MY FIRST TIME…
Let’s talk about first times. Not those kind of first times! Get your mind out of the gutter. I mean the first time you did something scary.
The first time you did something epic. The first time you did something you never thought you could do.
Caroline Buchanan (already GOAT status IMO) did something for the first time recently that was a first for all women in her sport – she landed a front flip on a dirt jump in competition. The skill (and the nerve) to do this is astounding, and she has set a new benchmark for female mountain bikers as well as confirming that herself and 8 other women were worthy of their invites for the first time ever at the 2021 Audi Nines event.
Every day is a chance for a first
It got me thinking that mountain biking is one of the best sports for endless “first time” feelings no matter who you are or what your level. I still remember my first race. I still remember my first marathon distance. I still remember the first time I rode technical features that made me want to poop my pants.
Achieving something for the first time is a natural high that is incomparable to any other high I’ve known. Sure, sometimes there is external validation such as a race result or an audience cheering that makes you feel good, but usually our first times are away from any spotlight. I’ve learned that the internal satisfaction in those moments is as good as any race win.
How do you do something for the first time? Much like training for a big event, you need to work backwards from the goal. You must break things down and form a process that will help you achieve your goal. If it’s a technical feature, what smaller or easier options do you have to practice on to help build your skills and confidence? Is there a person or a group that will help you build towards something you’re dreaming about?
Leap into the moment
Sometimes the build-up will only get you so far. Sometimes you need to just send it and see what happens. You can learn a lot about yourself in those moments where you say “eff it!” and just do the thing you’ve been dreaming of. Often the hardest part is the mental block, that voice in your head that is speaking from fear, the one that always says “but what if the worst happens? What if I fail?” Sometimes there is just one skill or feature that gets us all twisted up even though we’ve done other comparable or even harder things.
My goal this summer is to finally ride my local technical feature infamous in the Australian mountain bike world. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never cleared the “Hammerhead” rock drop at Stromlo Forest Park, even though that was the location for my first ever participation at the World Championships in 2009. A friend of mine recently built up to clearing it and she has given me the boost I needed to just get back out there and just do it!
Don’t forget to celebrate!
Every first time is a small win and deserves a celebration. Yell out a big “yiewww!” and don’t worry if you sound nerdy. If you are watching a mate achieve a big first, then make sure to give them a big cheer and a high five. These moments are best shared, and there’s no room for snobbery in mountain biking. Just because you have already done it, doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate when someone else finally achieves the goal too.
Caroline said it best after her big moment, sharing that she says to herself “your body knows what to do, let it happen, smile and let it flow” before tricks as big as hers. I think all of us can take this mantra into anything we are trying for the first time. If we build up with the right process and with a little bit of help, we can trust ourselves to take that leap of faith and “smile and let it flow”.