Thank You, Summer
We catch up with a few of our athletes after a busy summer of travel, competition and life on the road.
It’s officially fall here in Leadville, which means the Aspens are turning a shade of maillot jaune and the daylight is quickly disappearing. We’ve finally had a chance to catch our breath after a summer of bouncing around the country and sharing the #relaxandrecover vibes at your favorite events. From San Diego to Miami we’ve put a few miles on our Sprinter vans, popped countless Gems, and shared a few beers and high fives with you fine folks.
Our athletes have been busy as well. From running and cycling to CrossFit, volleyball, and every sport in between, we love supplying competitors with the CBD they need to perform their best. We also love hearing what they’ve been up to and how they’re using the product, what corners of the world they visited, and their plans for the future. We recently caught up with elite endurance runner Taylor Nowlin, Enduro shredder Rachel Strait, and top Adaptive CrossFit athlete Jed Snelson to find out what they were up to over the summer.
As I’ve gotten older the years of training and racing are becoming more apparent. These days my body craves assistance after hard rides, which is why I began using CBD products as a daily supplement to combat muscle soreness and aid in recovery. As a rider who was dialed into the smallest performance details, the analytical side of me wanted to know the science behind CBD.
Taylor Nowlin
After a self-described “rocky start” to the season ultra trail runner Taylor Nowlin is proud of her year so far. While it was indeed a rocky, the Santa Barbara Nine Trails course hit over 10,000 vertical feet in thirty-five technical miles, she felt the Speedgoat 50k was “hands down the most challenging 50k course” that she’d ever raced. And as if the race wasn’t hard enough, Taylor drove from Arizona to Salt Lake City and back in 48 hours to compete. Good thing she packed plenty of CBD balm, which she uses constantly during her travels to keep her legs fresh.
As Taylor started nursing school this year she’s finding a balance between training and juggling new responsibilities, and while she may “run fewer miles now than [she] used to, it’s keeping [her] movtivated and helping to avoid burnout.” Her biggest accomplishment? Balancing school and a running career. No easy task. Always up for a good challenge, Taylor has her sights set on Western States next year. She’s “feeling inspired to give the 100 mile distance a go” after watching from the sidelines the last few years. Who knows, maybe we’ll be able to talk her into Leadville?
Jedidiah Snelson
While Jed knows a thing or two about recovery, he has yet to slow down and catch his breath from a summer of CrossFit competitions. Jed crisscrossed North American competing in everything from the international Wodapalooza competition in Miami to the adaptive WheelWOD Games outside Toronto, where he had an incredible streak of podium finishes. With the competition in the CrossFit arena growing Jed said it’s been the toughest year yet, however, that didn’t stop him from earning the title of “2nd Fittest Seated Athlete on Earth (Fittest w/ SCI)”. When he’s not competing and socializing at events Jed loves to escape to the movies where he can enjoy a few hours of solitude outside the gym. What’s next for Jed? He’s looking forward to ten days in Cabo over Thanksgiving. Count us in!
Rachel Strait
From the highs of her trip to Austria, to the lows of a nasty crash during the A-Line DH race at Whistler, Rachel spent her summer shredding pump tracks, Enduro, and DH courses around the globe. After the crash at Whistler left her with “the biggest hematoma of [her] career” on her right thigh, Rachel dove into the CBD. She confided that “without the Floyd’s of Leadville topical creams [she] wouldn’t have been able to ride again the following week! The added arnica helped so much as well.” We’re glad we could help her recover and get back on the bike. Next year Rachel plans to push herself “in both slalom and pump track events” and determined “to win a Big Mountain Enduro race.” We have no doubt she’ll be able to pull it off.
While we love catching up with our athletes, we also enjoy hearing what you’ve been up to. If you’ve got a story to share about your season or a fun CBD tale, don’t hesitate to send us an email or tag us @floydsleadville on Instagram. We wish you a relaxing autumn whether you’re winding down from your season or just getting warmed up for a fall of competition.
