The Law of Cycling Through a Good Read
Feature Interview With Cyclist and Lawyer Megan Hottman
Avid cyclist Megan Hottman is always assessing the terrain in front of her. In particular, she loves mentoring newbies in the cycling community along with sponsoring cycling teams and events. Her philosophy of "improving lives and communities one cyclist at a time" complements her deeper personal mission of getting more people, particularly women, to embrace the cycling lifestyle
A practicing attorney, Megan Hottman earned both her B.A. in Corporate Communications (magna cum laude) and her Juris Doctorate, both from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. At age of 29, she defied what others said was possible by venturing out to launch her own law practice known as Hottman Law Office (HLO), aka "TheCyclist-Lawyer.com."
She describes her work as “the perfect combination of passion and profession - love of cycling and legal education culminated in this practice; I'm doing what I was meant to do."
Megan is also a voracious book reader. So as you can imagine, I was stoked to interview her for our latest “Cycling Through Books Series.” This is in conjunction with the non profit cycling community WeRide4 where Megan’s firm is a Podium Sponsor.
I would love to begin our conversation by having you share a brief some key milestones of your cycling journey.
MH: In a nutshell, I discovered bike racing right as I was about to graduate from law school. So while technically speaking, I was a cyclist first before becoming a lawyer, they very much happened in tandem. In other words, things really were unfolding in terms of me being a newbie at both simultaneously.
How did your passion for cycling unfold from there?
MH: As I was commencing my legal career, I worked for a judge for two years out of law school. A brief time later I had the opportunity to work for a second judge. The beautiful thing is that not only did I get to work with some really amazing people, the judges, but the government hours were conducive to only 40 hour work weeks. This is pretty much unheard of as a brand new lawyer where you typically would be faced with more like an 80-100 hour work week as an associate at a law firm. And so this allowed me the opportunity to continue my bike racing dreams which is exactly why I pursued those jobs.
What was that experience like?
MH: Well, in actuality, I still struggled with balancing what the legal profession expected versus what I wanted and needed as an athlete. I was constantly trying to fit them together. Working for the first judge who was in Kansas City, I would commute to work downtown to the Missouri courthouse. While it was a very unfriendly bike commute from the suburbs, that served as one of the only ways I could get my miles in for racing on the weekends.
So you were trying to get everything to sync.
MH: For sure. At the time, I was constantly trying to find creative ways to fit it in with the world. I found that whenever I stepped away from athletic practices that made me feel good, I would really start to break down as a human. As a result my work performance would suffer and so would my athletic performance. Over time, I found myself constantly pushing against legal industry norms of health and wellness not being a priority. You know, that lunch martini mindset while working yourself to the bone. That’s what this profession really applauds and celebrates.
Sound like your really struggled with that
MH: I did. I was always kind of butting up against expected norms, feeling like an outlier. But at the same time I recognized that I was doing my best work professionally and as a cyclist whenever I was getting what I needed lifestyle wise — like good sleep, good nutrition, good movement. Frankly I always had a really hard time being confined to a desk and sitting in indoor spaces. I always wanted to just crawl out of my skin. I’d look around and it seemed like everyone else was completely okay in that space. I really struggled as it was kinda for me like putting a round peg in a square hole.
How then did you begin to pivot?
MH: So let's fast forward a bit. After working for those judges, I took a job as an associate at a law firm for about a year and a half. Needless to say, I really struggled in that environment. At that time I was racing at category 1 which is the top of the board in cycling, traveling the country for bike races. As time went on the two (my job and cycling) weren’t syncing well together. And so I quit my job and started my own firm at the age of 29 back in 2010. I did this because I felt like I needed more scheduling flexibility to be able to pursue the things in cycling that I really wanted to pursue.
Like?
MH: I was actually at the time priming myself to make a run at the 2012 Olympics which was a long shot. I wanted to give my best effort at cycling while trying to land a pro contract in the sport. So that’s what really led to the decision to start my own law firm. Never in my wildest dreams, though, did I imagine being able to practice just doing cycling injury cases. In other words, while it was something I thought would be an important part of my practice, I didn’t realize that I could parlay that into a full-time practice, which is what it became almost immediately.
Over time, I started becoming known as an expert in this space, both here in Colorado and nationally. I ended up doing a lot of work with law enforcement to try and train officers on what the rules of the cycling world were. And I worked with drivers ed instructors so that they could teach our young drivers how to safely steer around cyclists. I also educated a lot of cyclists as I felt very strongly that we as riders need to be a part of the solution by following the rules of the road too.
How has your own cycling lifestyle evolved over the years?
MH: It all started with me really investing in myself by fully embracing the cycling world. I eventually moved away from road cycling and track cycling into more cycle cross. I pursued more gravel races and got involved in Ironman for a few years. And I’ve always been a bike commuter throughout.
