I have a healthy fear of heights. Ever since I found myself sliding down a roof I was nailing off two-stories up my fear of heights have existed. This was about 20 years ago. So when I find myself riding over a wooden structure that seems to keep rising off the ground the further along it goes that fear tends to kick in.
This past weekend I had the opportunity and took it to ride in Squamish, BC. I have done the Test of Metal race twice up there but never have just gone up there to ride. Quite a different experience from the race. As anyone who has ever ridden there what I found was some of the best riding I have ever done. Truly. I have never ridden so many rock faces in one weekend. And I have never ridden over such long wooden bridges…some seem to go on for 200 meters. Where we we enter them we can’t see where it ends. The unknown. Commitment.
Riding a trail up there for the first time meant having to stop and scout those rock faces. Risk to reward was weighed and onward we went. The bridges though were part of the trail with, at times, no ride around. And at times I wish they had one. I started mountain biking in a time when those bridges did not exist. Riding Galbraith over the last 8 years has given me more and more confidence on them, however. I know the ones I like to ride and the ones I steer clear of. The higher they are the more likely I am to stay on the ground. So when I came upon some in Squamish where the bridge went on and on I would have to tell my brain to be calm and “just ride and look where I want to go not where I don’t want to go.” That is true in life for many of us. Look where we want to go not where we do not want to go. Which is the beauty of mountain biking for me. Not only is there the thrill of speed and challenge of riding a technical trail or section of trail but the mental aspect of having to at times be 100% focused. And it is that focus which creates new boundaries and overcomes challenges so other challenges may come my way. Which, of course, is growth. I can’t say that I lost any of my fear of heights this past weekend but I did gain a bit more confidence on riding those bridges. And had a great time doing it.
Cheers,
Steve Noble, DC, CCSP
Noble Chiropractic
119 Grand Ave
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 671-7067