Browsing Category

MTB

Athletic Performance/ MTB/ Zesty Adventures

Tuning In: Secrets To A High Performance Mind

athlete-mindset-dirtfish-rally-tuning-in-performance-flow-mindful

Drifting through flow state

Kicking it into second gear, I hammer the gas pedal to the floor and aim for the hairpin corner—this seems crazy, my thoughts tell me. Letting go of panic, my focus turns to the moment and the actions I need to take. I trail brake and drift the car sideways through the corner, looking ahead for the perfect trajectory before I stomp the gas again.

Your first instinct in any stressful or high-risk situation is to react. Like a rally car driver who learns to disengage their impulses when driving full throttle through a winding forest, you can increase your performance by learning to tune into the moment. Continue Reading…

MTB/ Videos/ Zesty Adventures

Squamish Slab Hustle

You got this!

Getting scared is part of mountain biking, especially when you’re returning from injury. When you feel fear coming on, relax, trust your skills, don’t think too hard, and approach confidently. Fear can keep you safe from physical injury or it can push you to be better. Sometimes it wins, but other times you overcome it, and you’re rewarded with joy and gratification.

If you’re coming back from injury, as I am now, don’t expect to jump back into it with full confidence. Work your way back up with smaller features and familiar trails, learn to recognize how you’re feeling and decide when the timing is right to push it. You got this!

Athletic Performance/ Mountain Biking/ MTB/ Zesty Adventures

Pilates: The Mountain Biker’s Secret to Strength, Balance & Recovery

pilates-for-athletes-cyclists-rehabilitation-strength-mindful

Crash with grace

Whether you pitch yourself over the bars, slip off a skinny or send yourself wayward on a wet root, if you ride a mountain bike you’re going to crash once in a while…but, I have a secret practice for landing on all fours.

I’ve had a number of crashes, close calls and tricky situations that I know Pilates has saved me from. Whether it’s addressing posture, breathing, strength, flexibility, coordination or awareness, for over 10 years Pilates has trained me to work with my body as whole to increase performance and resilience. If you think Pilates is only for women and ballerinas, you’re way wrong my friend. Continue Reading…

Bravery/ Love & Relationships/ MTB/ Zesty Adventures

FEAR: Face Everything And Ride

fromme-upper-oil-can-mtb-enduro-rachelle-hynes-fear-biking-bike-blog-north-vancouver-shore

Racing Heart. Shortness of Breath. Butterflies.

Peddling up Mt. Fromme on our twin Santa Cruz Bronson’s, my friend Craig is taking me to Upper Oil Can bike trail. He tells me I’m ready to tackle some technical woodwork. I’m so excited to face the severe danger looming on the horizon!…or maybe what I feel is anxiety and I shouldn’t do this today—it’s so hard to tell the difference between emotions sometimes. Anxiety and excitement are completely different emotions, one positive, one negative—but are they different, really? Continue Reading…