I am very, very new to the sport of mountain biking, and although it kicks my ass every time I go for a ride, I truly appreciate the experience when I get a ride in. I have only been mountain biking for about 9 months, and the biggest challenge for me is the mental side of mountain biking – constantly analyzing the trail and the path in front of you. The best part about mountain biking are the cool names of the trails –Dragon’s Back, Cheese Grater, Tunnel of Love, The Forest, ….
Within the past month, I have had 2 great rides. The first was at Vail Lake in Temecula, CA where myself and four other coworkers completed in a 12 hour mountain bike race. This was my first mountain bike race, and my first 12 hour race. The course was a 10.5 mile loop which took the good riders about 45 min, the average riders about 60 min, and then the beginners (like me) 75 min. What really impressed me were the solo riders. Since just completing my first half iron distance triathlon, I could really appreciate the endurance and determination of these riders to push through 12 hours of mountain biking!
The second ride was a 12 mile loop in the mountains above Palm Springs – Palm Canyon ride starting in Pinyon Pines. This was actually a small sample of the 25 mile trial that takes you all the way into Palm Springs. This ride was something I had never experienced, loose dirt, narrow trails, and step switchbacks on the side of canyons. After the ride I felt OK physically, although mentally I was pretty much drained - I was constantly looking at the drops instead of the trail.
Overall it was a great learning experience. I really enjoy the surroundings of mountain biking, but the technical and mental side are huge work in process. It’s all about risk-reward. And even though I am getting better at taking more risks, there are always big rewards.
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