Instead of sliding around corners while grabbing a handful of rear brake, we just pedaled our bikes and tried to stay upright, with success I might add. While we were riding, I was reminded of a dream I had a couple of nights ago. I was racing in the mud and kicking a$$! I was telling myself to keep pressure on my outside leg in the corners; my weight was perfect. Not only was I not sliding, I was cornering with perfection!
In my undergraduate studies, I recall being taught that it takes 7 years of study to truly master a foreign language. Note that it was only 3 months for Jake Sully to learn the Na'vi language in Avatar. (It was a spectacular movie, btw. Go see it!) And when you start thinking in a second language, you start dreaming in it too. It happened to me only a couple of times when I was taking Spanish classes in college. Having been years since I studied, it's been years since I've dreamed in another language--until now.
My muddy race dream was the 2nd where I've had flawless technique. In the first, I executed perfect bunny hops. I could literally float over obstacles.
While I don't think I'll "master" mountain biking in 7 years, I'm ecstatic that some of this stuff is becoming more intuitive. For some, the physics of riding a bicycle, especially at fast speeds, is natural. They inherently understand the gyrations of the wheels, the significance of weight distribution at the proper times, etc. For others, like me, it's not so intuitive; rather, these lessons are learned--sometimes the hard way--like grabbing a handful of front brake during a descent with my weight towards the front.....and over the handlebars I go! I would like to reach the point where I can do a controlled skid around a corner (and not mess up the trails, of course.) As they used to say in my karate classes, the weapon should be an extension of your body. The bicycle can be too. We are one going down the trail; we should be connected (and not just by the pedals!)
So, I will continue to pursue mastery. Yesterday I was also thinking how, after being on a road bike, I would have to slowly "adjust" to my mt bike when riding on girls' nights. Not any more--hopping on is 2nd nature. Time to free myself!
Another foreign language I don't care to master is construction. As I've detailed in previous posts, hubby and I are remodeling the house during our building phase. Since I've used so many words above, I'll try to detail yesterday in pictures.
When I got home from the bike ride, I was told, "I have a task for you to do." This means it's something easy but labor intensive since I'm still in the "unskilled labor" category (see previous post). Where this lack of knowledge used to get me out of work, I can no longer use the excuse.
First task: Follow Jason in car with emergency flashers on while he drives 5 miles from his brother's house to ours in the skid steerer (aka bobcat). Ahhh, heat and an audio book; it took 35 minutes. He had to have been COLD as there is no heater in this piece of machinery.
Second task: Sit on forklift and steer it to the garage while he pushes me with the bobcat. I gracefully bowed out of this duty and gave the forklift-driving glory to our neighbor and took pictures instead.
Third task: Put all drywall remnants in trash and start unscrewing all leftover drywall screws from studs, including the ones overhead on the ceiling. UGH.
Fourth task: Break up tile in our basement, throw it in trash bins, sweep up mess, and smooth leftover grout. This is awful. As I write, Mr. Wonderful is hacking away at the tile in our basement. In a protest of my mundane duties of picking up sharp, fragments of tile & operating the shop vac, I grabbed the machine at one point and started hacking away. It was fun for several minutes; then, like so many things, it became work.
Nevertheless, life is good, and I'm getting double workouts! My back, shoulders, arms, and legs are quite stiff, but it only makes me stronger. And I sleep without ANY problem.
Have a Happy, Happy New Year!!!!!
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