I just realized that I haven't posted in a while. So here it is Monday morning and I am going to write something regardless of whether or not it will make sense or be somewhat cohesive. For some reason I feel that my life has been going non-stop at warp speed for the past several weeks, but when I try and think about the specifics of it, I just can't seem to recall them. So I stop, slow myself down, and focus. Hmmmm still fuzzy...
This weekend, I do recall, was wicked busy. Between work, social outings, yard duty, Mother's day and whatever else I crammed in there, it just ended up being non-stop from 5:30am until I passed out from exhaustion at night.
Yesterday was another sweet ride in Dryer. The more confident I become on my mountain bike the more I begin to realise this is where I am supposed to be. I have been torn between road and mountain biking so much lately. I don't know why exactly, after all it is possible to do and enjoy both. I attribute this to my hyper-analytical psyche. Anyway, it's as if I have been keeping a mental tally on how one rates over the other. I liken mountain biking to trail running - when running on the road I get bored and tired so quickly where as in the woods I can run trails forever. I prefer to be in the woods, in the rocks, in the mountains (when they are accessible) not so much on flat roads. I talked to T about it yesterday during one of our ride breaks (in a tree - hell yeah, you can't climb trees when road riding, can ya?) he said that he prefers mountain biking because it makes him feel like he was 10. Yeah, that pretty much sums it up for me as well.
So I suppose I shall keep riding in the woods. Hopefully getting better to where I can take those 5' drops and land them - not even close right now. So instead of hitting trees with certain body parts I shall climb them on my ride breaks. Besides if tree climbing is integrated into the mountain biking realm - how much more awesome can it get?
5 comments:
Climb a tree ... hug a tree ... isn't it really all the same thing?
It would be...if the hugging wasn't as a result of my body being slammed into the tree due to the trajectory of me flying off my bike...
And that's why I'm a roadie ... trees are tricky, Ari ... they'll just come out from nowhere and grab you.
You can't trust them.
Actually, I've been thinking about getting a mountain bike; it's been years since I've ridden off-road except for CX.
Cycling for me has always been more of a Zen experience ... not so much about having joyful fun, but rather just losing myself in the smoothness of the pedal stroke. Mountain biking always seemed like "work" because you have to pay attention.
But part of me is now thinking that paying attention is important, too ...
That's why I love it - b/c it forces me to focus (which I have a hard time doing anyway) but at the same time I have so much fun. I love road riding for the opposite feeling - like you said it has a zen-like quality. The zoning and finding that perfect cadence on some long country roads in the middle of nowhere. Nothing like it.
But mtn biking is constant thinking/planning/finding that line - kind of like skiing glade runs on a dble black...mmmmmm glade runs....
I really dug Mt Biking when I grew up back in N.H. That pic of your bike perched brings back some sweet memories... I really enjoyed when it rained a few hours before a solo evening ride in the summer... with the temp down, the sun peering out and the dirt just a bit muddy... that was my fav... regardless it's just a cool thang to do...I miss that...
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