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October 10, 2018
Project success: From a raw idea to a seemingly impossible achievement – (Part 1)

The 3300km Vuelta Ride was not just a 3300km ride (although no question that it would have been a great challenge by itself) it was turning a raw idea into reality. It was an end-to-end project completely starting from scratch. From the outside it might have seen an easy task to ride every stage of the hotels but the preparation for it was tremendous so it could run as smoothly as it did.

The goal of the project was not only successfully completing 3300km as the first female in history but inspiring others along the way to go for their goals. And that meant to spread my message to as many people as possible.

Creating an idea from scratch meant to do everything. From getting the accreditation by the organization to rallying up media and creating social media buzz, inviting local cycling groups, building up a website and an introductory video, looking for potential sponsors and starting a crowdfunding initiative, recruiting a voluntary team, getting a support van and person, organizing accommodation and transfer in addition to the training that is required to be able to successfully complete 3300km.

Everyone who has organized a project before is familiar with the amount of work that is required to complete an even innocent-looking project successfully.

Learning by doing.

The learning curve was steep working on parts of the project that were new to me. I enjoyed every moment and I knew it was taking big steps into unfamiliar terrain. It asked the best of me and I haven’t even started the actual cycling challenge yet – that very challenge 80% of the people told me it was impossible to do. I could feel the hesitation of others towards this project. Especially sponsors were reluctant to cooperate. Here I was, a normal person who wanted to do something extraordinary – a seemingly impossible challenge.

With one year of organizing a project there were a lot of ups and downs – would I be able to pull it off? I was under pressure because people were watching!

The result was not only did I finish as the first woman in history the Vuelta a España hours before the professionals, I was able to get the media attention of 50 media outlets across 10 countries. Four National TV channels talked about my project which caused popularity across Spain.

How was it possible to achieve something seemingly impossible? In the next posts I will talk about what helped me to achieve as a normal person something extraordinary and how you can do it too!

October 9, 2018
Resilience – 5 ways how to handle tough situations – Lessons from setting a world record

It is stage 9 of the 21-stage cycling challenge. I am in the midst of setting a world record. As the first female in history I am cycling the same course as the professionals of one of the toughest cycling races in the world – the 3300km Vuelta a España.

Today will be one of the toughest stages of this challenge. I am not exactly fresh anymore having cycled 1200km over the last 9 days. And today will be one of the biggest stages: 200km and 4000m of climbing. It will take me around 9 hours to complete it.

But the difficulty is not only the stage itself but a lot of unfortunate factors that came together.

A seemingly small problem turned big when the air conditioning during the hot night didn’t work so I barely slept in a room of 36 degrees. And today I would ride alone without any cycling companions. Previously I always had friends join me. Not today. The next 9 hours would be fighting alone with the physical and mental fatigue.

Looking at my situation, I realized that this was a key moment that would define me and my project.

Would this tough situation affect my goal to set a world record?

It was a time I could complain about, all the misfortune giving me perfect excuses to give up confirming what 80% of the people – who have been following this journey – predicted. It would be an easy way out of sleep deprivation, physical and mental fatigue.

But I didn’t give up. It was a matter of resilience that was compromised of attitude, preparation and action.

These are the five ways how I get through tough situations:

Preparation.

Hours of physical and mental training prepared me for this situation. Before the start of this challenge, I went through worst-case scenarios that could affect me and how I would deal with them. I trained in these conditions so I knew how to handle the situation. Preparation is also key to build up self-confidence and knowing what I can do.

Think big.

Is sleepiness really a reason to give up on a world record? Comparing the current problematic situation with the bigger objective often diminishes how problematic it really is. 4 hours sleep, riding alone and the accumulating exhaustion is not a reason to give up! During tough situations, instead of focusing on the here and now, think about the bigger picture and the end goal. It will keep your energy focused on a positive outcome.

Create a short-term reward.

I knew the next nine hours will be tough but during those 9 hours I was already thinking about what I would do afterwards. I would treat myself to my favorite meal and get a massage. Imagining the smell of a good pizza gave me a warm fuzzy feeling which made me forget that I was currently in a tough situation.

Use it as a chance to show yourself what you are made of.