And can you share with us how you were introduced to We Ride 4?
MH: Sharon Madison who is the Executive Director of We Ride 4 is someone I had gotten to know through the bike racing scene although we hadn’t necessarily competed against one another. I always really appreciated the work that she did and the effort she put into making the sport of cycling better. I would even say that she is a pioneer in terms of her ability to bring people into the sport, which is really important too.
Can you share more here?
MH: Sure. Cycling can tend to be a very insular, very exclusive sport. Sharon has this really beautiful way of always bringing adults who were new to cycling into the sport and showing them the wonders of life on a bike. I’ve been involved with Sharon and WeRide4 for a couple years and just really believe in what they do in terms of building an incredible community around their group. But not only that, unlike many cycling clubs that are very focused on just racing or just being as fit or as strong as you can be, We Ride 4 is very much focused on giving back as well.
From the sounds of things you’ve had an amazing experience with this community
MH: For sure. Especially coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, I felt that her group far and above most cycling groups that I am aware of filled the need for adults to have a social community. People were feeling so lonesome and disconnected, particularly those who were divorced or maybe now empty nesters. Or maybe they didn’t want to race anymore but wanted to have fun with other like minded people on their bikes. She really has created an organization that does that in a beautiful way. I think communities like this leads to happier and healthier humans, which for all of us makes the world a better place. So in my opinion we need more Sharons and we need more We Ride 4 types of groups.
Love it! So let’s now move on to another thing that is near and dear to your heart which is books. Share with us, if you would, a little about your reading journey and the significance that books have played in your life
MH: I definitely have my mother to thank for that. She is a voracious reader and is single handedly the person I credit for teaching me strong writing, spelling, and grammar skills. Television was never a priority in our house growing up. So because of her, reading was strongly encouraged. In fact, she would sometimes even pay me a small stipend to read some books that I may not have otherwise gravitated toward as a younger person. So yes, books have long been a huge part of my life.
How has all of this informed your reading habits today?
MH: It’s what I do every night before bed, when I put my digital screens away and unwind. I think that if you were to ask me a few of my favorite books, the way that I would really define a book is one that I come back to and actually read more than once. So while there are a lot of great books that I’ve read once, there are some that I wouldn’t necessarily be inclined to go back and re-read them a second time.
Given that there are a lot of great books that you’ve poured through over the year, can you name a few of your favorites?
MH: One that has consistently come up for me that I have read now several times is The Great Work of Your Life by Steven Cope. I think it’s just an absolutely fantastic, fundamental, incredible book. In reading it the author really challenges what we're all put on this earth to do. There is also another important component to the book which is that we can make changes to our lives. He asserts how it is not uncommon for someone to be squarely within their calling, swimming beautifully in their own channel and then suddenly things don’t feel right. He believes that it’s completely okay and healthy to then pivot into the next thing that you're being called to do in life.
Is this something that you can personally relate to?
MH: For sure. There have been times in my life where I've been doing the right thing and then suddenly it doesn’t feel right anymore. So rather than continuing to force things, I find myself curious about where I'm being called to serve next. So that’s why I really, really appreciate Steven Cope’s book. It’s one that I read fairly frequently; I would say almost annually.
What other books are among your favorites?
MH: Of course, related to cycling, a really good one that I love is called How Cycling Can Save the World by Peter Walker. It does a beautiful job of capturing all the ways that bikes make us better. I wish it was required reading for everyone, particularly those in the cycling community, as well as those motorists that don't understand why people are riding bikes on the road.
That’s super cool!
MH: Yes, and oh wait, there are some others. A more recent one that was recommended to me and that I highly recommend is called Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals by Oliver Burkman. While I found the title a bit misleading at first, I really trusted the people who were recommending it. Initially I kept thinking that the last thing I need is another time-management book. But the approach to Burkman’s book is a bit different with his assertion that we only have a finite amount of time on this planet, four thousand weeks if we’re lucky. So he argues that life is inherently about saying no to 99% of the opportunities that we’re presented with in order for us to really fully lean into the 1% that we want to say yes to.
Can you share more here about this book?
MH: So every time we make a decision we are of course closing off doors to other things. I think the Covid pandemic got us thinking more about what we’re really doing with our lives. So I just really appreciated the way the book got very specific about the importance of gaining clarity around what we really want our remaining time on earth to really stand for and that it’s OK to let everything else go. I thought the book was just beautiful.
We’re on a roll. Any other books you’d like to recommend?
MH: I’m trying to think of a couple of other really different ones. But yes, I love reading in a nutshell and I do it every night. Sometimes I pour through books super fast; I’ll just read a book over the weekend in three days…. super fast. And then there are some books that I read really slowly and intentionally savor them.
