People and Places
One Day With Diana Panchyk
Diana's life is full of contrasts… She is a native New Yorker but now lives in a small town in the arrière pays niçois. In America she was a high school French teacher but now teaches English at the University of Nice. Whenever Diana had 'free time' she would travel to France but now travels back to the USA any chance she gets. Speaking French was always fun but now she is happy when she gets the chance to speak some English! This is Diana's third year living on the French Riviera, and it’s been quite an incredible experience so far…
With a love for travelling, Diana Panchyk used to make regular trips to France and usually with her bicycle. She spent many years as a competitive cyclist in the USA, and the culture and tradition of cycling in France really impressed her, not to mention the incomparable beauty of the French Riviera. She dreamed of starting a cycling travel company to offer professional level training and support to US athletes in the extraordinary setting of the Côte d’Azur. Because of its unique terrain, beautiful setting, ideal climate and central location, the Riviera is home to many professional riders, and a strong community of cyclists. This is where Diana embraced her dream and created Azur Vélo which she started last autumn, offering training camps directed by world-class athletes so competitive cyclists can learn from the best. Creating the company has been an amazing adventure and learning process but extremely rewarding.
So The Riviera Woman wanted to know what she did do in a typical day...
5.30 - 6.00 If I am teaching, I get up at 5:30 or 6:00 since I live an hour away from the university. If I am working from home on my business, I usually wake up between 7:30 and 8:00. My mornings start with breakfast, then a quick session of Qi-gong to energize and center myself before I consult my emails and write my list of things to do for the day. And most importantly, I prepare a nice big American sized cup of coffee to drink while thinking about my day’s objectives.
8.30 When I am working at the University of Nice, I try to arrive at least 30 minutes before my first class begins. This semester my classes start at 9:00, so that means leaving at 7:30 to arrive by 8:30. I am very careful about keeping all my teaching materials organized because things can get quite hectic once the day begins. When I am not teaching or correcting papers, I am busy running my company, Azur Vélo. Before I start working, I always make a list of goals for the day, and consult my list of goals for the week, month, etc. That way I stay focused and don’t get too overwhelmed.
12.00 When I’m at the university, I stop for lunch at 12:00 and usually bring my lunch from home. When I’m doing business work from home, I often leave for a bike ride or a run in the late morning, once I feel I’ve crossed off at least a few of the items on my to-do list. Although I no longer compete at the level I used to, I still do the occasional cyclosportive race and compete in running races and duathlons, so training is an important part of my daily regimen. I often end up exercising during the normal lunch hours in France, and get home from my training at 2pm or later. The advantage is that the roads are especially calm between 12 and 2 since most people are busy eating. When I finally get around to eating lunch, I usually cook a big meal with lots of whole grains, beans and vegetables. I especially love Mexican, Asian and Indian food, and often prepare it for lunches or dinners.
14.00 I typically continue working after lunch. When I have meetings, they mostly involve people I am networking with for my cycling company – partners, sponsors, coaches, restaurateurs, hotel staff, massage therapists, current and former pro riders who are involved in our camps and trips or who support our mission to promote solidarity among cyclists. I am constantly searching for ways to bring the unique culture of the French Riviera to our trips, special touches that will enhance participants’ experiences and make their trips unforgettable. I spend many hours behind the scenes, on the Internet doing research and reaching out to people in the cycling community. I also spend a lot of time visiting restaurants, picnic areas, lookout points, villages, hotels, and exploring the roads to find the best places to spend time on and off the bike. When I’m on my bike, I train and work at the same time, scoping out new roads for our itineraries, collecting data on my favorite routes, or checking on road conditions to make sure they are safe.
20.30 On days I teach, I get home in the afternoon or early evening. Once a week, I try to stop at the track to do a running workout with the ASPTT Nice, my running club. If I do a track workout, I don’t get home until 8:30 pm. Since I live 45km from Nice, I do not usually go back to the city once I’m home for the evening. My husband and I eat a quiet dinner and I try to relax after dinner and stay away from work until the next day. On spring and summer evenings, we often eat outdoors.
23.00 I often contact friends and family in the US during the evening hours. I also enjoy watching a little TV or reading magazines on my ipad before going to bed. I try to go to bed by 11:00 pm so I get a good night’s sleep and have plenty of energy for the next day.
