train hard,train smart, train right.
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Intentionally Disturbing
Join me on this podcast as I navigate the murky waters of human behavior, current events, and personal anecdotes through in-depth interviews with incredible people—all served with a generous helping of sarcasm and satire. After years as a forensic and clinical psychologist, I offer a unique interview style and a low tolerance for bullshit, quickly steering conversations toward depth and darkness. I honor the seriousness while also appreciating wit. I’m your guide through the twisted labyrinth of the human psyche, armed with dark humor and biting wit.