Quick Tip – Relax

You are hammering through a trail, leaning into corners, heart rate through the roof. You are pushing as hard as you have ever pushed in your life.

You are also stressed, worried about your cadence, or nutrition, or some other thing. Overall, you stopped having fun.

News Flash:

Mountain Biking is Crazy Fun!

 

Just settle down, step off the bike for 30 seconds and follow these simple steps to instant relaxation

Do a cartwheel

Put your hands over your head, throw your body to the right hand side and invert yourself over your head. Watch the world spin. Doing a cartwheel is very important to relaxing while mountain biking.

Howl Like a Werewolf

Again this is very important to relaxing while mountain biking. Howl like crazy, howl like those twilight kids. Team Jacob and all that stuff. Howllllllll.

Ok, now that those two steps are done, time for step 3… the most important step in this process.

Realize That You Are Being 100% Irrational and Start Having Fun

Sorry for misleading you, but sometimes you just get crazy when you’re like that.  Mountain biking is one of the most exhilarating, most fun, and most awesome things in the world to do. Just have fun.

Slow down and put a smile on your face.

Enjoy the fresh air, the grass, the trees and watching everyone else blow a gasket. Make a friend or do a really sweet bunny hop just because you can. Since you are reading this post I am guessing that you have a job just like the rest of us. And if that is true, then I definitely don’t think that you are a pro rider and your income is dependent on winning races.

We all want to do our absolute best, and I am certainly guilty of taking it too seriously sometimes. But you have to remember that you mountain bike for fun, not  for a career. Get out on the trail and don’t just conquer it, enjoy it.

Relaxing while you are on the bike will also help you perform at your highest level. Your positioning on the bike should always be relaxed, not white knuckle death gripping the handlebars. When you relax your body it will allow your body to much more easily flow through turns and corners, around and over obstacles. A relaxed and stress free body is the best way to ride.

I hope that this helps you to de-stress and take a load off. Just remember your priorities. Have fun on the bike first, and then train like an olympian. Fill out the subscribe box below for more guides, tips and updates through our email list and always ride safe.

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Loving the Bike January 26, 2012 at 2:59 pm

I don’t get out MTBing very often, but definitely get in my fair share of werewolf howls. Thanks for the relaxation tips, my man.

Darryl

Reply

Shawn January 28, 2012 at 8:51 am

Thanks Darryl, Sometimes you just have to lighten up and enjoy the ride.

Reply

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post: