The Mind Game

In preparation for the spring climbing season, I went over some of my notes from the fall and was reminded of a series of interviews with Olympic/World Cup skier and NFL football player Jeremy Bloom from the Podium Sports Journal.  I have found these interviews, albeit brief, to contain insight and bits of wisdom that have been helpful in the sports I pursue.  For example, while riding the Tunnel Trail recently in Santa Barbara, I distinctly felt that while the technical nature of the trail requires certain physical skills, the mental side of riding the trail well, and safely, is perhaps the most important.  I focus a lot on teaching the mental game to my students, although I do find it to be one of the more challenging things I instruct.  In other words, I don't have clear metrics for determining the effectiveness of these teaching tools, but I believe that they make all the difference in the world.  The following video gives a sense of these mental skills.  I you will find it useful as well!

Move

I enjoyed seeing this Vimeo featuring Will Gadd.  If you haven't read his blog, I highly recommend it.  There is a lot of wisdom, insight, inspiration and humor in what he says.  I also really like how much he discusses safety and technique in the mountains.  Really good stuff.



MOVE from ARC'TERYX on Vimeo.

Cold Springs and Tunnel Trails

A great morning spent with Weston, Kevin, Grant, Jon and Quincy riding the Cold Springs Trail and the Tunnel Trail in Santa Barbara.  A mountain bike is another great tool for interacting with the landscape and getting to some incredible locations.  I am reminded of the sentiments expressed by Galen Rowell on the topic of man in the natural world, which is something that has always inspired me in my climbing and photography.  Mountain bikes are a way to have similar interactions with the trail, the chaparral and the geology that comprise the mountains.  Not unlike mountaineering, a demanding trail can result in similar levels euphoria and require the type of focus that makes you feel as if time has slowed down.  I am especially appreciative of these opportunities in light of the absence of snow in our mountains.  It has been surprising to me to feel a similar sense of engagement and satisfaction from mountain biking as what I am used to getting from skiing.  Most likely a good portion of that has to do with the incredible trails that are just out my backdoor.  Skis have been traded in for knobby tires, and I am enjoying the ride.

 The Tunnel Trail in the Santa Barbara front country - and a rare smooth section - the Tea Fire burned through here in 2008.

Jon Chang dropping into a section on the Tunnel Trail that characterizes the rocky and technical nature of this trail.  Jon has improved a ton in his riding over the past three years.  He really commits to the terrain and just goes for it.  We first rode together when he was a sophomore at Thacher on a 107 mile backcountry bike packing tour of the Los Padres.