The Importance of Rest

No Dabs, 11/27/22

All too often, we find ourselves lining up the days we can ride, or at least want to ride, and before we know it, we haven’t rested much. I’m guilty of that, to the point where the go-go-go contributed to my bout with rhabdomyolysis. Over more recent years since then, I’ve had to remind myself to get off the bike and rest, meaning not riding for a week, give or take. I’ve found that it’s good for the mind, as well.

Walking/hiking allows for seeing things we simply can’t take in while moving across the land on the bike. The changed scenery and slowing down feels good.

Spending time and sharing experiences with non-mountain bikers adds new perspectives that are much needed. Learning about what they are seeing provides a better understanding of the need for sharing.

We love to mountain bike. There is joy in finding flow. The grunt feels good before and after-the-fact. No doubt, we’ll always go back to riding. It’s what we do.

Nevertheless, it’s not entirely who we are. On our “rest” days, the slowing down or stopping adds to our human condition, one that isn’t finite.