I aim to use tough situations to excel in them. Those situations enable us to grow as a person. See it as a challenge by destiny and excel on it. Not often do we get chances to show what we are really made of. So instead of “declining” it, use this chance to show yourself who you are.

Make immediate changes.

Sometimes all the bad things come together but if they can be avoided in the future, then now is the time to make the change. To avoid any future problems, I made sure that I would never stay in a hotel without air conditioning anymore and invited more friends along so I would have company. Every small step helps to avoid the same situation twice.

After nine hours on the bike, I finally had my Barbeque chicken pizza that I was dreaming of the last nine hours. But I not only mastered this stage, it made me mentally ready for stages that were a lot harder. I felt mentally stronger and stronger because with every resilient move I gained more self-confidence.

We have all been in tough situations. We all have those small external factors like the non-functioning air conditioning that add misfortune to an already big project. But reminding ourselves to focus on the bigger picture will put the small hiccups into perspective.

Creating a rewarding experience in the short-term like that pizza will give that extra motivation to push through tough situations. It is incredible how these seemingly small rewards spark enthusiasm during long projects. Every mastery of a tough situation will prepare us for the next.

Resilience is like a muscle. When we train hard (pushing through tough situations) we will be stronger afterwards and are able to push more.

October 2, 2018
Gear, Material & Products of The Vuelta Ride

I am very grateful for my sponsors to have prepared me so well with high-quality and reliable products that I had barely any problems cycling for 3300km for 21 stages in all kind of terrain and weather conditions.

Bike. Braking. Shifting.

I rode the Stevens Ventoux carbon bike which is very comfortable for long distance. It had Shimano Ultegra disc brakes and Di2 shifting. I am a huge fan of the disc brakes, especially when dealing with such a variety of terrain and weather. I had to ride in pouring rain and it felt good to know that the bike stops when I want it to stop despite the conditions. But in the situation where the disc brakes became a life saver were on the descents of the incredible steep climbs in the North – 23% uphill is not exactly fun but going down was even worse, especially with a lot of people and cars around that were getting ready to watch the race. I needed strong braking power and the Shimano disc brakes gave me exactly that. For the 3300km I didn’t have to swap the brake pads either.

The Di2 shifting is also comfortable and something I  got used to it that it would be weird now to get back on manual shifting. I did make the mistake of not watching the battery levels and during one of the stages (Basque country heading up Oiz), my battery ran out. BUT! Here was the cool part. My friend, Maya lend me her bike for one hour while she jumped in the car and we charged the battery of my bike in the van during that time. After that, I was able to complete the stage on my bike. That is literally problem-solving on the run…or ride.

Gear choice. Tires.

I used the same gearing for the entire Vuelta (50-34/ 11-30). It was the right choice as I never got any knee or back problems which would have indicated too big gearing for me.

All other components were Shimano and Pro.

I also used the same tires for the entire 3300km: the Vittoria Corsa and only three flats. Two of them were a slow leak over night so an easy fix in the morning. What I really liked about these tires is that they are easy to put on and I actually don’t need a lever. Especially at 6am in the morning, barely awake, fixing a flat is not exactly high on my wish list so being able to swap them fast saved a lot of energy. I used the same tires for the entire 3300km and was happy with them in the 40 degree heat as much as in the pouring rain or in the descents.

Helmet. Clothing. Food.

I used a Lazer helmet Z1 Mips for the ride. The strap can be easily adjusted at the top of the head. It is a super light helmet so I never felt “burdened” by it, especially having it on my head for 6 to 9 hours every day for 21 stages.

I rode with Gobik cycling wear for the entire 129 hours in three weeks. Not getting into too much detail but shaving of any sort or saddle soreness never became an issue. In fact, I don’t use  chamois cream or similar. The padding of the shorts was just perfect. Of course, after every ride, I made sure to get out of the clothes immediately.

Although I usually ate “normal” food for the entire Vuelta, there were moments I needed a caffeine boost and I had the energy shots from Named Sport. And I can tell you, they got me AWAKE and ENERGIZED that the Duracell bunny would be jealous!

