Governors Island with Exploring Paths

Earlier this year a mentorship program based in NYC called Exploring Paths reached out to me. They provide their youth participants access to bikes, helmets, journals, one-on-one mentorship, and cycling activities around New York City. When I visited in January I gave a talk to the kids and a talk at an amazing fundraising event, but it was too cold to actually go on a ride with them. So when I was given the opportunity to come back this summer, I was excited to join in on their trip to Governors Island and spend two days with everyone!

We started the weekend off at the YMCA where snacks, water, food, and all of the cycling gear was provided to the kids and mentors. We headed out using paved pathways with plenty of support to ensure an extremely safe ride to the ferry. Once we boarded the ferry (with our bikes) we had a great view of the city and a nice cool breeze. We started riding to the urban farm, but not without stopping to go on the slides and take photos in front of the Statue of Liberty first. 

At the urban farm, called the Teaching Garden, we were taken on a tour of their vegetable beds, educated about their recycling program, fed goats, got close to the chickens, and played with worms. We ended the ride around Governors Island with a tasty snow cone before boarding the ferry. With colorful tongues and a full belly, we headed back into the sunshine and biked the streets of New York City where we ended at the YMCA. `

It makes my heart so happy to know this program exists and these kids are being exposed to an active lifestyle, nature, leadership, and fun. I'm very grateful to have met these kids and their mentors and I hope they never stop exploring paths! 

A huge thanks to Katherine Long for having me, Specialized for gifting the kids hats and shirts, and Oakley for gifting the kids sunglasses. 

Meet my new Specialized Camber

*This post was written for Specialized. See the original post here.

Meet my new beauty - the Specialized Women’s Camber, but first let me give you a little back story as this was not an overnight decision.

Nearly a year ago I felt some major and loving peer pressure to get a mountain bike. Considering my first experience prior to that was awful, I wasn’t too keen on getting back on one, much less buying my own. Unfortunately I made the mistake of borrowing a bike much too big for me, slammed my lady bits on it within the first five minutes, and felt as if I was going to fall off at any point. Let’s just say I was not one with that bike and because of this experience I thought I hated mountain biking.

Sometime in the following year is when I joined an off-road cycling team (for CX) where the majority of those girls also love mountain biking. Lucky for me they gave me the itch to give it another try. After hearing I wanted to try MTB again, my friend Carol reached out to me and offered to let me borrow her bike and have a mini clinic with me as she was in the process of getting her certification to be an instructor. I took her up on it and wow, what a difference that made. When I met her at the trails she took the first 20 minutes or so to set up the bike to accommodate me. We went out and did a mix of riding and skill training where she would take video of me to better explain either what I was doing right or wrong. Long story short, this made a massive difference and I became hooked. I spent the next few months trying to educate myself on the various types of bikes and figure out (with the help of others) what would be the best bike for me.

Once I decided on the Camber I spent a solid few days visiting my local Specialized Dealers to try a few sizes and chat with them about sizing. Because they didn’t have the exact bike in stock, it took some side-by-side geometry comparing to really figure it out.

Fast forward to this week when the bike arrived and I rode it for the very first time. I LOVE IT. It was a process to get to this point, but completely worth it. I’ll be sharing my MTB adventures (the good and the hilariously bad - as I always do) in the next coming months!

The best cycling shoes in the game

Clean or dirty, old or new, indoor cycling or outside - THESE BABIES are my tried-and-true when it comes to PEDALING DAT BIKE! By day I teach indoor cycling at Flywheel Sports so I’m teaching 8-11 classes a week (on top of any classes that I take) and boy do I get stopped while wearing my baby blue S-Works 6 shoes in the studio. I keep these for indoor cycling only so that I’m not tracking in my smelly outdoor road shoes, plus I’m not mad that these have stayed in perfect condition - I mean, look how pretty they are! 

