Fall 01 in Summer 10

One could have the balls to try mountain biking but the real challenge is to have them intact at the end. I believe that I do, because of the urge in me to get on the bike again and complete the trail that beat me. Alas, if only I could walk.

Folks, I went mountain biking on Pacific Ridge Trail, Irvine, CA last saturday with a couple of friends from Broadcom. I have biked earlier on Whiting ranch wilderness park trail. This trail, facing NewPort Beach for a stretch, is supposed to be more scenic. The first third of the trail was narrow and winding with bushes on either side, demanding intense concentration. After a water-break at a summit, we started going down on a broader path (a highway by mountain biking standards) at a high velocity. Blame the lapse in concentration or the the view on my left and or the speed (that thrills but kills), I did not notice the sand in front of me. The sudden slow down along with my poor technique in navigating sand caused the front wheel to wobble and turn 90; thus, the cycle flipped over and TJ made a landing on hard ground after a couple seconds of flight.

I sustained injuries on my right hip and bruises on arms and legs rendering me unfit to walk for a week (my guess; hopefully not worse). I am frustrated at my inability take part in the SF half-marathon race on 25th of July. My plan of writing "36 hours in Bay Area" has gone down the drain and so might the trip to Las Vegas on July 30th. Considering that every mountain biker has gone through a similar or a worse injury, I feel proud about it; however, the pain of having to stay put in a place is intolerable.

A few thing that I want to tell an aspiring mountain biker:
  1. Mountain biking is totally different from road biking. Infact, no two trails of mountain biking are the same.
  2. Never try to compete with an experienced guy. This sport could be dangerous.
  3. Every protective gear is important. The helmet, the gloves, the knee guard, the elbow guards, ... Thanks to the helmet, I escaped with a black-out.
  4. Bike should be in perfect condition. The brakes, the shock absorbers, the gears and the tyre pressure.
  5. As a beginner, safety should be the only concern. Enjoying mother nature is secondary.
  6. The most important thing: You will injure yourself despite all the precautions. Be prepared to take it.
After recovery, I plan to complete this beautiful trail and take nice pictures along the way. As for the half-marathon, I hope to get into the Philly competition in September.

TJ

Een ezel stoot zich geen tweemaal aan dezelfde steen
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:Dutch_proverbs

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