# Therapy.



## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

It happens to all of us: A need to sidestep the frustrating, maddening chaos of "the world" that we're tuned into. A desire to check out, to unplug, to gain a better big picture perspective by deliberately removing ourselves from it for a few hours.





Vacations work great for this but the time required to take one just isn't always there.



We 'make do' by using our weekends as wisely as we're able. Sometimes weeknights, too.







One of the best ways of temporarily removing our focus -- from things that feel either beyond our control or utterly hopeless -- is to go for a mountain bike ride. *Not* a road ride, where the metronomic cadence allows our minds to wander back to that which we want to avoid. And not a gravel ride, because, well, those are usually worse.

Nope, _trail_. The more technical it is, the more removed from our normal headspace we can be.





So it was that Jeny and I found ourselves on our favorite tech trail a few days ago. For well over 4 hours, nothing about Ukraine was mentioned. Even though I *am* Ukrainian. Neither of us uttered the words 'impeachment', 'betrayal', nor 'subpoena'. In reality we discussed almost nothing at all, for we'd chosen a trail that -- technically speaking -- is really engaging. So much so that conversation is difficult at best, at least for mortals like us.





For that glorious handful of hours we lasered in on maintaining traction through off camber corners, across slabs of rock littered with ball bearings, up steep, scrabbly grunts with funky, hinky mid-pitch moves to be made. The climbing on this trail is usually steep, so much so that speech is the last thing on your mind as you focus on putting out as few watts as possible, the better to keep your heart rate in check for the yet-harder move just over that little knoll.







Fail to clean a move -- guaranteed on this route -- and you walk your bike back to the most obvious spot to re-start, catch three breaths while admiring the panorama, then try again. As many times as it takes.





A good friend often reminds me that mindfulness makes the need to get out for a ride like this superfluous: You don't need to "do" anything to change your mind -- you just need to slow down and, well, change your mind.

He's right, of course. And we both practice that daily.





Perhaps it's because we've not yet mastered the achievement of a mindful state. Or maybe it's because we know that exercise, endorphin incineration, focus, and concerted effort are all healthy endeavors in their own right. But we find this particular 'solution' -- temporary though it may be -- much more satisfying.

Plus, we get to therapeutically smash some rocks along the way.





Thanks for checkin' in.​


----------



## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

Beautiful shots as always! Thanks for sharing.


----------



## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

Dirt Therapy. My favorite. Thanks for the photo essay, as always.


----------



## str8edgMTBMXer (Apr 15, 2015)

so funny that just surrounding your self with nature and space can be so important to sanity. No matter where it is. For me, as soon as I am on the trail, my mind relaxes. I make plans as I ride, but they are plans for happiness, calm, new discoveries. Not calendar events, meetings, protocol, structure etc...

people ask me how I am so "chill" in my day to day opps, and I point to my drum set and my bike stuff

as always, thanks for the pics, talent and time to help us all re-touch with a very important part of MTBing


----------



## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

"One of the best ways of temporarily removing our focus -- from things that feel either beyond our control or utterly hopeless -- is to go for a mountain bike ride. Not a road ride, where the metronomic cadence allows our minds to wander back to that which we want to avoid. And not a gravel ride, because, well, those are usually worse."

True, the thing my wife loves about mountain biking is that she is immersed in the moment. It's an activity that takes some amount of concentration, and then, when you stop to sight see, you're immersed in the beauty. She doesn't have time to worry about nonsense.


----------



## Ptor (Jan 29, 2004)

I guess I'm lucky (or maybe just simple minded), but road, gravel, mtb or even the 15 minute cruiser commute between home and work is therapeutic for me. Nice photos!


----------



## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

Yay for mindfulness, which I've been teaching in it's original martial art form for 40 years now. Enjoy the moment, but when a punch flies at your face, don't be there. 

Beautiful place that you rode. Great pics too, although I'd have to say that rock in the one was pretty much smashing your tire! Ouch.


----------



## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

Thanks for the therapy and stoke passion.


----------



## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

Fu*ck yeah! Mindfulness. One word with a lot of meaning.


----------



## sturge (Feb 22, 2009)

Awesome and so true. Long ago I discovered I need this therapy to push all of life's 'BS' to the back seat for awhile. I feel the same thing when skiing a challenging run or mountain biking a technical trail. It forces my mind into 100% focus on the job at hand because there are consequences if I don't. Some days the mind workout is tougher than the physical workout and I'm mentally exhausted!


----------



## OzarkFathom (Jul 2, 2019)

I much appreciate the effort in that OP.
Great job!


----------



## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

Ptor said:


> I guess I'm lucky (or maybe just simple minded), but road, gravel, mtb or even the 15 minute cruiser commute between home and work is therapeutic for me. Nice photos!


Any ride beats no ride, for sure.


----------



## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

Nice photos!

I have multiple "therapies":


Bike commute (1 hour-ish ~18 miles each way a few times per week)

50 - 100 mi gravel grinding in the hills (geared or SS)

Dirt church (Sunday MTB rides)

Tuesday urban assaults on MTB's

Full on bone jarring rock therapy


----------



## str8edgMTBMXer (Apr 15, 2015)

edubfromktown said:


> Nice photos!
> 
> I have multiple "therapies":
> 
> ...


love Dirt Church....gonna start using that for my Sunday morning rides!!


----------



## yeti rider (Dec 11, 2008)

2nd time I’ve read this, love the pics...


----------



## ddoh (Jan 11, 2017)

yeti rider said:


> 2nd time I've read this, love the pics...


Yep. I'm pretty sure my BP goes down quite a bit while while viewing the pics.


----------



## thecanoe (Jan 30, 2007)

This poster sums it up for me. And if riding with friends, politics is off limits.









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

