SESSIONING
TAKE IN THE VIEW GET INVOLVED
If you want to make progress with your technical ability then you can’t beat a good session. The way this normally looks is you ride down a trail that you know till you get to something complicated. Just before you reach the feature or section, get off and go take a look on foot. Break it down into how you’ll approach it, what line you’ll be on, what body position would be best, and what skill or technique you might want to employ to get through safely and smoothly. Then go back up, grab your bike, and have a go at it. You’ll rarely get it 100% on your first go, so have a few more goes till you start feeling better about yourself. This might be setting up wide to make a tight bend flow better, or taking a different line than normal in order to avoid a root that normally catches you out. Whatever the tricky section is, have four or five goes till you feel like you’ve made progress. The next time you ride the same bit of track you’ll be able to ride it the improved way from your fourth or fifth attempts instead of always hitting it as if it’s shot number one.
Was it John Lennon or Ferris Beuller who said: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Whoever it was, they were right. So although most of this article has been about pushing on and challenging yourself, every so often it’s equally important to just take a moment and appreciate how lucky we all are to be able to do what we love. The perspective gained is often part of the escape that we are looking for when we head off in search of adventure. Pick a break in the tree line, or a hilltop with a good view, and just appreciate the fact that we’re even here at all.
If you ride with a regular group of friends, how about suggesting that you put some of the tips and suggestions in this article into pratice the next time that you’re all out? If you’re all on board with trying out the same processes, then you’ll be able to talk about them afterwards and learn from each other. Perhaps you’ll all be able to benefit from a shared experience.