Why I love mtn biking

A mtn biker from Singapore once wrote that he loves mountain biking because it improves fitness at the same time it builds self-confidence, and I would have to agree. It builds confidence not by a perpetual quest for PR times, or miles logged, heart rate, or VO2 max, or anything else that's measurable in numbers. The kind of self-confidence you get from mountain biking is the same kind you get from play. It's the kind that comes from doing what you love.

Mountain biking isn't micro-goal-oriented in the same way that running is. When I go mountain biking, I don't time myself. I don't even wear a watch. Most of the time, when I meet my friends in the parking lot to start a ride, we only have a vague idea of where we'll go -- we make up the bulk of it on the fly. I don't know how long the routes are, and since trail conditions can vary greatly from week to week, completing the route faster than last week may or may not even be possible. The goal isn't about turning in a certain time. The goal is to have fun.

That's not to say that when I ride, I don't go really fast, or race my friends. But in mountain biking, "going as fast as you can" can also include waiting for friends at the top of a lung-burning climb, or having them wait for me at the bottom of a technical downhill, or sessioning the same log bridge again and again.

Yes, riding is a different animal. It doesn't allow me to "zone out." When I ride, I'm always mentally engaged with the trail and my surroundings. I'm reading the terrain, processing the information, and making conscious weight-shifts and maneuvers with my body. I don't think about the world's problems; I don't think about my workday; I think about the trail, my body, and my bike, because on a ride, these three things act as one. I'm mentally engaged to keep them in symmetry, because when they're not, crashes ensue.

And speaking of crashes, they are yet another thing that makes mountain biking a great confidence-builder. In mountain biking, *everyone* falls. Everyone. From pros to beginners, everyone takes a tumble. And instead of being seen as a failure, it's seen with a grin as a heroic indication of giving something difficult your best try. You dust yourself off, and get right back on your bike.

I'm a much better runner than I am a mountain biker. I've won a lot of medals, garnered first seeds, and earned All-Conference honors. But I'm a much happier, much more satisfied mountain biker. It could be because mountain biking is an all-around better sport. But maybe the happiness comes from doing what I love.