I like to know what is ahead – no matter how steep or long the stages or climbs are. To prepare myself mentally, I studied the gradients, lengths of the climbs on the website of Cycling Friendly which gave me a very good picture of what was lying ahead.

And my favorite video of the challenge (thanks to Macario and Juan Angel Triguero for producing it)…

….the interview is recorded while we were driving a steep, gravely road down from Oiz. My face tells the story of what I was thinking about this drive down!

September 20, 2018
The Vuelta Ride is over! What’s next after setting a world record?

Wow it is over! I am happy as much as I am sad that it is over. Riding as the first female in history the 3300km Vuelta a Espana just hours before the professionals did not start three weeks ago. It started one year when organizing hotels, support van, communication with media, getting sponsors, recruiting a voluntary team. The three weeks of riding were the enjoyment part of everything that has been done before.

Altogether it was 3058km, 129 hours of riding, 49337m of elevation gain in 21 stages. That is a daily average of 145km, 6 hours of riding and 2349m of climbing.

I loved every single minute of it. The early mornings at 4:30am waking up, the sunrise at 7:40am, the conversations with new friends, crossing the finish line at 14:00, driving to the next hotel, enjoying the local cuisine and breathing every moment of a rich, intense experience.

What a success!
My main mission of this project was to inspire people to go for their own challenge and come out to join for parts of this journey while spreading my message around the globe. With over 200 people riding parts with me and with a coverage of over 50 media outlets around the world, this project has exceeded any expectations.

But it wasn’t easy
This project wouldn’t have been possible without a dedicated team that volunteered their time for the success of this project. Moreover, I am grateful for all the sponsors that believed in the success of this project (doing something “crazy” and seemingly impossible makes it very hard to convince brands to invest; that’s why I am even more appreciative in their trust in me!)

I am writing a book
To write here about my experiences this email would blow up so I decided to write a book over the winter. More details will be revealed in the next weeks.

Most frequent asked questions answered
While I am collecting thoughts for the book, I will be writing blogposts of the most frequent asked questions in the upcoming weeks: How did I prepare for it? How did I recover physically and mentally? What was the toughest, best, easiest, etc moments? What material, products and bike set up did  I use? (If you have any particular questions, just send me an email and I will answer your question in an upcoming blog post)

One question I can answer here already: What is next?
My next big project will be in Japan next year – adventure style how I like it! I love discovering new places and Japan is one of the countries that are so different in culture, language and terrain while still being cycling friendly that I cant wait to see it. There will be a good story and I promise a great adventure to follow! Stay tuned.

But next year is so far away!!!
But if you are like me, you cant wait for next year. That’s why I have already another adventure planned for next month in October. As the first female I will be riding every summit of Andorra in one go. That is about 300km with over 12000m of climbing! That sounds crazy enough to “dare to go for it!”

Thanks to all the amazing people who have made this possible!
I want to say thank you to my team: Franky, Anneke, Bea, Doug and David for such a great support in making this project possible.
Thanks to Javi, Rafa, Maya, Rupert, Mark and everyone who joined me for parts of this challenge sharing funny stories with me!
Thanks to Macario, Shimano, Gobik, Stevens Bikes, Vittoria tires, Pro, Lazer helmets, Cycling Friendly, Named Sport for believing in this project and supporting me!
Thanks to the Nordic hotel, Marbella Edificio, Marquis hotel, Perla de la montana, ibis Lleida, Valle del Eria, Hotel Altamira and Hotel Buddha Spa for taking care of my team and me during our stay!

Photos – Videos – Media coverage
You can find all photos and videos in the link below. Feel free to use any of them:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d77tr2nkyir05ff/AADaeUwM2EZHKceQy4bfvdNka?dl=0

And here are some selected media coverage of the project:

http://www.rtve.es/m/alacarta/videos/vuelta-ciclista-a-espana/vuelta-2018-aventurera-rad-monika-recorre-vuelta-antes-competidores/4716730/?media=tve

https://www.antena3.com/noticias/deportes/ciclismo/monika-sattler-y-su-particular-vuelta-a-espana_201808275b8408140cf2e0203394fc6a.html

https://cyclingtips.com/2018/09/dreaming-big-how-one-woman-rode-the-vuelta-route-before-the-pros/

https://youtu.be/8bhJweE9U7M

http://www.radmonika.com/in-the-media

More!!!!
Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for all the adventures and updates and share this newsletter with adventure addicts. I can be also booked as motivational speaker for events with special focus on believing in yourself, taking the first daring step, teamwork and a successful mind.

