Got out on the mtb today even though I wasn't technically suppossed to. The forcast called for snow tomorrow (that's since changed) and I was thinking it might be the last 'snow-free' ride of the season. Also, mtbing makes me happy, and I wanted to be happy today:).
Saturdays have usually been a longer mtb ride for me in the past couple months, so I stuck to that format and kept things almost completely aerobic. One of the things that I need to fine tune in my riding is shifting. The trails here, while not containing any crazy long climbs or equally long descents, do have plenty of super sharp climbs, and super sketchy descents. It's hard to find a rhythm as you would normally on longer climbs, so shifting is critical to not only making it up the hill, but being as efficient as you can be. Without proper shifting, you can definitely expect a super sore back from all the straining by the end of your ride.
Anyway, I've been working a lot to include the "granny gear"-smallest chainring-in my riding. It's funny how just a small change in riding style can produce a big challenge. So anyway, I worked a lot on using the entirety of my gears, rather than just the largest two rings. Made some mistakes, but in the end I wound up using my energy much more efficiently, and ultimately riding smoother and faster than I have. I'm finding that being smooth is where the speed is, not hammering.
It's the skill work that I really love about mountain biking. Being technically proficient is just as important as being fit. One without the other is never going to get you more speed.
This is our new blog detailing our daily adventures, mountain bike racing, endurance sports, and maybe even some cooking (that's Anne's domain!). We will share our experiences with life, training, and most importantly, being a team-both in marriage and in our sport.
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