Mtn Biking ... after 4 plus years of not!

Today was the second time I made it out to ride the trails at Big Cedar Wilderness Trails in the last 7 days. Before this week .. it's been about 4 years since I've been on a trail on a Mtn Bike. The last 4 years have been exclusively road bike riding.

The first time out on a rigid frame and fork (as I'm used to riding) I saw the redish-brown tail and back end of a Mountian Lion as it ran around a corner up ahead of me as I came around a switch-back. That caused me to pause, catch my breath ... and once I started riding again - crash two times before getting off the trail. [Something about trying to look up the side of the hill and having my front tire get off the trail .. that big cat got in my head!]  No sightings today - other than 4 other cyclists: one I couldn't keep up with and three others I could.

Intervals are to the Treadmill as Mtn Biking is to Road biking

Having been so long, I had forgoten what it was like: the fear, excitement, fun, hard work .. and overall Great exercise that mountain bike riding can be. Even with the down hills and recovering on the flats, my avg heart rate was 160 bpm, with a Max Heart Rate (MHR) of 187. Now that I have another Mtn Bike, I plan on riding weekly.

What I like most about it over road cycling are the sudden changes of terrain, having to constantly be moving around [out of the saddle, to the left, right, getting behind the saddle], having spikes of fear [about hitting a tree, going off the trail, falling down, not being able to stop, hitting my helmet on a branch I didn't see], and how nice it is to ride in the woods.

I will try to ride my road bike tomorrow as I've not been on it for over a week now. There is a 33 mi loop that I like to ride.

Anyways .. I'm excited to be Mtn Biking again and think I'll keep track of some of my experiences here. It's been a difficult season of life and exercising has been bumped down further than I like: I've gained wait, lost strength, increased my resting heart rate and am slower running and cycling. I'm hoping to bump it up a few spots for the next few months and see what happens.

 Photos are coming with future posts ...

 I will start taking my camera once I stop crashing every time I go riding! I like photography and think they capture and tell their own stories.

If it's been 4 or more years for you, and you're starting to ride the mountain trails again, build your confidence slowly. I've got cut's and bruises from this evenings ride to remind me to do the same ... time to start training again!