After years and years of running, it has become ingrained in my mind and body that basic fitness comes before acquiring skills. To explain. WIth running you have to develop your cardio, muscular and skeletal fitness before developing the skills to hold pace, run fast, and endure. I approached running learning speed first. That is not the usual route.
The learning curve with single track mountain biking is steep. I have to erase all the thoughts from running and fitness. With mountain biking you have to develop skill first. Learning how to ride over roots and rocks, turn corners, climb hills, ride over obstacles comes before fitness. Without this skill development you simply cannot ride fast enough to get in a workout. Momentum is your friend in mountain biking, without it you come to a stop on every root or rock or hill.
This new sport is an opportunity for me to improve again. To feel the challenge of mastering a new sport. Will I ever be as good at biking as I was at running? No. That time has past but, I will always push myself to learn, to develop the skills. Time to go ride and develop some more skills... Later.
But, you can still build tons of cycling fitness without really worrying about the skill aspect. Just head out to Umstead, put it in a big gear, and hammer. Repeat, over and over. Mix in some technical stuff gradually, and you'll get the best of both worlds. Build cycling fitness by riding hard and at speed (bridle trails or roads are perfect for this).
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