Mountain Biking

Starting a new sport can be very challenging. No one wants to be bad at something but you have to start somewhere. I began my journey last month learning the sport of mountain biking. The first test began just 5 short weeks ago with a intermediate trail. The single track loop starts off with a fairly steep climb with numerous switchbacks. Being that I have only road biked I found myself with a whole different strand of concentration. I was constantly shifting my weight and focusing on keeping my tires aligned with the tiny dirt strip that lay below. After numerous falls around the tight corners and a few expletives I had made it to the top, a feat that made me smile. In the back of my head I knew that this was only half way over, what goes up must come down. After a sip of water and a quick picture I began my decent. Immediately I found myself clenching the metal levers as fear set in. I remembered the advice I was given, "look ahead and trust the bike." I repeated these words as I eased off the breaks. A few rock piles had me defeated as I hopped of the bike and and walked around them. As I came to the pavement I knew I had made it. I had conquered my first mountain bike ride.