LOCATION: Petaluma, CA
TWITTER: @yurihauswald
INSTAGRAM: @yhauswald
FAVORITE GU PRODUCT: ROCTANE Energy DRink Mix
FAVORITE ENERGY GEL FLAVOR: Sea Salt Chocolate ROCTANE
FAVORITE NUTRITION HACK
For long days in the Flint Hills, I mix my Roctane Energy Drink Mix (usually Strawberry Hibiscus) at 2 x strength, which means I have a 500 calorie bottle to help get me from aid station to aid station, and allows me to drink half (while also consuming plenty of water) and then top it off with more water when I hit an aid station. Sometimes, depending on the temperature, I will drop a hydration tab in the half full bottle before I refill it so that I’m getting more electrolytes/sodium as well as calories.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? WHAT'S YOUR WHY?
The journey of being my personal best athlete and accomplishing audacious goals is what motivates me. We can’t all be the “A” student but we all CAN push our individual physical and mental barriers to be our best personal athlete. There’s something really rewarding knowing that you’ve trained/prepared to the best of your ability in the pursuit of a physical goal/challenge. Also, now that I’ve become the #aarpgravelpro, I try to be more of a mentor, or sounding board, for up and coming athletes who are looking to make careers for themselves in the cycling world.
HOW ARE YOU DOING GOOD IN YOUR COMMUNITY?
I taught elementary school for 12 years early in my cycling career and would use my racing experience(s) to impart lessons about setting realistic goals, working/training for them, doing your personal best, recognizing that winning isn’t everything, and that there are lessons to be learned from every experience. I also spend as much time as I can volunteering with local NorCal Interscholastic Cycling League teams, attending practices and sharing training/nutrition/racing advice with them as they discover the joys of riding a bike for fun and/or competition.