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Musings from a mountain biking addict on the ebb and flow of riding
by Sarah Hansing
Being separated from your bike results in persistent frowning. Photo: Candice Covello / Epicenter Cycling
First, the good news: I can still fit in my cycling kit. I know it may seem like a small victory, but I was skeptical at best, and very very grateful for elastic and lycraโs stretchy qualities.
Prior to today, it had been over a month (33 days, to be exact. 792 hours, if you want to translate it into how it felt) since I had gotten to pedal my mountain bike on some real live honest to goodness singletrack. Because life happened. The same way it happens to us all: ย First, the holidays and the family time and expectations and over-commitments I make. every. single. year. Maybe I help โcelebrateโ this most joyous of seasons with an extra drink, or a cookie or three more than I would usually have. And maybe there is also cake involved.
Then comes the New Year! Huzzah! I resolve to get back on my bike starting Jan 1, and ride my way to health and happiness and fitness…ย Except the stupid alarm clock that goes off on January 1 can just shut the hell up, because I have some un-celebrating to do, before I even think about going for that epic ride I planned.
Next comes the sickness. I mean that in the most literal of ways. Itโs cold and flu season, and many of usโmyself includedโwere blessed with the sniffles and snarfles and coughingโฆ all of which translate to a lot of soup, a lot of sleep, and not too much motivation to get out there.
But thenโฆ Oh glorious day! Enough energy to pedal! Perfect dirt! Blue Skies! Only grossing out my riding partner a teeny bit with my residual coughing and hacking! Today was not a graceful day for me, necessarily. Strava gave me those new token โgood jobโ ribbons that all participants get, and I have nothing to really brag aboutโฆ except the fact that I was so happy, I got caught belting out a song and giggling as I rolled down the trail. Probably more than once. Fine. At LEAST 4 times.
Iโm happier than Iโve felt in 792 hours, and it feels fantastic!
Which brings me to the great news: Mountain biking will ALWAYS take you back! Even if my cycling kit DIDNโT still fit, my bike still thinks Iโm pretty. Even if Iโm pedaling slower, I still get to ride the trails. Itโs okay to suffer a little (or in my case a lot) more on the climbs. Itโs okay to breathe a little harder than youโd like, and move a little slower than you prefer. Because the joy is always there outside, waiting for you to come find it and maybe sing it a song or two.
Hooray Bikes!
Welcome back, smile!
