Know Your Limits

I’ve always taken the phrase “Know your limits” to mean that you should hold back when you might otherwise go too far. I no longer believe that. In fact, the saying has quite the opposite effect on me. My limits, it turns out, are quite often much higher than I first believe - and I find the same to be true for most people with whom I ride. When mountain biking, it is a mental limitation that gives pause when you’re looking over a drop or trying to let go of the brakes and shred a downhill section or a jump at full speed. The body is fully capable. Only the mind is weak. Know your limits. Know how high they are. Once you convince your mind to take the plunge, your body won’t let you down. But if you never get past that fear, you’ll never know what you can do. I still face that fear at the top of a new jump, or a bigger gap, but I know my limits. And I know I haven’t reached them yet. The same is true on fat tires and skinny alike when it comes to climbing. Again, it is the mind that makes us downshift before the body really needs to. Try pushing in that big ring a little longer. Go ahead and breath a little harder. You won’t die. You’ll get to the top before you know it. Don’t let your fears tell you otherwise. Your fears don’t know your limits. Only you do. I bet you’ll surprise yourself.