Thank you very much to everyone for being part of this journey! It was an incredible experience!

September 3, 2018
Estoy recorriendo los 3300km de La Vuelta a España, POR QUÉ?
Una de las preguntas más frecuentes sobre La Vuelta Ride es porqué estoy recorriendo cada km de La Vuelta a España.
La respuesta corta es que el motivo es incentivar a otras personas a ir a por su propio reto pero esta respuesta requiere un poco más de profundidad así que aquí la expongo:
Hace un año y medio era una asesora de gestión para una empresa de tecnología de información en Melbourne, Australia, pero sentí que no estaba realmente viviendo la vida que de verdad quería. Tomé la decisión valiente de dejar mi empleo para perseguir mi pasión por el ciclismo. Miré un mapa para saber cual sería el lugar para el ciclismo. Decidí que sería España. Hice una pequeña maleta, embalé mi bicicleta y me mudé a Málaga, sin conocer a nadie allí, nunca había estado allí y ni sabía ni una palabra de español.
Era una acción aterradora sin saber el mañana, iendo contra “las normas de la sociedad” y el temor al fracaso.
Pero ha sido la mejor decisión de mi vida hacer algo que parecía imposible, más allá de toda imaginación y fuera de lo normal.
El temor a lo desconocido y al fracaso impide a mucha gente intentarlo. Pero exactamente ese temor es lo que te limita de mostrarte a ti mismo lo que eres capaz de hacer.
Y eso es lo que exactamente quiero demostrar recorriendo los 3300 de la Vuelta a España.
Se sabe que La Vuelta es duro. Por ello no fue una sorpresa cuando recibí mensajes dudando de que sería capaz de hacerlo. Y es por eso exactamente por lo que lo estoy haciendo – porque este reto es un perfecto ejemplo de cuanto se pueden superar los límites en tu imaginación – tanto para mi como para ti.
Compartiendo este recorrido con todos los momentos buenos y malos, mis preocupaciones y mis pensamientos, quiero mostrar el proceso por el que paso cuando voy a por un desafío.
Pero ya se ha realizado el primer paso. Tomar ese paso!
No hace falta dejar tu empleo ni mudarse al otro lado del mundo ni recorrer 3300km alrededor de España, pero estoy muy segura que hay sueños y objetivos los cuales estás esperando el momento adecuado para llevarlos a cabo. Ese momento es ahora. ¡Haz lo que te hace vivir! ¡Y disfruta de cada momento de este recorrido!
July 16, 2018
(ENG/ES) Getting ready for the biggest cycling challenge of my life – The most important lesson I learned!

(Espanol abajo)

Why riding the Vuelta a España?

Only 40 days to go for the biggest cycling challenge I have ever done. One year ago, when I was looking for a cycling challenge that would give me the opportunity to convey my mission to inspire others, especially women, to go for their challenges and to ride bikes, I knew it had to be something crazy; a challenge where this craziness is easily understood. Plus, I needed something that has great potential for media coverage. Because although it is a personal challenge, it is not about me – it is about conveying my mission inspiring and enabling others to dare to go for their own challenge, to pursue their dreams. I want others to join this challenge, whether it is only a few kilometers or a few stages! This challenge is about bringing people together!

Since I live in Spain, the idea of riding the Grand Tour, the 3300km Vuelta a España, was born.

First project manager, then rider

Although I have not ridden a single kilometer of the actual cycling challenge yet, the journey of this project has started well before. It is a massive undertaking organizing the logistics of the 21 stages while getting the media attention for this challenge and searching for sponsors and other financial means. I have been having the most incredible experiences throughout this preparation – from an incredible cyclist, Sonia, who will create a celebration party for my arrival in Madrid to email responses with outright disbelief that I can make it happen.

Don’t let others keep you away from pursuing your dreams!

