How it all started
Chimney Gulch - Lookout Mountain
My “twin” brother (we were born within one year) likes to run. He’s finished a few marathons and I have always admired his training commitment especially when dealing with almost always raining climate (he lives in Ireland). So one day I decided to put my shoes on and went for a run. I lasted less than a mile, totally out of shape, and I couldn’t understand how he could run for 23+ miles non stop! All I wanted to do was to stop! The next few days I was recovering from my one mile run, thinking I would never ever do this to myself again! But after the pain went away, I did it again and to my big surprise, it was better! In short couple of weeks I was comfortable running 3-4 miles and decided to set myself a goal. I signed up for the Colfax half marathon to complete in less than six months. I trained 3-4 times a week with snow on the ground or dripping rain. I finished the half marathon with 9.48/mi pace and was the happiest girl on earth. And when I finally started to enjoy running, my knees started hurting after every run no matter how much time I spent warming up. At that point I knew I was done with running and didn’t know what’s next as I really got used to the sweat and training routine. Then, one of my friends, to whom I will be forever grateful, casually mentioned an idea of mountain biking which triggered something in my head. To someone who had zero biking experience, the idea was simply crazy but I was curious. The decision came in quickly as everything in my life. I always trust my initial instincts and never ever spend too much time debating. It either sounds good or it doesn’t and mountain biking sounded like one of these lifetime experiences you can’t miss. So I got myself a mountain bike!!! Yippee! My excitement was through the roof!! Even though my very first ride at NT ended with a crash and everything was hurting, for the first time in my life, I felt the rush of adrenaline and I wanted more!!! That was May 2020 and my life was never the same. Mountain biking is not just a passion anymore, it’s part of me, it’s who I am and gives me an unbelievable feeling of freedom, inner strength and thrill!!
What does MTB mean to you? Comment below!
Your Comments:
You can always count on my support, whether it's on the bike trails or the journey of life. Together, we ride the waves and conquer the trails.
"Man has gone out to explore other worlds and other civilizations without having explored his own labyrinth of dark passages and secret chambers, and without finding what lies behind doorways that he himself has sealed." - Stanisław Lem
- Bro