On the other hand, my white ones have been trained in, raced in, wrecked during a crit, worn in the rain, and I’m pretty sure they need to be retired. However, because they are so broken in and comfortable I haven’t had the heart to upgrade them just yet. Also, just in case you’re wondering, I have no trouble keeping them white (except for the areas that hit the pavement). 10/10 would recommend. Also, if you have narrow feet like me, it wouldn’t hurt to add Footbed inserts to really make sure you’re foot is snug as a bug.

Original blog post written for The Specialized Digest. Click here. 

Can't get enough of sunrise

I was up before the sun when I was in Chattanooga to make sure I caught some epic views before my ride. I must say, Tennessee, you did not disappoint. With the summer heat getting less bearable every day, the temperature was perfect at 6:30AM. New friends and old friends watched the sunrise with fellow campers who were there from the night before. Pure serenity, motivation and perfection. Nature, you are badass.

Last two images by Jeff Rhoda

Giveaway! A Burley Tail Wagon for your pets!

Hey guys! I'm here to admit something because I have a problem. I feel like I might be the biggest dog mom of all dog moms and Burley has totally enabled me to take it to another level with this Tail Wagon. I mean look at it! It's SO dang cute! So I took Sweetpea for a ride and surprisingly she did really awesome with it. I'm not going to lie, I really wasn't sure how she would react but to my surprise she loved it. I'm super excited that Burley is going to giveaway one of these Tail Wagons to another dog/cat/animal mom or dad out there! AH, you guys - I just love it and I can't wait to see one of you guys use this! So here is how you enter:

Contest Rules:
Begins Tuesday, May 24th and ends Friday evening, May 27th

HOW TO ENTER:
1. Follow @MaeElizabethG and @BurleyDesign on Instagram
2. Like this photo on my Instagram account
3. Tag two friends in the comments section of this photo on IG

*You guys are going to have a go at me again, but sorry, this contest is only open to USA residents.. Not my decision I promise! I love all of you international babes. 

One winner will be announced on this photo on Friday May 27th - Good luck!

What I Eat In A Day

Lately I’ve been exploring other forms of fitness and I tried a boxing class for the first time! Because I’m still getting my ride done in the morning, I find that these doubled up days tend to help me eat a bit better since I know I’m fueling up for a few workouts - thumbs up for that! Now I’m not much of a cook, but I have been trying to make better choices lately so here is an example of what I eat (on a good day)!

Breakfast: I make a smoothie or smoothie bowl with spinach/kale, oats, berries, acai juice, almond milk, banana, half an apple, flax seed, chia seed, cinnamon and sometimes protein powder. I pair that with some delicious espresso and a ton of water. 

On The Ride: So on the ride, depending on how long it is, I’ll take a banana and a Clif bar. These are just my choices, of course there are plenty of options out there. Sometimes I eat, both, none or just one. Also, water is a given on the bike.

Lunch: When I get home from my ride it’s time to get to work. I baked some salmon and asparagus and put it over some mixed greens. It’s so easy and flavorful which definitely makes it one of my favorite go-to meals. Again, paired with water.

Afternoon Snack: Because I meet up with a friend for my boxing class, it actually takes me a while to get there. I’m always heading straight from work so I find a fruit pouch is an easy item to grab for in the car. 

Dinner: Coming home in the evenings is always something I look forward to. My boyfriend and I are trying to make an effort to cook together, so I chose to make a pasta bowl. This one is whole wheat pasta with broccoli, avocado, shrimp, cilantro and lemon. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t eat chocolate at some point during the day, so I added in a few pieces of dark raspberry chocolate for dessert. Again, I paired my meal with water. See a trend here? That’s usually all I drink except sometimes I’ll mix it up with a tea or La Croix. Also, if you haven’t treated yourself to a candle lit bath using a bath bomb, I HIGHLY recommend it. It’s becoming my favorite way to relax. 

Well that’s it! Here’s to a journey of better eating and mixing up my workout this year! 

