Haley Smith

What inspired you to pursue the sport initially, and how did you stay motivated through challenges?

I was initially motivated to pursue mountain biking as a means of improving my mental health and satisfying my drive to push my body while out in nature. As I progressed in the sport, I started to dream about lofty competitive goals, and those kept me laser-focused through challenging periods. When I achieved those goals, I had to develop a new relationship with motivation and my purpose for racing. Now, I am still motivated by competitive goals, but more so by the drive to perfect my craft and the curiosity of "what could be." Honestly, I don't know any other way of being: cycling has become my way of life, and there is no question of being motivated or not; this is just what I do, who I am, and that identity is what keeps me working and chasing.

What's your favorite race and why?

I have SO many favourite races, all for different reasons! If I had to pick one at this very moment, I'd say Cape Epic. Though I've only done it once, it was the most horribly amazing experience. It's so hard -- I very nearly broke. But I love stage racing, and the variety that you encounter in the Epic is like nothing else. I'm headed back this year, and I can't wait.

How has your training and nutrition evolved over your career?

Um, massively??!!!?! When I started, we really didn't know much about fueling. In general, we still thought that 60g of carbs per hour was the maximum a person could absorb. Even at that level, the formulas weren't very good, and I was bloated and sick after every race. Even a few years ago, when I first came to gravel and started specializing in endurance stuff, the idea of gut training and high-carb fueling was pretty novel. The way I fuel now bears no resemblance to how I fueled even three or five years ago. Nowadays, I'm hitting 100g per hour in every race and every key session, and I'm eating way more carbs off the bike as well.

How do you stay motivated during long, grueling training sessions or races?

This is a common question that I get, particularly with my background in sport psychology. I'd say I have three strategies, two of which might seem contradictory. First, there's presence. If you get really present with your efforts and really curious about what you're actually feeling and doing, it becomes easier to stay in the moment and continue doing "the thing." It is when thoughts wander, or self-judgement arises, that motivation wanes. Presence is something that you can practice to help override this. Second (and this is the seemingly contradictory part) is to visualize a future self and scenarios that you're hoping for and excited about. By having a clear vision of how you want to feel after your effort and what you want to achieve, you can fire yourself up to stay engaged. One important caveat here is that your vision shouldn't depend on others' actions/successes/results. Third, I rely heavily on routine and habit. If something is a habit, it doesn't actually require any motivation. I have trained my routines and responses to potentially unmotivating stimuli (like fatigue, pain, and boredom), and I have these habits to fall back on when cognitive processes are insufficient.

What has been your biggest setback, and how did you overcome it?

This one's easy: I developed an autonomic nervous system disorder as a result of long COVID (which primarily impacted my breathing function). That, and the resultant RED-S that resulted from the associated gut dysfunction, made for an incredibly challenging 18 months, and honestly, I'm still dealing with the repercussions. I overcame it by finding medical professionals who believed me and helped me look at these problems from alternative lenses, and by resting (which I hated, by the way!)

What has being an endurance athlete taught you about life outside of sport?

So many things; endurance sports are really just a microcosm of adult life, in that if you persevere, while making sure that you do so with intention and reflection, things work out.

What's the most valuable lesson you've learned from a loss or failure in your career?

That no one will build or repair my confidence for me; I have to put in the mental work to do that. I am in charge of how I think about myself and my potential, and it is my responsibility to mentally bounce back.

What's your "kryptonite"?

Sleep! I am not a very good sleeper. I have struggled with insomnia since I was a young kid. It's a problem.

Do you listen to music or podcasts when you train? If so, what is your go-to playlist or podcast? Does it change on intervals vs. easy endurance?

Unless I'm inside on the trainer, I generally don't listen to anything. I find that I need a break from stimulation, and riding allows me to get one. If I were to listen to music on my rides, I would come home feeling amped and like I hadn't gotten any "space." The silence is really important for me.

Are you superstitious when it comes to race days and/or key interval sessions? What are those superstitions?

I want to say not particularly because I'm too practical, but I do have a few. Mostly, these have to do with not wanting to "tempt fate" by saying specific things out loud. I won't even write the thoughts here because I don't want to tempt the universe by committing them to paper!