One thing I can tell for sure, I have been loving every single day preparing for this big challenge – the good and the “lessons learned” days. I have gained so much from this experience and the ride hasn’t even started yet. The biggest lesson I have learned is that you have to believe in yourself and your capabilities. Don’t let others limit your dreams, go for what you want. Because although there will be always people trying to keep you away from pursuing your dreams (for whatever reason), there are many, many more people who will be supporting your beliefs, your goals and your dreams.

I cant express in words how grateful I am for the support of so many amazing people from around the world!

There is Franky who helps me with media, translation, organization and logistics. There is Anneke in Andorra who will be my support person for the latter part of the challenge while accommodating me in the hotel, called Nordic Hotel in Andorra. The owners of the hotel, Oscar and Marc Casal are top skyrunners and their hotel is perfectly suited for athletes training in Andorra. There is Peter from Salobrena who will be supporting me for the first part of the ride. (I am still missing someone for the middle part). I am grateful for all the hotels who have offered me and my support crew free accommodation so far. I greatly appreciate the help of my sponsors, especially Gobik, who helps me financially as well as with my cycling kit. Thanks to Cycling Friendly who provided me with a car for the Vuelta Ride! I cant believe how many cyclists and cycling groups have contacted me wanting to join a few kilometers or stages with me. I am happy about all the media coverage on TV, radio, podcast, magazines and newspapers from different countries that have covered this project to spread the message. And a very special thanks to my family who have been the biggest support in my life!

The project is a success if it inspires and enables others to go out for their own challenge and to dare to make their dreams come true.

Preparándome para el reto más grande de mi vida en ciclismo – la lección más importante que he aprendido 
¿Por qué recorrer la Vuelta a España?
Solo quedan  40  días para el mayor desafío en ciclismo que jamás haya realizado. Hace un año cuando estaba buscando un reto en ciclismo que me diera la oportunidad de desempeñar mi objetivo de inspirar a la gente, especialmente a las mujeres a lograr sus retos y montar en bicicleta, sabía que tenía que ser alguna locura, un reto en el que esta locura se entendiera fácilmente. Además, tenía que ser algo que tuviera un gran potencial para crear expectación mediática. Porque aunque sea un desafío personal, no se trata solo de mi sino de llevar a cabo mi objetivo de inspirar y hacer que los demás se atrevan a ir a por sus propios retos, que realicen sus sueños. Quisiera que otras personas se unieran a este reto, tanto si es solo unos cuantos kilómetros como una etapa/s. ¡Se trata de unir a personas con este desafío!
 
Desde que vivo en España, nació la idea de recorrer una gran vuelta, los 3300km de la Vuelta a España.
 
Primero gestora de proyectos, luego ciclista
 
Aunque no haya pedaleado ni un solo km de este desafío aún, el recorrido de este proyecto ya ha comenzado. Hay muchísima dedicación organizando la logística de las 21 etapas al mismo tiempo que intentando suscitar atención en los medios de comunicación para este reto, buscar esponsors y recursos económicos. Estoy teniendo experiencias increíbles durante esta preparación – desde una increíble ciclista, Sonia, que hará una fiesta de celebración a mi llegada a Madrid, a recibir emails poniendo en duda de que pueda lograr este reto.
 
¡No permitas que otras personas te aparten de perseguir tus sueños!
 
Una cosa si que puedo asegurar, me ha encantado cada día desde que estoy preparando este reto – los días buenos y los días “de aprender una lección”. Ya he aprendido tanto desde el inicio de esta experiencia y la Vuelta ni siquiera ha empezado aún. La mayor lección que he aprendido es que tienes que creer en ti mismo y en tus capacidades. No permitas que otras personas limiten tus sueños, lucha por lo que quieres. Porque aunque siempre habrá gente que intente apartarte de ir a por tus sueños (por la razón que sea), habrá mucha, mucha gente que apoyará tus sueños, objetivos y en lo que crees.
 
¡No puedo expresar en palabras como estoy de agradecida por el apoyo de tantas personas magníficas procedentes del mundo entero!
 