(CONTEST CLOSED) BLOGMAS GIVEAWAY : SPECIALIZED + RIP VAN WAFELS

Winner is @llafayettte

BLOGMAS GIVEAWAY! Day 2!

The giveaway for today is given to you by Specialized and Rip van Wafels! One lucky winner will receive a cycling package including:

- Two (2) Specialized Armadillo All Condition Tires
- Stix Sport Headlight
- Stix Sport Taillight
- Coconut Rip van Wafels
- Honey & Oats Rip van Wafels
- Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Rip van Wafels

HOW TO ENTER:
1. Follow @MaeElizabethG, @iamspecialized_road and @ripvanwafels on Instagram
2. Tag two friends on the giveaway image on my Instagram (@MaeElizabethG)
Bonus Entry: Comment on this blog post (on www.MaeElizabeth.com) and tell me which product you're looking forward to most. Make sure you leave your IG name so I can contact you if you win!

• Winner will be announced on Thursday, December 24th - Good luck!
  
  P.S. if you didn't enter yesterdays giveaway, you still have time! Click here! 

WOMEN'S SPECIALIZED GIFT GUIDE

Need some last minute gift ideas? I've compiled a list with three different price brackets and everything can be found on the Specialized website. (Tip: use their search bar if you can't find something). There is something for the female cyclist in your life between $12-$400 - some items are even on clearance! Most items have several color options, so if you love something but would rather see it in another color, make sure you head on over to Specialized.com and see if they have what you're looking for. (Pssst, if you happen to wander that way, look for me because a little birdy told me that a photo of me is floating around on their website somewhere! eek!) Also, these are all items that I've tried and love, so if you have any questions about anything, please leave it in the comment section below. Happy holidays!!

xx
Mae

GIFT GUIDE : $0-$30

22 OZ Purist Watergate Bottle - $12.00

Turbo Presta Valve Tube with Talc - $19.00

Rib Cage II - $20.00

Bandit - $25.00

Women's Grail Long Finger Glove (on clearance) - $26.88

Stix Sport Headlight - $30.00

Stix Sport Tail light - $30.00

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GIFT GUIDE : $30-$100

S-Wrap HD Tape - $35.00

Women's Grail Short Finger Glove in Blue and Pink - $35.00

Women's Therminal™ 2.0 Arm Warmers - $45.00

Rib Cage II with Tool - $50.00

All Condition Armadillo Elite Tire - $55.00

Element 1.5 Glove - $60.00

Women's Therminal™ 2.0 Leg Warmers - $60.00

Women's Utility Crew in Emerald and in Carbon - $60.00

Women's Engineered Sleeveless Tech Layer - $60.00

Women's Engineered Short Sleeve Tech Layer - $70.00

Women's SL Pro Jersey Team Black/Red (on clearance) - $75.00

Women's RBX Sport Long Sleeve Jersey - $75.00

Turbo Cotton Tire (wheel not included) - $80.00

Power Comp Saddle (not pictured - is AMAZING) - $100

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GIFT GUIDE : $100-$400

Women's Deflect™ Hybrid jacket Emerald - $130.00

Women's Deflect™ Hybrid jacket Neon Pink - $130.00

Women's Therminal™ Mountain Jersey - $130.00

Women's Therminal L/S Jersey in Emerald - $140.00

Womens SL Pro Jersey - $150.00

Women's Utility Hoodie with Hood Grey - $150.00

Women's Utility Hoodie with Hood Black - $150.00

Womens SL Pro Bib Short - $180.00

Women's Utility Reversible Vest - $180.00

S-Works Prevail - $200.00

S-Works Women's Evade Helmet - $225.00

Women's Element 1.5 WINDSTOPPER® Jacket - $225.00

S-Works Women's Road shoe (on clearance!) - $299.52

Women’s S-Works XC MTB (or CX) shoe - $400.00

*Prices on the Specialized website are current as of 12/15/15