Caroline Mani on Triumphs, Tragedies, and Lessons from a Life in Cycling (#217)

Cycling champion Caroline Manning joins us for an inspiring conversation about her journey from teenage cyclocross star to an incredible professional career marked by five French National Championships and a silver medal at World Championships. Caroline opens up about the personal battles she faced during her peak years, including the trials of an abusive marriage, and how she managed to leverage these challenges into a competitive edge, and the personal and professional prices she paid later.Host Adam Pulford and Caroline discuss the burnout and pressure of maintaining high performance, compounded by age's inevitable effects on drive and passion. As she shifts focus from racing victories to personal growth and coaching, Caroline shares invaluable insights on longevity in sports. The concept of chronic adaptation allows seasoned athletes to maintain their edge with reduced training loads, emphasizing the power of consistency and self-awareness in training preferences. Caroline highlights the need for moderation, challenging the “all or nothing” mentality that often leads to burnout. Her story is a beacon for those seeking to redefine success and find fulfillment as we mature in sport.Key topics in this episode:Caroline's early progression to elite cyclingPros and cons of fueling athletic performance with personal painRedefining the role of training and competition in lifeRedefining what "success" looks like GuestCaroline Mani began competing at age 6, started as a competitive cyclist at 15, and has been racing every since. She won the French Cyclocross National Championships five times and earned a silver medal at the 2016 UCI Cyclocross World Championships. After a period of personal and professional hardship, Caroline rediscovered her joy for competition, cycling, and coaching and she is now a CTS Cycling Coach, manager of the Groove Offroad Racing Team, and founder of the race support company Velomafia. LinksCaroline's SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/carolinemani1987/X: https://x.com/carolinemaniFB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084694856253Resources:Groove Auto: https://www.grooveauto.com/VeloMafia: https://www.instagram.com/velomafiallc/CTS: https://trainright.com/coaches/caroline-mani/HostAdam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more 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.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platformGET FREE TRAINING CONTENTJoin our weekly newsletterCONNECT WITH CTSWebsite: trainright.comInstagram: @cts_trainrightTwitter: @trainrightFacebook: @CTSAthlete