Like Feeding Cocaine to a Crack head... with orange hair

I often equated riding my road bike to doing crack. It was addicting. I wanted it.

But then the season ended, and apparently my interest in crack is directly related to the temperature outside. So what was I going to do for X-training now? Sit on a trainer in my living room? Oh HELL no.

so now, I'm a BOMB. And as I feared/suspected it is like ... a siren that calls me. 

If road cycling is like crack, then this my friends, is high.end.coke.

(not that I know what high end coke is like, but if I did...).

In order to make this more fun for everyone, The Gentleman Leader (TGL) decided to take on a new role, and "enrolled" us in a new class. MTB101.

The Professor (TGL), Muppet, B & Lady K

We cluster in small groups at the rear of our cars, like Freshmen without any upper class-men around to judge. We spend the few minutes before each ride laughing and hazing each other with a nervous edge to our voices. For the most part, the hazing is gentle, with small amounts of mockery tossed in for good measure. mostly self mockery.

The Professor shows up on his Giant Red Bike of Doom... or, if not doom, then definitely red. And things get real.

Or, at least really entertaining.

"Do you have enough gear?"

I noticed on the first day of class that some of the kids in my grade seem like they know more about the assignments than I do (and by "some" I mean ALL. ALL OF THE OTHER KIDS know MORE about this than I do).

But I pay attention in class.
I do my homework.
I practice.
I try to have the right equipment so my teacher doesn't berate me too much.
I keep the whining to a minimum. mostly

And this week at MTB101 I felt definite improvement.

It's difficult to see improvement, because I don't know what I look like on the bike. But I felt it. I felt it in the balance of the bike... and the speed I was able to comfortably handle, hills I had the guts to ride down, and mostly, in the air I got over a few small bumps in the trail.

There is this moment in horses and biking, and probably surfing and skating (definitely want to try skating after spring (race distance) training is over) where you are totally at one with your instrument. The bike becomes part of you, and if you think something, it will happen without effort. The shift of weight is too subtle to be consciously directed.

This is true, I swear.

And at my last MTB 101 class, I felt it. It was there. Not for the whole ride, but for a few brief moments I had total and complete trust in myself.

Trust. In myself. It is a great thing and it has nothing to do with cycling or MTB or anything of the sort.  To feel it, even for a few moments... yeah.

It is precious.

And if that three minutes of peace this week is the only thing I ever get out of MTB, it'll still have been worth every other minute I spent pedaling through the woods.

This MTB sh*t is the bomb.

Of course, now that I'm starting to feel solid about this level, last night The Gentleman Leader casually informed us over beer that MTB101 is over.

We're moving up to MTB201.