|   things that you think about | Yeti_Rider
Mar 21, 2003 3:51 PM | | as you're about to fly @ss over shoulders and impact terra firma.
This morning/afternoon, two friends and I hit up the fabulous Big Laguna Trail and Noble Canyon in San Diego for a wonderful day of riding. The weather was a bit cool at the start, but with a little pedaling the temperature was just fine. The trail was in excellent condition with the recent rains and there was little mud and only a few pockets of remaining snow. There were a bunch of fallen trees and branches over sections of the BLT (trails we were on probably weren't technically all the BLT, but the entire area around the meadow) but by and large the trails were in great condition.
We're riding along feeling pretty good when we get to the first difficult section of Noble. This would be the section of trail after the cow gate and after all the switchbacks as you descend into and through the normally dry streambead. I've ridden this section every time I've done this trail but the last time out there I took a less than perfect line. I made it, but I must have been thinking too much about it. AS I approach the last rock before the stream I knew I was screwed.
I was probably going a touch too slow and I didn't take my usual line so I saw my front tire heading straight for one of the rocks sticking up out of the ground. Not normally a problem, you've got to ride over them anyway. But, I knew I was going too slow to carry myself over it. Sure enough, I augered into it any everything started moving forward. Unfortunately for me, there was going to be no spectacular Zonic Man - Lord of the Dance dismount for this one.
I distinctly recall seeing one of my buddies across the stream since he had gone ahead and was waiting. at just about the apex of my dismount, I clearly looked across and though that at least he had a good seat for what was going to come. I then quickly started doing the math in my head by thinking how high I was, looking quickly at the ground to see how quickly it was approaching, and how much this might hurt.
Impact came and I survived fairly well. No blood at all and just a wrist that is sore as a mother and a tender spot on my knee. I recovered for a few minutes and we started on our way again. Lacking a bit of confidence to attempt the section again, I opted to exorcise that demon the next time I ride out there.
The very next section of trail is also sort of difficult and I was thinking way too much at this point (crashing will do that to you right?). I took a crappy line and had to stop. However, I did turn around and push the bike back to the top of this section because I knew darn well I was going to clear this. Sure enough, I made it through this and every other section of Noble for the afternoon. The staircase actually felt easy today so hopefully I got my groove back.
Michael |
| re: not about getting it back.... | Hrdkor
Mar 21, 2003 4:06 PM | | I know the feeling. After a good fall and your confidence is gone, anything challenging looks void of good lines. A wise man once said, "It's not that you're getting your mojo or groove back, with time, you just forget how bad it hurt." Ride everything, Hrdkor |
| |
