Strava Week 2022

At the beginning of this month, Strava employees took a week off to connect with each other. We named this Strava Week, the first time many of us spent time or met each other since the Global Pandemic started with our work-from-home test day becoming a remote work culture. Many people gathered safely in person, and many attended virtually. After reflecting on the past week, some particular moments stood out.

It has been said that we have a metaphorical mountain to climb as a company. During Strava Week, it was really great having dedicated time to get to know a whole bunch of the people that I’m on this journey with.

Our colleagues that joined us virtually also found a way to be present and make an impact. Voices of Strava was one segment that provided space for people to share anything they wanted about who they are, what they’re passionate about or more about backgrounds and cultures. Some managed to bring tears to eyes during these presentations, and one of the talks by Elisa Valdez de Ramirez was a great way to both learn about her home state’s rich culture and whet our appetites before lunch. Without even being physically in the room, she inspired the crowd into laughter and curiosity.

I finally got to meet Deniz Warraich in person, someone with whom I have a lot of cycling related things in common (such as… riding bikes). But, the joke here is that Deniz and I never actually got to ride together all week. And so, we found common ground beyond just bikes.

During one of the dinners, I sat down at a table in a seat that didn’t even belong to me, and met several new folks. One of them was Camille Fogg, who turned out to be the only coworker that I’ve ever met that shares with me a common history in mechanical engineering and an unconventional interest in the works of Franz Liszt. Can we please nominate Camille for our next Voices of Strava talk?

I discovered that Michelle Dobbs likes to use her gravel bike to chase down e-bikes, perhaps to keep them company, on longer climbs. Then, because that isn’t enough, she likes to double back down the hill and climb back up with her other bike friends!

Of course, I was very grateful to hear from our leaders about where we’ve been, where we’re going and, importantly, how we’ll get there. I’ve been to a lot of “all-company” events before Strava, but none of them were a week long. This week was so uniquely Strava to me- from the multiple hours we spent focused on antiracism, hearing from our coworkers, hearing from our senior leaders, to the incredible amount of sports that happened throughout the week. It really was a special time.

There are so many stories to tell, and too many people to tag. Those stories are not more or less important to me than the ones mentioned here, but I have to save some for future hangouts with folks, and this is supposed to be a short read, after all.

We had multiple activity options throughout the week including walks, board games, nap or pool time, yoga, beach-cruiser bike rides and a longer road ride. You definitely do not have to be a cyclist to work at Strava, but it is true that some of us were able to get out and enjoy our preferred activity type. I chose to do the longer road ride.

And, speaking of mountains to climb… (and there is a point, I promise).

Karan Singh found himself at the start of a climb up an actual mountain on the Monday of Strava Week, when Varun Pemmaraju organized a small group of us to ride Palomar Mountain. Since Karan had never tackled a ride with a climb as long as this (12 mi/19km at a 7% grade), he understandably had his doubts as to whether he would see the peak that day. So, in the punishing first few miles of the climb, he was determined to do his best, but started thinking of a suitable spot to turn around early. But then this:

That’s a photo of Karan reaching the TOP of the long climb (give him kudos!), 1 hour and 45 minutes after the moment his legs and lungs started nagging at him to stop. Triumphant, smiling ear to ear, and somehow feeling stronger than he was at the beginning of the climb, he had long since parted with his thoughts of turning around early. And then he went on to do a ton more activity during the rest of Strava Week!

I’ve always seen riding bikes as a metaphor that parallels our life experiences. We inevitably reach points in our lives where we must choose whether to turn around, or to transcend the doubts within ourselves and reach for the things that seem unreachable. We don’t always know what our limits are, so we test them. And when we think we’ve found those limits, sometimes we push them just a bit further. Perhaps a bit further after that. And maybe we eventually find ourselves on that mountain top with arms raised, smiles on faces, and gratitude in hearts. The air is fresh, the views are breathtaking, and you’re hugging and laughing with all the friends that made the journey with you. Isn’t that worth striving for?

During Strava Week, I did a lot of things in San Diego that I hadn’t done in years despite having lived here my entire life. It’s funny how “out of town visitors” (most of my coworkers) helped me rediscover those things. It brings to mind something I once read, and I hope it resonates with folks even a little bit, wherever they find themselves at the moment.

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time
- T.S. Eliot