Está Franky que me ayuda con los medios de comunicación, traducciones, organización y logística. Está Anneke del Hotel Nordic quien será la persona de apoyo y además para la última parte del reto alojándome en su hotel llamado Hotel Nordic en Andorra. Los propietarios, Oscar y Marc Casal son skyrunners y su hotel es ideal para atletas que se entrenan en Andorra. Está Peter de Salobrena que será mi persona de apoyo para la primera parte del recorrido (todavía necesito a alguien para la parte central para llevar el vehículo de apoyo). Estoy muy agradecida a los hoteles que ya me han ofrecido tanto a mi como al equipo de apoyo alojamiento gratuito en sus establecimientos para diversas etapas. Agradezco enormemente la ayuda de mis esponsors, especialmente Gobik, que me ayuda económicamente al igual que me proporciona mi equipación ciclista. Muchas gracias también a Cycling Friendly por cederme un vehículo para poder seguirme durante todas la etapas. No me imaginaba el número de ciclistas y grupos de ciclistas que ya han contactado conmigo para unirse a mi para recorrer juntos kilómetros o etapa/s. Estoy muy contenta de toda la cobertura mediática en los medios como en la TV, radio, podcast, revistas y periódicos de distintos países que han cubierto este proyecto para difundir el mensaje. ¡Y muchísimas gracias a mi familia quienes son el mayor apoyo de mi vida!
 
El proyecto será un éxito si anima y hace que otra gente vaya a por su reto y se atreva a hacer que sus sueños se hagan realidad.
May 31, 2018
Why I ride the 3300km Vuelta a Espana/¿Porqué recorrer los 3300km de la Vuelta a España?

Bajar para en Espanol

Why I ride the 3300km Vuelta a España

Today was one of the the perfect example  how the project called The Vuelta Ride was created.

On 24. August I will be riding every kilometer of one of the toughest professional races in world, the 3300km Vuelta a España, just hours beforehand. Just like the professional cyclists, I will endure the extreme heat in South of Spain, the incredible steep mountains in the North and suffer from the 150km+ days over 21 days. I will be the first woman in history riding very kilometer of The Vuelta a España at the same day as the professionals. I will set a new record!

I didn’t realize this until yesterday because I never made this challenge about myself but about inspiring and empowering others to go for their challenge, to go out of their comfort zone and dare to try new things. I am a believer that anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it.

Today I had the opportunity to be part of the school class’ (Academia Fleming) first 100km bike ride. It was such an incredible rewarding feeling to be able to help and be part of their great achievement.

Every person who decides to go for a challenge and dare to go for their goals is a success of The Vuelta Ride!

You can support it here: https://igg.me/at/thevueltaride/x/17595715

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

¿Porqué recorrer los 3300km de la Vuelta a España?

 
Hoy fue un perfecto ejemplo de porqué se me ocurrió el proyecto de The Vuelta Ride (El Recorrido de la Vuelta a España). El 24 de Agosto recorreré en bicicleta cada kilómetro de una de las carreras más duras del mundo por etapas para profesionales, los 3300km de la Vuelta a España, saliendo solo unas horas antes que el pelotón.
 
Al igual que los profesionales, tendré que soportar el extremo calor del sur de España, las increíbles pendientes de las montañas en el norte y sufrir distancias de más de 150km diarios durante las 21 etapas.
Seré la primera ciclista fémina en la historia en recorrer cada kilómetro de la Vuelta a España al igual que los profesionales. ¡Estableceré un nuevo record!
 
No me percaté de este hecho hasta hace poco ya que nunca había investigado sobre un reto para mi misma sino que incentivo y capacito a los demás a ir a por sus desafíos, a salir de su zona de comodidad y atreverse a probar cosas nuevas. Soy una firme creyente de que cualquier cosa es posible siempre y cuando se ponga todo el empeño en ello.
El 30 de Mayo tuve la oportunidad de formar parte del intento de una clase de Grado Medio de Actividades Físico-deportivas de recorrer 100km por primera vez. Fue una sensación tan plena y satisfactoria de poder haberles ayudado y formado parte de su gran logro.
 
Cada persona que decida ir a por un desafío y se atreva a lograr sus retos es un éxito de The Vuelta Ride.