Oh, I just thought of another book that really resonated with me. It’s called Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I love, love, loved it! It’s about an indigenous woman who is also a biologist and knows all these things about plants. And so she weaves in her culture and some of her own native language, all with just this immense appreciation and description for things in nature. I’m really savoring it by reading it super slowly
From the enthusiasm in your voice, it sounds like a book that you’re really enjoying.
MH: Yea! For me an indication of how much I love a book is how many of the bottom corners of the page I fold in. Because that means that it’s a page I want to come back to. And I’ve folded so many of those pages in this book. So it’s definitely a good one, one that I recommend. I’m glad you have it to read as well, Michael. I think you’ll really enjoy it.
As you’re talking, I was thinking back to some of the things you shared in your story about how you jumped into the entrepreneurial world by setting up your law practice pretty early in your life. Do you recall any books that you found particularly useful in terms of your launch?
MH: That’s a great question, although I am blanking right now on the woman who runs the Huffington Post. Oh, yes, Arianna Huffington. She wrote a book called “Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder” that I really resonated with because of how she talks about her experience of working herself to exhaustion. She became so overwhelmed that one day she passed out and hit her head on the corner of her desk and really hurt herself. That really got my attention for sure.
You have a program that you offer to fellow lawyers called The Trial Athlete that offers support to them around their health and wellness practices. I noticed on your website that you have some quotes from Dave Asprey of Bulletproof fame including one from him that asserts that “the more energy you have, the more you can help other people.” I was wondering if you’ve read any of his books.
MH: Yes, definitely. I am on the Dave Asprey bandwagon and have been for a while. While I realize that he doesn’t come from a science background, his discoveries while an information technology guy who was overweight really changed his life and led to him becoming known in the biohacking space. I’ve really appreciated the books —- Headstrong, Game Changers, The Bulletproof Diet, and Fast This Way — those four have all been fantastic reads.
But what really changed my life was that I started doing Bulletproof Coffee in 2018. And I have done it ever since. I found that adding some MCT Oil and some Collagen Protein to my coffee in the morning absolutely unlocked another part of my brain that was previously dormant.
Are there any other books you would recommend in this peak health space?
MH: So Aubrey Marcus also wrote a book a while back called Own The Day, Own Your Life. Again he’s not like a health and science guru, rather he’s just an ordinary guy. I became a student of this space because I don’t come from a science, nutrition, or exercise physiology background, even though I worked at one point as a personal trainer.
I am curious to learn more about your Trial Athlete health and performance program for lawyers.
MH: Great question. So over the years, I had the opportunity to observe numerous fellow lawyers as they were performing in the courtroom. It was really compelling to compare and contrast one lawyer who may be high energy, mentally sharp and engaged versus another who seemed disheveled and tripping over their words. I didn’t really make much of those takeaways until I began to realize that we are inherently attracted to people who are well rested, who have fed themselves good food, who are articulate, who can find the right words, and who aren’t stumbling over themselves. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re super fit or super ripped. But you can tell that they treat their body like a vessel, like a priority.
I think we’re all captivated by people who thrive versus those who are merely surviving; there’s just something very engaging about the former type of person. And so I started to be more intentional in how I observe that behavior which became the genesis for Trial Athlete.
How has observing these lifestyle habits informed what you share with other lawyers?
MH: Numerous State Bar Association’s started hiring me to speak at their conventions about these very health and lifestyle behaviors which led to my giving mandated alcohol and substance abuse talks. Because I quit drinking back in 2017, I’ve been able to kind of talk about how my life has positively been affected by not having alcohol from both a lawyer and an athlete perspective. What it ultimately comes down to is if you treat yourself like an athlete, you will do better in whatever profession you are in, period. I firmly believe that.
So I am wondering whether you could share with us a little about what your reading journey looks like at present?
MH: Well, for starters, I tend to prefer printed books. I’ve never been a Kindle digital book person nor an Audible person. I like to hold a physical paper book in my hand; I like to mark it; I like to highlight it; I like to give my eyes a break from all the screens.
I still continue to read books that are relevant to sport. By way of example, the book Finding Ultra is a fairly recent read for me. It's a running oriented but ritual story about a man who led a life as an unhealthy lawyer before becoming this incredible ultra runner. And so cycling and reading for me go hand in hand in that way. I would also say I do a lot of van adventures. In fact, I just got back from a mountain bike race this weekend where I was out in my van for four days, van adventuring and camping and bike racing> needless to say that I always have books with me on these treks.
Any final thoughts as we close?
MH: Just that I associate reading with cycling in the sense that they’re places where I can escape, specifically from blue screens and from social media and from email inboxes. These activities are both huge value adds to me in my life. I simply can't imagine not reading as voraciously and frequently as I do.
A Note From Diamond-Michael Scott:
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