Girls Gone Gravel podcast

This week on the show Kathryn and Kristi are chatting with French cyclist, Cécile Lejeune. Cécile grew up in the suburbs of Paris, and got her start in endurance sport in triathlon at age 12. She had quick success in the sport winning national titles in both triathlon and running. This success earned her a running scholarship at Arizona State University. But behind the scenes Cécile was struggling with an eating disorder and battling RED-S, and just one month into her collegiate running career she suffered a stress fracture that ultimately led to her being medically retired from running by the team doctors as ASU. Cécile speaks openly about her struggles with her eating disorder and RED-S, and how she has worked her way back to a more healthy view of fueling and training. She also tells us how leaving running allowed her to find her way into cycling and pursue the sport professionally. After a stint on some UCI road teams in Europe, Cécile moved back to the US and is now part of team CCB. This is her first year in the Life Time Grand Prix, and she is currently in 5th in the overall standings.Follow Cécile on Instagram @cecilejeuneRegister for our 2026 Gravel Camp and Bike Mechanic School: https://feisty.co/events/gravel-camp-x-bike-mechanic-school/ Follow us on Instagram:@feistycycling @feisty_media Girls Gone Gravel Website:https://www.girlsgonegravel.com/ Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code GIRLSGONEGRAVEL at https://www.previnex.com/

On this week’s episode Kathryn welcomes back Jill Martindale, who was last on the show in 2021 after she won the 2020 Iditarod Trail 1000 Invitational. Recently, Jill set the FKT on the 300 mile Mega Midsouth route in November of 2025 despite chilly weather, lack of sleep, and being chased by guard dogs. Jill lives in western Michigan, and spends her winters outside on her fat bike in all kinds of weather. She gives some of her best tips on how you can dress and prepare yourself for outdoor riding all winter long no matter the weather. Jill will also be hosting a luminary bike ride on January 15th, 2026 as part of the Grand Rapids World of Winter Festival. Follow Jill on Instagram @billfartindaleListen to Jill's previous Girls Gone Gravel episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inspire-yourself-with-jill-martindale-episode-38/id1506779235?i=1000506607019 To learn more about all of The Cyclist’s Menu events head to https://www.ridebikeseatfood.com/

We’re back! And to celebrate, Kathryn and Kristi welcome back their friend and cycling guide extraordinaire Heidi Rentz. Heidi and her husband started The Cyclist’s Menu back in 2015 with their shared passion of adventuring by bike and eating delicious food. Fast forward 10 years of amazing trips, and the pair have guided countless cyclists on trips around the world, and have built their home base in the gravel mecca of Patagonia AZ. Planning for their 2026 trips is in full swing, and we are excited to announce that Feisty will be partnering with The Cyclist’s Menu for a trip to Mallorca! The trip will be held May 17-22, in the small town of Burger on the Island of Mallorca. Heidi and Zander have been hosting trips in Mallorca for many years, and Heidi shares what she loves most about the island. Heidi and Kristi will also be teaming up this winter on a new project called Training Grounds, a 5 day gravel training camp based out of Patagonia AZ coming up in February 2026. To learn more about all of Mallorca trip and join us head to https://www.ridebikeseatfood.com/mallorca-road-cycling-tripRegister for our 2026 Gravel Camp and Bike Mechanic School: https://feisty.co/events/gravel-camp-x-bike-mechanic-school/ Follow us on Instagram:@feistycycling @feisty_media Girls Gone Gravel Website:https://www.girlsgonegravel.com/ Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code GIRLSGONEGRAVEL at https://www.previnex.com/

On this week’s episode we have another interview from Kathryn’s time in Girona this spring. Today she is chatting with the Girona-based, American cyclist Morgan Aguirre. Morgan started cycling in 2019 and quickly fell in love with the sport. She joined a team, and started racing on the road in the US. With a fully remote job, Morgan realized that she had a unique opportunity to relocate from Seattle to somewhere that would allow her to ride her bike outside all year long so she made the move to Girona in 2022 to immerse herself in the world of cycling in Europe. Not long after her arrival in Girona she was laid off from her job, but she seized the opportunity to focus more on her riding and started racing gravel. Morgan saw quick success in the gravel racing scene and garnered some support from brands to help make her season possible. At the end of last season she joined Pas Normal, and she talks about what it’s like being part of that team. Living and training in Girona has also allowed Morgan to meet and ride with some other big names in the world of gravel, and she tells us about how she has formed friendships with other women in the sport that have helped to guide her along in her career so far, and why it is so important for women to support and lift each other up. Follow Morgan on Instagram @morgan_aguirreRegister for our 2026 Gravel Camp and Bike Mechanic School: https://feisty.co/events/gravel-camp-x-bike-mechanic-school/ Follow us on Instagram:@feistycycling @feisty_media Girls Gone Gravel Website:https://www.girlsgonegravel.com/ Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code GIRLSGONEGRAVEL at https://www.previnex.com/

This week on the show we welcome back Lauren Hall to fill us in on all of the recent happenings in the world of cycling. Lauren was on the ground at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift with the USA Cycling Foundation, and we get all of the inside scoop on what her time was like there. She then headed straight to Leadville to be part of the commentary team and the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike race. Leadville 2025 was an epic day, and the three discuss all of the highlights of the day, as well as a few controversial topics. They then take a dive into the Grand Prix standings post Leadville, and how the standings will play into the dynamics for the rest of the season.Register for our 2026 Gravel Camp and Bike Mechanic School: https://feisty.co/events/gravel-camp-x-bike-mechanic-school/ Follow us on Instagram:@feistycycling @feisty_media Girls Gone Gravel Website:https://www.girlsgonegravel.com/ Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code GIRLSGONEGRAVEL at https://www.previnex.com/