“We’ll just take it really slowly.” We’re on mountain bikes. Again. If someone had asked me before this season how I felt about mountain biking, I would have laughed and waved the idea away. I never dreamed I’d find myself in the saddle more than once. And yet here I am, in the French Alps, wobbling my way down a trail. As always, it takes some getting used to at first. I’m afraid of every rock and every steeper slope, I tense up when I brake, and it takes me forever to find my rhythm.
It gets better
After a few bumpy attempts at braking, I grow more confident and pick up speed. At least by my standards. A mountain biker or downhill rider or two would surely be rolling around laughing at those words. Nevertheless, I feel fast! And I don’t feel any less safe than before. The mountain bike glides almost effortlessly over rocks and through deeper holes. I can only feel the jolts in my arms.
The calm before the fall
As time goes on, I gain confidence. I join in conversations while riding and occasionally lift my head to take in the scenery. Yes, I even manage to turn around and laugh with my fellow riders. Even on the “more difficult” sections with loose gravel, I’m not quite so tense anymore. I actually enjoy the challenge of finding the right path. And as we zip through the woods and I’m having more and more fun, it suddenly happens.
Ouch, that hurt!
I miss a larger rock in front of my front wheel. So the mountain bike doesn’t ride over everything quite so effortlessly after all. Instead, I feel the tire slip, lose my balance and, the next moment, I’m sprawled out on the ground. Sharp rocks press painfully against my elbow. There’s a little blood. “Are you okay?” Mel, who was riding just behind me, looks at me with concern. I nod, move all my limbs and get up. Yes, I’m okay!
Don’t lose heart now
If I’d been alone, the fall probably would have sent me right back to the beginning of my mountain biking career. But the women around me gave me confidence. “You can do it, girl,” they told me when we eventually had to cross a stream. “Just put your arms like this. Well … a little bit more. Perfect!” My elbows are bent and my upper body is leaning forward as I stand on the pedals. Apparently, that’s supposed to make me more stable.
Confidence starts in the mind
And it does. Above all, though, with every meter I ride on the mountain bike again, my confidence returns a little. And I’m glad I didn’t give up and push my bike this time. I may have some wounds to lick at home now, but it was definitely worth it. Because today’s lesson was probably this: Don’t let it get you down when something doesn’t go the way you want. Get up and keep going. That’s what I learned.